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? :)

Makin' Friends

65 days until due date! Yowza!! JBB and I think Cookie will arrive on April 1. 

Tuesday, JBB and I spent four hours at the doctor's office. Turns out I didn't pass my initial glucose screening, so I had to do the 3-hour test, in addition to my regularly scheduled appointment. Whoa - not fun. But, the good news is, I passed the 3-hour test "with flying colors". Thank God. Four blood draws and three hours later, I felt like a human pin cushion.

The silver lining of the doctor's visit - I made a new friend! When we checked in, the office manager told us to "get comfortable" and that there were two other women who would be doing the 3-hour test that morning also. One of the women came in shortly after we did, and took a seat near us. I immediately noticed that she had on an outfit that I seriously coveted, and that she looked like someone I would hit it off with. She pulled up a chair to prop her feet up on, and started writing thank you notes. After about an hour of uncomfortable shifting in my seat, trying to get comfortable, I asked JBB if he could snag me a chair that I could prop my feet up on, as my fellow glucoser was doing. Well. JBB has never met a stranger, so as he grabbed the chair beside my future friend, he struck up a conversation. And that was all it took.

Over the next 2.5 hours, my future friend and I covered every topic under the sun. How far along we were (she's having twins!); whether we were planning on breastfeeding or not; how we met our husbands; working in non-profits; if Khloe Kardashian was in fact the product of an affair and not Robert Kardashian's biological daughter (per the cover of my In Touch magazine); if we were going back to work or not. We didn't draw a breath. We even decided that since we didn't really know each other, or any of the same people, it would be okay to tell the baby names we had picked out. Turns out, she is my exact age, got married over the summer and then got pregnant right away, her husband is older than she is like JBB and I, and on Friday they're moving about four minutes away from where JBB and I live. A friendship ripe for the picking!

While she was in for her 3rd blood draw, I turned to JBB and said, "We will be friends. I will make this happen." After I said it, I realized - the further removed you get from college, the harder it is to make new friends. College seemed to provide a built in system for meeting friends, and for a few years after college it was easy to meet new people through co-workers, friends of your newly made college friends, apartment complexes, etc. By your 30's, most people have been at the same job for awhile, and if they've lived in the same town for a significant period of time, have met most everyone in their friends' circles. Making friends is a bit like dating - the more time passes, the harder it gets, and the more awkward you sometimes feel, putting yourself out there to see "if you click."

Luckily, I have a great group of friends that I have collected from all areas of my life - hometown, college, work, people I've met through family and friends, etc. However, I've been telling JBB, while I'm home this summer with Cookie, it is my mission to find other moms in or near our neighborhood who I can go for a walk with while pushing our kids in the stroller, or someone to go to the neighborhood pool with on a hot day. I'm sure there will be times when I don't want to load everything up in the car and drive to Tipton, Broad Ripple, or Plainfield. I'm giving fair warning now to my sister-in-law and brother, who live 5 minutes away...you will see LOTS of Cooks and I on this maternity leave. Get ready.

When JBB and I moved into our neighborhood in July, it was about 110 degrees for the rest of the summer, so people weren't outside too much. Then, we just got busy with wedding planning, honeymoon, etc. and haven't met as many neighbors as we'd like. (I'm spoiled from growing up in a neighborhood that did block 4th of July parties, neighborhood scavenger hunts, and people actually congregating on front porches and patios every night in the summer. I want this for my family). Luckily, our neighbors to one side of us have three young kids, as do the neighbors behind us. We are friendly and wave when we see each other, their kids trick or treated at our house, etc, but we haven't progressed to actually socializing. Now, we do adore our 91 year old neighbors to the south, Paul and Elnora, and Cookie and I plan on spending a lot of time visiting them this Spring. I'm just not sure they'll want to go swimming or power walking with us. So, my plan for any and all neighbors I encounter with young kids is to borderline stalk/kill them with kindness until we exchange numbers and get to walking!

Anyway, back to the doctor's visit. The new friend potential fell into my lap, and I wasn't about to let it pass by.   Once we were both pricked for the 3rd time and settled back in our chairs, I cleared my throat and said, "So, this is a little awkward and I feel like I'm asking you out, but would you want to meet up this Spring once the madness has settled and go for a walk or something?" (I'm summarizing here...) and, much to my relief as I was starting to feel like a creeper, she said "absolutely" and we set about trading numbers, with her informing me I'm in her phone as Lindsay - fellow preggo at glucose test.

I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Here's hoping to making many more. And of course, to all the great ones I already have...don't forget about Cookie and I up in Carmel! We are open for any and all play dates, girls nights, movies, etc. Have baby, will travel. (I think. I hope. I could be totally wishful thinking here.)

The Name Game

I am positively bursting at the seams to tell you the names JBB and I have picked out for my womb resident. We have known from the very beginning what our boy name and girl name would be. And we haven't wavered on them since! Unfortunately, unlike me, my husband loves to keep a good secret and then share it at the most opportune moment! (Like when we first started dating and he didn't tell anyone about me until I just appeared with him at a gathering of his friends. He thought it would be fun to surprise them. I'm awkward enough around new people in the best of situations, so you can imagine how much I loved this plan. Good times. :))

I should clarify - I can keep a secret. If you tell me something in confidence, I'll never crack. However - I am terrible at keeping something exciting from my family and friends. I can't count the number of times I've called JBB or my mom or dad and told them all about the "mostamazingChristmasgiftintheworld" that I just could NOT wait to give them. It damned near killed me to wait until 11 weeks to share the news about Cookie; if I'm excited about something personally, or on behalf of someone else, I have to sew my mouth shut to not blab about it. I open birthday cards the instant I retrieve them from the mailbox, even if my birthday isn't for another week. JBB on the other hand, waits until after dinner on his birthday, saving them up to open all at once. So, basically, we are complete opposites when it comes to whether or not we should tell family and friends the names we have picked out for Cookie B. 

A little background on how we picked our names...when JBB and I first started dating, we went to IU to watch a basketball game. (This is back when IU couldn't beat the Rose Hulman Fighting Engineers, by the way.) We'd probably been together 3 months or so at the time. I can remember as plain as day sitting in one of the booths in the downstairs of Nick's, eating a stromboli (of course!) and somehow the subject of baby names came up. I don't know if one of our friends had just had a baby, or why we were talking about this quite so early on. Anyway, I jokingly said, "If we ever have a baby and it's girl, you get naming rights, and I will name the boy." Two years later, and JBB has really held me to that. And he has had a heck of a good time taunting me with the girls names he says he'll be choosing for Cookie. Thankfully, we both have veto power, so we won't end up with a Betty Bertrude Blythe, as he likes to threaten. (And let's be honest - I'm the one pushing this rascal out, so if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. I think we all know who the ultimate naming rights rest with.)

Let's play a little process of elimination...

According to the US Government, the Top 10 Baby Names for 2011 were:

Rank	Male name	Female name
1	Jacob	Sophia
2	Mason	Isabella
3	William	Emma
4	Jayden	Olivia
5	Noah	Ava
6	Michael	Emily
7	Ethan	Abigail
8	Alexander	Madison
9	Aiden	Mia
10	Daniel	Chloe

While all are very lovely names, none of them will be Cookie's. Looking at "Nameberry," which tracks trendy, up and coming popular baby names, the predictions for hot names of 2013 will be those that take after ancient gods and goddesses, mythological heroes, and names inspired by nature. Some examples: Persephone (is this a boy or girl name? I really don't know), Athena, Julius, Thor, Katniss, Maeve, Winter, and Smog. (Okay, I made that last one up.) While Julius Aprhodite Blythe has a certain something to it that I like, we will not be following this naming trend. I think I slept through all of ancient history and mythology in high school.

A few things I can tell you (this post has been JBB approved, so no spilling of family secrets here) - the girl name was taken from a movie that JBB has watched. That should narrow it right down for you, as he has seen approximately 30 movies in the last two months alone. Might it have a family name somewhere in there? It might. Or it might not. He does have an Aunt Dodo, we might like to honor...

As the head boy namer in the family, I was pretty sold on my name from the beginning. It might come from my love of history...Napolean Bonaparte Blythe, anyone? NBB is in the house! Or, it also might come from my love of trashy celebrity magazines...welcome to the family Kardashian Blythe! There is a chance we'll work a family name in there as well. I believe my mom had a cousin named Dovey Merle...

Those are probably all the "hints" I should share, before my fingers get away from me and I type in the real names. (Or did I already!??!) I suppose the only plus side to not telling the names in advance is that no one (hopefully!) will tell me all about the boy in their 3rd class who happens to share my son's name, and also happened to pick his nose, or how much they hate the name we've picked, etc. Once the baby is born, hopefully people will at least lie and tell us how wonderful they think our name selection was. :)

In other news, I passed my glucose test!!! Yahooooza!!! For some reason, I had it in my head I would fail it, and then have to take the very scary three hour test I've heard about. The appointment was Monday morning at 8:30 am; I had two chocolate chip cookies at 8:00 Saturday night while watching Miss America, and then no sugar until after the test Monday morning. (I  may or may not have helped myself to four bake n' break chocolate chip cookies when I got home that night.) We are almost 29 weeks and now to the stage where we meet with the doctor every two weeks....which I love because that means we get to hear the heartbeat every two weeks!

JBB snapped this post blood work, eating my cheese and peanut butter crackers and having the Capri Sun we smuggled in my purse. I don't do real well giving blood. :)

Last night I had my first baby shower, and it set the bar high! "My gal Val" (as my mom calls her) with whom I work, threw an office baby shower at Ceramic Dreams, a paint your own pottery studio in Broad Ripple. We had a great time painting, eating, (more cookies! Yum, sugar!) and of course opening gifts. Below are some pictures. Thank so much to everyone for making the drive on a Wednesday night after work. It meant so much, and JBB couldn't wait to see the gifts when I got home!

Welcome to Cookie's baby shower!
The whole Sesame Street gang was there to welcome us!

How cute are these homemade cookies? They tasted even better than they looked!

Val and I, party planner extraordinaire!

The whole crew...I work with great people!

Until next time, Hercules Rain Churchill Juno Blythe and I are signing off!

Oh What a Day...

This blog is brought to you by one tired, slightly delirious mama-to-be so if it seems a little crazy, it's because I'm feeling a bit loopy tonight. Pretty sure putting together paragraphs, themes, blah, blah, blah is beyond me. Consider yourself warned.

I've officially decided I'm out of the "fun" part of being pregnant, and getting into the nitty-gritty. Disclaimer: If you are one of the handful of males who reads this blog and you are not my husband, feel free to skip this paragraph. Lots of bodily functions up in here. I think I preferred the shiny hair and strong nails that come with the second trimester to...drumroll please....leaky bladder, leaky boobs, loads of gas, and yeast infections. These fun things are all apparently brought to me by the 3rd trimester, which officially begins this Saturday, not last. The math they use to figure out due dates and trimesters is waaaay beyond me. If it weren't for Gerber Baby emails telling me where I was in my pregnancy, I'd be lost. 

This morning found JBB and I at an impromptu doctor's visit after a few days of increased "leaking" - which I was fairly certain was just from having a bowling bowl sitting on my bladder, but as my degree is in English and History (woohoo liberal arts!) and not obstetrics, I wasn't comfortable with the final decision being up to me. At times like these, I really, really wish JBB could be pregnant too, so there was someone else experiencing what I was; another voice of reason to say, "Be worried about this," or, "No big deal. Proceed." It's like being at the eye doctor, and I'm in the hot seat, and the whole future of my vision rests on me, and me alone deciding, "Which line is bolder?", or "Which circle is floating?" I. Don't Know. What if I choose the wrong one, and doom myself to a year of headaches from a wonky prescription, until I can redeem myself in 12 months? Eye doctor appointments really stress me out. Anyway - last night we called the "after-hours" hotline and spoke to the doctor on call, who couldn't have been nicer. He had us come in this morning just to be extra-cautious, and make sure nothing more ominous than your garden-variety incontinence was happening. Which, thank goodness, it wasn't. (Hip hip hooray for bladder incontinence!)

Fast forward to this afternoon at CVS: purchasing pantyliners,  Monistat 7, and toilet paper was perhaps a personal low for me. Feeling like I was at Hook's in the 8th grade buying tampons for the first time, I decided to use the "self check-out," against my better judgement. (Personal rant: self check-out NEVER ends up quicker. Never. Something always mucks up the system, usually produce. So much for trying to eat healthy.) Anyway - of course, while trying to pay, the light above the machine starts flashing, and a robot starts chirping, "Help is on it's way".  As if I was going into labor in the drugstore. I half expected the Canadian Royal Mounties to come charging up on their horses to rescue me. Instead, a bored looking CVS cashier came over, lifted the Monistat 7 out of the bag, and then put it back in. Suddenly, I could pay. Apparently the machine thought I had bagged the goods without paying for it. They were on to me. So much for my stealthy check-out.

And that was just my 30 minute lunch break. Today, as luck would have it, also happened to be the day our work was migrating all computers and phones to a new server, and we "launched" our 2013 500 Festival volunteer website, a big day for me. (Volunteer for me people! It's fun.) Of course, my computer was the "problem child." Finally, 2:30 rolls around and my email was working, thanks to the patience of our IT support. In come dozens and dozens of emails from volunteers with questions over their registration.As I plow through their emails, I realize it's been nearly 30 minutes, so I of course have to go to the bathroom. I come back a mere 90 seconds later, and I am logged completely out of my computer. In a last-ditch effort, I log-in as my co-worker, hoping that will work. It does, for about 20 minutes; in perhaps the funniest part of this whole charade, I begin to print emails only to find out they will only print to the private printer of our CEO's personal assistant, and then only on letterhead, to boot! At this point, I hung it up for the day and headed home. As my favorite literary heroine, Scarlett O'Hara, says, "Tomorrow is another day!" (Speaking of which - I thought today was Tuesday all day, until I got home. I was legitimately thrilled when I found out it is Wednesday. Silver lining.)

So. That's it from the Blythe front. Cookie is great - she/he is kicking up a storm, and JBB and I love her more every day. Even when she busts mommy's bladder. Monday is our 28 week appointment...bring it on glucose test, RH shot, and whatever else you're poking and prodding! While that appointment promises to be a good time, we are especially looking forward to our "work baby shower" next Wednesday at Half Baked pottery! 

Sideways flowers from JBB make any day better!!! 

Cookie is sooo lucky to have so many people excited for her arrival. Looking forward to a great night!

Back to School

Happy holidays from the Belly and I- 26 weeks big.

Cookie and I are writing this blog with a belly full of Outback Steakhouse, courtesy of a gift card from my  mom. (Thanks Muggy!) JBB and I have been having a great break - Christmas Eve was spent in Tipton, Christmas Day in Seymour, and yesterday was spent being happily snowed in. We went for a walk around the neighborhood, played three games of gin, cleaned out two hall closets, and got a good nap in. At dinner tonight, we talked about how lucky we are to be able to celebrate our Christmas with both sets of parents, all of our siblings, our niece and nephews, and my grandpa. There is truly nothing better. We look forward to this time every year. Now that it is passed, and we are both off work until next Wednesday, we are looking forward to next year. (Not, I should clarify, to going back to work). As we wait to ring in 2013, JBB and I, like thousands of other Americans, have signed up for classes for the "spring semester" - that's right, we're going back to school!! Baby School, that is.

At our first appointment, we were given a list of recommended baby classes that would help us "prepare" for Baby Blythe's arrival. Being the type-A personality that I am, I've been chomping at the bit to sign us up for these classes, but every time I went online to register, we were still too early. Even in my "get it done" state of mind, I realized it wasn't smart to take "Preparing for Childbirth" in December, when my due date isn't until April. I can't remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, so I sure as heck can't be expected to remember the finer points of labor and delivery 3.5 months in advance.

Finally, this week, I was able to register us for our classes. We are now the proud students-to-be of "Preparation for Childbirth," taking place three Monday nights in February. (Confession - can we talk about how I considered not taking this class once I realized it would be the same time as the new season of The Bachelor? I need to talk to the schedulers at this joint). We will also be taking "Breastfeeding Basics" in January, and I still need to sign us up for "Newborn Basics" and "Infant and Child CPR." We are also set to meet with Trish at Monogram Maternity to view the maternity suites and "formalize" my birth plan. Which will look something like this - get Cookie out safely, by whatever means necessary. Period. And someone please bring me unheated up Subway as soon as this baby is out!! (Italian Herb bread, ham and turkey, extra oregano. Thanks.)

Scrolling through the classes online, I had flashbacks to IU when I would finally get my paws on the schedule for the upcoming semester of classes - I'd spend a good three hours planning my schedule, my roommates'  schedules, the pizza delivery guy's schedule, and anyone else I could con into forking over their class requirements to me. I'd even make myself Plan B and Plan C class lists, where I'd plan alternate schedules - one typically revolved around not missing any of my shows, no small task in the pre-DVR days (how I miss you Dawson's Creek, Felicity, and Party of Five), and one typically centered on never having a class before 10:30 am or on Fridays. If I could have majored in class scheduling, I would have. Alas, scheduling for Baby U was not quite as flexible - classes are either Saturday morning (barf!) or Monday nights, from 6:00 - 9:00. You already know my beef with Monday nights, but class until 9:00?? Don't they know that pregnant women in their third trimester (especially first time moms who don't have toddlers to chase around, bathe, feed, and water) are in bed at 9:00 pm? Or maybe that's just me.

Regardless, I'm excited for these classes. I'm sure a lot of it will go out the window in the heat of the moment, and JBB and I will adapt on the fly and do whatever needs to be done, and whatever feels right for Cookie. Still, it feels like a rite of passage, and one in which I'm excited to partake. I'm also hoping to get the inside scoop on clipping those itty-bitty fingernails, how to care for the umbilical cord stump (this seriously has me flummoxed) and how to effectively use one of the those snot-sucker bulbs. I'll try to repress my inner geek and not take too many notes. I'm already anticipating the "discussions" that will arise over where to sit - I'll want to sit front and center in the front row (former teacher's pet), while JBB will want to be in the back, wisecracking with the other dads. Mom and Dad, we apologize in advance for any notes sent home from the teacher over our behavior. We've got our pencils sharpened and our trapper keepers bought - bring on the blue book tests!

Cookie's furniture, painstaking redone by JBB.
Just waiting for the hardware and they'll be done.

On the baby growing front, things are perking right along. Tomorrow we start 26 weeks; I can't believe I'm in my 3rd trimester! My belly button is pretty much gone, and is going to pop soon, I fear. I can't see my feet without leaning over and searching for them. I find I'm moving a little slower and having a little trouble getting the forward momentum needed to get out of bed. But certainly no complaints - I've heard too many war stories to quibble about a popped belly button or needing a push to get into a sitting position. Knock on wood this last trimester is as uneventful as the first two.

Cookie's crib, generously given to us by a friend.
Just need the mattress and bedding!

The nursery is coming along - Cook's furniture is painted, her fabric for the curtains has been purchased! (polka dots! yay!), and JBB is finishing the windows. We hope to have the nursery done by February. My first baby shower is January 16 at work - I can't wait! I'm so excited for these last 14 weeks. If you haven't already, pop over to the poll on the right side of the page and vote if you think Cookie is a boy or a girl. JBB and I think girl, but most of our family thinks boy. As my very wise dad says, "You've got a 50/50 chance." :)

Happy New Year's a few days early! Wish JBB and I luck as we head back to school!

Happy Holidays with a heavy heart....

This blog is written with a heavy heart as I, like everyone else, try to understand the violence that occurred in Connecticut on Friday. It is simply incomprehensible; as an expectant mother, an aunt to four beautiful little kids, the sister, daughter, and daughter-in-law of 4 educators,  and simply a fellow human being, my heart breaks every time I think about what happened, hear about it on the news, or see a picture of one of the people who lost their lives so senselessly. I don't know what the answer is to prevent another tragedy like this; I certainly think stricter gun control is called for, as is more understanding, discussion, and treatment of mental illness. I pray hard that our country never experiences another event like this, and my child never has to be scared to go to school, the movie theater, or the mall. If I could keep her safe inside of me forever, I happily would.

The sweetest face in my world.

As JBB and I talked this weekend and tried to understand what happened, there were a couple of things that stood out to us. Life is short, and sometimes damned unfair. We don't ever, ever want to regret not saying, "I love you," or look back and think, "I wish I'd have spent more time with my family, or told my friends what they mean to me." We were both raised in families who aren't afraid to say "I love you," and to say it often. My brother, sister, and I are 36, 34, and 32 years old, and I don't think a phone call or face to face meeting has ever occurred between any of the three of us that didn't end with an "I love you." My brother's two older kids, who are 5 and 7, demand a hug and a kiss every time we part, and I happily oblige, smothering them with kisses. JBB and I hope to instill that openness and affection in Cookie - tell the people you love you love them. Don't assume they know it, or are sick of hearing it. Even if you're frustrated with them, or ready to hang up the phone, or your mind is somewhere else. Tell them.

We also talked a lot this weekend about not living in fear and always looking over our shoulders waiting for the next tragedy to occur. That is my instinct as a worrier. I want to draw the shades, lock the doors, and live in a safe bubble in my house. But as JBB reminds me, that is not living. And that would not be fair to our children. We'll be smart, not put ourselves in dangerous situations, and we'll exercise caution, and I'll probably hover too much, but we'll live our lives. We'll still go on vacations, take our kids to the movies, and teach our kids about all of the good that happens in this world. We'll show them through our example how great it feels to help others, and we'll hope they'll carry that spirit through into adult hood.



So nice to see the smiling faces of
family and friend's holiday cards in the mailbox each day.

With that mindset, we continued with our plans for what was supposed to be a very festive, holiday-filled weekend. Friday night I hosted our 4th Annual Girls Holiday party, where myself and nine friends ate too much food and listened to holiday music as we wrapped presents for the girls in need who we "adopted" this season. Everyone was a bit subdued, but after being inundated with such sadness all day it felt really, really good to be actively participating in something good - injecting some positive karma back into the universe, no matter how small. These two little girls, age 7 and 9, will have a heck of a good time unwrapping Christmas presents next Tuesday morning as they open new pink and purple polka dot bedspreads, glittery tops, girly DVDs, new art kits, their own Target gift cards, and a whole arsenal of lip gloss, nail polish, and sparkly picture frames. All topped with pink and purple bows picked out especially for them. My friends have hearts as big as Texas, and I love them.

Cookie and I exchanging gifts with Grampy.
How awesome is that bow?

Saturday, JBB and I made the 25 minute drive to Tipton where we exchanged Christmas presents with my grandpa. For those of you who have never met my grandpa, picture the sweetest man in the world. Then double that sweetness. Now you have an idea of what my grampy is like. Exchanging gifts with him was enough to make my heart happy for the rest of the afternoon. How lucky I am to still not only have my grandpa in my life, but to have him only a 25 minute drive away. And I'm so lucky to have a husband with the patience of a saint who loves to make the trip with me. Family is everything to me, and these visits with my grandpa remind me of that. He and my grandma were married for 69 years, and the love between them was fierce and unflappable. JBB and I should be so lucky.

Sunday was spent with Cookie's "Auntie Jen" who was in town from Chicago - we made a smorgasbord of Christmas cookies, ate too much Pizza Express (we just can't make the switch and call it Hot Box Pizza) and just caught up. I was again reminded of how important it is to make the effort to stay in touch with friends. The older you get the harder it is - jobs get busier, husbands, kids, and life starts to take up more and more time, and it's easy to put off that phone call and say you'll reach out next week. I'm going to redouble my efforts to keep in touch with my friends. They're in my life for a reason, and I don't want to lose them.


Jen and I hard at work icing our masterpieces.

Some updates on Cookie: we had a doctor's appointment last week and it went great! We had a second ultrasound, as Cookie didn't cooperate last time and they weren't able to get a clear shot of all four chambers of the heart. This time they were able to see and capture that image, as well as tell us that Cookie weighs 1 pounds and 10 ounces - 75th percentile! It appears our little shug has long legs and a big belly. Just like her mama, minus the long legs part. :) I'm still feeling great - starting to experience heartburn and moving a little slower, but no complaints! I'm in my 24th week, which means I'm starting my 6th month, which just doesn't seem possible.

I'll end my rambling; I hope this blog didn't sound preachy or sanctimonious. That is not my intent. Happy holidays to everyone; whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or nothing at all this season - tell the people you love you love them; call your college roommate you've been meaning to catch up with for the last 6 months; listen to your grandparent's stories of when they were young, regardless of how many times you've heard them; buy the donuts for the car in line behind you at Dunkin' Donuts. While nothing can ever, ever make up for the weekend's events, maybe we could all do something good to help a stranger, a family member or a friend, in memory of the lives lost.

Happy Birthday to JBB!

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS SAPPY AND CORNY. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. 

Happy birthday to JBB, Happy Birthday to JBB, Happy Birthday dear JBB (and Daddy!), Happy Birthday to you!!

Cookie and I can't put into words (especially Cookie - she can't talk yet...) how much we LOVE JBB/Daddy. (Is it too soon for me to start calling JBB "Daddy?" He likes to call me "Mother" when he wants to get my goat. I told him we've got at least 10 years ahead of us before we start doing that...)

Back story: two and a half years ago, I was pretty sure I'd die alone, maybe with cats (which I really don't like). I'd been on literally dozens of bad blind dates, dabbled in speed dating, and considered the nunnery, but I'm not Catholic and I didn't think the habit would look good with my chubby cheeks. Then ol' JBB kicked things up a notch, and suddenly things were looking brighter. He could have proposed to me on our first date and I would have said "yes!" When you know, you know, and I knew.

Fast forward 2.5 years, and we are married and expecting Cookie. I am truly, truly lucky and try to never forget it.

In honor of JBB's big day, Cookie and I have compiled a Top 10 list of things we love about JBB, aka Blythe, aka the Silver Fox, aka Jake, aka Daddy...

JBB hard at work on the window project.

10.) My new nursery windows! Now Cookie will be warm and cozy while she slumbers. In exchange for the windows, she promises to begin sleeping through the night and changing her own diaper by 6 weeks. She'll be washing her own onsies by 12 months.
9.) That JBB has taken over dinner making duties! Never have I been so happy to walk through the door and see a taco bar laid out, or a fresh pot of spaghetti. Post Cookie, I promise to make dinner 5 nights a week; okay, maybe 4...okay, I'm blatantly lying. I couldn't even finish typing it without laughing.
8.) Speaking of laughing - JBB's laugh! While I don't like the shows Happy Endings or Big Bang Theory, I love listening to him belly laugh from two rooms away while watching those shows. No demure chuckle for JBB - when he laughs, he laughs whole hog. Nothing makes me happier than when something I say or do elicits a guffaw from JBB. I imagine Cookie smiles inside when she hears her daddy laugh so happily.
7.) JBB's calmness and "we'll take care of it" attitude. While I whip myself up into a lather worrying about finding a daycare, a pediatrician, too high blood pressure, ultrasounds and a million other things, he never fails to calm me down, assure me that whatever it is, it will get done, and it will be fine. And, so far, it has always gotten done and it has always been fine.


Umm...hello..this is Patches, this is Patches...

6.) The alter egos, Spotty, Patches and Wizzo - I like to pretend they're for Cookie, but let's be honest, we both know that I'm their intended audience. Their voicemails and daily shenanigans can pull me out of a funk faster than anything.

5.) Cookie really loves Sunday mornings when JBB surprises us with freshly made cinnamon rolls in bed. She does a little dance after that sugary goodness hits her system. (She's wondering what Daddy's doing this Sunday morning?? :)
4.) JBB's handiness around the house - I had no idea, before we embarked on home ownership, how handy JBB is! Need to install a new ceiling fan? No problem! Rewire the sockets and change the plate covers? Piece of cake. Swap out the "fart fan" in the bathroom (his name for it, not mine)...well, still working on that one. 2 out of 3 isn't bad.
3.) Cookie loves her daddy's patience - she knows how badly he wants to feel her kick and dance around, but she's just not quite strong enough yet for JBB to feel it. He'll sit for 10 minutes with his hand on my belly, just hoping to feel one flutter. She says give her about another month, and she'll make it worth the wait.


That is a face that is up to no good...

2.) JBB's ornery side. While I might act exasperated and put out when he scares me so badly coming out of the bathroom at the movie theater that I throw my popcorn in the air, or when he wraps me up into a straight jacket in the comforter and sheets because "I looked cold," or when JBB turns my car seat heater on full blast in 100 degree July weather, I actually really love it. It keeps things fun and keeps me laughing. (Cookie requests that you don't start jumping out of dark corners and scaring her until she's potty-trained.)
1.) And the number one thing Cookie and I love about JBB is, well, JBB. Everything about him. Our little family-to-be, the care he's taking in readying the nursery for Cookie, the twinkle in his eye, the way he meets me in the driveway after work to help carry in the 5 bags I always seem to schlep around, how crazy into Colts games he gets, his "pep talk voicemails" during the month of May, how sweet he is when we visit my grandpa, and a million more things!

Happy birthday JBB!