This ones' for Amy...

I ran into a dear friend of mine who I haven't seen in a long time. We stay connected via blogs and facebook, but it's always nice to see a friend in person! Well, she called me out on not posting in a while... so Amy, this one's for you! :) It was so good to see you today!

What's new?

Well right now my June has been SOLID BOOKED with stuff every weekend. This past weekend we had a garage sale. We mainly did it to just get rid of junk and clean out before the lil' one comes. We did pretty well on cleaning stuff out. Most of the BIG stuff went, including a broken stainless steel mini fridge that someone gladly took off our hands for .25! LOL I'm telling you, we had the best pricing in town! So it went good, but of course, very tiring. My parents took what was left up to their house to see what they can sell of it next week at their garage sale.

I have also been busting out photos for my remaining wedding and two engagement shoots I did in May. I am more than half way through the wedding ones, I need to have those done before July 4th... so everynight I try to edit around 20-30 while i watch the news....

I am also hosting my cousin's bridal shower on Sunday. I have been running around Columbus to get everything set and ready for that huge event. There were around 69 invited and ONLY 3 PEOPLE RSVPED that they can't come. YES! I know, usually 1/3 won't show, but you still must be prepared that they all come... how embarrasing it would be to not have enough plates or food! My mom is doing alot of the food, I am taking care of the rest. It should be a great time! I am very much looking forward to throwing this for her. She deserves a great shower!

I became an Aunt again on June 11th. Ryan's sister had her third, Olivia Marie...she is so cute. We are going down over 4th of July weekend to visit... so that should be a great time.

My sister is due in 4 weeks with her second... we don't know what it is, so I am very excited about that! I am guessing it's another boy! :) But we'll see.

My July isn't too bad. I want to start working on the nursery soon, stripping wall paper, painting, ordering new window treatments... So that should be fun!

Well, that's really all I know! Have a great week!

Latest Updates...

Hello!

Yes, its been a while! I am sorry for my laziness for not getting posts up lately. I have been super busy with my photography business. But I know mostly everyone is wanting to hear about this little person growing inside of me. So here are some latest news items on that topic.

I am currently 18 weeks along- 4 months. The baby is now the size of a sweet potato. Whew! Between weeks 6 and 13 was a doozie for me. I was sick as a dog ALL-DAY-LONG. I wanted to die. Really, I did. It was like having the flu 24/7. I never wish that upon anyone. I just kept telling myself it will be worth it, and it will be. I am finally feeling great again and getting to enjoy life. I think part of the time I didn't post because I just felt to sick to write anything! Seriously! It was bad.

We had our 17 week check up last week and had an ultrasound. :) And found out IT'S A BOY! Yes! There's a pee-pee! I saw it on the screen. The Dr. confirmed and we are so excited! This ultrasound was by far the best so far we had. We saw his toes and fingers and I have pictures of them too! You can count all 10 toes in the one picture. Too precious!

Continuing on the subject that I will be living in a house of all pee-pees... we are very VERY excited to be having a little boy because Ryan is the last Nusbaum in his family. His grandfather has been super excited ever since he heard the news. I know that it means alot to him, so we sure hope he stick's around to see his little Nusbaum grandson born.

Ryan said he had a inkling that it was a boy. I thought for the first 15 weeks it was a girl for sure, but then lately I had a change in my mind and I thought that maybe it is a boy! And sure enough it was! That day we had our dr. appointment, we were sitting in the waiting room and a woman came in and sat down beside me with a new born little boy. He was georgous. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I just smiled and starred at him. I believe it was the moment that I really thought I could have one of these, one of these little precious angel son's sent down from above. And sure enough, not a half hour later, I found out I was! Amazing!

We have decided to keep the baby's name a secret. We have it narrowed down to around 5 names we like right now. The middle name will be DALE, since that is Ryan's Grandfathers, fathers and his middle name. Some names are very traditional, some are more modern. We'll see I guess.

Many people have asked me if I am going back to work or staying home with him. My answer is I will be returning to work, and for a couple of reasons. One, we prefer to live not strapped for cash. Even though we could survive with one income, we have a house (and I say house, not mortgage, because alot goes into a house than just the mortgage), a new car, and we like to have a nice balance in the checkbook for a rainy day. I want to give him all that I can. Child care is expensive, that's no doubt, but it doesn't even justify my work and benefits. Two, I tell people that I worked too dang hard through school and college to just give it all up. And that is the truth. I love my work, I love my job at Ohio State... it's too good to just give up. And three, I also believe that the time away from him will help me to refocus as a parent and return home at the end of the day appreciating even more the time I then get to spend with him.

My body.... popping out! I am getting bigger and bigger, that's for sure. I feel like I am mostly belly, although I have gained weight a little bit everywhere else. But that is expected. I continue to eat healthy and work out when I can. I don't read the scale when I go for my appointments. Unless they say something is wrong, I am not worried about my weight. I plan on breastfeeding, so that should help too.

Kicking... YES! I started to feel kicks around 17 weeks. It's amazing. I usually feel it after I eat and in the evening when I lay down to watch tv. :) He is surely active, I can tell.

I think that is about it for now. I will try to post more often and hopefully soon get a picture up here. I hope everyone has a great week!

A little bundle of joy...

Yes! We are expecting! :)
We are due November 5th and truly thrilled! This is a picture of Baby Nusbaum at 9 Weeks! I am currently rolling into my 12th week and feeling alot better. I was really sick (I mean REALLY sick) from weeks 6-11, I honestly didn't know if I was going to make it. LOL I thought to myself, it's like having the bad flu 24/7.

But then, during week 9 when we had our first ultrasound, it all seemed worth it. To see this little person, heart beating away, moving around on its own- - - we fell into instant love of this little being. I said to my doctor, it's all worth it... the throwing up, the constant nausea- - - it's all worth it, with a big smile on my face. :)

We finally told our parents at Easter 2 weekends ago. I got two larger green plastic eggs and put an ultrasound photo in each of them (for each set of parents). My parents were in total shock and THRILLED, while Ryan's mom fell to her knees crying and his dad was very emotional as well, and THRILLED! It was mostly shock because we have not mentioned NOR hinted of any kind that we were trying for a baby. So SHOCK, EXCITEMENT & TEARS would pretty much sum up that experience! It was great!

We have our next ultrasounds at the end of April, and during this one, we will be able to hear the heartbeat! :) So excited for that. In the mean time, my sickness level has gone WAY down... barely any at all! I also have formed a small baby bump, which I will hopefully take a photo of this weekend to post. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

xox,
Erin

Raise your hand if you need a vacation...

I DO! I DO!

I tell ya, I am dying. I'm sitting here at work exhausted, raining outside, cold- I'm just done. You know when you have reached that point when you're like "Ok, I need a vacation."

I have officially reached that point.

I you can tell, I haven't been blogging much- again- tired. So just burnt out on everything I can't even get enough motivation to blog, nothing is inspiring me.

Lucky, there is a light at the end of the tunnel... about a 3 week long tunnel. I am slowly crawling my way there.

That light is Vegas.

At the beginning of May, my sisters and I are off to our annual sister's trip to Vegas. Honestly, that's about all I can think about. Sun shine, good food catered to me, relaxing by the pool, no schedule, no emailing or phone calls, no making dinner, no laundry, no cleaning, NOTHING! AHHHHH! I can barely stand it.

I need a vacation. I need THIS vacation.

Will I make it? Well, I'm still crawling. Vegas would be the only light right now that would keep me going.

Vegas.

Yo!

Hi everyone. I know... I am a terrible blogger. But I have been so busy at work and on top of that, not feeling well for about a week due to this cold... I just have shunned myself from the computer.

Nothing too new going on. I haven't been shopping in like 2 weeks. Last time I shopped was went a ran to Kohls' with a 15% off coupon and got a cute black graphic tee for like 10 bucks...
Cute, huh?

I have been happy to announce that we grilled out for the first time this past week! I love beer brats on the grill- they are my favorite summer time food! So we had those one night, and hamburgers this past weekend. YUM!

Then it snowed on Sunday- BOO! :(

Well, that's about all to report for now. Have a great week!

Our New Boat...

Isn't it pretty?!

The Hurt Noone Sees...

This whole thing with Rhianna and Chris Brown is just awful. But it hits close to home.

I have been there, I was a victim of emotional abuse. Its' all very familiar although I have reached a "forgive" state in my life. Christ has helped me with that along with a couple of very dear dear friends. I was emotionally abused during my high school years. No one would believe me. He was such a "nice guy", so "quiet" and was "everyone's friend". People, open your eyes. No one would help me, no one wanted to see it. Everyone thought that I was the problem. No one could see it. Some still wouldn't believe me if I told them all the things that happened. But it happened. And I am not afraid to speak out. It was abuse. Never again.

I was stalked, threatened, and mentally abused. He would drive past my house to check up on me, he would get mad at me when I went out with friends, he forbid me to talk to any other guy, he would get mad that I wore spandex shorts while playing volleyball, he would be fine around his friends but would look all mad around me- like I made him upset. He didn't ever want me to wear nice clothes, he wanted me to always wear a sports bra because I had bigger boobs, he would talk to all sorts of girls, but when I sat in class next to a boy - he would get SOOO mad at me. He would tell me he loved me and wanted to marry me, but never showed that around his friends. He would say "I HOPE I CAN TRUST YOU" about 1000 times a day. This person knows who he is. I have forgave him since he was not right in the head and will not ever let this happen to another person close to me EVER.

No one could see it. No one would help me. Again, they all though I was the problem. I was not depressed. I was the reason HE was always mad. HA! Whatever!

I want to become an advocate for teenage abuse. I want to write a book to tell my story and to help other young girls to get out. I used to be afraid to talk about it, but not anymore. I used to be afraid to write about it, but not anymore. God saved me. He gave to me two best friends that are far greater than any pain I went through. One I married and he saved me too. My husband was sent from God to help heal me and to know what true love is. He is amazing. He is my angel on earth.

If I ever have a daughter, I swear on my life she will never go through what I went through. I promise you that. If I ever have a son, I will be sure he treats women with all due respect.

I can't go back and change the past, but I can take what I have been through and learned and help others. If you know anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or need help, I am always here to talk.

This is from the Oprah website:

Warning Signs of Teen Dating Abuse

An alarming number of teenage girls are being controlled or abused by their boyfriends by the time they graduate from high school. As a parent, you must know the signs of abuse in order to stop it. Dr. Jill Murray's warning signs can help you prevent your daughter from being a victim.

The Warning Signs:

• Isolation: Does your daughter have fewer friends than she did before meeting her boyfriend? This speaks to the isolation that an abusive boy imposes on a girlfriend. He might isolate her first from her friends, then from her outside activities and then her family. She can then become emotionally dependent on him, and find it difficult to leave.
• Emotional Changes: In the early infatuation stage of any relationship girls are often happy. Once the boy becomes abusive, she begins feeling sad and desperate. She may cry more or want to be alone.
• Constant Communication: Does your daughter's boyfriend constantly call or text her, and she must call him back immediately? He might ask her where she is, what she's doing, who she's with, what time she'll be back and how many other boys she has spoken to.
• Jealousy Issues: You might notice the boyfriend's jealousy. If your daughter looks at or speaks casually with another boy, does he get upset? Did he tell her that he loved her early in the relationship? This is his "hook." Your daughter might find this romantic, but it could be another red flag for jealousy and issues with control.
• The Boyfriend's Background: If your daughter's boyfriend comes from a tragic home life, it could mean trouble. He might not be far behind in his parent's footsteps if they use drugs or are abusive to him or each other.
• The Need to Impress: When he gives her "advice" about her choice in friends, hairstyle, clothes or makeup, notice if she's following his every word. Your daughter is likely in complete denial and may be in fear of what he will do to her if she doesn't change.
• Making Excuses for Him: Your daughter might stick-up for her boyfriend, defending his words and actions. Don't let her denial force you to ignore your gut! He may have convinced her that she's too sensitive when he calls her names or told her he's "only kidding."

Most importantly, if you keep the line of communication open with her, you'll be able to notice more signs. For more information, call the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at 866-331-9474 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE.

I was healed. I want to be able to help heal others.

It's Been A While...

Hello everyone! I feel like I haven't blogged in forever. Yes, I am still alive! lol

I guess the first thing I will mention is that I am now a proud co-owner of a bass boat! Ryan's dream is to have a bass boat. Everytime I would do something to update the house, he would say "Don't forget about the bass boat." So as of yesterday, Ryan and Jordan (his cousin) purchased a REALLY nice Champion bass boat. The only other time I saw him that happy is on our wedding day! Ha! He deserves it, and I am very happy that he finally got one. They plan on doing fishing tournaments, so hopefully they win some BIG BUCKS, and let me tell ya, you CAN win some BIG BUCKS at those bass tournaments.

Other than that, just enjoying the much warmer weather and talking about our list of things to do outside this summer...

Have a super week!

You know the saying...

You gotta spend money to make money. Well I'm changing it to "You gotta spend money to SAVE money". This is my new quote for the year and I will tell you why.

I have decided to SPEND the money on good detergent for our wardrobe to avoid having to buy more clothes because they look bad; in return SAVING money.

Yesterday I took a trip to Walmart where I purchased the following:

• Tide TotalCare: More expensive than most detergent, but the return is keeping my nice work and going out clothes looking like new and not fading. I bought the biggest container they had ($18.98) and I am going to use it ONLY on my work clothes and nice summer clothes.
  
• Woolite for Darks: This only comes in a smaller container, but my thought is to use this ONLY on Ryan's work uniform (all black) and my dark pants and shirts. We know how faded black attire is just a horrible fashion don't.
  
• Purex: A cheaper brand of detergent that I will use on things that do not need special care (i.e. socks, bras, old t-shirts)

Word to all the money savers out there! If you didn't know this already, you can go online to just about any brand website of cleaning/laundry products and get a coupon for their products. Tide, Downey, Woolite, Swiffer.... I have all went online to get coupons for these products! I also go to Crest alot to get coupons for their white strips! Check'em out!

Spring Fever and Bargain Shopping...

I know I'm not the only one thinking this... When is spring coming? Eh. Luckily, I do not believe Ohio will be getting any more terrible snow storms, so I am thinking positive and hoping for some sunny days soon.

Stores have all their summer stuff out, alot is already picked over due to the upcoming spring break for college kids (example: Target and Old Navy at Lennox has NOTHING left barely).

This summer, I want to wear TONS of dresses and skirts. They also must be work appropriate, so I have my eye on some, but is still waiting to see what else comes out. I have also vowed to never spend more than $30 on a single item I buy for this summer's wardrobe. With the tough times we are going through, and the serious need to save money, I ton myself that I would go cheap but cute for summer! And  you can TOTALLY do it. Target, Old Navy, Walmart, and Forever 21 will be my only stores I shop at this spring. There is no need to spend $78 bucks for a little black dress (sorry JCrew, I love you but I can't do it). 

So today, I decided to take a lunch trip to Target. I wanted to check out what they all had and kind of get a feel of what I REALLY needed for spring/summer, and try to check prices so I get the best deal. I picked  up a darling dress for 21.99, it was blue cotton, strapless, adorable! But then, I went into the shoe department...

And I walked out with these little babies! I LOVE shoes, but love only shoes that are comfortable and NOT $100 bucks a pair! These ballet flats, which I love with pants AND dresses, were only $12.99 a piece! I put the dress back and got this bronze pair and zebra print pair. They are super soft, so the material moves with your foot and won't rub the back of your feet (which is always a plus). I figured I will wear these alot more than the dress and for only 12.99 each, I couldn't pass it up! They also came in white, black metallic and lepoard prints. I really want the black flats too, they were all sold out of the 8 1/2's. I usually wear 9's, but they are kind of wide and I have a super narrow foot, so I sized down.

Great Deal! Easy on the Budget! Check 'em out if you need some new shoes for summer!