Nesting has begun!

 54 days until our due date!

This past week has been babycentric - I'm convinced I'm now just making up stuff to do to keep myself busy. JBB and I kicked into overdrive with setting up the nursery, and I'm sooo excited with how it looks! We still need to put finishing touches up on the walls, but we have the furniture in place, and all gifts, clothes, and supplies are washed, de-tagged, and put away. We are ready for you, Cookie McGee! I love to walk past the nursery every night before I go to bed. It just makes me happy. Out of everything in the nursery, I think I'm most excited about...her door! JBB had the great idea to paint Cookie's door in chalkboard paint, and as she grows up she can scribble on it, doodle, make countdowns to Christmas, etc. I just think it's such a fun idea, and I love that her daddy thought of it.

Cookie's animals are already watching over the nursery, just waiting for their roommate. 

Clifford, the big white dog, takes the glider for a spin.

In addition to working on the nursery, my "nesting instinct" has kicked into high gear, and for whatever reason I have fixated on reorganizing/de-cluttering the kitchen cabinets and pantry. It's become a running joke between JBB and I. Every day I decide a new way I think we should organize the pantry, and what additional shelves should go in the cabinets. It's like I open my mouth, and my inner Martha Stewart (who has never reared her head before) starts spouting off about  how we can "best maximize our under the sink space". I'm convinced the key to the first six months of parenthood is having a well organized kitchen. Why I choose this particular fixation is anyone's guess. JBB has threatened to take Pinterest off of my Ipad if this continues.

Sadly, the kitchen isn't the only area I've become minorly obsessed with. I also get a little crazed about where our "home office" should be located. Should it go in the roll top desk in the living room, or should it be in the kitchen next to...the pantry! The dreaded pantry. JBB, bless his heart, plays along with me and pretends to really think about it when I ask questions like "But seriously...do you think we should keep the ink pens in the kitchen next to the spare change, or on the roll top next to our return address stamp?" This baby needs to get here quickly before I do something drastic like attempt to do my own back splash in the kitchen. (Don't think I haven't thought about it).

In addition to terrorizing our cabinets, I also had my first work event of the "season" at the 500 Festival. As we both rolled out of bed at 4:30 am so we could be downtown by 5:45, JBB looked at me and said, "Soon we'll be getting up this early every morning." Oof. Reality check. Not sure I'm ready for daily 4:30 wake-up calls. Luckily this event was a quick one, but if I wasn't feeling the effects of being 8 months pregnant before, I certainly felt them at this event. It was held at the NCAA Hall of Champions, which is a great venue. However, a few things I never noticed in past year's events - there is no bathroom on the second floor, where I am stationed. That made for a LOT of trips up and down to the bathroom. Second, I never realized just how many damned steps there are from the first floor to the second. I was huffing and puffing climbing that staircase, and eventually caved and used the elevator. Cooks and I were worn out.

Sunday was my second baby shower, and it was even more fun that I anticipated! Thanks so much to Emily, Katie, and Lauren for throwing such a fun shower, and to all my friends for coming! My friends certainly know me well - chicken fingers and ruffled chips were the main course, and homemade cake pops and brownie/Oreo/peanut butter concoctions for dessert. Not to toot my own horn, but I cleaned up (100%, baby!) in the celebrity/baby name matching competition. I didn't fare so well at "Baby Price is Right"...Jason's sister, however, swept that game, so I think we'll dispatch her to do all of our baby shopping from now on. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who took the time to come and spend two hours of their Sunday celebrating Cookie's arrival - friends from Tipton, Special Olympics, "girls' nights", friends I've made through JBB, grad school - it was quite a group! Last night JBB and I went through all the gifts, and marveled at how tiny everything is, and how many diapers one little booty can need; we just kept looking at each other and laughing as we went through the goodies.

Thanks for such yummy cake pops! Cookie can't wait to meet Aunt Emily...

Some of the ladies from the shower. 

Egads! How did that Purdue onsie sneak in there?!?

The daddy to be surveys the loot and reads up on "What to Expect in the First Year"...

Today we have another check-up, along with the first of three "Preparing for Childbirth" classes. Which take place during the Bachelor, and you all know how I feel about that. Not good. I refuse to watch the videos. The baby has to come out, right? I know this; I don't need to SEE it to prepare. I'm good and prepared; would you like to hear what I've done with my pantry? :)