Thursday Stuff

It's Thursday, which means the weekend is peaking its head out! I've been a day ahead all week, so today feels like Friday to me already. Womp womp!
While I get myself adjusted to what day it is, I thought I'd share my randoms with you!

~I don't understand why some people can't respond to an RSVP. It's not that difficult in the digital age to send an email or a text and say "Yes I can come" or "No I can't come". Two people didn't RSVP at all to my baby shower and one person RSVP'd at 5pm the night before my 11am shower. We didn't make the effort to track them down and ask--if you don't have the time to RSVP, then I don't have the time to ask you again.

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~Ever since MG and I got the dresser for baby G's room, and we hung up some of the art for the room, I can't stop going in there. I organize something here or there, or just sit in the glider and look around. It is quickly becoming my favorite room in the house!

~I love when people try and give you advice about something that they know nothing about. I get trying to be helpful, but if you don't know what you're talking about, just empathize and keep it moving.

~My school is undergoing renovations (while we're here) and part of the new wing of our building is going to be ready, in theory, by the start of next school year. And guess whose office is part of the new wing? This girl's! I also found out that I'll be keeping an office with a window (something that now that I have, I dont want to give up). I've also made friends with the manager of all of the construction and he said he'd hook up my room. Hellllllzzz yes!

~My good friend Kelly (who is now done with chemo and radiation and is coming back to work today!!! Woohoo!) was super sweet and planned a birthday dinner for me and our other friend (who is the one whose gonna be watching our little girl next year). There are 6 or 7 other girlfriends coming from work and I'm really looking forward to it. One of the things I love most about where I work are the amazing friendships I've taken from it. 

~I took my 33 week bump photo (been trying to be better about doing these every week now since you never know when baby is going to come). I'd say it definitely looks like I swallowed a pineapple lol

I also love that when I send these to my MIL she always asks how we get the sticker on the wall behind me lol

~MG and I watched one of the Dave Chapelle stand-up episodes that are on Netflix (he has 2) and it was really funny! Definitely worth watching if you like Chapelle and have some free time!

{via} Click on the link to watch the trailer for the specials

~I have a list written out of all of the things I need for my hospital bag (or, all the things I THINK I need) and am planning to put it together this weekend. It's a little overwhelming, though.  #TypeAmuch? #holyshitthisishappening

~I got my TDAP shot yesterday (which was covered by insurance) and it didn't hurt that bad, but this morning it feels like someone punched me in the arm. A small price to pay to vaccinate me and baby against RSV/whooping cough, and one more thing off of my to-do list! #checkcheckcheck

One more day until the weekend! Hoping your week's been going smoothly!

WHW {#85} Currently....

Happy What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday, friends! 

Reading ...

I just finished The Power of One last weekend, and have now moved on to Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality. I've been reading a little every night and it's got some good information which is helping me feel a bit more prepared. For soon-to-be moms, I recommend it!

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Watching ...

Bachelor is over (and I say "thankfully" under my breath) and I'm pretty sure that Nick and Vanessa will last about 2-3 months tops. They just did NOT seem happy at all at the ATFR show and all they talked about was how things were so hard. 
RHOBH is probably my top spot now, but I did check out one of the episodes of Sweet Home Oklahoma on Monday and I enjoyed it enough to keep watching.
But, I really can't wait for Southern Charm to come back in April!

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Eating....

whatever I can make work into my GD diet, which thankfully hasn't been too hard when I'm at home/during the work week. Meals on the weekends are more challenging because I'm lazy and don't want to cook/meal prep 7 days a week, but I'm getting the hang of it.

Looking forward to ... 

my shower in PA next weekend, and having an idea of what we have, what we still need, and getting it all ready for baby girl's arrival!

Enjoying ...

baby kicks :)

Drinking...

still loading up on water all day errrrrryday. I've managed to meet my 80-100 ounces every day which I'm pretty proud of. I also manage to go to the bathroom to pee about 80-100 times a day now too, which is also a new accomplishment for me lol.

I did indulge in some Diet Coke this past weekend and I felt like a rebel. This is what rebellion looks like now haha

Loving....

that Spring is finally here, and the longer, lighter evenings. It's been so much easier to get a walk in after work (when the weather cooperates) and I see many more after-work days like that, too!

Wanting ... 

to stuff face with pizza without thinking about the consequences

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Wearing ...

A mix of warmer weather clothes and colder weather clothes because Mother Nature can't seem to decide whether she wants it Springy or Wintery lately. Last week we had snow and ice, this week we have 60s...then today 20s-40's. So basically I just wear layers and layers.

Dreading....
getting my TDAP shot since I've heard it hurts and it might not be covered by my insurance. But with RSV running rampant, it's best for baby girl, so we'll go and get the shot. But I don't wanna!! haha

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Grateful For...
a report of a healthy baby at our appointments on Friday. Baby girl is measuring right on track and everything looked nice and healthy at the ultrasound!

Now it's your turn to link up with Jessi and I to share what's hap-"pinning" with you lately!

Weekending Highlights

Happy Monday--did you get your fill of green beer this weekend?

Obviously, green beer wasn't in the cards for me (and I'm totally ok with that), but it did have some nice highlights, even though it was a relatively low key weekend overall.

My highlights this weekend included:

~Mexican food for dinner (baby happily kicked in approval) at Chuy's. We can't get enough of this place!

~a quiet night in watching Manchester by the Sea which, to be honest, was SUPER depressing, long, drawn out, and I wish we hadn't watched it. The acting was good, but it was SO long and depressing. I wouldn't recommend it.

~Saturday morning we ran some errands at the mall, had lunch at home (leftover Mexican from the night before) and then headed over to our friends' place for a post-St. Paddy's day get together.

~We were only planning to be there for a couple of hours and ended up being there for 6. Time flies when you're having fun, right? We got to see and play with our friends' twins (lots of smiles and laughs) since they came for a bit, too. Cute kids definitely become the entertainment for the group get togethers now haha

~Sunday morning we ran our weekly errands in the rainy weather. Luckily things cleared up after a bit, though.

~Got in some baby prep reading with one of my new baby books--feeling a bit more prepared for this life changing event...or, as prepared as I'll feel anyway haha

(anyone else expecting, I recommend this book--so far. I'm about 1/3 of the way through and finding it pretty helpful).

~in the afternoon, we decided to go and see Logan, the new X-men movie. My only stipulation for going was that it had to have reclining seats for this preggo, which it did :) It was good, but very heavy and kind of dark--not like the typical Xmen movies at all. If you like the series though, you'll probably like the movie.

~We picked up Chipotle for dinner since it's one of my approved meals that doesn't set my sugars too high, plus I just don't love cooking on Sundays. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this time my numbers sky rocketed to the highest they've been. Hoping that was just a fluke :/

The rest of the night was pretty uneventful which is my perfect way to spend a Sunday evening.

Hoping your week is off to a good start after a great weekend :)

Friday Happies

Happy cold, blustery St. Patrick's Day which also happens to be FRIDAY!!!!

We've had our fair share of Winter weather this week (and our one and only snow day, plus two delays) so the week has felt like it went by pretty quickly!

With that, though, come some happies to wrap up the week!

~Dresser/Changing table addition~

On my day off from work, MG got home early and we went to IKEA to get the dresser/changing table that we'd wanted to get the previous weekend but traffic prevented from happening. MG set to work building it while I made dinner and, you guys, I'm SO in love with the room now! 

I hung up the art work from my shower and that little corner of the room is so sweet. I find myself wandering in there multiple times a day either to put things away/organize, or just sit in the glider and think about the coming months.

I'm smitten.

~Baby Showers~

Last weekend was my baby shower which I've written about a ton on here already, but yesterday my coworkers threw me and two other pregnant ladies a baby shower! Since it was for the 3 of us, I didn't expect much beyond a small gift and some cake (which would have been MORE than generous), but I left there with so many gifts, I couldn't carry them all! I feel truly blessed to work with so many wonderful people who have really become my family over the past 5 years.

~Surprise Mail Days~

On Wednesday I got a surprise delivery on my doorstep from my buddy Lynn. Inside were all kinds of SUPER cute clothes that Evie no longer wears, plus some goodies for mama, too. I couldn't stop awww'ing at all of the little outfits and adorable little shoes that kept coming out of the box, especially the little holiday outfits (since our girls are going to be about the same size at each holiday). It was such a nice surprise, and Baby G will definitely be wearing some clothes from a stylish little girl in the months to come!

~All By Myself~

On the one snow day, I was feeling antsy with my nesting and didn't have the dresser yet, so I set to building our baby swing by myself. MG has laughed at me wanting to build things since my shower last week, but happily obliged putting together the Rock N Play last weekend. Well, the Snuggapuppy swing was insanely a bit more involved, but I did it! All by myself I put that sucker together AND it works! Winning! MG chuckled as he walked in the door and said "you couldn't wait, could you?" hahaha

It's also HUGE, and now takes up residence in our living room until such time that baby outgrows it lol

On another person win note, I have all of my thank you notes done from my shower this weekend, in less than a week's time! Thank you, Bachelor, for being the background noise for my note writing :) Also, in the day of computers and typing, my hands are not used to writing so much! haha

~Getting to see baby girl today~

I have my next ultrasound at the hospital this afternoon where we'll get to check on baby girl and hopefully see/hear that all is well. As nerve-wracking as the ultrasounds can be, I always love getting to see her tiny little body moving around in there and knowing that everything is ok. Hoping for more good news today, and some more good photos!

Those are my happies for the week--all of them involved something baby related, which I guess is kind of the stage I'm in now. Baby mode in full effect, so I apologize for all the baby talk now :)

Hoping you all have a fabulous weekend ahead, with warmth and sunshine on the horizon!

WHW {#84}: Bumpin' Along

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm coming at you from the remnants of our first snow storm for the year, which wasn't nearly as much as they'd been predicting the days before, but it got me a snow day yesterday!
Anyway, I thought another bump date would be fun since I'm in the single digit countdown for weeks and I want to document this journey to look back on later.

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Size of Baby: 3.5-4 pounds and about 15-17 inches long! (Honeydew melon)

Gender:  Still a girl!

Weight Gain: Still hovering around the 18 pound mark--I'm on the lower end for weight gain right now and I think it's because of the gestational diabetes diet I've been on.

Food Cravings: I usually just crave chocolate...and figure out how my carbs can add up so I can have a piece or two here and there haha. Otherwise, I'm really not that hungry during the day because I'm eating snacks throughout the day.

Food Aversions: None really, thankfully. I've noticed, though, that since I've been pregnant, cutting onions makes me cry. It never did before, but man--every.single.time now

Movement: she's a wiggler and a roller. She also seems to enjoy sitting under my right rib (never my left)...so if you see my driving and I'm doing a gangster lean to the left, it's only because I'm trying to relieve the discomfort of having a foot/hand/other body part under my rib, lol

Sleep: Pretty good overall. I woke up at 4:30am this past weekend and couldn't fall back asleep but I think that was more due to the excitement of my baby shower and I couldn't turn my brain off.

Clothing: pretty much all maternity stuff. My SIL got me some maternity capri leggings which I've been in need of for the warmer days we've had, and a cute maternity short sleeved top (more from Motherhood Maternity which is my favorite!)

Other Pregnancy Symptoms: in the mornings right after I get up, I waddle because my hip joints are aching from laying and sleeping. I have some lower back aches at the end of the day, too sometimes which MG has been massaging for me at night :)

What I Miss: eating whatever sweets I want, and not having to time my meals out all throughout the day. Limiting myself to a small piece of baby shower cake was hard, but I've been being really conscious of what I'm eating. Anything for baby, right?

so much yummy food to taste test! :)

Best Moment: By far it was my baby shower this past weekend! So many people showered me and Baby G with love and gifts, but honestly the best part was just having all of my friends together in one place and be together for a happy occasion

Looking Forward To: Getting to see baby at our ultrasound on Friday, finding out how big she is (hoping not too big with the GD!), and hopefully getting a good report on her health! Plus, more ultrasound pics to put up on the fridge! 

Now it's your turn to link up with Jessi and I below and share what's hap-"pinning" with you! And also, can you guys share if you like this link up still? We're noticing a drop off of linkers and wondering if it's worth it to keep this going every week, so let us know!

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What I've Been Reading

The new year has brought with it some pretty good reads for me, and I'm hoping to get more in before baby (and hopefully some after baby, too)!

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

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The Goodreads synopsis: 

"Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life."

This was a cute, easy, light read for me. It brings you back to when you were in that transition time between high school and going off to college. And then you add in Europe as the backdrop for much of the story and it made it that much more fun to read. This would be a perfect beach/pool read.

I gave it 3.5-4 stars

The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass Series, Prequel), by Sarah J. Maas

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Part of the Goodreads synopsis:

"Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. "

I have Kathleen to thank for this recommendation. I was worried about this being too much fantasy for my liking, but it wasn't. The mini stories kept me engaged and I really liked seeing how the main character develops. I haven't read any of the other books in the series yet, but I definitely plan to in the future.

I gave this one 4 stars.

Blood Defense, by Marcia Clark

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Part of the Goodreads synopsis:

"Samantha Brinkman, an ambitious, hard-charging Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, is struggling to make a name for herself and to drag her fledgling practice into the big leagues. Sam lands a high-profile double-murder case in which one of the victims is a beloved TV star—and the defendant is a decorated veteran LAPD detective. It promises to be exactly the kind of media sensation that would establish her as a heavy hitter in the world of criminal law."

I'd read another of Marcia Clark's books and I'll be honest, I liked the other one better. This one wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as the last one I feel. As usual, there are lots of moving parts in the story here, which made it fun to read and keep up with. It was an enjoyable read, though and definitely an easy one to breeze through.

I gave this one 3.5 stars

The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah

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The Goodreads synopsis:

"Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Vianne finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her. 

As the war progresses, the sisters' relationship and strength are tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions."

I'd seen this book in blogland for quite some time and just never got around to downloading it, or didn't feel in the right headspace to read a WW2 book. But after Katie raved about it, and I'd just finished a book, I figured why the heck not and boy I'm glad that I did. This book.....just everything. I loved everything about it. It is SO well written, and you totally engage with the main characters, especially the further you get into the book. What I liked most about this book was the perspectives of two women during WW2. Most WW2 books are about the front line, soldiers fighting, etc. This one was what it was like to be occupied by the Germans and I found it heartbreaking, but also so interesting.

If you haven't read this one yet, read it.

I gave this one 5 stars.

Right now I'm over halfway done with a book that's been super good too. Can't wait to share that one with you once I'm done, too!

Hoping your reading has been fruitful and fulfilling! :)

The One with lots of Celebrations!

Happy Monday, friends! I'm coming off of one of the happiest, love-filled weekends following my birthday/baby shower weekend! Lots of highlights to get to!

~Friday afternoon my bestie arrived and we went to get groceries for the shower. It was seriously like no time had passed at all!

~Friday night we grabbed dinner with MG and then came back home and Genna got to work with baby shower prep. When I tell you this girl had so many awesome ideas and crafts....I was amazed! All of a sudden things started being transformed and decorated.

~We put the prep to rest and hung out for a bit and then all headed to bed to get some sleep

~Saturday morning I woke up to birthday wishes and gifts. Then Genna went into full on prep mode and MG helped where he could (and so did I, despite Genna not wanting me to do anything haha)

~All of a sudden the decorations were up, the yummy brunch food was cooking (and tormenting me with how good it smelled), and my mom arrived with some extra supplies for the final touches. I must say, I couldn't have pictured it being any prettier!

~All of a sudden, everyone was arriving and I had around 30 people in the house, so I circulated, saying hi to everyone and chatting it up with everyone as best as I could before we all got to eating. There was SO much good food including a french toast bake, fruit skewers, a little egg muffin bake, chicken salad, tuna salad, pasta salad, bagels, and a MOM-osa bar (get it?)

Me and the bump with the grandmas-to-be

My work family

My speech friends

Besties! (and my favorite pic of the day I think)

~Time seemed to fly by and we were heading downstairs to open gifts and oh my word I was overwhelmed at all of the presents my friends and family brought!

There were so many gifts and I loved them all, but some favorite surprises were these nursery wall decor:

And this handmade blanket by my incredibly talented friend, Trish:

(this picture doesn't even do it justice--it's so pretty!)

~Things wound down after the gifts were opened and people made their way back home. We spent some time with my besties before they headed back to MD, and then it was just Genna, me, MG, my mom and my SIL, MIL and nieces. We all took the opportunity to relax for a while before heading out for my birthday dinner. Cooper was tuckered out from all of the excitement from the day

 Unfortunately the weather was supposed to be bad the next morning for Genna so she hit the road before dinner to get home without the craziness that weather brings.

~The family made our way to dinner and good old MG was secure in being the only guy at the table haha. I got my delicious lobster bisque from Brio and had a delicious salmon meal to boot. Birthday dinner success!

 ~After dinner, my mom headed home, and the rest of us made it back to the house and decided to watch Three Men and a Baby which was the perfect end to the night!

~Sunday morning came too soon with the loss of an hour so I enjoyed my morning coffee in the new mug that Genna had gotten for me #greysanatomyreference

~We had breakfast together before our PA family made their way back home and then MG and I ran errands for the week, in anticipation of the 5-10" of snow we're supposed to get tonight into tomorrow. What the what??

The rest of the day was pretty lazy with reading, tv, and perhaps an afternoon nap. Now that we have so many gifts here, my nesting instincts are starting to perk up and I have the urge to get in that room and organize organize organize!

Overall, I could not have asked for a day where I felt more love, not just towards me, but for baby G. I am truly blessed and so is this little girl. I'm so glad that I have so many people in my life, and strong, kind women, who are going to be wonderful role models for her, and show so much love! 

And I have to send a special shout out of love and thanks to my best friend Genna for coming up here, arranging all of this, putting it all together flawlessly and making me feel truly spoiled. I love you to pieces and am so glad that we came into each others' lives. MG and I have reveled at what you pulled off this weekend and I know that every ounce of it came from love. Baby G is so lucky to have you for an aunt and I'm lucky to have you to call my friend, and my person. I love you so much!