Baby Showers!

Since I don't have much about the progress of the baby to update this week, I thought I'd share about the baby showers my family, friends and colleagues have thrown me!! I've been very blessed with some very wonderful people in my life, and through the course of my pregnancy I've had three amazing showers! 

The first was in the Bay Area on a visit there in July, thrown by my sister-in-law Masha and my friend Karen. I posted about it a bit here. It was a mini-shower at a cute bistro and I received some seriously adorable clothes, which was perfect for being able to pack in my suitcase! 

My second shower was thrown by my sister and mom and some of my friends from church. Looking back at my posts, I just realized I never really posted about it! I think I was waiting until after I scanned pictures in, but unfortunately I still haven't gotten around to doing that. But it was an incredible shower. The theme was "Once Upon a Time" and was at a very nice Italian restaurant here in Chicago.

A lot of my family came in from Michigan and Wisconsin, which was incredible, and most of my friends from church were also there. It was so fantastic to see so much of my family come in from out of town! Even my Great Aunt Lorraine came, and being over 90 that's no small thing. There were some really cute games- my sister made a "design a onesie" station where people could decorate onesies with fabric paint and iron-on transfers, there was a "guess the belly size" game where people had to guess how big around I was, and a contest for making a baby out of play-dough. My mom and sister made sure there were prizes for all of the guests to take home and my friend Gaby had these really cute "honey spoons" and tea bags to take home as favors. The food was incredible and my cousin Kristy made a cake that looked like a book- The Hobbit of course! I received some incredible and much needed gifts, including a TON of clothes, books and necessary nursery items like crib sheets, a thermometer, burp cloths, a health kit, etc. It's amazing how exciting things like sheets become when they're intended for your baby! 

My third and final shower was today, thrown at work by my colleagues at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. My friends Yvette and Janet put it all together, and it turned out to be fantastic! Yvette came up with the theme of "Candyland. " Yes, that's a topiary ball made out of dum-dums!

I think it's pretty traditional when someone gets pregnant in the chorus to pool together for a big ticket item. This time, everyone pooled together and they gave me gift cards for my registry on Amazon, which I'll be using to get some much needed items!! I am also extraordinarily lucky to work with some very talented people- and not just with singing! I received a few other gifts from individuals as well, including this handmade quilt by my friend Liz, adorable bibs by my friend David, and a knit blanket and knit rattles made my friend Lynn! 

And my friend Ken made this incredible "Candyland" themed cake- Amazing!

All in all, I can not be more grateful for the people I have in my life. You are all so incredibly warm-hearted and generous, and it makes me so happy to know that I am bringing a child into a world full of such thoughtful and kind people. So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!!

6 weeks left!

Just a short update after that awesome guest post last week. :) Baby is doing well and all of my check-ups thus far have been right on target. My next one (in two weeks) I'll get to have another ultrasound so we can measure him and see how he's developing! I can't wait to see this little man. Supposedly he's currently about the size of a honeydew melon and he sure feels like it! He's now at a point of kicking, punching and elbowing me non-stop. I may be uncomfortable a lot, but I'm certainly happy to know he's doing well in there! Here's a belly shot for anyone who's interested in seeing how huge I am:

And I've still got six weeks to go! Right now it just feels like I'm playing the waiting game, because his room is pretty much done and I don't have too much left to prepare. I start my maternity leave November 10th, and I plan on using that time to hopefully prepare some freezer meals in advance, get the car seat and hospital bags put in the car "just in case!" and to re-read some of the books I read earlier in the pregnancy. We also have a few pregnancy classes scheduled for the next couple of weeks, which Philip will be going with me to. :) And my mom is even going to a grandparent's class to freshen up her baby skills! It has been about 30 years since she's taken care of a newborn, but I'm pretty confident in her abilities. She's even been proactive about making sure she got the Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, diptheria and pertussis or whooping cough) especially since there has been an outbreak of whooping cough recently, and newborns are extremely susceptible to it.

So from now until November 10th it's performing Simon Boccanegra and Elektra and lying around a lot, and from then on it's a few little errands and more lying around until the little man comes and creates an entirely different life for us.  I can't wait!

Guest Post!!!

Hi, friends!  Philip here for a “guest” update!  I’m not much of a blogger, so I’ll go stream of consciousness, okay?

You know what would be an easy topic to start with?  The Hobbit.  I believe Marie has already told you (gentle reader) how I have been reading this book — tied for Greatest Book In The World — to her and the baby before bed.  And how the baby LOVES it!

See?  What’s not to like about this baby business?  Can you imagine, when the baby is born, all the stories we shall tell and the games we shall play?

I want you to see the AWESOMENESS that is the baby’s room.  It’s hobbit-themed, of course.  Yellow and green are the dominant colors.  Marie gets the most credit for the decoration.  Check it out:

The single best part is that Penny (Marie’s sister) painted some incredible reproductions of some of Tolkien’s art from The Hobbit.  These photos give you an idea of how great these look in the room, but they can not quite convey just how stunning they are in person.  I can say without wavering that these are now my most prized possession — I would rescue these from a burning building before my War of the Ring Collector’s Edition or Dungeons & Dragons White Box (but after the wife and baby and cat)!

So, thanks, Penny!  You’re the best!

Marie, though, is also the best, because, as I said, she did EVERYTHING else in the room.  Like, personally sewed it, and stuff.  She even made the Dwarf-rune ABCs!  How did I ever deserve such an amazing girl?

Anyway, we are now done with The Hobbit and on to The Book of Lost Tales — unsurprisingly, also tied for Greatest Book In The World.

What else?  Well, I joined a gym, because I want to be the most energetic papa ever.  Actually, I need the energy already, just to get through the day.  Poor Marie has such a hard time getting up, so she often has me go fetch things for her.  And the dishes aren’t going to wash themselves.  So anyway, I have a buddy that I have to drive to and from the gym at set times — 5 times a week, actually — which keeps me accountable.  So far I’ve only had to cancel about once per week.  Not bad!  But I weighed myself, and I have gained 9 pounds since I joined.  All muscle, of course, but, come on!  Luckily, Marie is glad I’m still heavier (much heavier) than she is, so, I guess that’s okay!

She really looks amazing, and is so brave to go to rehearsal all the time when she’s got such a great burden.  You can now see the baby pushing against the edges, creating a lopsided belly, and feel him kicking REAL hard!  It’s pretty crazy how close he is to being fully present with us, and yet so far away.

We had a scare about a week ago.  We were stopped at a light, when BAM, we got rear-ended.  For Marie, this was the second time in one week.  Of course we rushed to the hospital to monitor the baby’s heart-rate and Marie’s contractions.  Turns out everything is fine — thank God!  And our car, rear-ended three times in as many months, barely has a scratch!  While the cars that hit it are smashed up real good.  Gotta love Ford SUVs!  But, seriously, people, stop running into us, KTHX.

That’s enough for today, friends!  We ask your prayers for our baby as we enter the home stretch, the final two months (or less) of Marie’s pregnancy.  Holy Father Tikhon pray to God for us!