The next stop was to see old girlfriends in the city where I used to live before I was married. It was so fun catching up with everyone. Thanks for celebrating with me!
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| Beautiful yellow and gray quilt. |
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| Diaper cake! |
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| More yellow and gray. |
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| We dressed alike. |
Joe and I spent the weekend in Missouri. The first stop was my hometown to see my family and friends and celebrate our baby girl.
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| My family - sister, mom, grandma and me |
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| Mmm - cake! |
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| Friends - Amber, Sara, me, Ellen, Carrie and Micah |
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| The parents to be |
I think I've finally figured out how to sleep most of the night. I am now sleeping with six pillows - which I like to refer to as the pillow fort - and will probably add more before all is said and done. I suspect that in a few weeks Joe and I will no longer both fit in our queen size bed. (I tried the Snoogle and it was deemed unacceptable and kicked to the curb weeks ago.) So thankful that I'm figuring out how to sleep most nights.
I'm finding out there's so much more to getting ready for baby than buying the crib and a few necessities. Nope, it's cleaning out the guest room and finding room for everything that used to reside there. Deciding what to purge and what to keep. Cleaning out the closet in the same room that contained Joe's clothes (amongst other things) and buying an armoire as a replacement closet. Then getting rid of the dresser he used and using the armoire in its place. Then deciding what else in our little house should go as well as we make more room.
Getting ready also means vaccines. My doctor said that anyone who will spend 24 hours or more with the baby in her first six months should have the flu vaccine and the TDAP (within the last year) to protect against whooping cough.
Getting ready means baby classes. Lots of them. Car seat safety, baby basics, childbirth classes, new dads class...and don't forget doctor's appointments.
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| The baby room thus far - gray and yellow. Last of the furniture arrived yesterday. |
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| Next up - decorating. |
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| Mini bundt cakes from my husband - red velvet and carrot cake! |
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| My friend, Linda from Missouri is in town for a conference so we went to the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues today. So good to catch up with old friends. |
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| My friend, Monica was here this weekend visiting which meant fondue, pedicures, shopping, a trip to the movies and lots of fun. Thanks for visiting, Monica! |
So far during my pregnancy there are many things I have given up like:
Today Joe and I are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary. We spent the weekend in Lake Geneva, WI to celebrate and take a babymoon (my husband hates that word). We had high hopes of beautiful sunny weather, lounging on the beach and wearing our summer clothes. Instead we got rain and/or cold weather, jeans and sweatshirts. We still managed a boat tour of the Lake, shopping, great meals and lots of R&R.
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| Our beautiful room. We stayed at a four-room boutique hotel in an old mansion that also had a fabulous restaurant downstairs. Every staff member dressed from the 20s. Instead of being hokey, it just added to the ambience. Another perk, we had our very own butler! |
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| My dream bathroom. Tin ceilings, chalkboard walls, heated marble floors and a shower with six shower heads! |
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| Our hotel overlooked the Lake. Every night at sunset, they usher all the restaurant patrons out onto the front lawn to toast to the sunset. They also celebrate all the birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions while also giving a brief history of the mansion. |
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| Joe and I before the toast. (Not to worry, this pregnant lady had a non-alcoholic toast.) |
We have been on the go for days and I am officially worn out. Last night, Idina Menzel concert and today volunteering at church and a work event with Joe. The fun all started back on Thursday though when my friend, Amber came to town.
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| Thursday night, Kamilah, Amber and I went to see NKOTB again. And, yes, I am wearing an "I love Donnie" maternity shirt. :) |
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| Friday, Amber and I had lunch at the Hancock Building, did some shopping and topped off our Chicago afternoon with cupcakes from Sprinkles. |
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| Sixteen weeks! Had my very first stranger acknowledge my pregnancy without me telling them first. She stopped me to ask how I was handling this heat. Was confused for a minute and then realized she could tell I was pregnant. Of course, different clothes can make me look more or less pregnant. |
I received my very first baby gift last week from my friend, Wanda who will be in the Middle East when the baby arrives. This bunny is soft and cuddly but also perfect because it represents the colors of the baby room - yellow and gray.
Gray paint has been tested and purchased, white furniture has been ordered and yellow finishes have been admired. The next five months will probably go very quickly.
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| Wanda's bunny also came with a cuddly bear friend. The cute yellow scarf was knitted for bunny by our mutual friend, Jennifer making it even more special. |
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| Tonight we went to see My Morning Jacket and Wilco. (We actually left before Bob Dylan - we're lame.) Perhaps some of the most eclectic group of people I've ever seen in one place. |
Sunday I lived out a dream that was decades in the making. I met my boy band crush. *Swoon*
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| With my BFF Amber. We were crazy, obsessed NKOTB fans back in the day...and still today. But don't tell anyone. |
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| Before the concert, we took part in the meet and greet. After this photo was taken, Donnie kissed me on the cheek. Love. I was so nervous, I barely looked at him or talked to him. :) |
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| Then on to the concert. Likely the best seats I will ever experience. Boys II Men opened up the show. |
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| Then 98 Degrees. |
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| Finally NKOTB! |
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| Donnie - my crush. Thanks for the fabulous night. |
So we have some big news around here - we're expecting! Our little one is due to arrive December 31.
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| Today was our 13 week ultrasound! |
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| This picture was taken a week ago. Still wearing my "regular" jeans and shirt here but definitely have a bigger belly than normal. Maternity clothes are starting to be more comfortable these days. |
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| First we headed to dinner. (Left to Right) Amy, Wanda, Menda, Jennifer and me. |
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| My kind of dinner! Nothing like being stuffed on king crab legs and coconut cream pie. |
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| And then a show! My second time. Still funny. Still appalling. |
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| The evening was so foggy. At times you couldn't see the ball and could barely make out the players in the outfield. |
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| With some of my favorite girls at the game. |
We've been really busy around here but mostly on home improvement projects. In the past month, we've had a tree removed from our front yard, a new roof put on our house and new sod put down in our front yard. Next up - refinishing our deck and, eventually, refinishing our hardwood floors in the kitchen.
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| Our new sod! I really wish I had a before picture. Just imagine a yard that looks like dirt with no grass. Also, there used to be a huge evergreen tree in the right-hand corner next to the bushes. |
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| A dumpster full of shingles! A new roof is one more "to do" marked off our list. |
I have been living in denial that Google Reader will be no more as of July 1. Which brings me to this - how are you reading your blogs? Do you have an RSS feed (aside from Google Reader) that you especially like?
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| Candy, Alison and I catching up over coffee. |
After four days of sightseeing, our last full day in Paris was a lot less structured and relaxing. It was also one of our favorite days.
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| First we visited Sainte Chapelle. This little chapel from the 1200s was one of the most magnificent places I've ever visited. |
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| When I first walked up the stairs and into the chapel, the many stained glass windows took my breath away. |
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| Joe called it a little jewel box. I think he was correct. |
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| Saint Michel Fountain. |
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| We had a leisurely 2+ hour lunch outside at Les Deux Magots. Also frequented by Hemingway, Picasso and Julia Child. |
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| Some shopping and browsing in the Latin Quarter. |
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| Finally back to the Eiffel Tower for dinner at Le Jules Verne. One of my favorite parts was the private elevator ride up to the restaurant. Much less scary than our first elevator ride to the top. |
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| My Brittany lobster. |
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| Joe and I at dinner - ready to eat souffles! |
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| After dinner we stuck around to see the light show at the Eiffel Tower. Every evening, past dark, on the hour the Tower lights twinkle for a few minutes. It was a beautiful sight to see. |
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