just my type

our anniversary trip

It's our five year anniversary next week so we were supposed to go somewhere fabulous.  But then, I ended up being pregnant and we ended up not having a ton of extra cash lying around and we ended up going to Minneapolis.  Not that it's not fabulous there. :)  But it's not quite Jamaica... we'll just save that for our ten year.

We decided to go over the 4th because we figured we'd both have Friday off and wouldn't have to rush around leaving after work, and the whole thing would be more relaxing.  We dropped Max off with my parents Friday morning, and then went back home to pack up for ourselves (one thing I hate is is rushed, last-minute packing for a weekend.  Which, if you are me, it always is because I always procrastinate... so this was good).  It felt kind of weird heading into the city for the 4th.  Everyone else was heading out, the traffic going north looked awful.  Downtown was nice and quiet.  We got to our hotel (The Westin) and headed out to do some shopping.  I got... nothing... and Tom got two pairs of dress pants, two dress shirts and two ties.  That was a first.  We headed back to our hotel to get changed for dinner and then took this sweet picture before we left:

 

I cannot look at this without cracking up... are we totally awkward or what?

We decided to go to Ichiban for dinner.  Basically what Tom looks for in a meal is a lot of food and I would say it fit the bill.  We did the teppanyaki and it was fun.  After that we went to see a movie... I know, we are super romantic and exciting, but how often do we get to a movie?  And then we finished up the night by sitting in a bar watching the Twins lose their 16-inning game to the Tigers.  Agh.

Saturday.  I figured out we walked almost seven miles on Saturday.  Not sure why I thought hauling my pregnant butt almost seven miles was a good idea, but somehow I survived it.  We started out by walking over to check out the Twins' new ballpark... 

Call me a nerd but I am pretty excited about this.

After that we walked around some more and ended up at The Local for lunch, then headed off for the Metrodome.  I figure this was probably our last Twins game together at the Metrodome... probably my last one for good... Tom insists he'll still make it there this year.  Anyway, this occasion warranted decent seats and pictures:

  

The baseball shirt was a big hit at the game.  It's nice when everyone smiles at you. :)  Although, tragically, one middle-aged man touched the belly and said 'it must not be much longer now?'  Wrong.  Just... wrong.

And one of us and Jim Leyland.

And my sweet DQ Twins cap:

After the game we grabbed dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory and then went down by the river for the fireworks.  We had some time to kill so we walked around for awhile and just sat and watched people.  Eventually we grabbed a spot on the Stone Arch Bridge for the fireworks.  Our view of the riverbank:

The fireworks were cool too.

And after that we pretty much crashed early... and headed back home Sunday morning.

Oh and I don't want to forget to mention the sleep.  The sleep was heavenly.  I loved all of the sleep, especially in the morning hours, after 7am.

It was a great trip and awesome to spend time with Tom like that... just hanging out, walking around, no plans other than some Twins tickets, no worries other than where we're going to eat next (I'm always concerned with that).  On the ride down we relived the story of our relationship from the day we met until around the time we got engaged... I would say it took at least an hour of our ride.  It's a story filled with a lot of drama. :)  Hilarious to look back on now and try to remember.  And sometimes, in the midst of two full-time jobs, about three or four part-time jobs, a 2-year-old, and a pregnancy... good to remember too.

P.S.: Tom decided to take a stab at blogging again... in case you like that sort of thing. :)  Yay!

26 weeks

Actually I won't be 26 weeks until Monday, but I like to round up!  100 days to go.  I had a quick appointment this week.  The big excitement was seeing how much weight I gained; I was sure it would be at least ten pounds.  With Max I gained ten between my 20 and 24 week appointments.  This time it was only seven. :)  Up to 14 total.  Everything else was fine, her heartbeat sounded good and I am measuring right on, despite the fact that I feel huge... so far no swelling, although I am sure that is only a matter of time.  I go back in three weeks to get my glucose checked.

I definitely got my first taste of being pregnant in the summer this week, and it was CRAZY how much it affected me.  The heat completely wiped me out.  I wasn't really expecting that at all... I mean, everyone always says it, but people complain a lot about pregnancy in general and I actually enjoy it for the most part, so I just thought it was another thing I wouldn't really mind so much... umm, no.  I was exhausted.

So!  This should be fun! :)

We are finally getting started on Max's new room.  This afternoon we emptied it out (it was our spare bedroom but also a spot to put things we don't have anywhere else to put... you know?) and then prepped it for painting.  I picked out a light blue color that I'm hoping will look good with white, red and navy... tried to go for sort of an old-school Twins blue... we'll see how it looks, last time I picked out paint I had to go buy a whole new gallon after I got one wall painted because it was just WRONG, and now I have paint anxiety.  Anyway, I am excited to start that and then start with the new baby's room.  I picked out this bedding from PBK.  I didn't actually buy the quilt, just the sheets and bumper.  I'm hoping to paint the birds on some canvas for the wall and then I had the idea to attempt to make a mobile out of the birds too... not sure what I'm thinking on that, this could be good. ;)

This week's picture inspired by an old one of Britney Spears of all people, I think from Harpar's Bazaar.  I like to tear out ads from magazines and save them for the poses... last time I flew with my sister I was sitting there ripping out pages from Elle and she was like, what ARE you doing?  Anyway, this isn't one I had ripped out but sometimes they stick in my mind.  I think she had her babies a little bit closer together, I am pretty sure Sean P didn't weigh 32 pounds at the time of her picture... my baby might have been feeling a little cramped during this shot since Max is basically sitting on her. :)

finally summer

... and we can break out the short-sleeved PJs! :)

It wasn't feeling like summer until this weekend, and now I'm loving this weather.  We had dinner on the deck the last couple nights, did yard work, Tom and Max ran through the sprinkler... summer is just SO much better.  And now that it's finally nice out, it's too hot to be pregnant, but I'm not even going to complain.  At least for a few more days. :) 

the name

In a couple more weeks I'll be in the third trimester already and I am starting to get really anxious about things.  Like the fact that we have not even started on Max's new room, much less the new baby's room, or the fact that we are nowhere even CLOSE to picking a name.  Nowhere.  I know that I have the rest of the summer and probably another month after that to get this done, but I am practically twitching (and probably REALLY annoying my husband).

So let's talk baby names.  Waaay back in the day when I was pregnant with Max :) I posted a a poll of names and apparently people love baby names because I have had a dozen people ask me if I am going to do it again this time?!  I had no idea, I just wanted to try out having a poll on my blog. :)  Anyway, I was able to log in to the poll website and view the names I had posted then... turns out Max was #3 on the list out of 10, after Ty and Evan.  I think we had already decided on Max at that time anyway, but it's fun to see what people like.

Girl names are much harder for us.  Obviously we had a boy name that was a definite front-runner; it figures.  I am not a person that announces the name before the baby is born, I personally like the surprise when other people are having babies.  I mean, if you are one of those people who decided on a name when you were four weeks pregnant and let everyone know, that is cool and I am jealous of how decisive you are, I am just not that person.  And I think for me, it's easier to like a name when there is a cute little baby with it rather than just the idea of a cute little baby to come.  Anyway, all this to say that some of these are names that one of us may kind of like but we would never use, and then some are probably actual possibilities, but I'm not going to tell you which.  Oh, and if you have OTHER ideas, please leave them in the comments... I am accepting anything at this point... they just have to go with Max, and Berrisford. :)

girls weekend

I've now been to Chicago three times in the past year and a half or so... I think I need to start getting a little more creative with my vacation destinations. :)  But it's only an hour flight from MSP and a great place to go for a quick weekend.  My college roommates and I usually spend a weekend camping or go to the cabin sometime in late summer or early fall, but since I'm due October 5 and Melissa is due September 29, we decided to scrap that idea this year.  Plus, this year is our ten year anniversary of being friends - craaaazy... so we thought we'd spring for plane tickets and nice comfy beds and food other than hot dogs. :)

We flew out Friday morning and were at our hotel around noon.  We stayed at the Sheraton, right on the river, which was nice because we were within walking distance of everything.  We had a quick lunch at an Irish pub and then walked over to Millenium Park since it was super nice out.  The Cloud Gate:

The distorted bump picture:

We were getting a little snap-happy and taking pictures of each other, this is right before a security guard wandered over and told me to please step down from the garden wall, ma'am. :)

The Crown Fountain:

Later in the afternoon we went on a Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise.  I don't think any of us know anything about architecture, but it was fun to ride around on the boat and take in the sights and the SUN.  This is my personal favorite, the Chicago Tribune building... I love how it has rocks from famous sites all around the world embedded in the walls.

We had a yummy dinner at Shaw's Crab House and then went back to the Irish pub for awhile.  So Michelle could have a beer and Melissa and I could have, um, Diet Coke/water.  Let me tell you, with two-thirds of us pregnant, our nightlife was not very exciting. :)

The next morning it was raining... we headed out with our umbrellas and had lunch at the Hancock Building.  The view wasn't as fabulous as the last time I was there because of the rain and fog, but it was still fun.  After lunch we SHOPPED.  I know that Michigan Avenue has all sorts of fabulous places to go (and we did stop at Neiman Marcus to gawk at things we would NEVER buy for that much money) but honestly, I was more thrilled to go to places like H&M and Gap, where they have an actual selection of maternity clothes (heck, I was thrilled to go to TARGET in Woodbury the day before we left and check out their maternity clothes - we just don't have much selection here).  I bought myself a few things and I actually purchased my first girl baby items at H&M - I loved the onesies I got for Max there so I bought a few of those, and I actually even bought a sundress for next summer, it was too cute to pass up.  I still feel soooo weird going to the girls' section of a store.  It just feels odd.  I did buy Max a few shirts there, too.

My camera didn't come out much because of all the rain and shopping, but I did manage to snap a quick picture of us at Gino's East for Chicago-style pizza... we went there on our blog trip and I had to bring the girls there, it is so good!  

And after Gino's we walked down to The Cheesecake Factory, got cheesecake to go, found a spot outside to sit and finished our day off right.  So what we lacked in alcohol intake for the weekend, we more than made up for in food. :)

Speaking of food, a picture of the pregnant ones:

Like I said before, Melissa is due six days BEFORE me... and that my friends is the difference between a first and second pregnancy.  And also maybe a few extra inches of height. :)  I do not know how many strangers said something to me over the weekend, but it had to be in the double digits, while Melissa did not get one single comment.  Mel and Michelle were amazed at how many people are not afraid to comment on someone's pregnant belly.  Seriously, it ran the gamut from the very cute and nice Sephora employee who asked me when I was due and was so excited for me that it was a girl, to the shuttle bus employee who INSISTED I was having twins and to come back and tell him that he was right (I am thinking my six ultrasounds have probably been conclusive that I am not, but you can't argue with these people), to The Cheesecake Factory employee who handed me my cheesecake and said 'For you (looks down at me)... errr... for y'all?', to the Starbucks employee with bulging eyes who simply stared at my belly and said, 'UH.  BABY.  BIIIIG BABY.'

Did I mention I have over three months left of this?

It is awesome being pregnant at the same time as Melissa though. :)  I had someone to maternity shop with and feel sad about not drinking wine with.  When I was pregant with Max, my sister-in-law was due the day before me, and it was a lot of fun to go through things at the same time, and is fun now to have kids that are two weeks apart.  I can't believe I get to do it again with one of my best friends, and she is also having a girl!  We have decided that our daughters are going to have to choose the same college and be roommates, obviously.

The next morning we got up early and flew out and I made it home in the afternoon.  It was an awesome weekend with my girls.  Tom and Max had a good weekend at the cabin while I was away... Max is really loving the phone lately, so I got to talk to him a few times while I was gone.  Always nice to get away, but always very nice to come home. :)

everything all at once

Remember in my last post, when I said something totally crazy like, 'Later this coming week when things have settled down for a bit'?

I said before that we had a big golf tournament/banquet/charity event on Saturday.  Also on Saturday, Tom's grandma passed away. :(  Sunday, we went up to my parents' house to take my dad out to lunch and golfing for his birthday.  Sunday night, Tom left for jury duty in Minneapolis.  Tuesday after he was done, he went to St. Cloud for the wake.  Today, I drove there too and we went to the funeral.  We left and drove back here this afternoon.  Tonight Tom had golf league.  Tomorrow morning I have to meet my coworkers at 6am to drive down to Woodbury for meetings.  After that I am going to Melissa's house and Friday morning we fly out with Michelle to Chicago for a girls' weekend.  I am sooooo looking forward to Friday.  You know, later this week, when things settle down for a bit.

Tonight Max and I had a picnic by the lake.  Well, I had a picnic and he took about two bites of food because he was too distracted by the ROCKS and the SEAGULLS and the DOGS and the KAYAKS.

Also: we were matching.  And we had 'red wa-wa' (some kind of red Gatorade)... maybe you can tell?!

I actually like this iPhone pic I posted on Twitter more. :)

Hope everyone has a good rest of the week and weekend, I will be back soon with pictures from the trip!

why i love bedtime

We finish reading his books and I cuddle him close.  Still in the rocking chair in the nursery although it's getting more and more evident that those days are numbered, thanks to the belly taking up his space on my lap.  

He asks 'Ball game?'  We sing 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.'  He asks 'Twinkle Twinkle?'  We sing that one too.  Then he looks at me and smiles and says, 'Mama have long hair.  Max touch it?'  And then runs his fingers through my hair over and over.  

He says 'Baby Max, now?'  I sing a song that my mom used to sing to me with my name, except I sing 'Baby Max' instead.  He always asks for that one last.  Then we sit quietly for a minute or two, until I say 'I love you.'  He says 'I wuv you.  Night night, now?'

I put him in his crib, he lays down on his pillow and I put his blankie over him, then his baseball blanket, then each of his stuffed animals give him a kiss - Baa-Baa, Big Baa-Baa, Turtle and Teddy Bear.  Elmo has to sit in the rocking chair to keep watch.  

I lean over him and as always, kiss my fingers and then touch his cheek.  He smiles and says 'hiiiii.'  I say 'night-night, sleep good'.  

'Dada home?'

'Tomorrow.'

'To-mar-woa.  Dip, too?'

'Uhh... sure, you can have some dip tomorrow... ?'

'Care-cots, TOO?' (why he is asking about carrots at bedtime, I have no idea)

'Sure.'

'TO-MAR-WOA!'

'Okay.  Good night, love you.'

'Wuv you.'

These are the kind of nights that I wish I could record in my mind.  And press replay on them someday when I'm old.

bp

I was going to post this video with the last post, but didn't quite get to it.  Here's a clip of batting practice. Tom had a close call. :)

all we do...

... is throw batting practice. :)

I love the look of concentration he gets on his face.

Pretty soon I have to get him another haircut too. :)

This next one reminded me of a picture we have of Tom, I think when he was 2.5...

One more:

We've had a busy couple of weeks since we found out we're having a girl.  Last week Max stayed with my parents from Thursday night until Saturday morning, so they could help us out with daycare on Friday.  It was crazy having two nights at home without him - I missed my little guy!  But Tom and I took advantage - we went out with friends Thursday night and Friday night went out for dinner and saw Angels and Demons.  Saturday afternoon we went to my cousin's graduation party and then had friends over that night for a fire in our backyard... it was a toasty 45 degrees or so, I think we all snuggled in a little closer to the heat source than normal. :)  This week Tom was finalizing everything for the golf tournament, it started this morning and is still going on right now.  I took some pictures and worked the registration table for a few hours while my parents watched Max.  Now I'm catching up here during naptime and we'll go to the dinner and silent auction tonight.  Tomorrow, we relax!  I can't wait. :)

Later this coming week when things have settled down for a bit, I hope to start working on Max's new room.  First order of business it to paint and buy a rug.  I am excited to start on all that... a little bit nervous about moving him downstairs... he'll be three flights of stairs down from us, so I'm not sure how it will go.  As long as he stays in bed it should be fine, but I'm not so sure that's going to happen. :)  Right now we just put him in his crib, say good night and then see him in the morning, I would say about 99% of the time.  But I know I can't totally count on that when moving him into a new room and a real bed.  I've been thinking about getting a video monitor that I could also use later for the baby, wondering if it would make me feel better to be able to see him when he's that far away (okay, so not super "far away", but in the middle of the night, three floors is a lot)... does anyone have one of those?

meet 'sisser'

We're having a GIRL!!!

I am shocked. :)

And thrilled!

The ultrasound tech was telling us how all day long everyone kept telling her they thought they were having a boy... and how all day long all she'd had was girls... and then she said 'well, it doesn't look like you broke my streak.'  And I was all, 'wha? huh?' or something similarly eloquent and then so my pregnancy brain could comprehend she said 'it looks like you're having a girl!'  CRAZY.

She seems perfectly healthy and we are so thankful.  She looks pretty cute too, in an alien-esque sort of way.  I think her pictures look a little bit like Max's did. 

I am still sort of in disbelief over the whole thing.  I feel a tiny bit sad that we won't be having another boy; I think I would have been a tiny bit sad either way.  It seems like everyone was telling me they thought it was a girl this time around, but lately I had been thinking of the baby as a 'he' - and even had a boy's name that I was sort of getting set on - and now I have to start thinking 'she'.  It's weird to even say that!  I'm pretty sure I'll get used to it quickly though... I've already been looking into decorating a girl nursery. :)

We went out for dinner to celebrate and I coached Max through calling my parents and our sisters to tell them the news (Tom's parents are on vacation so we didn't talk to them until later tonight).  So they each got a phone call that went something like 'Hi! ... Sisser!'  I was lucky on that one because he can't say 'brother' yet!

So, we're going to have a DAUGHTER... I can't wait to meet her, and can't wait to see my boys with her.  I think Tom is going to love having a girl... tea parties, here he comes! :)