Baby Shower and More!

Last Saturday was my baby shower and it was fabulous! Thank you so much to my mom, Meghan, and Gladie for everything they did to make this wonderful shower and thank you to everyone who came and got to share it with us. Ryan and I have wonderful family and friends and you all have made this experience so rewarding for us.

We had the shower at the clubhouse in my neighborhood and it was perfect. It was very nice and relaxed and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves. We got so many adorable outfits that are all washed and ready for Baby Smith to wear. Ryan was in super dad mode Saturday night and did an amazing job of putting away all of the gifts and building everything. It's so strange to walk into the family room and see the pack and play, swing, and bouncy seat all set up. The bassinet is ready to go in our bedroom, and the nursery looks adorable. Now we just need the baby to put in all of it!

I have selected a few pictures from the shower to put up. I had to be selfish and only put up the ones where I look the least whaleish!

Grandma Suzie

Decorations by Aunt Meghan

This blanket was made with my wedding dress train. I love it!

Gift display table

Cupcakes! They were delicious!

Me and Great Grandma Pat

Me and Aunt Meghan

Our stroller etc.

Carrie, Me, and Aunt Meghan

Kellie, Me, and Aunt Meghan

Sunday morning we got up bright and early to head to Denise's bridal shower. Ryan won the husband award and drove me to the shower and stayed for the whole thing! It was a surprise for Denise and she definitely wasn't expecting it because the wedding isn't until December! We had a great time, but were definitely exhausted by Sunday night.

Things didn't slow down at all on Monday. We went to the doctor's and she said everything is looking great. I'm measuring 33 cm which is exactly where I should be. We go back in 2 weeks and after that it's every week. The baby really likes to push on my stomach now. I'm trying to figure out what body parts are pushing but I can't tell! After the doctor's we pre-registered at the hospital and then headed to Lamaze class. Only 2 more classes to go!

Tuesday night I got some more baby practice in when I babysat Madelyn. Ryan opted to go to the movies with Uncle Jesse instead of helping me out. Madelyn was great as usual! The only hard part came when it was time to put her in her crib. Her mattress is all the way at the bottom now and with the new cribs the sides don't slide up and down, so I had to figure out how to get Madelyn all the way to the bottom with my big belly in the way! It took a few tries, but we finally got it!

Wednesday was a shopping filled day. Jen was kind enough to take me to Babies R' Us and help me get a few things that we still needed for the baby. We spent quite a few hours there and did a lot of damage, but now we are really all set for Baby Smith to get here! Ryan had his payback Wednesday night for not helping me babysit. I made him come to breastfeeding class with me! It really wasn't so bad. The instructor answered a lot of questions about positioning the baby, our diets and exercise, and what to expect while we're breastfeeding. She made it sound easier than I think it really is.

Hopefully we'll get to rest this weekend since we've been so busy lately! I've started playing the Dog Meets Baby CD for Bailey. Sometimes she ignores it, sometimes she barks at it, and sometimes she looks at me as if saying make that thing shut up! Whenever we are in the nursery she starts to show off and go crazy. For the first time ever she grabbed a pair of the baby's socks and took off down the hall with them. That is not going to work for us! Hopefully she won't be so bad once the baby is here...

Dad's Retirement Party and Lamaze

Dad's party was a huge success! Everyone had a fabulous time despite the fact that it was about 100 degrees in the house. For the first time in months I wasn't the only one dying of heat. About 95 people came to the party which kept the house packed all night. We got to see a lot of friends and family that we haven't seen in a long time. Here are a few pics from the party.

My mom's tennis friends decided to give a tribute to Saudi.

Obviously Ryan had a good time! He passed out just in time to clean up.

We had our second Lamaze class on Monday. We got to take a tour of the labor & delivery floor, post partum floor, and the nursery. There was only one tiny little baby in the nursery when we went by, but it was adorable! It was great to walk through the hospital and see where everything is. I'm not worried anymore about getting lost on the way in. Only downfall of the tour...we got stuck in the elevators!!! There are 8 couples in our class, so we all got in 1 elevator, that's 8 preggos, 8 husbands, and our instructor. Next thing we know, we arrive at our floor and the doors won't open! We were stuck in the elevator for about 10 minutes and it was probably about 95 degrees in there. You could see some panic on some of the preggos' faces, but all in all it wasn't too bad. After they used the jaws of life to pry the doors open we split up and only let 3 couples in the elevator at a time. Much better!

32 Weeks

We have hit the 32 week mark - another month down! This has been a very busy week. Monday night was our first Lamaze class at the hospital. Our instructor, Miriam, is a very nice Australian lady. Ryan likes her because she calls of the husbands "sweetheart" and "darling". She has given very good advice to them about massages! We watched a video of a woman giving birth (saw the placenta and all - don't think I'll be looking at my placenta after!). We also practiced having a contraction and breathing through it. Ryan did a great job massaging my shoulders while I was breathing. We have 4 more classes on Monday nights. Next week we get a tour or the labor and delivery wing. I can't wait to see what it's all like.

We had our next visit to the doctor on Tuesday and everything is progressing great. The heartbeat is so clear and strong. It's amazing thinking about the difference in just a few weeks. Tuesday night we took an Infant Care Class. This was really helpful because the instructor literally went over everything you need to know to get through the first 2 weeks after having the baby. Now we just need to remember it! Ryan did a great job holding the baby in the class (he only held it because it was a doll - we know he doesn't like to help real babies, until it's his own of course). We found out a lot of great tips and we also found out we need to delete some things from our registries because it turns out we don't actually need them...oops!

While Ryan was at Volleyball Wednesday night I headed into Hoboken with Amy and met up with Aunt Meghan and Amy's friend Kristin. We walked around, shopped, and went out for dinner. We all had a blast and can't wait to do it again!

Saturday morning we are heading to West Chester for my dad's retirement party. Hopefully everyone will survive the heat and humidity and have a great time!

Here's the next progression picture. I had to re-post the 4 week picture also because even though I'm living it, I can't believe how much my body has changed in 8 months!

2nd Week of Vacation

Well we made it back home from vacation. Ryan and Meghan left before the rest of the family because they had to get back for this thing called work. So they left on Monday and took Bailey with them. She definitely enjoyed her first trip to the beach, but she could have done without the water! The second week was kind of uneventful. On Monday we had to take a trip down south to go to WalMart to get Grandpa a new Ipod because he decided to go swimming with his on the first day of vacation. Tuesday was gorgeous and we sat on the beach all day. Wednesday and Thursday were cloudy, so we decided to head h0me on Thursday instead of Friday. It also didn't help that I woke up Thursday morning with pink eye! No clue how I got it which is kind of gross. Luckily my doctor was able to call in a prescription for me and it was ready and waiting when I got to West Chester Thursday evening. I spent Thursday and Friday night with my parents and took the train home on Saturday. It was nice to spend an extra day in West Chester shopping and going out to eat!

Ryan managed to keep himself busy and fed while I was gone. For our anniversary I gave him tickets to the Mets game Tuesday night, so he and Mike Lab went to the game. Wednesday he had his weekly volleyball game. Thursday Mike came over for some more male bonding and Friday night packed up Bailey, dropped Jay off at the airport, and spent the night at Mike's in Newark since he had to pick me up at the train station Saturday morning. Best of all, he made plans to install our fans!!! On Sunday our neighbor, Jason, came over and installed the fans in our bedroom and the family room. I am soooooooo happy they are up and I can be nice and cool now!

After I got home on Saturday there was time for a quick nap and then we headed to Madelyn's first birthday party. Happy birthday Madelyn!! I can't believe you're already a year old. It really flew by. We had a great time at the party. After we left Ryan said it was a good thing I was already pregnant because I wouldn't be after being around all those kids all day! Ahh a taste of the future... :)

Here are some pics from the vacation.

Jon & Kate plus 8's house. Never did get a glimpse of the kids....

First Week in OBX

We have made it through our first week in the Outer Banks and it has been fabulous! It started off a little rocky when our house wasn't ready on time and we had to kill about 3 hours in the heat with Bailey, but once we got in, it has been great. The weather has been wonderful, not a drop of rain yet, and we have been enjoying our days on the beach. Bailey has ventured onto the beach a few times and loves it! She hates the water but loves chasing the sand crabs and visiting other families to say hello. I have been sitting under the umbrella everyday so I don't get yelled at by the doctor! We have eaten out at tons of great restaurants and been chefs of our own here at the house complete with a Mexican fiesta which started off with family beer pong. Ryan didn't appreciate being my partner when he had to drink all the beer! I'll be able to put up some pics when I get home on the 12th. Ryan and Meghan leave on Monday to head back to work while I enjoy another week here with my parents and brother.

Highlight of the vacation so far has definitely been seeing Jon and Kate Plus 8 - one of my favorite shows on TLC! Ryan and I were at the gym Monday morning and Ryan spotted Jon, the dad, working out. Since then we scoped out their house they are renting hoping to get a glimpse of the kids, but unfortunately they don't come out very often! I saw Jon at the gym again and got up the nerve to talk to him. He told me this is their first time vacationing here and they have been enjoying it. He even said it's much better than Wildwood, NJ! I haven't seen him since our conversation, but today I saw Kate at the gym. She was sooooo unfriendly and even lied to me about who she was! I was very disappointed but will continue watching the show because the kids are adorable. They may be leaving this weekend to go back home, but I'll keep my eyes out to see if I can catch a glimpse of the kids before they leave for good.

Unfortunately today we are missing Miss Nola's first birthday. Nola - we wish we could be at your party. Happy birthday!!!! Enjoy your first cupcake! :)