Rose and Thorn

A friend introduced me and our group of girls to this game many years ago. Every time we get together, we share the "Rose" and "Thorn" of our day (the good and bad). It became a way for us to quickly check in with each other, but also an opportunity to reflect on our own days and how lucky we really all are to be healthy and happy in our day to day lives.

So today, I will share the Rose and Thorn of my weekend:

We'll start with the thorn because I always like to end on a sweet note :)

I received a call from my doctor on Thursday evening that I needed to come into the office on Friday because some labwork came back with abnormalities that were concerning. Of course, I began to read online and slightly panic (I even packed my hospital bag!) and by Friday afternoon when the doctor's appointment arrived, my fears had been realized -- I have been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. This condition is why the doctors have been monitoring my blood pressure so closely. It can be dangerous, but my case is mild as of now. Nevertheless, I have been put on bed rest and have to stop working. Sounds fun, right? I was obviously an emotional wreck on Friday, but lucky for me Candy was coming in town anyway and she and Allie arrived Friday evening with some good humor, Mexican food and a lot of love. By Saturday morning, I felt I had processed the information and was feeling a lot better emotionally. So, while my thorn certainly hurt this weekend, it's not the end of the world, and my focus now is on keeping this little guy cooking as long as I can!


Without a doubt, the Rose of my weekend was the most perfect Baby Shower that my sisters, Adrienne and Sara hosted for me yesterday. My doctor gave me the okay to attend the shower given I stay seated, and let me tell you, my sisters barely let me scratch my foot without their help. The shower couldn't have come at a better time. Unlike a typical Baby Shower, this one was a "Pamper the Mom" shower and we got manicures and chair massages and everyone showed up in their comfy spa clothes. It was a day of pampering, friends and relaxation... truly everything I needed. Thank you to my wonderful hostesses for making me feel so special and loved.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Me with all the hostesses!

The beautiful spa flowers and yummy grub!

Everyone decorated bibs and onesies!

They also wrote funny messages on diapers!

We had a very special visitor

Two preggos

Proof for Rick that I was seated the whole time! :)

And for a little silver lining: at least I have plenty of time on my hands to write thank you notes, right?