Who Done It?

A package arrived in the mail on Saturday for Baby.  It was full of all kinds of fun things (a bathing suit, a stuffed animal, some sippy cups, a bank, and a couple burp cloths).  It was such a nice surprise and everything in the box is super cute! 

Unfortunately, we have no idea where it came from?  We would like to thank the people who gave this to us, but we don't know who you are.  Please let us know if you sent us this box of goodies so you can be properly appreciated!

Abracadabra!

Yesterday, I celebrated the first anniversary of my twenty-ninth birthday (you do the math).  As per our annual tradition, when I woke up on my birthday, Dave came in with all of my birthday cards and presents that had been arriving all week and I stay in bed while I open them.  He then ran out and got me a greasy breakfast from Bojangles.  I really feel sorry for Dave when it comes to my birthday.  He does such a wonderful job of spoiling me on a daily basis that when it comes time for my birthday he really has to up his game for it to be different from any other day.  Everyday feels like my birthday...but Dave certainly does not disappoint when it comes to the big day.

For the past few years, I've been telling Dave how I really want to get a magician for my birthday.  This year, Dave decided it was time to have a birthday party complete with magician.  Tonight, about thirty of our friends came over the house for some snacks, drinks and birthday cake (of course) to celebrate the first anniversary of my twenty-ninth birthday.  Dave sent out the invitation telling everyone that there would be a magician coming but many of our friends did not believe him.

David the Magician did a great job of entertaining everyone and used a lot of the guests as his own personal assistants.

This is when Rascal, the RAT, decided to join the show.  I nearly died!

Tania was called up to help with one of the tricks...she looks pretty excited.

I'm not sure where this trick was going.  David the Magician was talking about desserts and then there was a bunny.

Einstein, the monkey, is super smart and cute.

Einstein liked the mole on Dave's neck and decided to investigate.

Rascal decided to sit on my head and eat a Cheerio. I was a little scared.

Since I let Rascal sit on my head, I was allowed to hold, Twilight, the bunny...so soft!

My boyfriend, Marcus, was able to make it!!!

Getting ready to blow out the candles.

Thanks to everyone who helped me ring in my new year!  May this one be my best yet!!!

She's Crafty

With all of the extra time on my hands lately, I've decided to get a little crafty.  Growing up, I had the greatest Christmas stocking ever.  My great-aunt Margaret made stockings for my whole family...but I had the best one!  My mom, dad, sister and brother all had stockings that Margaret had knitted and they were pretty cute.  I had a stocking that Margaret had needlepointed and it was BEAUTIFUL!  I want my little family to have personalized stockings that will be as treasured as my little stocking has been. 

I have purchased a needlepoint kit so that I can make a stocking.  I have high hopes of making 3 by Christmas but if I only get one done this year, that's okay, too. 

Everything that came in the kit

The kit came with everything I will need: thread/yarn, needles, canvas, directions and I think there was a big helping on patience in there as well.  I watched a few YouTube videos on how to needlepoint and I showed my kit to my friend, Crafty Sue, and I feel like I will be able to do this.

A closer view of what the end product should look like.  I will add Baby's name once we have decided on it.

Holy Heartburn!

As most of you know (and many of you loathe), I haven't really experienced too many "typical" pregnancy symptoms--with the exception of my current situation where it feels like Baby could fall out at any moment (what led to my need for bedrest).  That changed last night when I had my first bout of heartburn....ever in my life!  It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't the most awesome thing I have ever experienced.  I found some tums and took a couple of those and after a while the burning subsided.  I haven't had any heartburn today...so maybe it was just a one-off kind of thing!

This morning, Anne (my fifth grade teacher) came by for a visit.  She hasn't seen our new house yet and I got to show her around before we sat down and gabbed about everything in our lives.  It is so wonderful to have her back in my life after 20 years.  We really have become such good friends and I love that she lives so close by!

I'm currently up in Dave's office (he's out of town) while the upholstery is being cleaned.  If you remember, a good friend of mine gave me a chair for the nursery a while back and I decided to get it cleaned.  About a month ago, I got a coupon in the mail where I could have 4 pieces of furniture cleaned for about $150.  I figured we could get the couch, chair, ottoman and nursery chair cleaned-so I called and made an appointment.  The first available appointment was yesterday.  I took the appointment (even though I'm such an instant gratification person) and eagerly awaited the big day o' cleaning.  Well, yesterday morning the guy called and said his machine didn't work and he couldn't come.  I was pissed off...to say the least!  So I called around and found a guy that could come out today.  He has already done the nursery chair and is currently downstairs working on the couch, chair and ottoman.  I can't wait to see how everything turns out.

Sleep Interupted by Naps

We had a very long day on Saturday.  Dave and I got up at 5 o'clock to head down to the Women's Distance Festival 5k downtown.  I'm the Volunteer Coordinator for North Carolina Roadrunners Club and had coordinated all of the volunteers for this race.  We loaded up my chair and got down there around 6 to make sure everything went off without a hitch.  I sat the whole time and signed in the volunteers and answered questions while Dave was in charge of the finish line.  We had a great time and everyone seemed to enjoy the race. 

When we got home, we bathed and got dressed for Pa's funeral service at Springmoor.  Although, the funeral service was very sad, a wonderful tribute was paid to Pa.  I would never have imagined so many people would have shown up for a nearly 96 year old man.  We had originally planned on having the service in the chapel at Springmoor but decided to move it to the auditorium due to the number of people attending.  Many people got up and spoke at the service and all had wonderful things to say about Pa.  The obituary had said that Pa had "4 1/2 great-grandchildren; Tripp, Delaney, Madison, Dylan and TBD."  I guess a lot of people had read the obituary, because everyone was coming up to me asking if I had the 1/2 great-grandchild or if I was carrying TBD.  I refrained from saying, "No, I just had a big lunch. What, are you calling me fat?".  It was great to see so many family and friends-but it was sad that we had to do it under those circumstances.

That evening, after I took yet another shower, we went over to a friend's house and hung out for a while.  I quickly perched myself on the couch since that is what I would be doing if I were at home.  It was good to be around so many people on Saturday.  It really helped to get my mind off of things.

I clearly did too much on Saturday because I slept nearly all of Sunday.  I got up at 7:30 and then returned to bed until 11:30.  When I got up, I ate a brunch of leftover pizza and hung out on the couch.  My friend, Tina, called and said she had made a bunch of chicken noodle soup and asked if she could bring some by.  I never turn down food!  She brought by a vat of chicken noodle soup, some bread and some cookies.  Man, what a great friend!  By about 1 o'clock, I fell asleep on the couch for a couple hours.  Then I woke up and watched some tv.  Around 5:30, our friends Shane and Bridgett texted that they had a surprise to drop off.  So they came by with some coconut cupcakes and a present for Baby.  Well, as many of you know, coconut cake is my favorite so I was thrilled by this little surprise.  They also had a sweet NC State onesie for Baby.  Pa would be so happy to see his great-grandbaby sporting some Wolfpack Pride.

Baby trying on his new outfit from Auntle McBridgett

Honored

It's been a rough couple days around here.  Wednesday evening my grandfather, Pa, passed away.  He was almost 96 years old (birthday is next month) and has not been feeling well for some time.  It is truly a blessing that he is finally with my grandma again.  As much as I know that this is what is best for him, I am still selfishly sad and miss him terribly.

He is the reason I (and many of my cousins) went to college.  He and my grandma set up a trust fund for all of the grandchildren to go to college.  Without his financial (and emotional) support, it would have been much more difficult for me to go to Meredith College and really be where I am today.  He taught me the importance of an education (even though I didn't want to learn that lesson most of the time), family, honesty and integrity.

He was a strong and very calculated man and there was reason behind everything he did (even if you didn't know it at the time).  Even though his body was worn out from his long life, he was mentally strong up until the end.  One of his favorite "games" to play with me was to quiz me on my knowledge of the state capitals.  I used to study up on the state capitals before I would go over for my weekly dinner so that I could impress him. 

I will always fondly remember all of the time that I got to spend with Pa.  My earliest memories are of being with him and Grandma at either the beach house or the house in Louisburg.  It's not that we were doing anything special-we were just together and happy.

He leaves behind a long legacy of family that I hope will continue to live life with the kind of love and integrity that he did.  I'm just sorry that Baby never got to meet him and that Pa never got to hold Baby-but I know that he already loved him.

His obituary can be viewed here.

Scout & Molly

Saturday, Dave and I went to North Hills to look at a diaper bag that I was interested in that I had seen online.  While we are driving around North Hills looking for the baby boutique, we found a store called Scout & Molly's.  We were absolutely floored!  We had no idea that our sweet pups had opened a store and were selling designer clothes.  We are certainly going to start expecting them to chip in and pay some rent now that they are selling two-hundred dollar jeans!

After we made that discovery, we went over to the baby boutique and looked at diaper bags.  Before we could get out of the store the sales lady did a quick demonstration of the fancy UppaBaby Stroller system.  Oh my...that is fancy...and expensive!

All is well here, Dave went and volunteered at a race all day yesterday and I laid on the couch all day.  I wasn't feeling very well.  I'm feeling great today and hoping for a great week ahead!