House Beautiful's list of favorites

In this month's (June) issue of House Beautiful, several designers were asked to share their favorite things, given a list of about 20 categories. It was so much fun to read, mostly because these people are aware of stores and items that I've never even heard of (living in such posh places as Manhattan and LA and Palm Beach), but also because some of their choices were just downright normal (one guy picked Dove as his favorite soap instead of some fancy-schmancy French soap!). I thought it would be fun to share my favorites, and also to get some of you to share yours! Won't you play along with me?

Flower: of course, my beloved lily of the valley, but it's peony season right now and I'm remembering the days when my grandma's driveway was lined with white and pink peonies...

Sofa shape (remember, these questions were posed to interior designers, so I guess this is a question of utmost importance!): We have a great harvest/golden-yellow sectional sofa with nailhead trim that we scored for a steal from a closeout of a nearby Ashley Furniture store. I don't have a picture of it, but I thought I'd share pictures of some "dream" sofas:

I love kidney-shaped sofas (not necessarily this upholstery, though [Horchow sofa]).

I love both the tailored look and the soft green upholstery here (Horchow).I will admit it, I love the girly-ness of this soft blue sofa (Wisteria). It's just so "boudoir" to me!

Stationery: This is something I haven't bought yet, but I would love a set of stationery (cards and sheets) with a toile background and my monogram front and center. Don't know who/where I'd purchase it from...any ideas?

Comfort food: my mom's (warm) homemade bread with her homemade strawberry jam and the biggest glass of milk possible.

Lamp: Several years ago on an antique outing with Kate, in my favorite antique mall in Franklin, Indiana, I scored a set of ivory porcelain lamps for $17 each. I rewired them myself (with a little help from a dude at Home Depot) and bought burnished gold lampshades for them. They sit on our nightstands in our bedroom, and even though Marty hates the twist-turn-off feature (he doesn't like stretching that far), I love them to pieces. Maybe I'll take a picture and post it here later...

Alarm clock (this was another one that had me scratching my head a bit): I just use my cell phone's alarm feature, but perhaps it's a sign of refinement to have a chic alarm clock? Am going to look into this. :)

Everyday dishes: Apilco Tradition Blue-Banded dinnerware from Williams-Sonoma. We love these and how they go so nicely with red and gold, my other favorite kitchen colors.

All-purpose glass: We have Walmart glasses that I absolutely loathe and despise (nearly half have broken just from dishwasher use). However, I have my eye on some glasses at Cost Plus World Market...when I get around to such things again...

Color (remember, this is for decorating purposes): It's too hard to choose between golden yellow and red. They are definitely my favorites.

Soap: Our favorite hand soap for so long was "Sensual Amber" from Bath & Body Works, but for some crazy reason they no longer sell that fragrance in hand soaps. So, I guess we're still trying to find our next favorite soap!

Picture frame: I currently don't have any, but my favorite picture frames are the polished mother-of-pearl ones. I still haven't ordered any wedding pictures, so maybe when those come in I'll have a reason to go out and get some!

Scented candle: Maison candles in vanilla, which I can usually find at SteinMart. Not your average vanilla fragrance, I assure you!

Cleaning supply: Method's all-surface spray in French lavender (the clean, fresh scent is truly addictive).
Coffee table book: We are sans coffee table right now, but in the past I've always set out my "Kings and Queens of England" books. Nothing goes better with coffee than British monarchy. :)

Ice cream: probably Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup; however, I love me some Oreo, some Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia, some old-fashioned butter pecan...

Vacuum: We've been inducted into the Oreck cult. We really like the performance of it, but I'm still drawn to the Dyson every time I see a commercial for it (I think it's the British accent...).

Towel: We received some Biltmore "for the home" towels for our wedding, and I think they're some of the best towels I've ever owned. Other than that, I'd go for any fluffy white Egyptian cotton towel.

Sheets: I'm a thread-counter. I truly believe you get what you pay for, in sheets especially. We're snobs and won't get anything below a 700- or 800-thread count.

Coffee or tea: Starbuck's Cafe Verona and Cinnabon's coffee; Constant Comment or Earl Grey for tea.

Chair: I love so many kinds of chairs, but I think my favorites are wingbacks (I've seen the old BBC version of Jane Eyre too many times, with just Mr. Rochester's profile peeking out from beyond a wingback...)

(another beauty from Horchow)

Kitchen gadget: Definitely our new Cuisinart coffeemaker.

Artist: Van Gogh, without a doubt.

Kate and Dan gave us a lovely gold-framed print of this for our wedding.

And that's it! I eliminated a few categories, but these really capture the essence of the article. Please do a list of your own (you don't have to post images like I did; I know how long it can take to upload pix) and leave a comment letting me know you did so, and I'll link you up on this post!

Babymoon!

Here's a rundown of our babymoon...

• We didn't get on the road until Saturday at noon. This pregnant body moves like a tortoise these days, plus I really wanted pancakes for breakfast. Then of course, you know how you can't leave your house until the kitchen is cleaned, sofa cushions rearranged, bed made, and your iPod loaded up with new tunes? Ugh. My pet peeve as a little girl was how long it took my parents to get going on the morning of a vacation; I would dance around in eagerness while they loaded coolers and suitcases, singing "let's goooooooooooo already!" Now I get it. Anyway, we finally got on the road and because it was Memorial Day weekend and a certain husband of mine is trying to obey speed limits these days (I'll let you guess why), we arrived exactly 5 hours later. What was a 3.5-hour trip in my flawed memory from March is actually a 4.5-hour trip that was extended to 5 hours from the law-obeying and pit stops and traffic. I was able to sleep a good portion of the way, though, and a nap in a sunny, moving car is always one of my favorite ways to sleep (I know, I'm weird).
• So we arrived at our hotel and checked in, then I drove downtown to give Marty his first peek at downtown Charleston. I'm amazed at my inner GPS system; it rarely fails me. I've visited Charleston a dozen times or so, but I haven't driven all that much during my visits, so I'm very thankful when landmarks and streets come so easily to memory (how did the length of the trip get so morphed, though?). We parked along the Battery and watched sailboats and motorboats and pelicans all doing their thing along the Ashley River, then it was off to the Mustard Seed (restaurant) on James Island to meet Leslie and her boyfriend Alex for dinner. And here's where Trip Disappointment #1 comes into play: we failed to take pictures of our evening, and then the next day, too! We only got pictures from Monday, which I'll share when I get to that point, but we just kept failing to pull out the silly camera. Anyway, we had a fabulous time with Lessy and Alex (we heart him!) and laughed our rears off all the way from sitting down through coffee and dessert. You know, you really appreciate friends so much more when you're isolated in a tiny Tennessee town most of the time!
• Sunday morning we woke up to a drizzly rain and a very heavy, overcast sky -- we checked the forecast and sure enough, rain was predicted until the middle of the week. And here's where Trip Disappointment #2 came in...in the words of Jane Eyre..."there was no possibility of a [photo-shoot] that day." I called Leslie and she, Marty, and I did a round-robin kind of conversation in which we decided to a) call off the shoot (meant to be outdoors) for that weekend, and b) meet back up in Charleston next weekend. That's right -- we're going BACK to Charleston next weekend. Besides the drive, and the fact that I'll be further along and bigger, there's really nothing impeding us from going back, and Marty is actually quite pumped about it. We really had THAT good of a time! (Not to mention that the forecast for next weekend is filled with sunshine...)
• So...we decided on doing some indoor activities, including practically my favorite thing to do in Charleston -- shopping on King Street!!! We started out in that mecca of French country furniture and accessories, Pierre Deux. Kids, I've been getting their catalog for probably a decade, but have never once purchased anything. That all changed on my babymoon! One of the greatest things about my husband is the fact that he and I share the same sense of style and taste in most everything, especially in home decor (Marty's Aunt Becky is all about French country, and Marty was her shopping companion for many years in New York, so he had quite an education at the feet of a master!). Anyway, we spent nearly 2 hours in the store, debating purchasing this or that addition to our home. We finally decided on two red toile lamp shades, on sale 20% off. If I hadn't been pregnant and already tired, I would have jumped up and down and clapped in sheer joy! Then it was on to Brooks Brothers, and it was time to spoil my husband for awhile. Wives out there, I'm sure you know how great it feels to let your hubby run a wee little loose in his favorite store, whether that's Best Buy or Home Depot or, in my Marty's case, Brooks Brothers. I sat in a leather chair sipping my Starbucks iced coffee, just enjoying every second of the ear-to-ear grin splitting my husband's face. It was worth every penny we spent! (Not to mention the fact that he looked so darn sharp when he walked out of the house this morning...) Then we were off to Kids on King, a sweet little baby boutique. There we found the cutest little newborn formal attire, so we bought William his baptismal outfit (nope, not a long white robe; just a cute little baby-blue, starched-cotton one-piece with a white collar). We also found infant crib shoes in white leather to go with his outfit. I can't wait to see how he looks in it! I'll take a picture and post it soon, but definitely later since this post is already approaching boring in its length...(sorry, it is my journal, you know!)
• Next it was off to Magnolia's, a quite famous restaurant on East Bay Street in Charleston. Here's the dinner menu, because I want you to see how uniquely Southern yet completely gourmet this restaurant is! We had fried green tomatoes for our appetizer (YUM-MEE) then Marty had the Grilled Yellowfin Tuna while I had the Shellfish over Grits. We were both so impressed with our meals that we were speechless at first. I've never tasted such fabulous scallops in my life, and the experience has sparked a new craving for scallops! (If only I could get that lobster sauce they served with the scallops...)
• After we rolled out of the restaurant, we decided to close out the day with a walk on the pier at Folly Beach. I have to tell you that Charleston, and especially Folly Beach, are "touchstone" places for me. I have pondered my life at various turning points right there on that sand, and most recently, pondered it right before I met Marty and my life changed forever. So visiting Folly Beach with Marty felt like closing a circle that had always been open and hanging before he came into my world. The rain was holding off again by that point but there was another big storm building in the horizon, so the fishers and surfers were out en force. We sat on the pier and watched the surfers catch the waves, and just talked about life and the coming arrival of our son. It's just so very nice to watch the ocean and dream with one's honey. Ahhhhh. :)
• Finally, before this post outgrows its welcome (too late!), we woke up Monday morning/Memorial Day to an overcast, muggy day. We knew we had to leave by noon in order to have some lazy time at home, so we planned an early-in-the-day expedition out to Ft. Sumter. And here are the only pix captured on our babymoon!

Charleston, aka, "the Holy City"

Marty enjoying the boat ride, in what I call his "JFK" pose. :)

Boat hair!!!

Ft. Sumter from a distance...

...and Ft. Sumter close up.

The king captures the castle...

...and then threatens to take Charleston, too. :)

A 200+ year-old fireplace -- can you imagine the stories and secrets it's heard? From both Union and Confederate soldiers!

A view of the Cooper River Bridge (sits just to the right of Charleston downtown, looking from the harbor) from the ramparts(?) of Ft. Sumter.

• Marty and I both found it very meaningful to be at Ft. Sumter on Memorial Day. All weekend we'd been engaged in something of a Dixie vs. Yankee debate about the legality and morality of secession, and visiting Ft. Sumter really brought home to me the awesome task that Lincoln faced in preserving the Union that had been so carefully built by our founding fathers. And how that same Union, which would become the 50 United States of America, would be fought for and kept safe from enemies by so many succeeding generations, including both my grandfathers and both of Marty's grandfathers. We remembered them all (my Grandpa Waltz is the only one still with us) on Monday, and were so thankful for the time and energies they sacrificed and the blood they spilled for this country and for us. Thank you again, Papa Conway, "Pop" Lucic, Grandpa Wood, and Grandpa Waltz. You are an ongoing inspiration to your grandchildren! We love you!
• And there you have it, kids. No maternity pictures yet, but hopefully those are coming soon! To be continued next weekend...

If he's not the cutest baby in the whole world...

Look at my sweet little William, smiling in his sleep. Boy, did he ever give his ultrasound doctor a hard time getting this image! For more than 20 minutes, Dr. Gorrell nudged and poked and prodded, had me turn quarter-turns every couple minutes, even putting me mostly upside-down at one point, just to get Will to put his little hands down from his face. Finally, finally, finally, I nudged him myself on his bottom (the doctor showed me where to nudge) and Will put his hands down and both Marty and I gasped as we saw his precious chubby cheeks for the first time.

This mommy just can't wait much longer to plant a million kisses on those chubby cheeks!

Updates

First off, the missing picture:

~30 weeks~

(right before getting into that PT Cruiser and driving 7 hours to Indiana!)

Secondly, Marty's office baby shower: We had such a great time. The office ordered up a good old-fashioned Southern BBQ lunch, with pulled pork BBQ, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, sweet tea (all those kind of fixin's). Then we had vanilla and chocolate cupcakes for dessert. Personally, I drank diet/caffeine-free Coke like it was water (probably should have just had WATER), but it tasted so amazingly good to me. Then it was time for the gifties, and we were once again overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of those whom God has filled our lives with...

Marty handed me presents and we took turns opening them and reading the sweet cards.

This was a cute little ducky-themed gift. Inside the package I'm holding is "The Fuzzy Duckling" (the Little Golden Book). I had this book when I was little and I think I read my Little Golden Books for years and years. This particular one came with a matching onesie! The little ducky that Marty is holding is actually a bottle holder -- you stick a bottle down the ducky's mouth and your child can hold a friend while he drinks his bottle. So cute!

Few things delight us like big ole boxes of Pampers. This was a box of size 2's, which is where we're shallowing in the stock-up pile. Yay for diaper stocking!

Among the other gifts were treasures such as a onesie that says "When God made me, He was just showing off" and another one that proclaims "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." I love these little "statement" onesies. I gave Marty a onesie for Will (pre-Father's Day) that says "If you think I'm cute, you should see my Daddy." We also received some football-themed items, much to Marty's delight. He is so excited to sit down with his son on NFL opening night and introduce Will to the wonders of football. :)

Here's me with Marty's dear friend Brian, the other lawyer in the office (who has a little boy and gives us great advice!):

It was so much fun for me to see Marty's friends and coworkers spoil him and love on him like they did. I know what a jewel of a man I have, but it's so lovely to experience others appreciating him, too. Thank you so much, Tennessee Department of Labor! You guys rock!

Finally, a few hours later, we went to our 32-week appointment at the doctor's. We saw Dr. Pickler again, who is the most business-like of the 3 OBs we see, but she can be pretty darn funny, too. Stats from this visit: 1) my blood pressure is staying almost exactly the same, and I'm so thankful for this -- 108/64; 2) I gained 3 pounds -- not loving this, but I know this is super-normal for mid-third trimester; 3) my fundus measurement was 34 cms, exactly what Marty and I had predicted in the car on the way to the office. I seem to be staying right at 2 cms ahead of my gestational progress. The only thing that bothered me this visit was Will's heartbeat, which Dr. Pickler first found at 117 bpm. This really scared me at first, since his heartbeat has never been that low, but Dr. Pickler stimulated Will with the doppler and she says he must have been sleeping, because he woke up, moved around, and his heartbeat went straight into the low 140's. She said that a reactive baby like that is a good, healthy baby, and I will just have to take her word for it, I know. I can't quite get that feeling of worry out of my mind, though...

~32 weeks~
(in the doctor's office)

One other thing I forgot to mention -- we "graduated" from childbirth class on Monday night, with a certificate and everything! So many baby doings this week that I failed to mention one of the most important ones. My brother-in-law John asked me what this actually "certifies" us to be or do, and I said, I really think it just certifies us as "not completely ignorant on the methods of childbirth." I really enjoyed our classes, even though the final night was both scary -- we watched a video where they spare you NOTHING in the ways of sounds and images -- and delightful -- we toured the Women's Center and saw birthing rooms, and most importantly, the nursery. There was a little peanut in there, just under 7 pounds, and he was squirming in that wonderful infant way in his bassinet -- it was all I could do to resist the urge to go scoop him up and coo at him. My maternal urges are crazy-strong right now! Just a few weeks to go, just a few weeks to go...

for sake of comparison...

~22 weeks~

~31 weeks~

I just saw these two pictures side-by-side and had to share: what a difference 9 weeks makes! And I have 7 weeks to go -- isn't that scary?

It must be Baby Week

So much going on this week, I just want to jot it down:

1. First off, I don't want to say much until she posts it on her blog, but my BF Kate gave birth to a young man named Jack this morning. Naturally. As in, no epidural. Who else thinks this woman is a goddess??? I'm beyond pleased that Jack's arrival was safe and healthy for all, and that Kate is reveling in new mommyhood once again. And man-oh-man, I can't wait to join her in that state. William, can you come a wee bit early like your buddy Jack did? Say, 6 weeks from now? Mommy would really, really, really LOVE that!
2. Tomorrow is a huge Baby day in our household: a) Marty's coworkers are giving us a lunchtime baby shower and we are so excited! I just hope I can find places for the gifts -- we are full-swing into nursery preparation now and I will share pictures just as soon as I can -- but we're already running out of storage for everything! b) We are having our 32-week doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon. And I just realized that I totally forgot to share the stats from the 30-week appointment: my fundus measured 32 cms (1 more cm and I would have been whisked off for an ultrasound to make sure Will isn't getting TOO big in there); my BP was excellent at 108/65; and I lost(???) 6 ounces -- I was thrilled at first, but then I started to think maybe Will wasn't getting enough nutrition, but the doctor told us that Will is doing great, and he's getting plenty, and this lack of weight gain is normal for me, at this point. My doctor did say that this probably wouldn't be a trend, so not to get too excited. :) I also have a 30-weeks picture floating around here somewhere, and I'll try to post that when I find it.
3. Friday we're going for a 3-D/4-D ultrasound! Sadly, we are on the very ledge of the "window of time" for getting good images. Who knew that 32 weeks would be too late for such a thing? But apparently, Will might be too squished up in there to get clear pictures of his face, but we're going to try anyway. Why not? And if we're successful, I'll be sure to post a couple pix here. Someone told my husband that doing this is like "opening our present before Christmas Day" but we don't see it like that at all. We are taking advantage of an amazing technological opportunity to get a good "glimpse" (honestly, that's all it is) of our son as he continues to grow and develop. Of course he'll look different in 6-7 weeks, and of course he'll look different on the outside! Personally, having a picture of his face, no matter how squished or blurry, will probably help me while I'm laboring to get him into the world. And that's priceless to me!
4. Finally, we are using this upcoming Memorial Day weekend to take a babymoon!!! Yee-haw!!! Okay, so it's 3.5 hours from here and not exactly within the 30-mile radius of home that I'm supposed to observe, but given that I'm a first-time mama with no known complications, we could make it back to our hospital here in JC with plenty of time to spare, if labor were to randomly start. Then again, perhaps it would be even cooler to have William born in Charleston! Yes, that's right, we're headed to Chucktown (one of my favorite places on the whole planet) for 3 whole days. And not just for the rest, peaceful walks on the beach, and good food, but also so my "life photographer" and dear friend Leslie can take some maternity pictures of me/us. She did such an amazing job on our wedding pictures, and we love that she captured "us" and our style, so we'd like to have some maternity pictures done in the same vein. I can't wait to see what she will do! And I also can't wait to just hang out with her and soak up some of her sunshine personality. She is so good for me!

That's all for now, but lots of updates and pictures to come. Happy Monday, everyone!

WAHM?

My friend Mary gave me this book as part of a shower gift:

This book just taught me that when I return to work after maternity leave, I will be a "WAHM," or a work-at-home mom.

Then I realized that, with a simple letter switch, I would be these guys:

I have no idea why this is so hysterically funny to me, but I am still laughing about it. I think I'm really tired and need to sleep all weekend. Anyone agree? :)

Catching up: business trip, baby shower, birthing classes, and body language

Yep, that's a hefty blog post title, but I have much to cover. It seems so odd that I haven't updated my blog in over 2 weeks, but I think I may have set records for being busy (at least for pregnant girls) in these last 2 weeks!

Business trip: first off, I should mention that we went to our first childbirth class the (Monday) night before I left for my trip, but more on that later. Let's just say for now, though, that it gave me quite a bit of food for thought for my 7-hour drive to Indianapolis! Anyway, I departed on Tuesday morning in my rental car (a PT Cruiser!) after giving my Marty a few lingering kisses goodbye -- it was pretty awful leaving him and the safety I feel with him, especially in these last few weeks of pregnancy. However, I was armed with copies of my prenatal records, just in case something were to happen while I was away from my doctors and hospital (and husband!). The 7-hour trip was pretty brutal, both on my concentration (I get very sleepy in the afternoons) and on my bladder! But I finally made it to the Omni downtown Indy, where I'd be staying the next couple nights, and then met up with my coworkers Caron and Teri. The 3 of us function as a vendor editorial team for a few writing teams at _____ (big pharma company in Indy; for some reason I'm loath to use the actual name here -- privacy concerns and all that?). Anyway, we went to Spaghetti Factory and had the greatest time with each other; it's so funny because we "talk" on email every day but have only physically met twice! I also met my boss for the first time in the Omni lobby that night -- who else can say that after reporting to your boss for nearly a year??? Work-from-home is a crazy thing sometimes! The next day was a series of meeting people and sitting in meetings. That day we did a lot of walking around to different meeting rooms, and by the afternoon, I was coming down a staircase when I suddenly had a series of Braxton-Hicks contractions. I didn't tell anyone right away, just wanting to stay on my feet until we reached our destination. This was only my second experience with Braxton-Hicks, and for some reason, I always break out into a sweat when I feel them, because they come on with swift intensity and are pretty strong and border on painful. They ended as soon as I had been sitting down for a few minutes, which my doctor told me was normal (too much activity can bring them on, and therefore, ceasing the activity can stop them completely). Fortunately, the next day we pretty much stayed in the same room all day, so the only activity I had were my frequent trips to the restroom. I know people understand that pregnant women need to run to the potty quite a bit, but I'm sorry, it's still embarrassing to have people observe how many times you've exited the room in an hour's time!!! All-in-all, it was a great business trip, especially because I finally got to put so many faces to the names I see in my inbox every day (yeah, I'm particularly talking about you, Laura!). Thursday afternoon I dropped a couple of coworkers off at the new Indy airport (so stunning, so chic! Good job, Indianapolis!) and made my way to Greenwood, aka, "home." I got to see my parents, sister Sarah, and my nieces and nephews -- it had been a couple months since our last visit, and everyone was pretty astonished at the size of my belly. I joked that I had a soccer ball up my shirt but my 2-year-old nephew Elijah didn't get it and kept wanting up my shirt to retrieve that soccer ball! So stinkin' cute. Then I showed him my skin and told him it was a baby, and he patted my belly and said "baby" but seemed pretty disappointed that it was a baby and not a soccer ball. Oh the priorities of a 2-year-old boy. :) That night and Friday were spent in various activities with my family -- my mom took me baby-gear shopping on Friday afternoon, then Sarah and Garrett took me out to dinner and to see the new Star Trek movie on Friday night. I had the greatest time, but kept wanting my hubby to be with me!!! Saturday morning I met Ellen for our tradition of Starbucks + manis/pedis, and I had the greatest time there, too. The Asian folks who run the place know us (that tells you how often El and I frequent the joint!) and hugged me upon seeing the prodigal return for a visit from Tennessee! Then it was home to take a quick shower, receive some Mother's Day tulips at the door from my Marty (oh yes, he is absolutely the perfect husband), and then I was off to my baby shower!

Baby shower:

The mama with that soccer ball up her dress! (Me and Will at exactly 31 weeks.)

The beautiful cake with baby booties (I think one of my little nieces went in for a finger sample at the front...).

The bountiful spread: my mom's famous chicken salad on croissants and bakery buns, spinach dip with Hawaiian bread, veggies and dip, cheeseball with crackers and chips, garden salad, fruit salad, pasta salad, and pineapple punch!

The bountiful goodies...I was honestly overwhelmed with the love and generosity shown to me, Marty, and our little son. The gift bags covered several feet in diameter on my sister's kitchen floor, and it just left me gaping with awe and gratitude.

Some of my guests -- so much love in the room. And the impromptu entertainment was provided by my nieces Ada and Abby, who performed a princess dance in their little pink dresses and toy wands. (Once again, I pray to the Father to give me a little girl, too!)

Me and Ellen, who did all the note-taking for me (it was a serious job!).

Opening gifts...

I love the little man-robes!

Exhausted but so happy to have finally experienced this lovely rite of passage that I had looked forward to -- quite literally -- all my life.

Thank you so much to everyone who attended and/or sent a gift. Marty was stunned to see all the bags piled up in our living room, and we are just beyond grateful for all the love you've shown to us. Thank you for outfitting our little boy and his nursery in such style! And for giving me a dream come true (a very special thank-you to my sisters for this). If it had been up to me, I would have experienced all this many years ago, but God's timing is perfect, and I am walking proof of that. Thank you God for all the blessings, given in the best way and at the right time!

Birthing class: (isn't this post over yet??? you are wondering...) So Marty and I went to our second birthing class just a couple nights ago, and it was even more sobering than the first one. Now, our teacher (a labor/delivery nurse for over 20 years), Cindy, is a lovely woman, but she tells it like it is. She doesn't avoid nonsociable words and she really doesn't avoid any topics, no matter how sensitive or private they feel. We are learning quite a bit, and while some of it is fascinating and exciting, other parts are downright scary. I might need a blood transfusion after birth? Eh? I might have to push for 3 hours only to be given a C-section? Double-eh? THAT's what 10 centimeters looks like? Oh glory be! Cindy is not only giving us a birthing education, she's also teaching us breathing techniques (I swear I started to fall asleep during the exercise on Monday -- envisioning a beach while breathing slowly) and explaining all the options we have for labor and delivery. Surprisingly (to me), she has also recommended writing a birth plan. I have heard that presenting a birth plan can be something of an affront to the nursing staff caring for you, and I've no desire to set those important people at odds with me from the moment of "go." However, Cindy has stipulated that we not follow any Internet templates, nor write something 20 pages long. She says to just keep it simple and only include what you feel strongly about. Easy enough, I think: we know that we'd rather have the doctor cut the cord, that Marty and I want to be by ourselves (no guests) during the actual birth, that we want Will kept with us for an hour or so after birth so I can nurse him and we can bond as a family, etc., etc. I also know that I want an epidural if and when I get to that point (I'd like to see how far I can go but I'm not stubbornly holding out for an "au naturel" birth because I'm intimately familiar with my pain threshold). There are probably about 20-25 stipulations we would like to see enforced, but they will certainly fit on 1 piece of paper and (hopefully) wouldn't overwhelm my nurse(s), nor make them feel like they're limited/hampered in doing their job(s).

Body language: Finally, this past week has been something of a change for me in pregnancy symptoms. Maybe it's exacerbated by all the traveling and busy-ness and stress, but I've begun to experience swelling in my hands, feet, and ankles. Every morning I wake up with numb, tingly hands, and it usually takes a couple hours for me to be able to move my wedding ring on my finger. Socks leave angry red impressions on my ankles, and I've taken to only wearing flip-flops (unless it's raining, which really frustrates me!). In addition, I feel this weird pressurized feeling on my chest (especially there), down my arms, and down my thighs. It so freaked me out the other night that I paged my doctor about it (I have to defend myself here; I've made it to nearly 32 weeks without ever having paged the doctor, so I think that's pretty good!). Dr. Pickler reassured me that at this stage of pregnancy, my diaphragm has moved up and there is extra pressure on my chest cavity, and even though it doesn't feel like I'm getting enough oxygen, as long as I can carry on a conversation, that indicates I'm getting plenty of air. She said the pressure I feel in and on my limbs is also perfectly normal. Even though it didn't make me feel much better (I wasn't given any advice on how to alleviate any of the above!), at least I knew I wasn't starting down the road to Scaryville things like toxemia (I had this thought in my head for some reason). It's pretty daunting to think I have 8 weeks to go, and how much worse these things will feel, and how much bigger I'll get(!), but then again, it's only another 8 weeks and then we'll experience the long-awaited arrival of our little man. I can't wait!!!

Whew! End of post, thank goodness. Thanks to my sister Katie for the shower pictures!

Autism Awareness Month

Even though April is in its waning days, and a million things have prevented me from writing this post, I need to share my thoughts on Autism Awareness Month.

This precious boy is my nephew, Ethan Lee. He's been my Buddy from nearly the moment of his birth. I remember holding him for the first time (all 11 pounds of him!) and feeling a mutual comfort pass between us; he was content to be held in my arms and I was only too happy to finally have a baby in the family to play with! As the first grandchild in my family, this boy achieved a special status just by being born. Then during his first night of life, when he was diagnosed with double pneumonia and whisked away to NICU, he became that much more special to us. As he recovered, we realized what a fighter we had on our hands! Then during his second year of life, when his mama and daddy began to realize Ethan had communication issues and we finally got the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, he achieved a whole new echelon of special in our hearts, because we knew that our Ethan was in for the fight of his life.

Getting a special hug on my wedding day

I can't even put into words how much I love this boy. My sister Katie (his "Aunt Modey") and I often comment to each other how privileged we feel to be included in this little man's inner circle of trust and love. You see, kids with autism sometimes have challenges expressing and accepting affection. Not our Ethan! Yes, he is very wary of strangers (which is always a good thing), and it takes quite a while for "outsiders" to earn their place in his world. My Marty has made careful attempts to reach out to Ethan, not wanting to overstep his boundaries and wanting Ethan to feel comfortable accepting him as an uncle when he felt like it, and not before. Just a couple months ago, Marty finally "got the nod," so to speak. He was standing in my sister's kitchen, getting a refill of ice water from the fridge, when he felt a little hand on his waist. He looked down to see Ethan just touching him for a brief moment, and Marty says he knew he was "in." What a great moment! As for me, I've always been the recipient of special hugs and kisses. Sometimes, Ethan will be watching one of his beloved Thomas videos (there's nothing this kid likes more than Thomas!) and he'll pat the sofa cushion next to him and beckon to me. I'll sit down next to him and my Buddy snuggles right up into my body and puts his hand rather possessively on my leg. This never fails to make me smile, and more often than not, I'll even shed a couple of tears. I've even been known to lift my 60+-pound nephew in my arms and carry him around (not while I've been pregnant, I promise!) because I still feel that feeling of mutual comfort pass between us.

As for Ethan's fight with autism? Still ongoing, of course, but he keeps making new strides. Even though he struggles, it's such a huge joy to see him jump new hurdles. I remember when he wrote his name for the first time, how we cried and cried. And even though they're somewhat limited, we have actual conversations now. A million praises go to my hard-working sister, who pursues every therapy and every curriculum and every learning tool she can get her hands on. Sarah is such an inspiration to me, and I've learned so much about the passionate love of a mother from her experiences fighting for the best of everything for Ethan. Right now, she and my brother-in-law are working to save money for a special dog who's trained to help kids with autism. There will be a couple types of fundraisers later this summer toward this effort, and I'll be sure to post about those here.

So why "autism awareness"? Before Ethan Lee came along, I had no idea of the struggles that autistic kids face. I had no idea how the parents of these kids have to challenge school boards for proper education, how they have to transport these kids from therapy session to doctor's appointment to kindergarten to home, sometimes in a single day (and how some of these parents have 3 other kids!). I never knew the emotional rollercoaster you take when you love a kid with autism. How you would do anything to fix it, but how there's very little you can do but love and cuddle and play with and comfort. And pray...and help in any way you can. If you know a family with an autistic kid, just know that the parents and grandparents and yes, even the aunts and uncles, face all kinds of challenges in nurturing and raising their very special gift. If nothing else, be aware enough to say a prayer for these families, but mostly for the kids who have to fight their disorder every day.

I'm sending you lots of special hugs today, my sweet Buddy! Auntie B loves you!!!

the April list

*New categories!*

Okay, I'm sure this excites no one else but me. I think of my blog as the closest thing I'm capable of keeping as far as a personal journal goes, so I wanted my monthly list to capture just a wee bit more than what it had been. So here goes!

*new* What we're watching: American Idol, and for me, because of Adam Lambert!

Um, could I love this kid any more than I do??? He was my favorite from the very beginning (don't believe me? Ask my husband -- I picked him out long before he made any of the big cuts!). I love his adorably punk self, with the black nails and spiked hair and earrings. You better believe it. I keep telling Marty that he's this amazing combination of Freddie Mercury, Steve Perry, and Barry Gibb! Oh, the falsetto he can achieve! The only reason I'm really watching American Idol these days is to catch my 5 minutes of Adam Lambert, because the crazily greedy people at the network CHARGE you on iTunes just to catch the latest competition songs. How stupid is that? Anyway, whether he wins or not (and personally, he really doesn't HAVE any competition up there), I know he's going on to have a great career, and Marty has already promised me concert tickets and CDs when they come out! Honestly, it's not just his extraordinary talent that has captured my attention. He is the only contestant who always acknowledges his back-up vocalists and band performers. He is actually quite humble and gracious for a kid who's a total rock star!!! I heart you, Adam Lambert!

We're also watching The Office (last night's episode had to be the best one ever -- Jim is always the hero!) and 30 Rock, as usual. The Thursday night line-up is really the only thing we consistently watch besides American Idol. Usually we're Food Network and HGTV junkies.

What I'm reading: I've been a reading fiend this month -- perhaps I know it's because my time is running out to devote hours upon hours to books??? I can tell my son one day that ONLY for him would Mommy have ever given up her book time!

1) A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick. I finished this one a couple weeks ago, and wow, this was a sexy book! However, the sexiness was intrinsically tied to the plot, and I can't say anymore without revealing too much, but if you like thrillers/mysteries with great characters, and you don't mind a certain degree of sensual content, this is a great book for you. There is a major plot twist that I had to read 3 times to be sure I understood the revelation!

2) Mommywood, by one of my favorite celebrities (don't judge me, even deep, complex people can have favorite celebrities, in my humble opinion!), Ms. Tori Spelling! Kids, this girl cracks me up. She has one of the most unique perspectives on Hollywood and all the glitz and glamour, because she was raised in such a privileged way, but has been self-reliant her entire adult life (her mother is a real piece of work). She is so honest and her sense of humor is right up my alley. And I loved reading about her experiences with motherhood, for those very reasons -- she's brutally honest and laughs at all her misadventures along the way (the poop in the pool incident was hysterical). Fluffy to the extreme, but I highly recommend it.

3) Finally, Marty and I are sort of co-reading this Smart Guide to the Book of Revelation by Daymond Duck and Larry Richards. I guess you could say I'm a (very?) amateur theologian, because I love understanding the Bible and church history and apologetics, and though I'm pretty well-versed (get it?) in some areas (I could teach Genesis), I'm quite woefully ignorant in others (uh, Revelation). So far, I am really getting into it. I now know the significance of the seven angels, seven letters, seven lampstands, etc. And I love how the book (Revelation) is written -- so much parallelism and great imagery. Of course, when I get further into it, I might really be ready to pull my hair out because I know it gets pretty difficult the deeper you go. But Marty and I are having fun reading this and discussing. We come from such different viewpoints: I believe in the Rapture and I'm a sold-out Millenialist, whereas he was raised not believing in the Rapture and is quite a-Millenialist. So this book is prompting all kinds of discussion in our home! One of our favorite things to do is have a down-and-dirty theological debate. How nerdy are we?

What we're spending on: A cradle, probably something like this one.Thing is, I HATE the rollers/casters. I'm sure they're practical for putting the baby down for a nap in various rooms throughout the day (so it serves you, rather than you being a slave to its location), but we'd be opting for a cradle over a bassinet anyway because of the aesthetic. I just can't get into the frilly, fluffy, bells-and-whistles bassinets. They look cheap and ugly to me! Anyway, I love the classic look of a cradle, but I'm going to see if those casters come OFF before I buy! Or I'll just get used to it and somewhere around the middle of July be thankful that the cradle can roll around!

What we're saving for: The pay-off of my labor & delivery bill. I never knew you had to make payments on these things loooong before you have your first contraction! Or is it just my screwy insurance? I don't know, but heavens-to-Betsy, it feels weird making payments on something that won't happen for 11 weeks yet, and especially so, considering my mind gets all fuzzy when I start thinking of how everything's going to go down...I think my mind goes into self-protection mode, like, "don't think about it yet, Becky! Too scary just now!"

What I need to do: File all my paperwork for maternity leave (yee-haw!). Get a couple more outfits/dresses for business trip/baby shower in May. Learn the ins and outs of nursing bras and invest in a few (here's where nursing moms, past and present, give me all kinds of advice on brands, etc.). Move my office downstairs, set up nursery in current office (this is going to be no SMALL task).

What I'm thinking about: God's providential care. He keeps working things out in my life, more perfectly than I could have planned or dreamed. One of these days I'm going to actually learn to trust Him implicitly.

What I'm working on: You guessed it. Evil Storage Room. It really is a monstrous project, and while we are making progress, it seems like the chore that will not die.

*new* Things I've learned this month: 1) That you're supposed to have 3 sets of sheets for every bed in your home: one on the bed, one in the laundry, and one clean and folded, waiting in the closet. I'm pretty sure I got this handy advice from House Beautiful (magazine). 2) That sometimes colds last longer than 7-10 days. I still can't hear out of my left ear. 3) That I'm sick to death of "going green" ads and commercials and shows and articles and just get out of my face about the environment already!!! One of my magazines last month told me to stop using Windex, paper towels, bottled water, the list went on and ON. Of course I don't want to trash our planet, but for heaven's sake, I'm going to wipe down dirty mirrors with Windex and paper towels and then take a nice big slug from an Evian when I'm done, thank you very much, if that's what I WANT to do! We don't live in a communist country (yet).

What I'm happy about: May is just around the corner, and we're so busy that month, that before I blink, June will be here and we're hoping to take a quick little "babymoon" if we can afford it. I plan on doing NOTHING the month of June and just enjoying the last few weeks of having my hubby all to myself, before we embark on the grand adventure of parenthood!

That's it for now. Happy weekend everyone! It's going to be in 80s all weekend here, and Evil Storage Room notwithstanding, we're going to spend time outside!!!

Viral infection, Day 9

When I went to see my doctor (OB/GYN; because apparently PCPs don't want to treat you if you're pregnant, who knew?) last week about the worst cold ever, he ran a strep test (which was negative) and looked down my throat, in my ears, etc. He pronounced me sick with a virus and recommended TheraFlu, sleep, and fluids. He also told me I'd "probably feel miserable for 7-10 days." Well, Dr. Hinton, here I am on Day 9, and I'm still sniffly, sneezy, and stuffed up, not to mention the fact that I haven't been able to hear out of my left ear for 2 solid days. And "miserable" doesn't really come close. All I did all weekend, besides completely wear myself out with a 2-hour trip to WalMart, was sleep. Or lie on the couch in a semi-comatose state. Because I have no energy to do anything else! Meanwhile, my laundry is piling up and my to-do list has begun mocking me. I have exactly 2 weeks until I start an extremely busy week/weekend in Indiana, with a 3-day business trip, immediately followed by my baby shower on May 9th. I have to be up to snuff to focus on my work and all the meetings I'll be in, and of course I want to feel good so I can enjoy seeing so many loved ones at my baby shower!

I've heard that "every pregnancy has its cold" but this cold is threatening to stick around for the duration, or at least it seems so. I actually felt better on Friday but I should have known it was just the eye of the storm, teasing me with a brief reprieve.

Anyway, here I sit, on Day 9, having exhausted 3 boxes of Kleenex and living in fear that my son will be born addicted to Tylenol. I'm getting ready to go make another pot of decaf Earl Grey tea and hope I can concentrate on my work for this afternoon.

I'm getting desperate to feel better! Does anyone have any pregnancy-safe suggestions for kicking a cold to the curb, once and for all?

Pix and tales from our Easter weekend

So I know my sister is ready to shoot me if I don't put up some belly shots soon, so even though the latest pix of me aren't my greatest, one has to appease one's sister. Here are a couple shots from the doctor's office at our 26-week visit (read more about that here):

Notice the bandage? I honestly don't know why they do blood draws at EVERY visit. And is it just me or am I looking swollen?

Our appointment was on Tuesday the 7th and by Thursday the 9th, we were on the road to an Easter weekend in Mississippi. We decided to stay in Memphis the evening of the 9th, and Marty was thrilled to take me out to his favorite BBQ joint, the famous "Rendezvous." Marty almost had tears in his eyes eating his ribs, but I was actually disappointed in mine. I think I'm just a Yankee, tried and true. Memphis BBQ is seasoned with dry-rub and smoked, resulting in an almost tough texture, whereas BBQ where I'm from means it's dripping with sauce and falling off the bone!

Anyway, the next morning we set off for Greenville, Mississippi, where Marty hails from. When we pulled into the driveway, my sis-in-law Melissa was...what else?...barbequeing!!! Her boyfriend, Keith, had parked his enormous smoker/grill in the driveway and I think they had at least 3-4 animals cooking in there. It smelled amazing and after lots of hugs and belly rubs from the sisters and nieces and nephews, we feasted. I called it "Meat-a-palooza." Then we went to a Good Friday service at the church that Marty and his siblings grew up in, and where Marty's dad was the officiating vicar before his passing last May. The new pastor gave a meaningful and somber message, and we refrained from speaking in the sanctuary. My aunt-in-law Linda sang the "Via Dolo Rosa" and it was very moving. Easter is my favorite holiday and it's so much better when you get the opportunity to observe the entire Passion week.

The next morning started with a big box of Shipley's donuts (quite famous in Greenville) and I can't even describe how good these donuts are...but eat your heart out, Krispy Kreme! Like Melissa says, "You can't eat just 3." :) We sat around the table and ate and drank coffee and just visited. Then we all left to go visit with Aunt Linda for awhile, and when I walked in her house, I noticed about a half-ton of wrapped presents on her fireplace hearth but looked right past it without really seeing it. Melissa said from behind me, with a giggle in her voice, "It's a baby shower!" My response was, quite literally, "Who's having a baby?" I laugh now, but seriously, I didn't say that because I'm dumb or slow (although I'm certainly dumber and slower these days), but honestly, it's because my pregnancy is still very surreal to me at times and I find myself shocked in some moments that I actually get to have this experience!

So after the initial shock wore off, Marty's lovely sisters and aunt got us placed near the gifts and I started opening. Here are a few shots!

This little sleeper says "Daddy's Champ" on it. If you don't know, "Champion" is our son's middle name and his Daddy has taken to calling him "Champ." Marty held the sleeper as if our little guy were already filling it out, and it was such a sweet moment.

We got this set of funny bibs...this one says "Being good is boring!

Finally, this might be my favorite picture. I don't know that Marty has a really strong idea of what a baby activity gym is, but he's so very much enjoying the process of becoming a Daddy. The joy on his face blesses my soul!

In all my life, I've never had a surprise anything -- party, shower, what-have-you. And I was wonderfully surprised, and both Marty and I were just overwhelmed by the generousity of our family. (I'm also overwhelmed by the fact that I can never seem to get any pictures of anybody!!!) Thank you again and again and again, Melissa and Sarah and Linda (and Keith and Nick and Mike and all the kiddos...). We love you guys sooooooo much!

We closed out the weekend with a wonderful Easter breakfast at church, an Easter egg hunt for the kids, and then a beautiful service. It was so hard to leave after all the fun we'd had, but Marty wanted to pace ourselves (in other words, pace ME) on the trip home, so we left for Nashville, where Marty had planned a little evening/day excursion for us at the Opryland Hotel! (If you haven't spent much time in Tennessee, you should know that the Opryland Hotel is like a cruise ship without the water -- it's a massive building with several hotels, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, etc.) We arrived in the evening and got dressed up to go out for a fancy-schmancy meal. Here's me, dolled-up and 27 weeks pregnant:

We knew the prices would be extravagant, but we really wanted to live it up, so we tried our best to ignore the ridiculous numbers attached to the menu items. However, we couldn't ignore that the food was really only just okay, and then it was only too easy to start thinking how we could have spent that money in other ways. Talk about disappointing! When we got back to our room, I started having a really sore throat and wanted to call it a night...which became a very LONG night, as I was up coughing and sneezing and blowing my nose, and basically just miserable because I couldn't breathe, swallow, or rest. In the morning, we ordered a fabulous breakfast tray and that I can say was really pretty good (I had cinnamon waffles with cherries in Grand Marnier syrup with whipped cream...uh, HELLO yummy!). I also got a few good shots out our atrium-facing balcony:

The hotel "exterior" in the Cascades section is done in the New Orleans French style, which of course I loved!

We tried to do some shopping in the hotel, but the bookstore I wanted to visit was mysteriously closed, so we decided our Opryland Hotel stay was a bit cursed. Either that, or we were exhausted from all the traveling and activity (I think it was a bit of both). So we headed home early, and I'm so glad we did, because by the time we got home I was in the throes of one of the worst colds I've ever had! However, small disappointments and one nasty cold notwithstanding, we had a wonderful Easter weekend. Now we're thinking about making the pilgrimage home to Missisisippi every Easter!