Winter Break 2012

So what did we do over winter break? Oh geez! So much. It is amazing how much we can cram into 10 days!

So we got out of school on Friday... and we went out to happy hour and then out to dinner. We found a new favorite restaurant. And if you are ever in the DC area, you have to eat there! We have actually eaten there 3 times since Thanksgiving! Founding Farmers is just amazing! That's my fried chicken, waffles, and macaroni & cheese. There were more beans at the beginning, but I had to eat them first to make sure I ate all my veggies...

On Saturday, we had a big day! We worked on Baby Girl's room all morning. We finished what we had.  The painting is done. The plugs are updated. The furniture is where it should be. There will be a separate post on this with photos and everything. Then we had a bigger afternoon. We went to IKEA. Matt's idea... for organizational stuff. There is a post on this!

Sunday, Matt went to Drew's and had a boys day watching football. I was left to make things work. I assembled the bookcases we bought and started moving things around and into their new home. 

Monday was Christmas Eve, and I finally got my blood work done for the glucose test. Then we headed to Linda's. It was the first time we got to see her new house and church. Her house is beautiful. It feels more like her and like home than her apartment did in Manchester. We had a lovely dinner, all of Matt's favorite foods - a Thanksgiving meal in fact. I love Christmas Eve services. But you know that. You read my post on the holidays.

Linda gave a wonderful sermon. There were a number of different parts. She talked about how this year was different. We were all there together for the first time. Which was true; there were people missing from years past and new people in the pews (us) and on the pulpit. She also talked about the lenses we wear. I could completely relate. After taking the Intro to Judaism course, and because I am pregnant, I am seeing a lot of the same things from different and new points of view. It was very interesting. I don't remember how that part related back to the story, but I took stuff away from it, and that has to count. Right?

Then there were presents that night because Phil & Lauren were spending the night with us and they were spending the morning with her family. We had breakfast together and then took a tour of the church. It was beautiful! Then we spent the day doing what we do on Christmas day - we went to the movies. Matt, Linda, & I saw "Life of Pi." It was beautiful and wonderful. And the 3D was to die for!

That night, Matt left me at the train station. No worries, I had a ticket. I took the train from MD to CT to spend a few days with just the ladies. We woke up the next morning and went up to Canyon Ranch. Three days of relaxing by the fire, watching the snow come down, eating healthy food (I think I learned that meant no preservatives more than anything else), and getting massages. It was a wonderful way to spend almost three days with just my mom & sister. And, as per the usual, we were talking about going back before we even left.

While I was away, my husband stayed home and worked on the house. Yea that's right. I went and had massages, and Matt painted the master bedroom. And yes I know that we have painted every room in the house since we moved in (except the guest room, living and dining room) and that maybe we should inhale less pain fumes, but we are looking for the right colors. And the colors I liked when we moved in, don't do it for us anymore. He also "had to" play video games and drink beer - I put that on the list also.

Friday, we went home to CT. DUH - it was Shabbat! And Matt was coming!! And Dan was coming!! And Dan was bringing his GIRLFRIEND!!!!!! Holy cow! (Hi Emma!) There were so many happy things all coming together in one house!  So Friday night, Shabbat, Matt got stuck in tons of traffic... eeks. Stupid Delaware turnpike. Stupid New Jersey construction on the turnpike. We hate you both! So we had a late dinner, which was appropriate because we were also having a late Chanukah. We celebrated Chanukah the first time at Thanksgiving, but we didn't get a chance to eat latkes (Matt's favorite part), so we had them for Shabbat. Then we opened presents.

And I know you are wondering what I thought of Emma... well she brought me cupcakes! I guess they were really for everyone, but they were chocolate with peppermint frosting. So clearly they were really for me! I am so easily won! Does that make me easy? When it comes to cupcakes - I am OKAY WITH THAT! But honestly, she is a sweetheart. And my favorite part of her? Aside from the part where she makes cupcakes? She likes my brother, and he likes her back. And they make each other happy. Also, she had no problems handling the Stones - which was really impressive. And she learned how to play Settlers without complaining. So Matt is 100% on board too!

Saturday? We had a ladies morning at the nail salon. All 4 of us. No longer 3. And soon to be 5. Crazy counting skills right there! And then we got snowed in. All day.

Misty was in heaven! It is the only time she acts like a dog!

And the boys had a great time! Snowballs. Snow angels. Dan. Emma. Matt. Andy.

But no little dogs. It was too cold for their little legs... They maintained control of the porch, with Sarah.

I love my family. Biological. Extended. In-laws. ALL of them.

"I almost farted everyone out of the house! I was sad-face because then I was lonely." ~~ Matt wrote this for you, no worries, its still about me.

We played games. And sat in front of the fire. Some of us picked fights (gotta do what we do). and we watched movies. Lovely.

Sunday. The snow had stopped and the plows had come. And Andy's keys were missing... we spent an hour searching in the house before we thought about the outside... and we had been playing all over the front yard and driveway. And then they plowed... but not worries - they were in the SNOW ANGEL!

And then it was time to go home. We decided to drive through PA instead of down through Jersey. The drive was so much prettier! And smelled so much better!

Then it was New Years Eve. Crazy to think about it being 2013. We dropped off my car at 7 in the morning for some recall work. Want to hear how stupid it was? If the front seat passenger side airbag was off - so was the back seat. That's no good. Especially with a baby on the way. So that was dealt with. Then I ran errands and Matt assembled the baby's furniture. When I got back, he was mostly done. I couldn't believe it. And standing there in the doorway, it was beyond real that this Baby Girl is on her way, and soon!

For NYE, we had friends over. A lovely pajama party. I made dinner. And then we played games all night. The ladies helped me with the Baby's room and helped me see what I was missing. We all stayed up until the ball dropped, and then I dropped. Why should I stay up any later?

New Year's Day, we always go to Matt's Great Aunt's house in Baltimore. Ann Louise has been hosting an afternoon lunch for as long as I have known the Reese's. It is always nice to be with family around the holidays and it is a great time to catch up.

So that is our "break" in review.

The home stretch

It's official. We are in the third trimester! We have less than 12 weeks left. And after 28 weeks, 12 doesn't sound like that many at all.

All Baby Girl needs to do is gain weight at this point before we can meet her.  Crazy that in 3 months I will be able to talk to her face and kiss her cute button nose.

Pregnancy: 28 & 29 Weeks

Weight Gain: This is the moment that I stop sharing... I found it. I still have about 10 pounds to gain in this last trimester. But most of that is her.

Measurements: We had a Dr.'s appointment this afternoon. And they measured my belly. 29 centimeters from top to bottom of my uterus. And still wearing the same size pants as I was before I was pregnant. My butt is the same size!!!! But my belly is HUGE! It surprises Matt most mornings, but he sees it without a shirt on... and it is much bigger without a pretty shirt on. But good to know - I didn't know this shirt was see-through. Good to know.
 
Sleep: I received a fancy pregnancy pillow for Christmas. I thought it would make sleeping more comfortable. I was wrong. My assortment of little pillows tucked around my body works so much better. Crazy. In fact, over break, I missed all my pillows. I only travel with the little one that my belly sleeps on. But I missed my head pillows and knee pillow.

Cravings: I like to eat. But still nothing weird.

Feeling: Achey. That's not how you spell it. But that's how I feel. Different parts of my body at different times of the time. My lower back hurts a wee bit. There are times when my legs ache. And sometimes I feel like I have been punched in my vagina. But my doctor said it's fine and not to worry.

Movement: all the time. She kicked the doctor today. How great is that? He was listening to the heartbeat, and she kicked him right in the doppler... He had just asked about her movements too, and then he chuckled.
 
What's going on inside the belly:  
Week 28: She weighs 2.25 pounds. She is going to spend the next 12 weeks getting plump and squishy. And is 14.8 inches long. She is blinking and has eyelashes! She responds to flashlights by either kicking or blinking. And her brain is developing billions of neurons to outsmart her parents.

Week 29: She weighs 2.5 pounds and is about 15 inches long. She is the size of my favorite vegetable - a butternut squash!!! She has increasing nutritional demands at this point, so I need to eat more calcium, vitamin C, and iron... gross. She is hardening her skeleton and pushing to make space for her growing body. Boy, do I feel it. 

What's going on outside the belly: 

Glucose test? Done! And PASSED! At this point, we are going to the doctor every other week. Crazy. We are actually in the home stretch. All our doctor's appointments are scheduled from now until the week after her due date.

The TO DO LIST:
I think it is time to show you our to do list before baby girl gets here. We realize that this list is not complete by any stretch of our imaginations, but it's a start.

• purchase furniture
• pick paint color
• paint baby's room
• reorganize the closet
• assemble furniture
• throw away things we don't need 
• decorate the room
• hang photos
• find a pediatrician
• find a lactation specialist
• get clothing
• get diapers and diapering supplies
• wash everything
• get a mattress pad for our bed (gross)
• tour the hospital
• sign up for a class (maybe)
• pack a hospital bag (for me, Baby, and Matt)
• find a dog-sitter for Misty & Bones who can stay on the fly
• clean out the freezer
• fill the freezer with ready to go meals - no prep work left
• 
  

New Year's Resolutions

I want to make a resolution. It is a small one. But yea. It is my resolution to make.

This year I want to make time. 

Simple as that. 

I want to make time for the people and activities I love. 

• to call the people I love (more than just my family)
• to spend time reading every night - even if it is just 15 minutes
• to quilt every month
• to walk the dogs, because they want me to (but once it gets warm....)
• to cook dinner for fun
• to clean up (and make time for Matt's happiness)
• to put things away after I use them, not a week later

That's all. 

Baby Girl's Room

We have been working on Baby Girl's room for a few weeks now. Slowly but surely. Actually, I can tell you that it has been about 9 weeks to be sure. We started by picking out two colors right before we found out she was a precious girl.  And to be honest, I wanted the purple regardless of her gender. The green, was just green. But the purple felt right.

So Matt started painting. I did the swatches and that was about all the smell I could handle. Thankfully, my husband is wonderful and understood that this meant he would be handling all the painting. Both coats. 


And he is a wonderful painter! The purple is GORGEOUS! I adore it!


Once the painting was done, Matt started to change the outlets. He found safety plugs that we are slowly replacing throughout the house. They have something in them that prevents kids from sticking anything but a plug into the outlet. There is some kind of plastic behind it, and all the holes need to be depressed at the same time.


Then it was on to the closet. We bought an organizer. All we had to do was decide where the shelves were going. Sounds easy right? But we figured it out. And then we figured out that the ceiling was really sloped... not level at all. Seriously like whoa.


Then we started putting things in their place. I tried a number of different arrangements. We knew that the dresser (with changing pad on top) would go underneath the shelf that Gerry made along the wall in front of the door. But everything else was debatable. I tried the twin bed in a few different places, but it made the most sense in between the dresser and window.

Then it was on to decide about the books. Baby Girl has a lot of books already - and she can't read at all! I had a bookcase, a shelf, two wicker baskets, and a set of cloth baskets. Misty decided that I should wait and make that decision once the rocker glider was there so we could see how it would all fit.

Fast forward a week or so and Matt was very productive! Our furniture came in!!! And then he had the whole thing assembled before I came back from running errands.

The crib? Assembled!

The rocker glider? Assembled!

The baby's room? Almost done!

What's left? You know, the stuff we don't have yet.
I need to:

• put photos up on the walls
• sheets in the crib
• fill the dresser/closet with clothing, blankets, diapers, diapering stuff
• getting rid of Ernie & Bert (see above photo). They were from school; the students made them for homecoming and I didn't know where I was going with the room, so I figured we could try it for now and then change our minds. 

And all the other things that I don't even know about yet because I don't have a baby yet. But no worries - I have great friends who are helping me figure things out. (Thanks Lesley for pointing out that we will need a laundry basket in here too.)

A desk catastrophe

Over the last five years (since we moved in) I have had 5 different desks. And every time, I have not used it. The first desk I bought when I moved to Maryland (8 years ago) and I used it for the first 3 years, in the apartments. Then it didn't matter how messy I was, because Matt was only there from time to time and it wasn't ever for very long. But I didn't use it effectively. It was for storing stuff.

When we moved in together, Matt stole that desk. Really quick. He used it for years. I had a table in the extra bedroom (the room where stuff went to die) that I didn't use... then I inherited Gerry's desk. I tried to use it. I tried really hard. For a year I tried and held onto that desk. But it never worked for me. The laptop was too big, the desk was too narrow. And it was a desk...
I kept going back to working at the dining room table. It is a large space and I can spread everything out. 

So Matt had a brainwave. We found a desk solution that should have worked for us. There was a desk at IKEA with a bookcase in the middle. Matt's major complaint was that I used all my desks as storage. So this solution was perfect because the two desk areas were separated by a bookcase. Storage and a large workspace. 


Which brings us to current day. I have been using this desk setup for a while, but not effectively. And not the way Matt intended. My side was always full. Matt's side was always spotless. I drove him nuts. I drive him nuts. I am a mess.

Matt is very solution oriented. He wants to be able to solve my mess. He wants to fix my obvious lack of organization. He came up with another solution recently. New solution???

NO DESK.

I mean, it is a genius plan! I am being demoted from desk status. And rightfully so. Why should I have a desk if I don't ever use it? I mean, it makes perfect sense. So, we got rid of one side of the desk. And are putting in a bookcase. Almost floor to ceiling storage. With doors to hide all the storage away. And there is so much storage that things were able to be moved from stupid places to more intelligent places.

My stuff is being stored behind closed doors. And both of the bottom cabinets are completely empty so we can store toys for the baby out of sight.

And because I have moved things out of the dining room, half of the bookcase in there is empty again too! So I am using two shelves in the dining room to house my "desk" paraphernalia, including my laptop. Let's talk about genius!

The best part? There are so many empty spaces right now! Everything will keep moving around until we find its ultimate home. Not that I want to fill them all in. In fact, I am loving all the empty spaces because we are adding a person who will bring her own set of toys and stuff to store.

"Final" Pictures? Yes please!

Yea, we know the colors aren't the best. Because the light wood doesn't match the desk. But really, everything in our house is a combination of these two colors. So it happens. And in person, it really isn't that bad. Is that because I am used to it? Nah...

In between the wall and the cabinet, I have storage. From the bottom up, I have my sewing machine. And hanging on the wall above it, I have wrapping paper in a plastic bin. This way I can't purchase too much wrapping paper. If there isn't space in the bin, I can't have it. 

In the cabinet? From the top down:

On the left side, I have the rest of my wrapping supplies (bags, tissue paper, bows). Underneath, and on the top two shelves in the right cabinet, are the fancy things (ice holder, vases, place mats & napkins, Jewish paraphernalia - menorahs and candle sticks). The bottom shelf on the left holds random stuff that I haven't figured out what to do with...

The second row of cabinets house the rest of my quilting supplies. 

The bottom row of cabinets will house the baby's things. Toys, a downstairs changing station, and who knows what else.  

And here is the matching cabinet in the dining room. All the fancy things moved from here to the other cabinet. And the shelf above is coming down and getting thrown away. The top two shelves house the bowls and platters. The bottom two shelves on the left house the Kitchenaid mixer (and extras) and the pressure cooker. They get used the most so they live closest to the kitchen.

On the right, the second shelf down is my "desk." I have the cutlery basket that holds plastic silverware, salt & pepper, paper napkins, and pens. The dogs use the shelf underneath for treats and cookies. And the last shelf holds the rest of our bowls and trivets.

So there you go. Doesn't this make so much more sense? Notice in that last picture I am using the computer on the table. When not in use? I put it away on the "desk" shelf. In fact, I think I am going to get out the place mats and let them live on the table to maintain the "table" parts of the table. That is the only thing Matt wants - to be able to eat dinner with me at the table without making me clear space for him. I think I can make work. Love it!

Happy Holidays

I have struggled with this time of the year my whole life. Being Jewish means you feel left out of the whole magic of Christmas experience. I have celebrated Christmas dozens of times with friends, and now family, but it doesn't change the whole feeling.

So let's start with Chanukah. We celebrated every night. But it is such a minor holiday in Judaism...

For the last few months Matt and I have been taking an Introduction to Judaism class every week. And while it has not been the most fun class (the instruction method is a little dry), there have been some real gems of moments. Most of the class are young couples who are getting married or recently married. So when we started taking about Chanukah and Christmas it was very interesting for me.

I love holiday cards. Especially ones with pictures. Not so much the letter telling what everyone was up to this year. Those seem to glaze over the troubles and only focus on the positive, and that's not how the year really went. I digress.

So I was really worried that I hated Christmas. Not the holiday, but the actuality. I mean, how could you hate a holiday?

I read an article for class that... struck a chord. And then we talked about it in class and I learned a lot more about my relationship with Christmas. It wasn't Christmas I hated, but parts of it. I was finally able to compartmentalize Christmas.

I hate most of the Christmas music on the radio. And during our conversation at class I figured it out. I hate the commercialism of Christmas. All the ads on TV. The secular music that gets played over and over again on the radio. It drives me nuts and makes me feel excluded.

I love the religious aspects of it. I loved going to midnight mass with friends in high school. It was a beautiful service and a wonderful way to celebrate with family. I love sitting at my mother-in-law's house for a family meal, decorating the tree as a family, and being together. I love going to church with her and listening to her lead the congregation. I love her sermons. I love the candles.

But I LOVE the lights. Christmas lights feel like the marriage between Chanukah (and the festival of lights) and Christmas. They are a beautiful way of lighting up the darkest time of the year ands making the home feel inviting, whether for Santa Claus or visiting family. One of my favorite  holiday memories growing up was driving around Dallas to see the lights with my grandparents.

So Baby Girl, realize how lucky you are. You get to experience all of the wonderful parts of the holiday season. You have two excuses to be with family. You will get to experience all of the lights, both Chanukah and Christmas. Because we are going to celebrate a-la-carte. We are going to celebrate Chanukah with our family. And we are going to put up lights. And then we will celebrate Christmas with our family.



Marriage is a blending of two families and two sets of traditions. That means we each get a say in what we include. And I am excited that I will be included in some of the magic next year through our Baby Girl.

Things you should know about being pregnant

I have been thinking about writing this post for a few weeks. Because there are a lot of things that I have learned since being pregnant that I only learned because I am pregnant and then asked about it.

Early Pregnancy (you know, from when you find out through the half baked). Let's do this from the top of my body down shall we.

• the smells. Oh the smells. Things started to bother me around week 7 or 8. And they were random. They still are. At the beginning, I couldn't stand the smell of bacon - which was a problem because we had more than 3 pounds of it in the freezer. And the smell of my sweet husband's sweat. Oh lord was it awful when he came home from the gym. I used to leave the room... As the weeks pass, the smells that bother me change too. My sweet husband doesn't bother me anymore. But eggs do. The smells of eggs being cooked makes me swoon and nauseous. And I thought it was just the smell, but I tried to eat them the other day and it was just as bad.
  
• the mucus. From anywhere my body can create it. I thought I had a cold for the first few weeks of school (end of the first trimester). Turns out that making a baby creates more mucus in your body. So I have more snot. Regularly. At first I thought I had a cold. Or the nicest flu ever! But I was never physically uncomfortable. I never had any sinus pressure. I would wake up in the morning with a sore throat from nasal drip. And when I found out it was normal and it was baby girl's doing, the mucus stopped bothering me.
  
• the boobs. Oh Lord the boobs. These aren't my boobs. They haven't been my boobs since early September. They just started growing. And they won't stop. I have gone up two cup sizes already. And I think they are still growing. Completely INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR!
• the leaks. Hahaha, not from my boobs yet. Everyone tells you that you will have to pee. That's common knowledge. For me, the worst part is that sometimes after having gone to the bathroom, there is an extra drop. Not enough to feel like I have peed myself. But enough to be kinda gross.
• the dogs. They are weird about this whole baby thing. Well, not Misty. Mostly because I don't think she is aware of anything outside of the four of us right now - and Colleen & Ken. But Bones???? He is aware that things they are a changing. He knew first. He kept checking out my downstairs and sniffing around. It was different first. It made me uncomfortable. It still makes me uncomfortable thinking about it.
• the farts (not bothersome, but funny). If you don't like talking about things that happen in the bathroom... well then I don't know what you are doing on my blog honestly. I love talking about the things that happen in the bathroom. Lordy, can I clear a room. Dairy was always my ammunition, but now, I am fully loaded all the time. And there is nothing silent about them. I farted sitting at the dining room table, and the dogs ran to the front door barking to see who knocked. Yup. That's right. I am very talented.  

Middle Pregnancy (you know, the middle trimester, DUH). 

• my belly button. Or what's left of it. I used to be able to put my pinky finger pretty deep in there. Not gross deep. But way deeper than now. At this point, there is very little depth left in my belly button. It is still an innie, but not for much longer....
• afternoon heartburn. So much and so often. It started slowly. And I thought it was after eating fruit - which infuriated me. Also, I noticed it more at night than any other time of the day, but it gradually moved earlier and earlier. There were a few days recently where I was popping them like candy every few hours. Gross. But then I realized that when I cut back on the candy (specifically chocolate), I have less heartburn.
• the sweat. I can't believe how much I am going to tell you, but it's true. My feet sweat constantly. All the time. It was 7:30 this morning, and my shoes were soaked. Gross. My shoes look like I have been walking in puddles. And then recently, I got sweaty palms. Not in the dripping from my fingers sense, just forever clammy. Like I forgot to wipe off my hands after washing.  
• having to pee... when I don't. This is the most common symptom. Everyone knows about this. It's funny, I can generally resist the urge to use the bathroom until I am at least a half tank full.
• reaching my feet. seriously. Tie your shoes right now. I can't do that the same way you do. I can't lean over my knees and tie my shoes. I have to sit on the stairs and put one foot over my other knee and tie my shoes sideways. Or, the easier way, shoes without laces.
• my crotch. is an overshare. You remember the farts from before? This is worse. I don't know the last time I saw it. It has been awhile. It is also inappropriately warm down there. So warm. In a swampy kind of way. There are times when I thought I had peed myself. I didn't. I was swampy. Because of this phenomenon, I have to be in pants. Otherwise I chafe. Really. Gross. And uncomfortable.

Let's talk maternity pants.
Yup, this gets its own list. They are that bad. Let's talk about my murderous rage when it comes to wearing pants right now. They suck the worst. There are a few options when it comes to pant:

• Your own pants. You know, the ones you were wearing before you found out you were pregnant. For the first few weeks, they are fine and nothing interesting to report. And then, even though you aren't growing or showing, there is pressure out of nowhere. And so I stopped buttoning my pants. Then I added a hair-tie to help hold them shut. And a D-ring belt. And then I stopped zipping them. And then I knew it was time to move on.
  
• Low with a thick elastic band. At the beginning, I LOVED the low pants. The elastic was really comfortable. I felt like myself. I was in my jeans. And they had room to move. I was hoping that I could last the entire rest of the pregnancy in these pants. But I grew...
• High with no elastic band. Then, I grew (as bellies are want to do when pregs) and the elastic started to dig into my baby. I could handle it at work, but not all day long. But the high pants have nothing actually holding the pants UP! The large elastic part is not form fitting at all and is all elastic. There is no band to actually hold the pants up. Have I been clear about this?
  
• And then there are the different brands. I asked around. Everyone has an opinion, and a favorite brand. Some said go with quality since you will be wearing them for half a year, and you will probably wear them again in the future. But I was wearing Target brand pants before I was pregnant. Something about the wear and tear of my pants and the amount I was paying for brand names didn't add up, even before I was thinking about the cost of this baby. So when I was looking for pants, I bought them at Target. But I also tried some from the maternity store. And yea, that was an epic fail. They didn't fit that well. In fact, they fit so badly that the day I wore them to work, I changed after 45 minutes into Colleen's workout pants. Anything would have been better than the crap-tastic pants I was wearing.
• So what am I wearing now? Yoga pants and leggings. They are both low pants that I can move around. I bought new yoga pants at the beginning of my pregnancy knowing that at some point I would give up on regular pants. I hope that I can find a jean that is comfy again, because I miss pockets after only 4 days. Even my pajama pants have changed a little. I am only wearing pants that sit low and don't have a lot of elastic...

Let's see here... is there anything else I want to tell you? Well yes. I am still here. ME! DEBORAH! I am not just a vessel. I am busy "converting food into a person" (shout out to my genius sister Sarah). But I am still here. I am not okay with people talking to my belly. And I am definitely not okay with people touching my belly without asking for permission. It is MY BODY. And I am carrying this baby INSIDE MY BODY. MY BODY. So please be respectful of ME. Baby Girl is not here yet. Once she is, then you can touch her and love on her. But until then? Remember this:

PREGNANT WOMAN ARE REAL PEOPLE. 

AND WE WERE HERE FIRST - BEFORE THE BABY!

And really. If you don't like how we feel about it? Then you can be pregnant next time and see how you feel about it. And if that doesn't work for you? Then stop pushing your opinions on me. I don't believe I asked for it, unless you have already had a baby and I emailed you, then I did ask for your opinion, and it has been very helpful.

Know what's coming up soon? Baby showers! In January & February! I am excited to be with people I love and who love this little Baby Girl without worrying if she is brat or not. (We all know she will be at some point in her life, but.... we are were.)

Phil & Lauren make it official!

I hope you like pictures of red heads. I know I do!

I don't even know where I should start this... Let's see... a few years ago, my wonderful brother-in-law pulled a "Reese." I don't know if you know this about the Reese boys (specifically my husband and his brother), but they like to pick their wives based on whether they are willing to hold their own in a bar. That's right. The stories for getting Lauren & I are scarily similar... in each situation both parties ended up praying to the porcelain ... and in both situations, a few years later, we were married. For Matt & I, it was tequila. For Phil & Lauren, it was car bombs. What can I say? We are classy broads! More importantly, we have classy men who know how to treat us...

And over the last few years, she has become an integral part of our family and friend circle.

Turns out, I have more pictures of Lauren than I do of Phil. Crazy.

And then, they got married!!!!! And it was wonderful! You could feel the love they have all weekend. They take care of each other in the most wonderful way. 

I felt special to be included in Lauren's life and even more blessed to be one of her bridesmaids. We spent the morning getting ready and enjoying ourselves with her friends. The boys drank. There are traditions that need to be upheld. No my husband and his brother are not lushes. Linda don't worry.

I mean seriously! Look how beautiful she looks. Radiant doesn't even cover it. And the two of them together? Beautiful. But really, Matt said it best. And he gave me permission to share it with you!!!! So here is his toast from the reception:

Good Evening. Typically my role as the older brother is to tell a few funny stories about how Phil and I used to fight all the time when we were younger or some other funny story about our youth, but our mother already had to live though that once and I am sure she would rather avoid hearing about it again. Phil instead I am going to talk about the best decision you have ever made. The decision to make Lauren a part of our extended family. 

Lauren, the person who Phil is today is completely different then the person he was before he met you. The growth I have seen in him over the last few years has been nothing less than astounding. He is more confident, happier, less stressed, smarter, he even has a swagger which was never there before. But most of all he feels so wise now, something I sometimes find annoying. I have always been more impulsive then Phil, but now he seems to know the right thing to say to let me know I am wrong. These changes are without a doubt because of your influence. You complete him in a way that is hard to describe in words, but without a doubt you are very much his other half and without you he is not whole. 

And Phil, I am so happy for you to have found Lauren. In fairy tales we read about true love and how there is “the one” out there for you. However with over 6 billion people on this Earth the odds of finding that person seem almost impossible. Fortunately, you have defied those odds because Lauren is without a doubt your true love. Congratulations on such a catch.
 
And finally to both of you, Today is only the start of the amazing future, congrats and enjoy the ride.

140?

Last night I posted about weeks 26 & 27. At 10pm. And do you know what happened overnight? 

140 pageviews today? I don't know that many people! I don't know who you are but I know where you are (shout out to Australia - hi Becky!!). But who are you in Thailand, China, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Panama, and the Ukraine?!?!?!?!?!?

But seriously!!! 140? That's crazy!

Whoever you are, I hope you are enjoying yourself and continue to check in on us. And feel free to leave a comment and introduce yourself. Because trust me, I am curious. 

VERY CURIOUS!

Weeks 26 & 27

Pregnancy: 26 & 27 Weeks

Weight Gain: 23 pounds. At some point, this information will stop being shared.

Measurements: We had a Dr.'s appointment at the beginning of December. And they measured my belly. 25 centimeters from top to bottom of my uterus. I don't know what that means, but it sounds good to me. Also, we are at the point where if you see me one week, and then see me again the next week, you can visibly see a change in my size. Bigger each time.
 
Sleep: This sounds like crap, but I am sleeping well right now. I am sleeping on more pillows, and somehow, it means that I am sleeping better. Honestly, I don't understand it at all.

Cravings: Still nothing crazy. I just like eating. Okay, untrue. I wanted alfredo sauce. So I bought it at Sam's Club, a tad overboard, but what can I say?

Feeling: Pants still suck. Yesterday was a bad day. I got dressed twice. The first time was an epic fail so I switched pants. When I got to school, I realized I was more uncomfortable in the second pair than the first. And I felt a murderous rage coming on. Not okay in a school. Thank goodness Colleen had an extra pair to rescue me. Changing into her sweats was the best decision I made all day!

Movement: all the time. Every time I sit or lay down I feel her kick. After I eat I feel her kick. All the time. Right now in fact. She has started to do the long gliding motions across my belly. And to kick and hit at the same time; really I can feel her on both sides sometimes.
 
What's going on inside the belly:  
Week 26: She weighs a pound and two thirds and is a big as an English cucumber (a little specific) or 14 inches. Her ears are better developed and can hear both Matt & my voices. She is also practicing to breath with amniotic fluid (gross but necessary).

Week 27: She weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.5 inches long. She has been sleeping (while I teach) and waking (when I am trying to be productive) at regular intervals. And her brain is very active - now I am curious (what do you think she is thinking about?) And in other exciting news, I am nearing the end of the second trimester. I only have another 13 weeks to go. That is about as long as Matt & I kept this a secret at the very beginning. I don't want to say home stretch, or nearing the end, because I am not. But this has been a wonderful first two thirds.

What's going on outside the belly: 

And what about us? What have we been up to? So many things! We went to Matt's brother's wedding two weeks ago (crazy great fun!) and a post in the works already. We have been making serious changes in the house. Baby Girl's room is painted - post on that later. Her furniture is in the state - but still at the store waiting for us to pick it up. We are getting rid of some downstairs furniture - post on that too. Oh and Chanukah came and went last week.

Sarah Celeste

We have a new baby among us! Last Tuesday our good friends, Tim & Sarah,
welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their family.

We went to visit them today at home and had a wonderful visit. 

She slept the entire time and cuddled each of us.

We wish Momma Sarah a speedy recovery.

We hope Baby Celeste continues to be a well behaved and easy baby.