Showered With Love

"Children are one third of our population and all of our future. "

This past weekend was a momentous occasion in my life. Many of the dearest women in my life came together for a beautiful brunch and showered little Connor with many gifts and blessings. The Baby Shower that my mom spearheaded surpassed my wildest expectations. I'm truly touched by the way my friends came together and each had a special part of this sweet day. I know that my mom lost many hours of sleep over this amazing event, and I will never be able to thank her enough. Even Casey and Tim were there to lend a hand. I saw in an instant the payoff of months of planning, and I was immediately humbled by the experience. From the table settings that were decorated with the prettiest centerpieces and the most beautiful China, to the amazing spread of food that was so lovingly prepared, each corner of the room was filled with a special touch. I am still moved by how wonderful it all was.

It was amazing the outpouring of generosity that came in the form of gifts for little Connor. As each person came the pile of beautifully wrapped presents grew. After a touching Devotional time it was time to eat. There was enough food for double the amount of guests, and we are still eating all of the goodies. It was very quickly time to open presents and that was a great endeavor. Connor received so many wonderful things that I can't wait to use and dress him in. The presents ranged from things for the nursery to adorable little outfits. Many items were related to the Red Sox nusery theme, and Tim was beyond thrilled when he saw them all. Some things were lovingly made for Connor like blankets, layette's, and my mom even quilted his entire crib bedding. These are such special things that he will have for the rest of his life. Anecdotally there were no bottles in the bunch of goodies. Not to worry we are set with everything else we could possibly want and need, and then some.

Tim and I are beyond grateful to the outpouring of love and generosity that was shown on Saturday for our little boy. We are so excited to bring Connor home, and have him meet all of these special people we have in our lives. He is so lucky to be so surrounded by love and support.

A picture of one of the centerpieces and the beautiful cups and saucers that were at each place setting.

The super yummy spread!!

Mom, Kaitlyn, and I (here I'm 30 weeks) with some of the gifts.

With one of the very special Red Sox gifts, this one sent by Aunt Carol.

The quilt that mom made that goes with the entirely hand made crib set. Very special!

Some of the special ladies that were at the shower.

The back of our car. No it didn't all fit, yes I'm still sorting through it all, and yes the thank you cards are done!!!

What an amazing Baby Shower it was. I am so lucky I sometimes have to pinch myself.

A Shorter Countdown

Tomorrow marks 30 weeks. This weekend signifies 2 months left. The tightness in my belly informs me that I will be meeting little Connor very shortly. Is summer really over? Am I really going back to school? How did it all go by so quickly? I am in awe that very soon I will be holding my precious little baby.

One thing that makes it even more real is the anticipation of Connor's upcoming Baby Shower. (Am I really at that stage in my life? How incredible.) I'm looking forward to seeing all of my loved ones and having some relaxing and fun girl time. My biggest struggle recently has been staying away from peeking at my registries. Why is that such a pull? It is such a temptation, and I really do want to be surprised, but every once in a while I feel a tug to go and wander around on those particular websites. I think I've been a pretty good girl about it though. I'm excited to see who purchased what, and be able to think about that person when we use that gift. I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends and family who are so giving and thoughtful.

Another big temptation happens at mom's house. I know there are all sorts of surprises tucked in corners of certain rooms and I so desperately want to go on a treasure hunt. Yes, I was one of those children who enjoyed shaking the wrapped presents under the Christmas tree and trying to guess what everything was. Somehow I would beg enough and we would be allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve, just to satisfy my intense curiosity. As I have grown up, I now enjoy the thrill of the surprise more than the guessing game I used to play, and I've done well to stay put in the living room at mom's house so as not to stumble upon all the goodies. Right now, I'm super excited to see the bedding mom has made for Connor's Crib. I got to participate in the picking of the fabric, but that was the last I saw of the project, and I just cannot wait to see it, I know it will be incredible.

I am just beyond thankful to all of the girls, and my mom, who have been working so hard to bring the Shower together. I am so thankful for the ladies who are coming, and I already miss those who won't be able to make it. It's only two days away and I know it will be fabulous. Connor is so blessed to have such wonderful women in his life already, and I'm so excited that he will meeting them soon.

Maternity Pics

What a fun day yesterday was!!! I drove down to Coral Gables to meet up with my friend Anthony, his wife Magda, and their gorgeous little girl Autumn, to pick up some baby items they are so graciously letting me borrow. I only got lost a little bit on the trip, but that's just par for the course when driving around Miami. It was so wonderful to see them and visit, and they made it even more special by putting together a little photoshoot. To be honest, I'm a little self conscious about this changing body of mine, but I am so thrilled by how these turned out. Anthony is truly talented and I love his little family!!! Here are some of the shots he got, he's still working on putting more up, so I'll add little by little.

On my way out the door yesterday I noticed a HUGE box on my front porch that FedEx had dropped off. I lugged it inside and decided to wait until Tim was home to open it. Low and behold it was the stroller I wanted!!! My sweet dad, grandma and grandpa purchased it for little Connor and Tim and I put it together as soon as was humanly possible!! We love it. Thank you guys!

Baby Face

There are only two worthwhile things to leave behind when you depart this world of ours: children and art.
~Sunday in the Park with George

Dear Connor,
Over the past few months I have fallen more and more in love with you as I have felt you wiggle and stretch. I can't put into words the excitement and anticipation I feel just thinking about meeting you. My love for you deepened even more this week when I got to see your handsome, perfectly formed, little face. Watching your face appear on the screen took my breath away. I can now picture who I have been feeling and praying for. Connor, you have surpassed my expectations. If I could I would go back every week just to be able to look at you. I can't believe your daddy and I will be bringing you home in just a few months. We have been busy preparing for you, and your room is almost done. I can already see how you look in your crib, and I dream about rocking you to sleep. Daddy and I think about you constantly, and even last night we couldn't get over how quickly this has gone by. Daddy couldn't wait to show your pictures to everyone, he is so proud of you already. We love you little one, and we will see you soon.
Love,
Mommy

What's to Come

I must confess, I have found it hard to be consistently excited about baby Connor’s pending arrival. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely excited and overjoyed at the thought of holding him and beginning a new phase in my life. It’s just that, life is happening. I am 4 weeks from completing my MBA which I have been pouring myself into for the past 18 months. Needless to say, over the past couple of months, I have encountered some of the highest stress I have ever dealt with. However, over the past couple of weeks I have been able to get a glimpse of things to come.
For those of you who know Kristin and me well, you know we love to travel. It is something that we both love to do, have always done and intend to keep doing long after Connor has joined us. We were both fortunate enough to grow up in families that traveled. In June, we took our first vacation of the summer. We stayed a week at Disney World in a cabin at Fort Wilderness. Shocking isn’t it…the Petersen’s went to Disney. We had a great time. We didn’t overexert ourselves and spent a lot of time resting and relaxing. However, I was able to see Disney in a different way on this trip. I no longer view it as a place to cram in as many rollercoaster and thrill rides as possible. Rather, I now see it as a place with so much to offer families. I am very excited about taking Connor to Disney (he will only be 2 or 3 months on his first trip). It was on this trip that I was able to allow myself to begin getting very excited. However, it wasn’t until this past week that things got really exciting.
Last week, we spent the week in Cashiers, NC. Most people don’t know anything about Cashiers (I didn’t until I started dating Kristin), but it is a great little mountain town in South West North Carolina. One trip to Cashiers is all it takes to fall in love, especially if you grew up in the hustle and bustle of South Florida. I have now been vacationing in Cashiers every summer since Kristin and I married. Every year I find more and more to fall in love with. This time, it was the playground. Not for me, although I wish I was small enough to take a ride down that slide, but for Connor. For the first time, I was able to envision what it was going to be like in 2, 3, 10 years when we take Connor to Cashiers and go hiking, river rafting, and playing in that playground. I would be lying if I didn’t get a little choked up. I realized that while it is good that I take my school and work seriously, they too will pass. The time spent with and memories formed with my family are the things that I should be focused on. In three months I will officially begin the greatest adventure I can think of. It may have taken 6 months and 2 vacations, but I can finally feel myself getting excited about where that adventure is going to take me.

Birds

Have you ever been to a place quiet enough for the melodious chirping of the birds to wake you up in the morning? We are halfway through our glorious vacation up in the mountains of Western North Carolina and I am enjoying every minute of it. We have spent time down at the lake that is the perfect crisp temperature to feel exhilarating, and watched the cute hummingbirds flit and fight over their spot at the feeder on the porch. We've had game nights with dad that have resulted in tears brought on by the uncontrollable laughter that won't stop and today I'm going to make baskets with my grandmother and I couldn't think of anything more peaceful. Don't worry, we've already managed to take our yearly "bear picture" in Cherokee, and did so in the pouring rain. We celebrated Tim's 27th Birthday yesterday and it was special to have the whole family (that includes the Davidsons) at Aunt Carol and Uncle Jack's house to celebrate. She was so thoughtful and had a birthday cake decorated with Red Sox emblems. We still have a lot on our itinerary to do, and I can't wait! Side Note: Change of hormones means that I can no longer read books in the car....I get sick. That has never happened to me before, I couldn't believe it! Motion Sickness=Not fun!

Change

“Necessity is the author of change”

Let me tell you a story about a sweet little VW Beetle named Daisy. She came into my life when I was a Junior in High School and I have loved her for a long time. Daisy kept me safe on long trips to Virginia, and always satisfied my desire for adventure. But alas, sweet Daisy will not be able to support me in my new role as mommy. Sadly, Daisy only has 2 doors and a very small trunk which is not conducive to the mommy lifestyle. Therefore Tim and I have been on the search for my next new adventure, otherwise known as my first "grown-up" car. I was so excited to find this wonderful addition which is a 2009 Nissan Rogue, and I can already picture little Connor sitting in the back in his car seat. I feel very safe in it, I love to drive it, and now all I have to do is give it a suitable name.

Also, here is a little glimpse of my "growth" at 23 1/2 weeks. You can surely see a bump! Tim and I spent the evening at BabiesRUs to start my registry and it was only a little overwhelming. How in the world is one supposed to know exactly which pacifier your child is going to like, or which swing will move the way your baby will best respond to. Let's be honest there are a lot of cool new things out there for mommies and babies alike but I feel sometimes we over complicate things. Why are there so many different types of changing pads and crib liners? It really makes one go a little insane and feel completely inadequate. I'm going to head to Target next, and for some reason I just feel like it will be so much simpler there. I just love Target!