Hi from rainy, rainy Houston. What a surreal and devastating few days it has been in the Bayou City. I have many friends whose houses have already flooded, and they’re saying that the rain won’t stop for a few more days. I can’t even wrap my head around this fact, but when I do, it makes me cry. So far, we have been so lucky and have avoided any flooding – we just have a few minor leaks in our playroom ceiling. My little sister is trapped at the hospital where she works, my older sister is stuck in NYC (not a bad place to be stranded, may I add?), my parents are safe in Colorado (but their neighborhood is currently being evacuated by the Coast Guard – can’t think about it!), my sister-in-law and her family are still okay, and my mother-and-father-in-law are both in Serbia (their spouses are both fine here in Houston!). There are so many people who are not okay – turn on the news to see heartbreaking and terrifying videos of people being saved by boats, stranded atop their roofs, stuck in cars on flooded roads, etc. Please, please pray for the rain to stop!

Before the chaos of hurricane prep came on Thursday, we had a relatively low-key week, mainly filled with preparations for the girls’ school (parent orientations and individual teacher orientations). Emi and Isla both met their new teachers, and they seem so sweet. Emi is in a class with only one other baby girl (for now at least), and they have two teachers! You can’t beat that ratio. It makes my mama-heart feel much more relaxed. And Isla’s teacher seems so sweet (she’s legit the cutest) – we have a few mutual friends, one of who has been raving about how much we’ll love her. So yeah, we’re ready for school to start. With the hurricane, the start date has understandably been pushed back a week.

Some highlights from the week included:

• Taking Meredith’s photos for an event that actually got canceled (postponed, perhaps?) – fortunately, we snapped one other one as well AND we got to see our favorite Mimicita, so it wasn’t a waste!!
• Signing up for dance class and ordering Isla’s leotard, tights and ballet shoes. They arrived in the mail a day or two later (what would I do without Amazon Prime?) and as you can see from the photos below, she is ready.
• Fixing some glitches in the matrix on my website with the help of my amazing future brother-in-law, Kevin. (gah, Sasha’s terrible sense of humor is rubbing off on me apparently!)
• Organizing the entire house thanks to a major trip to The Container Store. I feel so much better mentally. Now to organize my desk. Hmm.
• Catching up with Amanda at Ivana’s house when we went to look at her countertops, which I’ll totally be copying. Twinning is winning, am I right?
• Meeting our interior designer, Lindsey Herod, at our new house and meeting to discuss plumbing fixtures! She made some really great observations and I’m so glad to be working with her.

Talk about hitting the ground running! We got home from Colorado last Tuesday (Meredith was a LIFESAVER and picked us up from the airport in my car after I got our departure date wrong!), and haven’t stopped moving since then. I’ve taken multiple sets of photos (including Destiny’s and Carrie’s!), gone to a gender reveal party for our good friends, Amanda and Scott, met and photographed our close friends, Sydney and Philip’s baby, Camden, helped Ivana and Bob to unpack their new house, caught up on cuddles with sweet Milly (how do they grow so quickly?!), enjoyed a family dinner with my parents and older sister, gone to an Orange Theory class with my former trainer from BP, suffered in the Houston humidity for some late night runs, and organized our house.

A quick shoutout to my sweet friend, Julie, who recently launched an Instagram account – @YoungWildandFriedman – sharing good kid activities and recipes. She is truly super mom, and I encourage you to follow her! She sent us a snack box for the plane, as well as a bead activity set and Isla loved both! 

What I haven’t done is catch up on emails! So alas, a short week-in-review today (with tons of photos) as I’m going to reply to some clients now. 

I cannot believe it’s been a week since Isla and I had a little Staycation at the Four Seasons in downtown Houston. We met up with Meredith just before 4pm to check into our amazing suite, then went to the spa where Mere and I got our nails done, and Isla was spoiled by a mani and pedi. She was slightly hesitant at first, then starting soaking it all up. We went and checked out the pool afterwards, then viewed the work they’re doing as part of a massive renovation. It’ll be completed before the Super Bowl weekend (Feb. 4) – I cannot wait to return once everything is done! We ate the most delicious dinner at Quattro, then went to the room early because Isla was exhausted. Of course, before Isla could go to sleep, we had to slip into our matching jammies and have a quick pillow fight (slash dance around the room to Nelly the Elephant on Spotify!). A yummy room service breakfast felt like such a luxury, then sadly we had to pack-up our bags and head back to reality. It was the best mini-vacation ever! I want to do another girls night again soon.

Some of the other highlights from the week included:

• Meeting Meredith to snap some fun, colorful photos – we had planned to do a bigger shoot outdoors, but given then torrential downpour that occurred all week long, we stuck to her screened in porch! It’s been a life saver twice so far (and probably a million times for her!).
• Taking Destiny‘s maternity and blog photos in the Rice Village area – so anxious for her to post them because she looks absolutely flawless!
• Photographing the sweetest little newborn boy, Robbie, who was an angel during the shoot, making my life so much easier! 
• Taking photographs for our best friends, Matt and Paige, who own DEFINE Katy – there was a special announcement thrown into the mix too! We’re so excited that they’re expecting a baby boy in June!
• Four Seasons staycation with Meredith 
• Having our cousins and my parents/sisters over for family dinner at our house on Sunday night! We had 11 people eating at our table, which is the most we’ve ever served at once. It as so much fun to get everyone together!
• Doing our weekly MOD Pizza family night! Pretty soon, I’ll be back to ordering salads, so need to take advantage of this delicious “pregnancy diet” for one more week!
• Having my 38 week gynecologist appointment and heading Emi’s heartbeat – I feel her kicking and rolling around now more than ever, and it’s getting very uncomfortable! She’s running out of space! 
• Getting an intense foot massage at Q Foot Massage, which I highly recommend!
• Going to church at Bayou City Fellowship, participating in the most amazing worship, listening to Pastor Curtis preach and getting to chat with friends afterwards. Sundays are the best!
• Taking Isla to Build-a-Bear to make a gift for her to bring Emi at the hospital! She is so excited about her bear, and keeps asking when she can give it to her! It’s the sweetest. 
• Eating lunch at North Italia with Zlata, Tata, Olivera, and Ivana after church on Sunday! The food is delicious (first timer), but company was better!
• Meeting Joy for lunch at Pondicheri and getting to catch up – she has the most exciting updates and I always look forward to seeing her! 
• Getting a painting dropped off by Jamie Sawicki – I’m in love! She’s so talented!

Hope you had the best week! xo