This Zen Thing is Working!

This weekend has been blissful. A combination of getting things done, pampering and celebrating. On Friday night, I got to help celebrate this young lady with an impromptu pseudo-bachelorette dinner:

I love those nights when the girls can just get together to eat, drink and be merry. No drama, no chaos... just smiles and laughter filling up a room. We had a blast celebrating Taylor's last weekend of singlehood... and next weekend we'll celebrate her as a beautiful bride!

Then Saturday came. Oh Saturday, how I love thee. The day started early with a wake up call from our new cleaning lady who came to make all my dreams come true. I swear my blood pressure dropped by the hour that she was here. She cleaned every crevice I've been trying to reach for the last couple months but wasn't able to. She put my house back in order, and I am oh-so-grateful to have her in my life!

After running a few hours worth of errands Allie and I met up for a spa afternoon at my new favorite place in Chicago. Seriously it's a mecca, and if you haven't been... you need to go. It was by far the best massage I've ever had... and I've had my share of massages! The table had a hole cut out so I could lay on my stomach which felt so good! Haven't done that in months. We left there feeling like Jell-o and then met up for dinner and a movie later on in the evening. It was a great evening of sister time and a decent chick flick that made Allie weep. Yup, that's right... I said Allie, not me! Do I get a gold star for making it through a movie without crying!?

Today has also started early (thanks, Maizey) but I have a list of items that need to be checked off. Hope your weekend has been just as heavenly :)

Pregnancy Positives

The more and more I talk to pregnant women and read message boards, the more I've come to realize that one of the unspoken symptoms of pregnancy is complaining! If it's not about peeing every hour, it's about swollen ankles or dry skin. If it's not about husbands who don't understand what it feels like to carry a person around all day it's about the woman at the grocery store who rudely stared at the big belly. While I'm sure I do plenty of my own complaining, I think it's important to also recognize the "plus" side of being 20+ pounds heavier, moodier than ever, and generally uncomfortable. So here's my take on the top ten reasons I'm enjoying pregnancy (other than the obvious one that I'm creating a life, yada yada yada):

10. I get to wear spandex as much as I want without feeling too casual or inappropriate.

9. I don't need pedicures as often because I can't see my feet anyway.

8. I can eat ice cream for dinner without feeling guilty.

7. My house seems to be cleaner because I get wiffs of every piece of dirt and dust with my superhuman sense of smell.

6. Rick gives really good back rubs and foot rubs.

5. People let me cut in line at the port-a-potty line while tailgaiting.

4. The look on Rick's face when he gets to feel the baby move. Melts my heart. Every time.

3. I've made new friends because we have something in common that no one else can quite understand until they experience it themselves.

2. I get spoiled with goodies like these:

Yes, Allie brought back a bag-o-Canadianess from her trip to Montreal last weekend. Kraft Dinner, Felix and Norton cookies and maple sugar candies!


1. But the number one reason I have enjoyed being pregnant so far is that I have quickly learned in the last 8 months that the little things in life just don't matter as much anymore. Growing a person really puts life in perspective, and I feel the most grounded and centered right now than I ever have. The stresses of teaching aren't so stressful, and people's comments and judgments don't seem to bring me to tears (though scenes from My Best Friend's Wedding still do). I can only hope that this feeling doesn't wither away once Baby M makes his arrival. Now, my waistline... that's a different story.

An Update

Well, in a few days I will be 30 weeks pregnant. 30 weeks! That means 10 weeks until D-day... which is so hard to believe! Baby M is doing great... he's a real trooper and is incredibly active. I think we have a star athlete on our hands.

At my last doctor's visit, my doctor was a bit concerned about my blood pressure being elevated. I've been monitoring it for a week, and went to see the doc yesterday. Because it's still elevated (though not so high that it's harmful to the baby at this point)... they want to keep a close on eye on us. My doctor is great... of course I was a nervous wreck (which doesn't help my blood pressure!) but she assured me that at this point it's nothing to panic about, and she ordered me to drink more water, eat less sodium and take it easy.  I am scheduled to go into the doc's office more often over the next 10 weeks for monitoring and ultrasounds just to be on the safe side, which means we get to see the little nugget a couple more times on a screen before we meet him face to face. There's always a silver lining, right?


As you would imagine, my husband has been an amazing source of comfort and calm. His brilliant ideas to bring down my BP: He called a cleaning lady and bought me a prenatal massage. A man after my own heart.

And some exciting baby news.... the crib bedding arrived today and I got a phone call that the nursery furniture has all arrived. It will be delivered in two weeks!

So, the Mathews house has officially been declared a sanctuary of calm and peace. Only those willing to contribute to our zen-like environment are welcome. Though, there is someone whose on thin ice with the Zen Police... because coming home to this every afternoon isn't helping my blood pressure much:

Maizey's going through some phase right now that we can't seem to kick. It's too bad she's so darn cute.

Go Blue!

Football season is here! Which means a few things... namely, the Mathewses are booked on Saturdays and Sundays (and Monday nights and Thursday nights when games are on). Fantasy football has started, our Michigan wear has come out of storage, and Maizey's been showing off her Michigan collar with pride!

This weekend, we headed up to Ann Arbor for our one and only live game of the season. We headed up early Friday to spend some time with Lynne and Jim, and while we were at the Rehabilitation Center where Jim is staying, we heard a rumor that Lloyd Carr (former Michigan football coach for those of you who sadly don't know who he is) was visiting a patient. We immediately went on a hunt and low and behold Rick struck up a conversation with him and he was genuinely so nice. He was asking Rick about his major in college, his job and the real estate market in Chicago. I got a quick snapshot of them. Lynne was just as in awe as Rick, and we aren't sure who the random dude in the picture is:

On Saturday morning, we headed out to our tailgate spot (at 10 am mind you... for an 8 pm game). We met some friends to tailgate, and Ash stopped by with her "friend". Fun was had by all despite the rainy and muggy weather, and I even tried to take a quick cat nap in the car to regain some energy. I sipped on my apple cider while the others guzzled their beers.

Unfortunately, Baby Mathews had other plans for the evening and I was not feeling well at all by the time halftime rolled around. For the first time since I was a freshman in college, I had to leave the game early. Though I missed what was probably the most exciting ending to a game in Michigan history, I made it back to the hotel in time to be able to at least catch it on TV.

Rick's voice is gone, we both have a little red on our noses from the splash of sun that peaked through the sky, and we have some Zingerman's candy bars to remind us of Baby M's first Michigan football game.

Belated Birthday PIctures Post

Rick's birthday lasted a few days (a la Voticky style!) this year and I only managed to snap a few pics. Nevertheless, thought I'd share them!

Opening cards and presents...

Trying out his new Diaper Dude (thanks Fancy!)

Blowing out the birthday candles...

My first attempt at an ice cream cake! (Thanks Lynne for the awesome recipe!)

And around here lately, school has started and football season is about to begin. The hustle and bustle of the school year coupled with the anticipation of a new Michigan football season has this house buzzing. Pardon me for taking a little blogging hiatus for the next week or so... but I'll be back with baby updates galore as we enter the third trimester and final stretch next week!

Happy Birthday, Ricky!

Today is a special day. Today we celebrate the most handsome, loving, and genuine man I know.

Today we'll feast on a special dinner, eat some cake and make wishes for the year to come.


My wish for you this year, Rick, is that every dream you have had about being a dad becomes a reality. I wish for you that the joys of parenting outweigh the frustrations, and that the hope and excitement you feel right now waiting for the little bean to arrive stays with you forever. I hope you remember each day how loved and special you are. You are a true gem. May you feel extra sparkly today...and every day.

 

And of course, one of the greatest things about Rick is that he's a twin! Happy Birthday, Lori... hope you are "rocking it" today, too! 

Austin Fun and a Sneak Peek!

What a weekend we had in Austin! Adrienne and I flew down on Thursday evening ready to enjoy our last weekend of Summer, celebrate Baby M, and frolic around Austin with Mom and Ashley. We also partook in a food marathon as expected when visiting Austin. We started with a visit to Thundercloud on Friday, which has been preciously renamed by Ms. West as Torpedocloud.

We then took a drive down 6th Street in search of a hot sauce restaurant I had heard of called Tears of Joy. For those who like hot sauce, this place is a mecca. There was every type of hot sauce you could imagine and some you wouldn't believe existed! We left with some loot in hand and headed home to get our swim on!

The main event took place on Saturday, and I really don't have enough words (or pictures... thanks to Maizey who ate my camera today!!) to describe the lengths Fancy went to in order to make me and her guests feel so special. The house was drenched in blue, and the attention to detail was beyond anything I had seen. Here are the few pictures I do have (on top of Maizey thinking my camera was her breakfast, my phone also broke this weekend and upon updating it last night, I lost many pictures).

The dessert table and infamous diaper cake!

Little onesie cakes!

Auntie Ashley loves her nephew

Awkwardly opening presents

Some more awkwardness

 

 Everyone left with a coffee mug and mini-coffee beans that said "Baby is Brewing." Doesn't get much cuter!

Mom, thank you for hosting such a love-filled, over-the-top celebration. It was so much fun to be able to mingle with friends, gush about baby boys and eat our hearts out. You truly have a gift when it comes to entertaining and you hit this one out of the park!



Today, I had a doctor's appointment for a study I am participating in and they performed a 3D ultrasound. I got a little sneak peek at the little guy, and found out he is still a boy (phew!) and weighs exactly 2 pounds, which puts him at the 66% right now. I can't decide if the 3D pictures are creepy or cool, so you decide!