At least we won't starve.

Well, I certainly cannot anticipate the joys (and trials -surely more joys, right!?!) that await the MP and I when BBP comes out to play...but after this past weekend, it's a safe bet we won't be experiencing them while hungry.

I started out with four freeze-able recipes

a whole bunch of ingrediants (promise, I only cooked with the wine)

one super fun Saturday night later, I had this to show:

and thanks to my dear friend WH, I didn't have these to show until Sunday night (but it sure was fun to have the phone call and diversion on Saturday!)

Finally, at the end of all this...not too shabby!

The rest of my weekend was equally uneventful but productive. I got the carseat checked out (and suprisingly had installed it correctly!) on Sunday afternoon and spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, dog walking, pool going, oh, yeah...and eating. LOTS of eating. I am worried BBP may be a big one.

Cannot wait for MP to be back on Friday, hopefully have a nice holiday weekend followed by a birth perhaps!!!

Things I KNOW I will not care about in three weeks

Okay, so I have noticed some things on which I am spending ridiculous amounts of energy or time. When I notice this, I am also immediately realizing they are things I will not do and/or even remotely care about once BBP has joined us on the outside.

#1 - I specifially ordered the dishwasher baskets with orange and green accent colors. Babies R Us sent ones with pink accent colors...the nerve!!

#2 - Please note how neatly folded all BBPs clothing items are in these drawers. If I am still functioning and not so tired I have forgotten how to use the internet, I will have to repost pictures of these drawers when he is three or so weeks old. I guarantee there is NO way they will remain looking like this beyond a few days.

#3 - Why I have a stack of paper* that moves from my desk, to the top of the printer, to the floor several times each week, rather than taking the less than 15 minutes it would take to put it all away!?!?

*said stack is such an embarassment that photo evidence could not be included

I was lamenting over #1 to a friend the other day, and she described a time when she would soak her bibs in OxyClean to get the stains out rather than just letting it go. At some point, she said, she just realized how much time and OxyClean she was using on something that completely did not matter. This makes me laugh, and at the same time, makes me realize this list will not end anytime soon. I am realizing I am going to have to work hard to keep my OCD tendencies in check and realize what's important and what isn't.

Full Term!

Well, folks...today finds us at another important milestone. BBP is 37 weeks, aka full term! From here on out, whenever he decides to come out and play we'll be all good to go (though, let's be honest....he really needs to wait at least two weeks so dad can get home and settled in first).
It is just exciting to know that the most important work in there is done, and he's just ripening up now.

I am still feeling pretty good (note: pretty good does actually mean pretty good). I am definitely moving more slowly, and the days of hour long dog walks have gone the way of temperatures that don't feel like a sauna. It's about all I can do to get their two 15 minute walks in each day. They don't seem to mind either, since the heat zaps them almost as fast as it zaps me. I won't complain when MP is back home and on doggie duty...only 11 more days.

Last weekend went by fast thanks to a special guest....it was great to have Emily here. Unfortunately, a recount of our summer trips together over the past few years shows a very disturbing downward trend. Back in the spring of 2008, it all started with an email from hotels.com about special deals in Cabo. A call to Emily, a couple bottles of white wine on my front porch, some comparison flight shopping on expedia, and a desire to find ourselves with fruity drinks in hand and sand between our toes found us booked and ready to go to the Dominican Republic a couple months later. We had a fantastic time - never left our resort, but made friends with the fruity drink bartenders, read about a years worth of trashy magazines, and came back more rested than ever, with the resolve to do something like that each year.

2009 found me in a thrifty phase, I made the request for domestic travel. We went to Seaside, FL. Still a delightful vactation spot, but one to which we could carpool and also have access to our very own kitchen. Knowing we were not going all inclusive again, I definitely needed to BYO tropical frozen concoction fixin's. We had another great trip and vowed again to keep up our annual tradition.

That Emily, she is a trooper. 2010 found us at the neighborhood pool in The Village at Cherry Hill subdivision in hot and landlocked CoMo. I promise, Em, stick with me and in a year (okay, more likely two) I will be a more worthwhile travel companion again...swear!

Regardless, we know how to have a great time wherever we are! We checked out the one and only wine bar (also a wine store) in downtown CoMo, had dinner at my old standby, Sycamore, ice cream at Sparky's, and also fit in some relaxing time on the couch. All in all, it was a really great weekend. I really appreciated having the company, and getting to do some fun stuff that is about to become a lot more difficult to do!

...not to mention, I needed someone to take a belly pic. MP and I forgot when he was home last weekend, so it'd been nearly three weeks. Not sure I am looking much different, other than the fact that I actually fixed my hair and put on makeup, so I am looking much more presentable than in weeks past...but bellywise? Not so much I don't think. In fact, since my appointment last week, I have actually lost two pounds. I really just can't eat much at once and find myself craving things like salad and watermelon because it is just SO hot outside that I can't eat anything too heavy. Hmm, wonder if I will continue to have that "problem" once BBP comes out to play. I wont lie, it would be nice to one day wear pants that do not have an elastic waistband.

I am looking really forward to more visitors this weekend. My last MP-free and BBP-free weekend in who knows how long will find me hosting Gary and Gill at Chez Pulle. I can't wait to show them around CoMO. For once, I'll be the designated driver, and I won't let anybody forget it...most of the time Gary and I can't go further than walking distance from the house for fear that we won't be able to safely get back again! It's going to be a great time.

Welcome to the Future

Back in 2007 my first close college girlfriend had her first baby. It was an exciting time that we all wanted to celebrate together, but post college life had found us scattered across the country. We knew that it was going to be next to impossible to host, or even attend, a traditional baby shower. So, an idea was born. If we couldn't shower each other in person, then we would send the baby shower to the mommy-to-be. She'd receive shower decorations, a cake, and gifts all at home. Coupled with a telephone conference call on the big day, it was the next best thing to all being together.

Well, let's just say there have been improvements in technology since 2007, and as the last of our group to have a first baby, I was able to reap the benefits this past weekend. Some things remained the same...I received my "Baby Shower in an Envelope"


...and my quite tasty cake (which I'll have you know I am still enjoying as recently as this afternoon) was delivered just before the start of our big event.



...I had plenty of time to get all set up for the main event

But this shower had a new and improved format!!! We got together on a video conference call.

It was such a fun time. I had cake and lemonade and opened really super fun gifts, while my good friends watched me on the computer! We really did enjoy catching up and decided that this would be a fun activity from time to time just to be able to see each other. (Not that we don't clog the internet with about a million emails each week...but seeing each others' smiling faces is irreplaceable ;))

Here's the post Cyber-Shower damage. I can't say enough how lucky I am to have such great friends who find ways to stay close to each other despite the many miles we find between us (well, except for the two of you who both live in Houston...guess there are not so many miles between y'all!).

I think I am going to go have another piece of cake now.

Baby Birds Sure Grow Quickly!

Here are the baby birds from the fern...the biggest one (on the left in the nest) can fly. Good thing BBP won't be ready to leave our nest so quickly! Also, either I don't know how to work our digital camera for close ups/proper exposure or it's obvious I didn't miss my calling as a wildlife photographer.

As an aside, their living conditions don't seem too sanitary to me - with the bird droppings all over the once so beautiful nest. Here's to hoping they'll all get to flying soon, and I can have my fern back...before it bites the dust.

Weekend Warriors (aka Nursery Take 2)

We sure had a busy - and extremely fun (if you don't count my mini hormonal breakdown(s)) - weekend. I have been *trying* to be a trooper since MP went to Nashville in mid-May for his clerkship...but truth be told I was about dying for him to get home when last Friday night finally rolled around! That poor man has been going pretty much non-stop since well before finals, so I hated to hand him the honey-do list right as I hugged him hello...but that sucker was kinda long, and I knew he'd need to get started right away.

We were able to relax and have a late dinner together Friday night, but on Saturday morning, we were up and at 'em. He started on mowing the lawn while I headed to Lowe's to pick up supplies to paint the nursery. While I was there, he called to report a wheel failure on the mower, and a very helpful hardware department worker at Lowe's helped me to find just what we needed to fix that puppy up. Imagine our luck killing two birds with one stone!

I finally got home, and we discovered that helpful man from Lowe's didn't know what the &*^% he was talking about since the nuts/bolts/washers he gave us to reattach our lawn mower wheel were just useless - they didn't fit at all! So much for two birds with one stone. MP finished mowing the lawn on three wheels - a feat I am sure you all wish you'd seen.

Saturday afternoon brought us to our second installment of our midwives group childbirth class. MP may complain about this a little bit...but I know that deep down, he loves starting a 2 hr class with a 30 minute relaxation exercise. He can say what he wants, but his snoring sings a different tune. Saturday night found us at dinner with some friends, which was a really nice time.

Sunday morning, we went to tackle the biggest job of all - Nursery...Take 2. I won't go into the details - but suffice to say, there were a few tears, and maaayyyybe a little well deserved silent treatment, but look at the outcome. Since we're no worse for the wear, I'll go ahead and call it a success. I am just in love with the orange! BBP will be a UT fan straight out of the womb, making his maternal grandfather, Papa, very very happy. I also consider the color choice fitting since we found out he was on the way on Halloween last year. Special note - and sorry to MCMH, but notice no bumper. I am not sure if it's the fear of suffocation that caused me to remove it, or the fact that it had elephants all over it and Papa was sure that would make (brainwash???) BBP into a Republican. We can't take that chance!


Thankfully, Sunday, upon finishing up, we were able to head out for some fun at Les Bourgeouis A-frame for a bit and enjoy the afternoon. The rest of the weekend (all 18 hours of it or so) were chore-free and fun-filled. Grilling out, hiking with the dogs at a new park MP discovered, and just enjoying each other's company before he had to head out again on Monday afternoon. I am not going to lie, there were a few more tears...but we're both certainly excited that it's not long before his next visit home.

Here's a belly pic - post hike on Monday, so I am certainly not looking my best...but you get the idea. 34 weeks down, 6 to go. Pretty unbelievable.