We had a baby!

M A S O N   C H R I S T O P H E R    B L A C K E R 

came to us on Friday, April 26th at 2:04 PM

six pounds, thirteen ounces, nineteen inches

This pic was taken today - can't believe he's almost a week old. 

Hopefully I will be back soon with the birth story.

Right now, I choose a rare full hour of sleep.

{he's here!}

Baby Shower!

My friends here in Ohio threw me the sweetest, cutest, most darling baby shower a girl could dream of. You know those Pinterest baby shower ideas that you see that look like they are out of a magazine? Yah, it was just like that.  Every detail was perfect and I really felt so special. Not only was the party beautiful but the people there made it great. Living in Ohio the last four years, my friends became my family. These girls are the absolute best. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who came to celebrate. Even my sister&nieces and my good friend from college made the 2 hour+ drive to be there.

Here are some pictures of the day - taken by my talented friend Mary Clark! The theme was vintage circus!

^These are the girls behind all the magic. So lucky to know them. Mary, Emily, & Kass, I Love You!!

^the dental school group. Our husbands go to school together...but, not for much longer :)

^My friends are the cutest ever. This picture is classic.

And just when you thought it couldn't get any cooler -- there was a photo booth! YES!

^ some of my very favorite girls

^ my family :)

^My nieces and my old college roommate, Sarah!

And I had to end with this crazy shot of my amazed (& very pregnant) face. This sums up how I felt the whole day -- so grateful and hardly believing that all of this was for me and this baby boy! 

{Best. Day. Ever.}

10 again

1. Our car seat came so we can officially take the baby home from the hospital! After lots of research and asking advice, we decided on the "chicco key-fit 30". I am excited to see our little man in it soon.  For now, the monkey is enjoying it.

2. I am e x p a n d i n g and I can feel it (33 weeks now). Shopping for clothes has lost all of its appeal.  The fashion options are dwindling...stretchy skirts are my best friend these days.  And let's not pretend, pajamas are pretty much the norm.

3. See all that mess behind me in the photo above? I am trying to take small bites out of our house so when moving day comes, we will be less stressed (hopefully). Emphasis on the words "small bites" because I am a lot slower now and need to take frequent breaks so my body doesn't yell at me.

4.   I passed the 2nd glucose screening with flying colors. YES. And, since then, I may have eaten 2 whole boxes of thin mint girl scout cookies. by myself.  Love supporting those girl scouts!

5. Chris has spring break this week. We will not be romping on the beach like many of our facebook friends (ahem, thanks for the rub-in guys). This year, Chris is interviewing for jobs and taking another section of the dental board exams. Sounds fun, eh?  That's ok, we will make up for it this summer...

6. Speaking of, I cannot wait for this summer... when the tests have been taken, the baby is here, and the packing up house is over.  We get to go visit family, eat at CAFE RIO (the one pregnancy craving I haven't been able to get out of my head), and feel the dry heat on our faces. Just a few more months!

7.  I have been watching "a baby story" on TLC while packing the house. I'm not sure if it is a good idea or not...I am a little a lot nervous about this whole labor business coming soon. ahh!

8. We aren't sure just yet where we are moving. We do know it will be back west. We say lots of prayers that the right job will come our way. And, we are doing our part to make that happen over here.  Hopefully we will find something that feels right and can share the good news soon. I am excited for a new adventure and new scenery. Also, very sad to leave our beloved Cleveland friends.

9. Baby boy is still pretty active - especially at night. He likes to kick me in the pelvis and the bladder. It is awesome. haha. I haven't felt the rib kicks everyone talks about -- I think I am carrying him pretty low so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

10. I've been slacking on the blogging front and taking out my fancy camera. I just don't have the motivation lately. I'm sure you will be very annoyed with the frequent baby posts soon.   Thanks for hanging in there with me though! I love my readers... like, a lot.


{update}

three zero

B I R T H D A Y   G I R L
I turned the big 3-0 over the weekend.
How did this happen?
When I was a kid I thought 30 was soooo old.
But, I still feel like a wee babe.
My dad tells me that feeling never goes away...
So, here's to pretending I am a mature woman now or something like that.
We celebrated with food and some outlet shopping.
I bought myself a blue polka-dot cardigan and it was on clearance! score!
I also got some really sweet cards in the mail and fun messages from friends.
It was a good one.

P R E G N A N C Y   U P D A T E
I am almost 30 weeks now (ok, 29 and one half).
I can no longer wear my wedding ring - my chubby fingers say so.
My belly button now shows through my shirts which is attractive. (insert sarcasm here)
Sometimes I forget I am pregnant and then I stand up and the body aches remind me.
Despite lots of praying and crossing of fingers, I did fail my 1-hour glucose test.
I am hoping to take the 3-hour test this week, and pass! (pretty please?)
What can I say, this baby loves chocolate. I think that is officially my pregnancy craving.
Baby boy kicks and punches me all night long. It is a cool feeling.
It is pretty obvious that I am "with child" now and people are noticing.
I get a kick out of their various stories and advice, even if it isn't always positive.
We are still unsure about a name (I have a long list but nothing quite clicks yet).
I hope baby boy knows we can't wait to meet him.

{who, me?}