Blessing for days! (Week 32)

Earlier last (now 2 weeks ago) week my sister Keri told me that she was coming home for my family shower.   As you know I am not one to contain my excitement and I yelped/yelled/squealed at work.  I was not really thinking about what that would sound like outside of my office when two people popped their head out to make sure I was not in labor….Woops!

Secretly I have really wanted her to come out and just see me pregnant…I am not sure why but I just wanted to see her before I was in labor!  I had been trying to figure out how I could get out to Hawaii and surprise her but with all of the weddings this year…it was just not in the cards for me.   I ALWAYS miss her but I have REALLY been missing her lately.   She came out by herself (no boys) which meant a ton of coordinating and work for her husband Jed and good friend Heather.   Words cannot express how grateful I am for them taking this on so that she could come out here!

Keri and Kati

This leads me into my next wonderful blessing…my work team!  As you know I love my work team (Michelle, Laurel and Lauren).   On Wednesday, they were paying extra attention to me all day…which yay for me! But kind of strange…For example, anytime I would get up they would do the task I was going to go do…fill my water bottle, make a copy,  random things…My amazing boss Jane even had me come into her office to talk about dresses.  Note:  this is not completely out of the norm but usually we look at it when we are chatting in her office she doesn’t call me into her office for this.  We have on our calendar a monthly team meeting….which being honest I think we have had 2 in the last year.  However, due to budgets being due, I really wanted to have this team meeting to make sure we would hit goal for the year.  Wow! This is a really long story! Ok …so.... Michelle says that she is going to go get Kat (our financial life saver) and Lauren on Skype for the meeting.   I walk in to the meeting and they had changed the team meeting to a company-wide surprise baby shower!  It was so fun.   Everyone was so generous and thoughtful.  The planning that the ladies did was amazing.  I had more desserts than I knew what to do with, they made onesies and invited some of my CRL friends….Also,  my old office mate Bob Beckham came to the shower (Bob is like my big brother!)

The reveal!

 Keri and Jackson on the screen

This is Kebecca...named by Jackson given to Pixie by Grandma Jane and Quinn.  It is the softest thing ever!

XOXOXO!

As I said, Keri came home!  She flew in late Thursday night and stayed with Chanda (in Seattle) .  Friday morning Chanda and Keri came down and we went to Babies-R-Us with my mom.   Man was this an experience.  We must have spent a good hour to hour and a half in the stroller/ car seat section.  Keri and Chanda were flipping, folding, lifting, pushing strollers to make sure that I had registered for the right one…which I did not…but they took care of it.  It was AWESOME!  Two moms in action! 

I had a wedding rehearsal that night and Keri had other obligations to attend so we agreed to meet up and go to the fair that night.  As most of you know, the Puyallup Fair is a big deal to me.  It was such an awesome time!  We decided that Keri and Chanda were going to stay the night so we had all night!  We did a quick call to Pat and she met us down there.  It was so fun to show Pat how to really do the Puyallup!  (Because she has been doing it wrong for many years!) The strategy of the Puyallup is to do the activities on the way to your next food destination.  I will say that I ate my weight in food:  Krusty Pup (hand dipped corn battered hot dog---not a frozen corn dog!),  1/3 of Keri’s Krusty Pup,  ½ of Brendan’s Earthquake burger,  swirled chocolate/ vanilla cone from the dairy, couple bites of Brendan's strawberry cone, part of Chanda’s Elephant Ear and a small bit of Pat’s Cowchip Cookie (chocolate chip cookie).   It truly is the happiest place on earth.   We also got to watch some horse show race where Brendan and I proceeded to embarrass Chanda and Keri (I think Pat is immune to us by now) because we were cheering for the racers.   We also needed to find the fried butter station (not the everything fried station that has fried butter but the just fried butter station).   After kind of a long hunt we found the fried butter and determined there was no way we could eat it!

 I made them sit in the hands...because I love them!

There is a difference between an Elephant Ear and a Funnel Cake...call the elephant ear a funnel cake and Chanda will not share!

Brendan took this picture because the two fair snobs (Kati and Chanda) were at an info booth asking for the fried butter station...I think he wanted proof that we did not know EVERY thing about the fair.

We then went home and watched the premier of Grey’s Anatomy (thank you Brendan for setting up the Hulu account on PS3)…Finally we went to bed after wiping our tears from the show.

Saturday, I had a wedding in the afternoon so I got a little nap in…thank goodness!

Not sure if you can see Gabby (our cat) sleeping on the belly of Sadie (our dog)....it was a good nap!

Then on Sunday we had our family shower. Pat, Billie and Keri planned this shower and it was wonderful.  Pat got the ball rolling, Keri got the invites and addresses and Billie did the execution! There was food centered around me so cheeses and pickled items! Also a vanilla- lavendar cake! YUMMM!  

It is a very rare thing for a girl of a divorced family to have one family shower.   I am so blessed that my parents are mature enough to put their kids first.   Seriously, Keri and I have never been asked to choose between our parents.  On big days (graduations, awards ceremonies, weddings) they always sat next to each other and never made us feel like we had to worry about the dynamics of that.   That said Sunday was amazing!  My three moms (Janet, Cathy, and Billie-Brendan’s mom) and three families were at the shower and it was like we were all one family.  Keri had to catch her flight so she left a little early from the shower which I think was a good thing because it did not give me any time to realize that she was leaving for Hawaii…my brain still thinks that I will just see her tomorrow at her house….so not the case! The best part is that we kind of talked Billie out of playing games and then once Brendan and James got to the house the 4 of us (Brendan, James, Billie and I) played the taste the baby food and guess game...it was fun! Here are a couple of pictures from the shower.

 My Aunt Laura, Grandma Nelson, Mom (Cathy) and you guessed it preggers!

 My sisters:  Keri, me, Kaylene, Destiny

 Kathleen (Sister-in-law) and Billie (Brendan's mom)

Really...you cannot guess this one...my mom (Janet) and me 

 My ROCKS!  Chanda (my fake sister AKA Keri's sister-in-law), Keri, me & Pat (by now you know she is the person that keeps me sane!)

The update on Pixie because that is what this blog is supposed to be about!:   Things are cooking along quite nice…I have moved to weekly doctor appointments.  She is the size of a large jicama. I am definitely feeling pregnant!

So the sweater does not fit!

I know, I know, my sweater does not fit.  But when it is cold out and you have not gone shopping you make due! Not much too much to report.  Pixie has decided that she really likes to hang on my ribs...so super fun! She is the size of 4 navel oranges and we have approximately 50+ days left!! That may seem long to you but it seems like it is tomorrow!

For my friend that freaked when they saw the nursery pictures...AKA Tori!....I would like to say that I did work on it this weekend and there has been much progress! You can know breathe a little.  

See below for this week's pictures!  Until next week!! XOXO

Week 31 



Pixie's last airplane trip in womb!

It is the last airplane trip Pixie and I will take as one…I thought I might be a little sad about it but after I got home and saw how swollen I was (and uncomfortable on the plane I was)….I am going to be just fine.   I do have to say Pixie is quite the traveler she has been to Hawaii, San Diego and now just finished visiting San Antonio.   Granted all of these trips were for work but they have all been fun.   This last trip was for our big conference- The National Liver Conference.   According to my doctor, I am officially grounded until she is born. 

At the end of the conference some of the girls went to the mall to get some cheesy San Antonio gifts.  We then went to the beginning part of the river walk which is where I had given up…my feet were done!  The girls had the option of Hooters or Chilies…we all opted for Hooters…why not, right?  It was fun.   I think we got back to the hotel at 9:00p and all went to bed. 

Lauren, Laurel and Kat  

Laurel and I had an early flight out…we had to meet in the lobby at 4:20a!  You all know the morning person I am so a big shout out to Laurel for putting up with me that early in the morning!!!  Our flight was chasing time….we took off at 6:10a and landed in Phoenix at 6:20a.  We then had about an hour layover, where Laurel proceeded to eat a Cobb Salad at 6:20 in the morning!  It really did feel like lunch time.  Brendan picked me up at the airport at 10:30a and we headed up to Seattle for a Sounders game.   We met up with the gang at Elysian Brewery and then headed to the game with Cara (not pictured sorry).  I will admit it…I was a bit of a party pooper!  I could not stand the entire game because my feet were so swollen they did not fit into my flip flops….you know how big my calves are…my leg and foot were that size!! WOW!  

Elece, Bryce, Beth Ann, Gregg and Brendan  

Pixie did well on the plane.  She was very active but we were fine!  This week she is the size of a cabbage and weighs 2.75 pounds...I have not felt hiccups yet…but I hear they are coming!  All in all….things are going great… I got my feet back to normal today!  Thank goodness!

 The chart is getting really cramped because I am getting lower and lower...but it is still fun to chart it!

 Week 30! 

She kicked right during this picture. 

Ok we are back on track!!! Chat soon! 

Labor Day Weekend!

So we are playing catch up with the blog…Week 29 was technically 9/2.   But we are going to talk about Labor Day weekend which was awesome!  We went for a drive with Gregg and Beth Ann over Deception Pass.  Beth Ann and I fell asleep on the drive home which I do not thing the boys minded because they just get to crank their music up and drive.

On Sunday, we had the O’Briens over for a BBQ.  Brendan made pizza on the grill.  It was super yummy!  Aunt Junean had dropped off Brendan’s birthday present early (by a month!) and Kathleen & I decided to take full advantage of the gift by going to the store and buying s’mores stuff!  I introduced them to the Caramelo s’more which was a hit!

 Kathleen and Connor staring at the fire!

 Billie enjoying a s'more

 The cool birthday present!

 This is Olive.  Her and Sadie got along great! Olive is the latest addition to Connor & Kathleen's family.

Pixie is growing like mad!  I can now feel the roll…rather than just a kick.  There is definitely less space in my stomach.   This week she is the size of butternut squash weighing in at 2.5 pounds!

When I look at this picture she does not look as low as she feels! 

Week 28....A surprise visitor!

As promised from the last posting…below are pictures of the nursery!  Now, I know, this will stress my planner friends out.   It even stresses my mom out! This is really saying something because I don’t know if she has ever planned anything in her life…she is a fly by the seat of your pants person.  Even when she travels…she is not sure what day she is coming home and 9 times out of 10 does not come home on the day she was “planning” on returning.

However, do not fret friends…there is a plan!  My last wedding is 10/2.   I plan on working all weekend on 10/8 in the nursery so hold out for that week’s post!  I am sure you will feel much better about the nursery then.

 

This is standing from the window, looking into the hall.  All of the stuff on the bench (hope chest my dad made) is for Pixie!

This is from the hall looking at the window,  the bins are all of the clothes that do not fit me right now.

This is my favorite picture...it is of the closet....Lord have mercy on this closet!

So the week before Labor Day weekend Lauren stopped in the office for a minute.  Her brother was getting married Labor Day weekend.   It was such a blessing to see her...she just makes you happy!

 Lauren, Kati, Michelle and Laurel

Pregnancy is going great.  Nothing to complain about…Pixie is doing great!  I got to do the glucose test this week…I will say that it was the first time I really felt pregnant.  I went in early…fasting…which is never good for a pregnant person.  Drank the simple syrup and waited the hour to get my blood drawn.  I never really recovered that day…just a bit off all day.  Things are fine now!  Pixie and I had a doctor’s appointment.  She is still measuring a week early and the heart beat is strong.   This week Pixie is the size of a Chinese cabbage!  Not that I know what that is but that is how big she is…she should be weighing in at 2.25 pounds…however, knowing how she is going I am sure she is bigger than that!

Week 28!

Until next week! xoxox