As we approach Sebastian’s second birthday next week, I thought I would share a special gift for him that I’ve been working on. But, first, some background.

Many years before I became pregnant, I was in graduate school and was spending one of my breaks binge watching sappy movies on Netflix when I came across Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas and decided to watch it, thinking it was going to be just another love story. It actually kind of rocked my world a little bit and I didn’t even realize it yet. Allow me to explain (spoilers ahead):

Book (left) vs Movie (right)

I’m 34 years old today!

I love birthdays.

Mine and everyone else’s. For me, celebrating a birthday is honoring the day that a person came to be, a whole human being that came into existence from seemingly nowhere, and you just can’t beat that.

But when I turned 30, I briefly considered no longer commemorating my birthday because turning 30 meant I was getting older and getting much closer to having to face my own mortality. I hated the thought of dying, as evidenced by the huge dose of health anxiety, previously known as hypochondria, I felt on a regular basis since my late 20s, so anything that reminded me I was getting closer to death had to go. Little did I know that death was closer to knocking at my door than I ever realized.

A few weeks ago, we got a babysitter and went to dinner for Nick’s birthday. We ate at St. James Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar in Durham, one of Matt Kelly’s (of Vin Rouge and Mateo’s bar de tapas fame) newest food sensations. Seriously, I love all of his restaurants and would let him cook for me for the rest of my life. Anyway, we went there for my birthday in December and Nick liked it so much that we went back for his. We had just started the Whole30 diet at the time and we were going to try really hard to stick to it, but as soon as we saw the fried oysters, we threw the diet out the window and didn’t feel the least bit bad about it! It was totally worth it.

Birthday Boy!

Apologies for the title; that’s a lot of acronyms! Lace Little Black Dress for New Year’s Eve. I wore this cute little lace dress for my New Year’s Eve/Birthday party this year. I actually bought it last year to wear to a party we were attending while visiting friends in Washington, D.C. but I was so tired by the time we got there and had dinner that I didn’t feel like changing. Plus, it was really cold and I just wanted to be comfortable. The original plan this year was to wear it with thick black tights and a cute pair of ankle boots, but since I was warm in my house, I just threw on some flats. They’re must easier for this mama-to-be to walk around in anyway!

This isn’t a maternity dress as you probably gathered from the fact that I bought it last year, but with me not working and therefore not having a clothing budget anymore, I have to make do with what I have. I think it worked okay. I was a little concerned about the length, as I don’t normally like wearing dresses this short (unless it’s summer, then I might make an exception) but Nick repeatedly assured me it was okay. I probably should have worn some tights anyway.

On my birthday, I was 28 weeks+1 day pregnant, and I just couldn’t resist showing off the bump!

Happy birthday to me!

Dress: Target | Necklace: Francesca’s | Shoes: Old Navy | Tiara: Party City

I hope you’re all staying warm in these winter storms we’ve been having. Until next time…

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