The Pool is Officially Open!

Kyle and I broke in the pool for the first time this summer over this long Memorial Day weekend! Thankfully, we had awesome weather this entire weekend so it was prime time for pool relaxation. We usually do this each year by inviting a group of friends over, enjoying the pool, having some drinks and grilling! This year, I was anxious to get in the pool (although not anxious to put on a swimsuit) and had joked about whether I would sink like a rock or manage to float. Unlike years past, only a couple of select people were invited to "stop by" and they were clearly forewarned that no comments were to be made about the over 8 month pregnant woman and her attempts to enjoy a little pool time! It was so relaxing to be in the pool though! Here's a few pics of the pool and some staples from our backyard that we enjoy every year - the white rocking chairs, pool floats, flowers and our dog! And speaking of Cooper (our dog), I just realized that we haven't posted a pic of him...oh gees! So...here he is in all his glory! He's so awesome and I often joke that if we can have a child that's as behaved and laid back as Cooper, we'll be set!

33 Week Ultrasound Pics & A Little Poll!

Last Saturday, Kyle and I had our final ultrasound appointment with our doctor and they gave us some more awesome pics to take home of Kate! She was super cooperative in the beginning - probably thanks to the chocolate milk I drank for breakfast! But, she caught on really quickly to what was going on and then started covering her face. These pics are from the very beginning and you can even see her cracking a smile - or a little grin at least - in one of the pics! I think the hard copies of the pics we have are a bit more clear and better than these that I had to scan to post but you can still see her sweet face in 4D - just crazy! There's also a regular pic where the doc pointed out that she had some hair. I had no idea they could see that sort of thing in an ultrasound.

Doc says that Kate is as healthy as can be and she's a little bigger than average by his estimate according to how far along I am. I'm just praying that I don't have to deliver a 10 pound baby! Can't even imagine! Kate is right around 5.5 pounds now - according to the doctor. Her cheeks are pretty chubby - wonder where she gets that? What are your thoughts...? Kyle and I are taking a poll...just who will Miss Kate resemble the most??? Let us know your thoughts!

Showered Again and Again!

Kate and I are pretty lucky gals! Last night, a group of wonderful friends threw a very special baby shower for us both! Thanks so much, Melinda, for hosting and Kami for surprising me with an awesome cake and the most adorable cupcakes you've ever seen from Mishelle Handy Cakes! The cake was the same yummy flavors that Kyle and I had in our wedding cake - vanilla with coffee and Kahlua creme filling. It was so good! The cupcakes were each decorated individually by Mishelle in a cute bird theme. The night was very special and so much fun to get to continue to share the excitement of Kate's arrival very, very soon!

Kate got lots of goodies, including the most adorable swimsuit you've ever seen - pink with little pink rosettes on the top - and sunglasses taboot! She's set for some fun in the sun! She also got the cutest little winter hat, shoes, bath robe, hair bows, more clothes...and of course, lots of practical much needed items like the diaper genie, a diaper bag, rattles, teethers, pacifiers, books, car seat mirror, safety supplies, bottles, an array of some very cool organic baby products and lots more! She totally racked up! Now, I've just got to continue to find a place to put everything and store everything in an organized fashion! That's a challenge!

Thanks to my awesome friends for everything!!!

June 25? For Real?

Today was a standard doctor's check-up but little did I know, he was going to ask what day I'd like to schedule an induction if the baby doesn't come sooner. I was a little caught off guard and hadn't quite prepared myself to answer that question. He casually said "what day do you like best?" Um, hum, um, hum...I didn't know what to say. After catching my breath and realizing his question was very real, we looked at the calendar together and decided on Friday, June 25. Crazy!!! So, if little Kate doesn't decide to get here early - our family of two will be three on June 25. Well, I suppose that date could change...we actually get an ultrasound this Saturday with the same doctor that determined the sex and he'll measure and determine how big Miss Kate is growing. That could make a difference in whether or not this date is set in stone...and that'll give me time to make sure that June 25 is an awesome date.

More Candid Pics from the Shower

[Pretty sure my belly is a lot bigger than hers - and I had my most slimming outfit on ; )]



[Delana and I showing off our bellies - I sort of look like I've had one of those Coronas in the background - I wish! ; )]



[My mom and me]



[Good friend Kristina holding her daughter Awbrey, Me and Delana]



[Me with the incredible hostesses - from left to right Delana, Kami, Me, Gretchen]

So I promised more pictures from my most recent baby shower so here are some great candids that my awesome friend Delana captured. By the way, these first pics are of she and I -- she's preggers too (due September 1) -- so it's been exciting to share in this pregnancy journey with her. Delana and her husband Steve are expecting a little boy, Preston George. Check out their blog by clicking here and get the scoop on what's going on in their baby world.

4D Ultrasound Pics of Kate

When our family was in town for the shower recently, I scheduled a 4D ultrasound session at Stork Vision so that they could all get a peek of our precious Kate! I hadn't had an ultrasound since about 20 weeks when we found out the sex, so I was excited to get another peek myself. It was so awesome to watch Kate on the big screen squirm around and we spent some time trying to get those priceless face shots of her in the womb. It wasn't easy. She kept her hands in front of her face for a while -- maybe she'll be a little camera shy -- but finally she moved and settled in to just the right spot and we got these great pics of her little face! My favorite one is the first one with her mouth a little open!

Kyle and I go back for another ultrasound at our doctor's office next Saturday, so I'll be 3 weeks further along and we'll hope for some more awesome shots of her getting even bigger. I'll be sure to share ; )

New Car!

We dropped some cash this weekend! Kyle took his car (a 2001 Infiniti QX4) into the shop on Saturday morning only to discover that there were some "issues" that were going to cost quite a bit to fix. Frankly, it was going to cost more than we dreamed of putting into it given it's age and that we've racked up some miles on it. He's had the car forever and it's definitely seen better days but as luck would have it, it decided to completely fall apart on us two months before we have a baby due ; ) I guess it's good that we discovered the issues now as opposed to after Kate arrives!

Anyway, both of us despise car shopping...but with so few weekends left before Kate gets here, we knew we had to take advantage of the time we have now to pick out another vehicle. So...we tried to make it quick and painless. Who needs to spend hours upon hours at dealerships with car salesmen haggling with you??!! We spent a couple of hours online looking at a few options for certified pre-owned SUV's, low mileage and under warranty...and then quickly acted. We found this awesome Toyota 4Runner. It's a 2007 and is in fantastic condition. We got a deal on it and traded in Kyle's Infiniti and PRESTO...we weren't sad to leave the Infiniti on the lot and drive off in something in much better shape!

Kyle is like a kid in a candy store! It's been a while since he's upgraded his vehicle and he's always loved the 4Runners.