1st Christmas as home.....

It was officially our first Christmas at home. Since Todd and I have been married we have not been home for a major holiday. We typically alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas yearly between each of our families. This year we went to Wine Country for Thanksgiving and hosted my parents for Christmas! It was so much fun!

Growing up, Christmas Eve was always spent with our immediate family. We went to family mass, ate pizza, opened gifts, and then had strawberry pie. On Christmas morning we would open gifts from Santa and then head over to my Nano and Nana's and/or Grandma and Grandpa's for the day.

My parents had a bit of an adventure getting to SF secondary to the snow storm that descended on the Midwest! They still made it on Christmas Eve, just a little later than planned. Sticking with tradition we had pizza. Todd made his manly pizza on the grill and it was awesome. Then we opened gifts.

Todd was the elf....as you can see he enjoyed his job.





















Thank you to everyone for all of the great gifts!! I received a lot of baby stuff...the diaper bag, hooter hider (for those of you that don't know - it's a really cute cover-up to use while nursing), in addition to a few things just for me. Todd and I gave each other a new camera in preparation for the baby's arrival. The baby got some books, outfits, and toys from both sets of grandparents. And, he is already being stocked with Philly's gear from Uncle Brian and Aunt Erica. One for daddy and one for baby.....


Murphy also received a gift from my parents. He was so funny....he found his present under the tree without disturbing anything else. Then proceeded to entertain us by carefully unwrapping it all by himself.

On Christmas morning we got up and had our traditional 'monkey bread' with the new addition of a quiche. And then went to mass. I officially retired my choir robe after Christmas mass and will not be rejoining until things get into a routine with the baby. I am not exactly sure when that will be. But, thankfully, the choir director is being really great about it and wants me to come and sing when I can. So, that is really nice.

After church we came home, opened our stockings from Santa, and then my Mom and I spent most of the afternoon cooking. For Christmas dinner we made a orange and rum glazed ham, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole (Todd's favorite and a Schneider staple), and a holiday salad. It turned out really nice. And for dessert we had a pumpkin pie courtesy of Bobby Flay's recipe and I must say that I out did myself. The pumpkin pie was to die for.

The 27th was my Dad's birthday and we went to dinner nearby in Sausalito. We picked a place with amazing views of the city and on a clear night you can see all the way to Oakland. Of course, if was overcast, rainy and foggy all day. But, dinner was still good and my Dad got his favorite - a good steak!


My Dad shares his birthday with little Samantha Dilullo who is having in her first birthday this year! http://dilullodaily.blogspot.com

Speaking of the Dilullo's, this new years will be the first in 4 years that we have not spent with our friends Pete and Alexis. Hopefully we can coordinate so the Schneider's and the Dilullo's will resume their yearly tradition of spending new year's eve together! Although we may not get kicked out of any 'fraternity houses' I am sure that it will be just as fun with kids (in a whole new way)! We'll miss you guys! I am sure that you will be at home crying without us....

My Mom and Dad were here until the 29th. Mom and I made a few final additions to the nursery. Dad and Todd put together all of the baby equipment...strollers, swing, bouncy seat, etc. Now the strollers are hanging out in the house so that Murphy can get used to them. He is not a big fan of big, rolling objects. But, I think that he is going to be great with the baby....a new pack member! He will love it! Thanks Mom and Dad for all of your help!! It was so great having you here!!! You will be back in a little over three weeks...hard to believe:)

The rest of this week, I have had off of work. The clinic is closed. So, I am running errands and trying to relax. Made a call to a pediatrician today. We are supposed to have a pediatrician in place before the baby arrives and then the doctor will makes rounds and pass through after the baby is born to check things out. I feel really lucky because a friend/colleague of mine takes her baby to a great MD in the same building as our office. So, it should work out great as long as he will take us as his patient! Next on the list is daycare...but that is something for after the new year. My maternity leave begins on January 7th. So, only 3 official days of work remaining! It's so hard to believe that the baby will be arriving soon. I have not had this much time off of work while at home (not travelling for our honeymoon) since I was about 16 years old. It should be an interesting, exciting, and anxious time! I think that I have enough to do to keep me busy and plus, I really should be relaxing:)

Happy 2010 everyone!

35 weeks - baby showers!!!

It's official! 5 weeks and counting....if the little guys decides to join us as predicted January 20th! My boss is hoping for two days late so that they can share a birthday. That's fine with me as long as he does not come much later than that.
















From the front (at least in this picture) it's hard to tell I am pregnant. But clearly there is no mistaking my belly from the side:)

Over the last couple of weeks people have been so generous! We have had two showers. First my choir at church threw a little shower at the beginning of the month and then my friend at work planned a little lunch shower. One of our admins at work is also pregnant so we had a joint shower with pink for her little baby girl and blue for our little guy! I brought my camera to the church shower and, of course, forgot to take a picture. But I did not forget at work! See below.....we balanced the camera on a chair so we could all be included and it was about to fall. As you can see by my face!

















Everyone has been so generous by helping us prepare for the baby by building our baby necessities! We feel so lucky to have such generous and supportive friends!

Todd is in Portland, Maine right now. He was so sweet before he left asking 'Do you think it's okay if I go? I don't want you to go into labor!' At this point not much is happening! I think that I am having some practice contractions but only intermittently. It is more like my belly is a jungle gym with the baby bouncing around in there and then he takes a nap. I don't think he is ready to come out yet! It was really funny....I had my choir Christmas concert on Tuesday. I am standing there, ready to sing and my folder is leaning on the top of my belly. The baby kicked so hard you could see my folder bounce up!

The count down is beginning at work. I have the rest of this week and three days next week. Then we are closed in between Christmas and New Year's and then I will work from the 4th to the 6th in the new year. Time has flown by....there is so much to be done during my time off before the baby arrives. I have to get things set up with a pediatrician and find childcare. There is more to do but those are the two big things that are weighing on my mind.

In the immediate future, my parents are coming to visit for Christmas. They will arrive Christmas eve and then leave on the 29th. Todd and I are looking forward to having them. I can't wait for them to see the house and the nursery. It will also be nice to have our first Christmas in our house. I am looking forward to keeping some of the Marx family traditions and cooking a nice holiday dinner! Should be lots of fun....

Off to bed before I fall asleep at the computer. I will try not to wait so long before my next post!
Happy Holidays everyone!

Thanksgiving / Baby Moon

Happy Thanksgiving a few days late!

Todd and I had our first Thanksgiving solo. Since we were not flying back to be with either of our families (and friends), we decided to make a special weekend of it. Todd planned a really nice get away to Yountville. This is a small town in the Napa Valley....we ate thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant called Hurley's. Their claim to fame, according to Todd, is that they kill all of their meat fresh that day. I am not sure if that really happens or not:) But, the turkey dinner was really good. And, there were no leftovers, so we aren't eating turkey sandwiches everyday this week. On Friday was the Festival of Lights in Younteville. People were setting up all day only to have a torrential downpour at about 3pm. We ended up going to the outlets and each bought some shoes for 50% off! Then off to Calistoga. We had dinner at a place called Jole. The chef at this restaurant used to own Matyson in Philadelphia (one of our favorites) and moved to CA about 1.5 years ago and opened this restaurant. Our dinner was awesome (thanks to Bri and Erica for the gift certificate!!). On our way back to Yountville we drove through all of the 'festival of lights'. They looked beautiful and were a good start to the holiday season.

We passed this cafe named in my honor while we were exploring Calistoga.









I forgot my camera on our getaway. But I took a few pics with my iPhone. They are not the greatest but good for memories.












We came home on Saturday. While I put up Christmas decorations, Todd was doing odds and ends around the house. And, carrying everything up and down the stairs for me! He has been awesome throughout my whole pregnancy helping me with things like that.

We graduated from our birthing class and while we know a lot more about what to expect, I think that we both feel like we also know that you really can't plan for it. You just have to take the birthing process as it comes! Should be a crazy ride!


Only 7 weeks left until my due date. It is hard to believe how fast it is coming....although sometimes it seems time is slowly creeping past, most times it feels like time if flying. The baby is moving around like crazy - he is punching or kicking me in the ribs and rolling over. Sometimes I swear he is burrowing his feet into my ribs to keep warm. Or maybe he has long legs like his daddy and there is no where in my stretched belly to put them:)

30 weeks

So, here we are at 30 weeks! Todd always says that I should show a little smile in these pics...but I feel dorky smiling at myself in the camera. But then I look mad if I don't smile. I could never be a model....
















Dork - smiling at myself
















Angry - not really, but it looks like it

Todd and I decided that I will stop working two weeks before my due date...primarily because that is the best thing to do to maximize short term disability. But now that time is counting down, I think that it is going to be a really good idea. Now that I am 30 weeks it means I only have 8 weeks of work left. But with the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years Holidays I really only have about 6 weeks left! I can not believe how fast time has flown.

I just had my check-up today and things are going as they should. My weight and size are right on the mark up to this point (although Todd, in the most loving way, said that I may weigh as much as him by the end of this - and has taken to calling me 'baby sequoia'). The heartbeat sounded very strong and the baby is continuing to kick and move around. I am now starting to feel as the baby rolls over or runs its hand/foot along my belly - it's not a kick or jab but a drawn out motion. It is so crazy!

The mid-wife advised me to prepare to go past my due date. The research shows that most women go past their due date when delivering their first baby. For some reason this week, before she told me this, I had been having a feeling that I might be about a week overdue. I guess only time will tell. We learned more about positioning and moving around during labor this week. Todd practiced helping me open my pelvic floor but putting pressure on the hips....you should have seen the room of people practicing this move. It was quite entertaining and then Todd just kept tickling me:)

I have been full of energy up to this point (or at least mostly full of energy)...but that seems to be waning a little. My daily walks with Murphy are a little slower and going up the stairs to the house makes me out of breath....I called out of choir tonight because I was feeling really tired! And, Todd's parents are visiting this weekend, so I want to be well rested and ready to go! Also, Todd is playing the his club championship on Saturday so I want to be able to at least walk along on the back nine. In usual Sarah fashion, I am feeling a little guilty about slowing down....but I just keep telling myself, 'self, you are growing another human!' WOW!

We are planning to get a little work done in the nursery this weekend with the assistance of Todd's parents. Should be really fun!

back to my old 'do'

After nearly a year of growing my hair out, I decided to go back to my old haircut. I did not go as short as it was at some points over the past couple of years, but definitely chopped it. I sifted through the last few years of pictures and went armed to the hairdresser with pictures. I knew she was going to be a little nervous as in her words women get 'crazy with their hair when they are pregnant'. She is really sweet....so we talked and came up with a game plan. I feel much better with this new haircut...my longer hair was much more work and I was just not liking the way it looked most of the time. AS you can see Murphy is thrilled with it:)

Birthing classes

So, we started our birthing classes on Tuesday night. It was very interesting...we showed up armed with two pillows, a blanket, and a snack (my leftover burrito from dinner) as instructed and ended up sitting in really uncomfortable chairs all night. The instructor assured us that next week we will be on the floor using our pillows and blankets.

We learned a lot about the woman's pelvis, the hormone relaxin, and how the baby moves into position for delivery. It is so cool how all of that works and it really just happens....or we hope that it all happens as it is supposed to. The most memorable part of the class was watching the videos of three births. None of the women were given any pain medication. They were not trying to make an endorsement for natural child birth, I think that it was just less complicated than getting into the details on medication. Which we will also do in class next week. At this point I am planning to go without medication unless I am truly suffering. But, we will know more next week. Half way through the video I looked at Todd and said "holy shit, that looks awful!" The ladies faces were all swollen and they were moaning and writhing. Woah!! But then I was tearing up as the babies were born. I can't imagine how it will feel to hold our new little baby boy! I can't wait (really, I can wait another 11 weeks. There is a lot to do in that time!!!).

In other news, we have officially hired a dog walker. Not for daily walks, which Todd and I still do religiously. (Mine are a little slower than they used to be!) But for those days when we have to stay in the city later and driving back home is not an option or economical (crossing the bridge a couple of times a day can get pricey). I had my choir concert on Monday, Todd had dinner with our friend Pete and his parents, and then we were at birthing class on Tuesday...so Murphy got the royal treatment. Mary Lyons picked him up and plopped him in the front seat of her car, as were not sure how he would be in the car with other dogs. She then made the rounds to pick up the other dogs and proceeded to the trail for an hour of hiking. Then made her rounds again and dropped everyone off! Murphy got a great report both days. He was a gentleman with all of the other girl dogs and loved hiking...as we already know! He really seemed to love it...Todd said that he could tell Murphy was in a really good mood because of his hike!

30 weeks is fast approaching.....belly pics to come next week!

recap - 28 weeks

My sister made me promise that I would post this picture:)






Things have been crazy lately. Let me give you a little recap....

The crib mattress arrived this weekend...so now we just have to build the crib and put the room together. We also had our kitchen table and living room chairs delivered. Our house is really beginning to come together:)

I am continuing to chip away at my PhD application - it is due 12/03/2009 - so I really have to get moving. With that being said, things are coming together. I have all of my requests out for letters of recommendation and am in the midst of putting together my essays.

We just finished our stroboscopy course at work. For those of you who are wondering what the heck that is....it is how we take videos of the vocal folds (vocal cords/voice box). We have speech pathologists and physicians come from all over the US to be trained on how to do this procedure. I do a lot of the planning in addition to teaching during the course. It was a big success. And, thank God it's over:)

The weekend prior, I was at home in Rockford, IL for my baby shower. My Mom, sister, Nana and future sister-in-law did an amazing job planning everything!


The house looked great and my Mom was meticulous about every detail. She made individual cakes for each person (thanks Dad for helping with the frosting) and they turned out so cute...check them out.


It was so much fun to see everyone and everyone was so generous. We have so many cute new baby outfits and lots of gift cards to get the necessities! Thanks everyone:) love you!!

Not only was it nice to see everyone at the shower. My brother and Amy made the trip from Nashville for the weekend. They came for the shower and to take care of some wedding stuff (it won't be long). I am so happy they were able to make it to Rockford...it means a lot to me.

One aside, that is not about the shower but happened in conjunction with the shower....with all of the flying and being on my feet I developed cankles (your calves and ankles become one - i.e. swollen). It was really a beautiful sight! You will be relieved to know that this problem has since resolved! My calves and ankles have parted ways....my feet are still a little puffy - but no more cankles:)

Another fun activity...while I was home I got a mini-makeover. My mom is a new Mary Kay consultant. She is really excited to be doing this....check out her website.

http://www.marykay.com:80/lilmarx/default.aspx

If you need a little pampering (and are in Rockford) just let her know. If you are not in Rockford and want some products....just let her know:)

This weekend marks our first Halloween in our new house...I will keep you posted if we have any trick or treaters....guess I need to go out and get some candy, just in case!

Happy Halloween!

25 weeks

Here I am at 25 weeks...it is crazy how my belly is growing. I go to choir each week and the girl that sits next to me says she can see a difference every time. It seems like a lot of people are telling me that I look really small for how far along I am....I have to disagree. I have gained the recommended amount of weight and I don't want to be a house (even though I feel it some days). I looked through the previous belly pics and what a difference.....I have my next appointment on Thursday. We have a course that we are hosting at work next week, so after that I am on the hunt for the perfect childcare situation. It is really hard to know what to ask...but I am learning as I go.

This Friday I am headed back to Rockford, IL. My mom, sister, Nana, and future sister-in-law, Amy are throwing me a baby shower! It should be a lot of fun...I can't wait to see everyone! I also am happy for my Nana to see me pregnant, I think it will make her really happy (my mom too, of course).

So, now for the update on the house...I have had many requests for pics. And, while we are not done decorating - I thought it would be nice to share some pics of the work in progress (now that it is not so embarassingly filled with boxes and other crap!)

Here is the baby's room. He already has quite a collection of stuffed animals - from my Opa, Mom mom, Nana, and my coworker Lydia. I have also added my Jiminy Cricket to the mix. We found a crib, as I mentioned in the last post, but it is on back order. It will not arrive until the end of the month. So this is the rooms sans the crib. You can see the brown and white bedding on the shelf in the background. We will see if the rug on the floor stays or goes as things begin to come together. This will be the last picture of the nursery until it is finished. I know that you will all be holding your breath....

Here is our bedroom. There are built in shelves on each side of the bed and then drawers and shelves across from the bed. So, the only furniture in the room is the actual bed.


The kitchen is next....it is not a big kitchen by any means. But for what is there, it is great! There is a really nice 6 burner, gas range and subzero fridge - just to give you the highlights.


This is the dining area....we ordered our table and it will be delivered on the 24th...we can't wait. Although, I think that Murphy rather likes the open space. He dragged his bed over so that he could watch me cooking in the kitchen. I love the company but he is just using me for dropped food:)


Breakfast bar/window connecting the kitchen and living space. It makes the kitchen feel a lot bigger.

Family room....so I may have mentioned this earlier but now that you can see the room, it is probably a better story. The TV is above the fireplace and the couch is facing the TV. Todd and I debated the best place to put the chair...I voted for the current position while Todd voted to have the chair face the TV, stadium seating style. This is the short term compromise...no stadium seating but we will get swivel chairs - so you can watch TV and talk to other people sitting with you in the room.

Can't wait for visitors:) You are all welcome! (I did not show the guest room - we have a guest suite downstairs.) Come visit California!

Setling in....

First of all, I would like to thank Kelley for the facebook message. It lit a fire under my butt to write this blog tonight. I have been meaning to write for the last couple of weeks....but time has been getting away from me. Work has been crazy, that is an understatement, and I am still getting used to the new schedule with commuting, unpacking, etc.

Murphy getting settled in! Life is so rough.

We are getting settled into our new place....we spent nearly the whole weekend looking for a kitchen table, chairs, and two swivel chairs for the family room. Todd would like to have the back of the chairs to the couch, stadium seating style. I talked him into swivel chairs instead. That way we can actually talk to our guests. A weekend like this makes me think of the movie 'Old School'. Will Ferrel says "Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're um, we're gonna go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed Bath And Beyond, I don't know. I Don't know if we'll have enough time." Let me tell you guys....we had a big weekend! We ended up finding a kitchen table and chairs, two swivel chairs, and a crib. Very productive, we barely had time for it all. We even hung some pictures. Hanging pictures is the hallmark of getting settled into a new place. So, even though we will not have our new furniture yet....I think the house will be ready to make its debut this weekend. Please stay tuned for pics....

Another, getting settled in moment. Todd and I were exhausted from our big weekend furniture shopping and hanging pictures and sat down on Sunday night to watch a movie. Todd suggested that we have a fire....he also said, we need to get the fireplace cleaned, but one fire should be fine. Well, about 15 minutes later, the house was filled with smoke 2-3 smoke alarms were beeping and my eyes were burning. Something was not quite right with the flu...I guess we need to get it serviced before we try another fire! oops! Basically our house still smells like campfire. It's kind of nice, if you like that stuff.

Baby update....I had a fetal echocardiogram (sp?) and everything looked great! No heart defects. I had to have my blood glucose test done last week....although my practitioner did not warn me. And, of course a drug rep brought in donuts! Needless to say, I ate a donut at about 9am and then figured I deserved 1/2 of another as something sweet after lunch. Then I proceeded down to the lab only to find out that I had to drink that syrupy, sugar water and then come back in an hour to have my blood drawn. Hopefully, I did not screw up the test. There has been no word yet, so I am assuming that is good news. I will keep you posted! The baby is moving more and more all of the time and my belly button is getting really deformed. Expect some belly pics in the next couple of days (not of the belly button, I will not gross you out with that).

It may be a record more than one post in a week......let's see if I can live up to the challenge!

That's all for now.

i am feeling pretty boring right now....

Warning...what you are about to read it going to be very boring, not funny, nor entertaining. I am feeling tired and need to go to bed. So despite all of the great things I have to share, I am going to make this post short. I just want you all to know that I am still a blogger:)

Todd calls me a reality TV junkie. There are certain shows where I draw the line (such as big brother, the most beautiful person, survivor...) but tonight was the first episode of the biggest loser. I love watching that show because these people really become inspired to change their lives. There are certain parts that are really annoying, like Jillian the trainer screaming at the contestants during the last chance workout (she has major voice issues - although it seems like maybe she worked with someone because it is not as bad this season). But, there are some really cool parts like when the contestants begin to feel empowered again and begin to take charge of their lives, their health, and their future.

One more boring story...Todd really loved this one. I left this morning with plenty of time to get gas prior to my commute to work (this is quite an adjustment!!!). I got to the gas station and got the last spot at the pump. I was feeling really lucky. Then realized that I had to pre-pay, so I rushed over to the machine, fed it my debt card, and then went back to the pump. It pumped 10 cents of gas and then stopped. I was pushing buttons, using the help key....no help! I went into talk to the guy who was glued to his chair. He told me 'the pump is working'. I proceeded to tell him that it was not working, there was no gas pumping. So he told me to start over and that is what I did. I removed the nozzle, prepaid again and it still did not work. He would not help me, so I decided to take my chances and drive to work on empty (the car said there was 15 miles left in the tank). I was off to work with no gas and running late....I made it in good time without risking the baby or my life with break neck speeds, parked and made it to work 5 minutes late with my 8am patient staring at me as I got off of the elevator. Todd's response was 'great story, Sarah, very interesting'.

With these deep thoughts, I leave you. I am going to take some pics of our half unpacked house and our 'new to us' car and will send more details about the move, etc. in the next couple of days!

PS. For those of you who know what this means....Todd play golf at Cypress Point last Friday for work. He birdied 15 and 16. #16 is one of the most famous and difficult holes ever! He is very excited! This is a picture of 16. Enjoy:)

20 weeks - It's a boy!!!

This has been a big week. Last Wednesday we went for my detailed ultrasound....it was so cool! The baby is moving around a lot and really developing quickly. We got a good report from the doctor. All of the important parts are intact - the lip and palate look very good, we could even see the baby swallow at one point, there are four chambers to the heart and they are all working appropriately, and there are 10 fingers and 10 toes. She said that our baby "is very photogenic"! She probably says that to everyone. During the ultrasound we told them that we wanted to wait to find out the sex. We asked her to write it down and put it in an envelope so that we could open it at a special dinner. Well, she did one step better. She took a picture of the baby's private parts with an arrow pointing at it (thank God or we would have never figured it out) and labeled it with the sex.

We went to dinner on Friday night and were both so excited we almost opened the envelope in the car on the way there. Once we arrived at dinner, I was so hungry I was about to pass out, so we got some bread and proceeded with the big event. Todd suggested that I open the envelope.....I wasn't sure what to think, but I thought the ultrasound tech has almost slipped and that it may be a boy. So............I opened the envelope and 'It's a boy'!! Todd said that he could tell immediately by my face. He was so excited (and relieved:))!! He got his wish!

Not only were we excited but the girl at the table next to us noticed our ultrasound picture and said congrats! She and her husband were visiting San Francisco from Chicago and have three kids at home. Then the table on the other side chimed in, they have a 6 week old baby at home and this was their first dinner out since the baby. So, that made it even more fun.

Before we ate dinner Todd called his mom, who was waiting up on the east coast for the announcement and I was texting a bunch of others:) It was a great night and the food was good too! (Todd is going to scan the picture of the evidence of the baby boy tomorrow - so I will attach it at a later date for you all to see)

Saturday and Sunday we, with the Murph in tow, headed off to the new house. We were armed with cleaning products, water, and snacks. We also brought over some of the breakables to avoid having to pack them really well for the movers. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun! Saturday was so hot that I actually got to begin yard work by going around watering all of the plants. I am sure that was just a taste of what is to come. Murphy loves the new yard and had a great time exploring. He was even introduced to a wild turkey in our backyard on Sunday....he did not know what to do! It did not deter him from continued exploration. We are so excited for the big move this weekend....it is still hard to believe that we are homeowners. How exciting!!!

Over the last couple of weeks, I have begun feeling more kicking and baby movement. On Saturday morning I got couple of kicks and then had Todd try to feel. The baby gave a strong kick and Todd could feel it!! It was so cool....but I think it freaked him out a little bit! While he was excited and happy, I not sure he knew what to do! It was pretty cute:) Today, I was feeling kicks throughout the day at work. It is so cool to feel the baby moving around in there! What an amazing feeling. I am so glad that Todd got to feel it too!

We made it home.....

So, after a great week of traveling we are officially back to reality. We are closing on our new house on Thursday and are really excited! We are also going for an ultrasound tomorrow and are even more excited!!! We will get to find out the sex of the baby (if it cooperates). Todd heard about this idea from a friend and the plan is to have the doctor write the sex on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. Then we will go out for a special dinner and open the envelope. It is a slow form of torture to have to wait, but it should be really fun!! (My husband has great ideas:)) Todd is banking on a boy.

Now, for a recap of our week of travel. We arrived in Philadelphia early on the 13th and awaited the arrival of other family members. My friend Alexis stopped over with her daughter, Sam and we got to hang out for a little while. It is amazing how big Sam is getting! Can't wait to see all her new skills when they visit SF in October! Soon after, we were off to Bethlehem, PA, the home of LeHigh University, for Brian and Erica's wedding. What a weekend. It was so much fun!! And exhausting....I realized, again, that I do not have as much energy as I did before being pregnant. I guess that is normal:) My body is working overtime. On that note, I think I felt the baby move on the Sunday after the wedding. I was sitting on the couch and felt was seemed like a little flick from the inside. I haven't felt much since then but the baby is getting bigger and stronger, so I am hoping to feel more soon!

There are some really fun memories from the weekend. It also brought back many memories from our wedding that we just over three years ago! I have to say, I feel so blessed to have married into such a great family.

Back to the wedding weekend....Todd made a slide show pictorial of Brian and Erica that was played at the rehearsal dinner. He worked really hard on this and it was great to see how excited he was to share this with everyone, especially Brian and Erica. Friends and family really seemed to enjoy it, there were laughs at the appropriate time, a few tears, etc....Erica's face was priceless when the first picture came up.


The wedding was August 15th...a nice, hot day! The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was so much fun! The band was awesome! Everyone danced all night (especially Todd - more on that later). Brian and Erica were so happy and make an perfect couple. Congratulations guys! Hope you have a great time in Hawaii!!

The Schneider Fam!

My dress fit:)

As Todd says, "my brother only gets married once"! We all had a lot of fun, but Todd was having fun for two. He got out and danced....ALL NIGHT! He was jumping up and down and attempting to recreate Mark's (Kristi's boyfriend) version of the 'shower'. This is one of my favorite pics of the fun....


I woke up Sunday morning feeling like I had been drinking all weekend or that I was run over by a train. I couldn't even carry my bag to the car (thanks Uncle Scott for your assistance)....We made it back to Malvern on Sunday afternoon with just enough time to watch Bri and Erica open some gifts and head home to prepare for their honeymoon. Todd and I spent a couple more days at the Schneider's recovering from the wedding and hanging out with the fam. We also made a trip to the city to meet up with friends! It was so great to see everyone. I feel so lucky to have such great friends!! Love you guys!!!


After our time in Philly, we flew into Chicago to visit my family in Rockford. It was so great to see everyone...Tony couldn't make it, but his fiance Amy was able to make the trip from Tennessee. It was great to see her and spend some quality time. We got to talk about their wedding next year and she joined my sister, mom, and I to begin the baby registry. Who knew that you needed so many things for such a little baby.

We also were able to celebrate my Aunt Nean and Uncle Mike's birthday, my mom and dad planned a little get together of family and friends so that we could see everyone in one place, we made a trip into Chicago and had a delicious lunch and walked around Navy Pier and then had a nice dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Rockford - Lino's. Another highlight of the weekend was getting to spend some time with my sister's boyfriend, Matt. I had only met him one time over Thanksgiving last year, so it was nice to get to hang out and hear what is going on with him.

Amy, Todd, and I at Navy Pier

The Marx's at Lino's

Thanks everyone for making our trip so much fun!!! Love you all!

As I mentioned earlier, we have a busy week ahead of us with the house closing, packing, and all of the joys that go along with moving. But most importantly we have some big baby news coming up! I will be sure to keep you all posted on the new developments!

heading out of town

So, we are headed out of town tonight on the red eye to Philadelphia and the to visit my family in Illinois. Todd's brother, Brian, is getting married this weekend. We are very excited for their big day and to have Erica as an official part of the family.

It has been an experience preparing for the wedding. Todd and I are both in the bridal party.....so yes, you guessed it! I have to fit my growing belly into a bridesmaids dress. Thank God Erica picked a figure flattering dress for all shapes. Since ordering the dress, when I did not know I was going to be pregnant, I have grown 5 inches in my belly among adding untold inches in the chest and hips! Who knew that their body could change so much in this amount of time. It was a reality check! I am also grateful for a good seamstress. The Chinese woman that did all the alterations (who was very cute) told me ' wow! you getting big'! I had to order some extra fabric and the woman did a great job making the additional inches appear as though they are supposed to be there....

I will post pictures from the wedding and you can all check out the bridesmaids dress masterpiece! And see the beautiful bride and groom! Stay tuned....

My first experience blogging - 15 weeks

Here begins my first experience as a blogger. I just spent the last two nights trying to build this thing, so I hope you like it. While my friend Alexis (Hi Alexis!!) was pregnant she started a blog to keep everyone posted. I felt connected to her throughout her entire pregnancy even though we didn't get to talk all the time. I was so inspired by her blog and all of the meaningful posts that I thought, while I am not as funny as Alexis, maybe I can do this!! So with her as my inspiration and her blog as my guide....here we go!

I am now 15 weeks pregnant and starting to grow. Basically, I look like I have been going to town on Ben and Jerry's. I have increased my pants size....they fit in the waist but are a little big every where else. So, it is reassuring that I am not turning into a blimp. I am beginning to embrace my growing belly. I have basically spent my whole life trying to get rid of my 'pooch' and now I have an excuse!!! I have to enjoy it while it lasts...and there is a sweet, little baby growing inside me. It still seems really crazy. Sometimes it's really real - like when we saw the picstures during my 13 week ultrasound and when I heard the heartbeat last week. Other times it still feels like, is this really happening??

Not only do I want to stay in touch with the blog, I am planning to use it as an opportunity to begin a 'belly book' - all of the pregnancy books recommend it. So, of course, it is a good idea!


I am finally starting to feel a little more like myself. About two weeks ago I thought the fog of nausea, etc was easing up. I got lax on taking my B6/Unisom cocktail and started to feel sick again (take note - woman who are considering getting pregnant, that combo is a lifesaver. You think it would make you more tired but it does NOT, I promise!!). So, now I am continuing my odd cocktail and feeling better! YAY!!! It has been really nice, even during my worst times of being sick and cranky Todd has been the best. He brings me dinner that I turn away because it makes me gag. Then he brings me something else. He has been very helpful around the house and doing grocery shopping. And he even told me how 'huge' I am getting! That went over well...haha! It was a classic 'toddifer' moment....He really has been the best and I love how happy he looks when he talks about the baby! Thanks babe! Glad that we get to share this together!

We are in the process of buying a house. All contingencies were removed yesterday and we will
be closing on Aug 27th....The new house is in Mill Valley. It is just across the Golden Gate bridge and will be a relatively easy commute for both of us to get to work. Plus, we could never have found a place like this in the city. Here is a little preview....

In other news, Todd is in New York and Boston this week for work. He is working his butt off for a deal and hopefully it will keep moving forward!

Now that you are basically up to date...I want to thank all of our family and friends for their love and support during this exciting time in our lives! Until next time....