Do You Want to Build a Snowman: Part 1

We finally got some snow! Before today, it seemed like everywhere in the entire country was covered in a blanket of snow except us. After only a couple hours, we already had several inches! This is almost unheard of in the 'Sip. I mean, we might get a few flakes here and there every other year, but nothing like this. So you can see why we were pretty excited. 

Cody came home from work early and we immediately went outside to play. It didn't last very long... 'cause like I said... we aren't used to all of this cold, white stuff. We stayed out long enough to snap some fun pictures though. Little Brooks didn't really wake up to experience his first time in the snow, but I like to think that he still enjoyed it.

Happy New Year - 10 Resolutions for 2015

As we embark on a new year, I begin my ninth month of pregnancy. Yep, that means we'll finally get to meet our little one at some point this month! Unless he's extra cozy in there and doesn't want to come out on time. Please don't be late, Tiny (or huge from my perspective) Baby! Seriously, can I get any bigger?!

With a new life soon entering into the world, comes new responsibilities. I'm both ready and not ready for this. However, whether I'm ready or not, a great way to prepare myself is to set goals. So I've decided to write up a list of New Year's resolutions to motivate myself...

1. Be an awesome mom.

2. Lose the baby weight fast.

3. Get and stay more organized.

4. Travel somewhere new as a family.

5. Finish household projects.

6. Finish a book. I have a lot of half-read books.

7. Improve on my work skills and hobbies.

8. Make new friendships.

9. Inspire others.

10. Do more things outside of my comfort zone.

What are some of your New Year resolutions for 2015?

Sweater // Fleece lined leggings // Boots - local boutique

Baby Shower Fun

Yesterday, we had a blast with some of our closest friends at our very first baby shower. We started the party with a rousing game of baby Mad Libs. It was so much fun! Everyone filled the back of their cards with nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc., and then filled in the blanks for the story on the front of the cards. The story was very specific to Cody and me so that made it pretty hilarious, especially since we both had to read each one out loud! Our friends can get a little crazy with stuff like that.

There was another fun card that everyone filled out. It was a "Predictions & Wishes" card for us and the baby. Those were really funny too. Some of my favorites were, "I hope you always... poop on Cody." and "Advice for mommy and daddy... get turnt even if you have to force it.." because both of those things are definitely going to happen!

After the fun games, Cody and I opened cards and presents. We got so many adorable things for the little fella. I can't wait to use all of it! 

As far as food and decor goes, Mary Meghan (who threw the shower) really outdid herself with the woodland critter theme. It was absolutely perfect! I don't have photos of everything because it was later in the day and lighting wasn't great, but some of my favorite details are pictured below. The cookies were just too cute to eat, and the hot cocoa bar was amazing! There was a crock pot filled with warm milk and next to it were mason jars filled with cocoa, candy canes, chocolate chips, butterscotch bits, and more for us to customize our own drinks. Yummm!

Overall, it was such a great shower. We were so glad to celebrate little Baby Hickman with our fabulous friends! It meant so much to me to share those sweet moments with everyone :)

Over the River and Through the Woods...

...to Grandmother's house, we go.

I didn't mean to go so long between posts, but I've been pretty busy lately. Cody and I just got back from Sioux Falls, SD. We drove up there Thursday for a long weekend to visit my grandmother. I haven't seen her in at least 13 years so it was nice to finally be able to visit. We drove 14 looong hours to get there and the same to get back last night. Needless to say, we're pretty exhausted.

28 weeks baby bump

We got to do a little bit of sight seeing during the couple of days that we were there. Falls Park was a really neat area to explore. It was so pretty! The Sioux River and its falls cut right through the middle of the park and was surrounded by fun rocks to climb on. Good thing neither of us fell in the water while we were hiking along the rocks because that water was freezing! I will say, I think I did pretty darn good for a lady carrying a basketball in her belly.

That was most of the sight-seeing that we did. Aside from that and visiting with my grandmother, we did some shopping, eating, and of course, took a chilly stroll around their local zoo. I really wish we could've spent more time in South Dakota, but maybe we'll be able to go back soon. 

Paper Crafting for Baby

I've started my second scrapbook! Earlier this year, I made a lovey dovey marriage scrapbook that you can take a peek at HERE. This time, I'm making one for our little guy. I just started it last night so I still have a lot of work to do. I'm pretty sure that this one is going to be a work in progress for at least the next year. I want him to see all of the fun stuff we've been doing while he is in my belly and before he can form his own memories. 

I love using cute stickers and Becky Higgins - Project Life colorful cardstock to add extra excitement and color to my pages. Since I started scrapbooking (back in February) I find myself buying scrap paper, stickers, and other random crafty things all the time. I just love it. Hobby Lobby and Etsy are definitely my BFF's.

Have you started a scrapbook? I have to say, they're quite addictive!

Gender Reveal: It's A....

It's a BOY!! 

Yaaayyy! I had my 20 week ultrasound the other day and everything appeared to be perfectly normal and healthy. He weighs almost a pound now and is moving around and kicking like crazy. I can't believe I'm halfway through now! The first half flew by so fast. I want to enjoy all of the little moments of pregnancy, but I also hope the second half flies by just as fast. I can't wait to see my sweet baby boy! 

The Skinny On Having A Body-Positive Mentality

I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky, to share my  body positive story. My story isn't like most that you hear with negative body image issues. I never wished I could be as thin as the models in all of the magazines...because I was as thin as they were. I had the thigh gaps. You could clearly see my ribs.

Growing up, I was always naturally very skinny and underweight. Don't get me wrong, I ate and still do. I just never gained weight. I didn't really have curves and I couldn't fill out my clothes. In the photos above, I was 17-19 years old, 5'7", 95lbs, size 00. I know what you're probably thinking, "I'd kill to be that size!". I never felt that way though. When all you hear growing up are things like, "Omg, you're like a stick!", "You'd look better if you put some meat on your bones", and "You look sick", it doesn't do any favors for your positive body image. One time, at a restaurant, I even had a friend who casually said, "Oh, when you went to the bathroom, I just always thought you were going to throw up your food...". 

It could seem like this too-skinny issue was a good problem to have, but in my mind, it was just as bad as larger girls being called "fat" and being told they should lose weight. It's no different, it's just the opposite side of the spectrum. 

I heard a song on the radio when I was in the car with my husband the other day. The song was meant to be about having a positive body image mentality for girls with extra curves. She was celebrating the fact that she wasn't one of those stick figure girls. Basically, she was teaching the listeners that thin is unattractive and we should all be proud of having larger, thicker bodies. In part, that's perfectly all right. If that's how your body is, you should be comfortable with it. After hearing that song, I asked my husband, "What about those girls (me) who are/were thin and can't help it?!" How is that supposed to make us feel about our bodies?

I think people have fought against the glamorization of thin-ness in the media so much, that they neglect to think about the women who are naturally underweight. It's forgotten that some women are actually that size/shape and are perfectly healthy. Obviously though, if you're not naturally that way and you force yourself to lose weight in a harmful way or completely fake it with Photoshop (like magazines and media tend to encourage), yes, that's bad. Also, if you teach people that there's only one size or shape to be, that's not right either. 

When I was around 21, I decided that I wanted to try to gain weight. Maybe 15 pounds or so, just so I could fit in the "normal" or "average" category, and possibly take the shape of what society says a woman's figure should look like. So I started eating even more and packing on the protein and carbs. I just wanted to be a normal size person in society's eyes. I didn't want to hear anymore back-handed compliments about how skinny I was. 

I got up to 125lbs... still thin, but closer to average. Since I wasn't entirely used to this size, I often had moments when I felt fat or thought I looked fat. I knew I definitely wasn't, but it was not normal for me. I had to make myself this weight. It didn't come naturally for me. 

Nowadays, I'm generally comfortable with my body. I enjoy being thin. I don't like what society did to my self-esteem when I was growing up, but I have learned not to find my confidence in society's opinion. God didn't make a specific cookie cutter shape for all of us. We are all unique creations. Every shape and size. 

Road Trip (Part 3)

On the last leg of the trip, we made just a couple more stops. We headed south to visit Yellowstone National Park. It was so awesome! Way cooler than I even anticipated. The hot springs were my favorite part. They were all different colors and sizes, and there were hundreds of them! One of the springs was called the Grand Prismatic Spring. It was sooo rainbowwww! The water was crystal clear and the colors were so vivid! I really wish the water wasn't scalding hot because I really wanted to dive in and swim around. All of the pools were steaming hot and some of them were even boiling!

After we left Yellowstone, we traveled further south, through Denver and into Santa Fe. I've been in New Mexico before, but never Santa Fe specifically. It was such a pretty little town! We walked through the downtown area and ate at a great restaurant called The Pink Adobe. I highly recommend it if you ever visit. After eating, we decided that we were going to drive to Amarillo, TX and stop for the night. When we finally got there, we found out that there wasn't a single hotel with any vacancies. There weren't even any in surrounding towns! So Mary Meghan and Josh (who were swapping out driving duties that night) ended up driving through the night. At six in the morning, they finally found an open room at a hotel in Oklahoma. So, we stayed there and slept for a few hours before completing the rest of the journey and returning home. 

As I mentioned in part one of my massive road trip post, this was the kind of trip I've always wanted to go on. Though it was incredibly exhausting for my preggo self, it was one of the best trips I've been on. I'm so glad we were able to go and experience new and fun things.