POKER

... I drafted this blog post in the very early hours of July 8th (needed something to distract me from the contractions), which happened to be the day we welcomed our beautiful Remy Catherine into the world!   Although it's no longer necessary to post/share, I wanted to do so because I love having the memory of how we spent our last week as a family of two! 

Every once in an uncommon while, I run late.  And most of the time, I embrace this little piece of me. You see, dear friends, I am what they call "a poker."  For those that don't recognize the term, let me elaborate. I'll get out of the shower and feel completely paralyzed about blow-drying my hair until I have first started a load of laundry, checked my email (a 3rd time), poured another cup of coffee, scratched the dogs' ears, waited to hear the weather forecast on the news, etc.  Being the very patient and smart husband that he is, Jonny tells me he knows "not to rush a good thing" and trusts that I will make it out the door - even if that means our day starts 10 minutes behind schedule. 

C'mon little baby ---- mama's about to pop and papa's getting antsy! 

It appears Baby P follows his mama's footsteps in this way, because he or she is presently a day late. But we fear not. And we stress not. And this is because we know the little lady or gentleman is just poking around - doing the little last minute things that he/she needs to feel fully prepared for an entrance to this world.  And also, because we know better than to rush a good thing.  But a little encouragement never hurts, so I spent our entire due-date (July 7th) cleaning the blinds in our house; squatting up & down. Trying to encourage Little One to hurry his/her little bootie up! 

Just keep moving ... keep moving ... keep moving! 

There has been a rain cloud perpetually stuck over the Midwest for the past week, which resulted in lots of indoor time. But the clouds briefly opened up for us on July 4th and we had a nice little afternoon/evening with our neighbors.  In true 'Merica fashion, we grilled out and set off some fireworks, or "rocketships" as our 4 year-old friend (Colt) called them. 

Run, run, run away! 

Colt & Ila's first "sparklers" :) They LOVED them! 

One afternoon we were so sick of the rain we decided to just embrace it and head to an outdoor Vintage Marketplace. We strolled the various booths, umbrella-free and unfazed by the raindrops that rolled through our hair and down our cheeks.  Jonny almost purchased a vintage Trombone, but a young boy was also really enthusiastic about it ... so Jonny quietly walked away.  I've always known that Jonny will be a remarkable father, but it never gets old to witness little moments like that.  

Anyone wanna buy a robot?

And speaking of fathers ... Jonny's dad came to visit us yesterday! He and Jonny built some awesome new cabinets for our kitchen, which are going to replace these icky shelves that came with the house when we bought it a few years ago.  New cabinets mean that we can install a new microwave over our stove, that my cookbooks can be displayed, and that Baby P will have a proper cabinet for lots of cute little dishes, cups, bowls, etc.  We both stood in front of the microwave for 5 minutes last night; pushing all the buttons with widely-amused eyes, reading instructions on how to set the clock, and basking in the glow of 2013 technology.   You know, just parents-to-be, poking around.  

New cabinet and microwave --- this extra space is going to be awesome! 

FORTIES

Everyone told us that our baby would eventually reach the size of a mini watermelon. 

Well friends, “eventually” has become “reality.” And it shows.

One week to go! ... will there be another chalkboard picture? 

Conley keeps waiting & waiting in the nursery. 

This past Friday night was date-night!  We hopped in the car and Jonny jokingly started playing music from the 1940’s on Sirius. We started talking about what it must have been like to be a famous music artist in the 1940’s and eventually started having the conversation in our best 1940’s dialect. I was “Babs,” a glamorous songstress who loved the spotlight.  Jonny was “Harold,” my manager and husband.  I share this only because the stories we created for our characters made us laugh and laugh and LAUGH --- it’s a memory I never want to forget.

Some date nights are just perfect. This was one of them. 

Jonny planned a date at an organic farm called Trader’s Point Creamery, which hosts “Dinner on the Deck” every Friday during the summer.  The event features a farmers market, live music, and a locally-curated meal.   We were seated outside under a big tree, enjoyed the sun’s rays shining on our faces, soaked in the beautiful view of Indiana’s green grass, listened to relaxing music, and feasted on the most delicious dinner.  If I become a cow in another life, I want to live at Trader’s Point Creamery.  

Honey Balsamic Salmon, Rice, Spinach, & Bean Salads

Blueberry Pie w/ farm-made ice cream

Handsome Husband of Mine

Saturday night we attended the wedding of our friends Meghan & Brandon, who we actually helped to introduce at a Halloween party two years ago. It was a beautiful day to celebrate such a dynamic couple and they had really fun details at their reception (milk & cookie bar anyone??)!

Our last doctor’s appointment was another great one – baby’s heartrate is 144 beats/minute and everything is right-on-track. We have our next appointment this Friday, unless Baby decides to come sooner.  We’re waiting on pins-and-needles to find out if we are having a son or a daughter!

I continue to stay busy and keep my mind occupied. Too much down-time means too much time to focus on “WHEN IS THIS BABY GOING TO ARRIVE??”  And on that note, I’m off to get a pedicure J