Finally feel like we're getting prepared

After a few weekends of sticking around the house to work on projects, get organized,  and pick up this-es and thats, I'm finally feeling like we're getting close to ready. We've both kicked our colds and had a great weekend around home getting organized. AND I didn't have the baby this week and will hit 37 weeks on Tuesday, so all is great here : )

Friday we went for a walk with Carmen and grabbed a bite to eat outside near our house (I keep thinking "maybe this is our last meal out together before baby?"). 

Saturday, a cleaner came to scrub the house top to bottom and help get rid of all the construction dust. It was freaking awesome. A girl could get used to that every week. : )

And even BETTER is that Evelyn came down Saturday morning and helped out so so so much. We organized the storage area in the basement (its been driving me NUTS) and set up the guest bed in the basement. We grabbed lunch on Hawthorne, walked around and did some shopping, came home and worked on some last bits, and then hung out chatting. Before we knew it it was 8:30. Ashley and Evelyn opened some more wine and she decided to spend the night so we ordered take out, ate and caught up some more.

She shoved off Sunday a.m. (so freaking nice of her to come down on a gorgeous fall day to help clean our basement, seriously) and Ashley and I wrapped up some more thises and thats around the house today. Getting as ready as we'll ever be!

I finally took some photos this week of the rocker Mom and Dad bought us and some other misc baby stuff around here - 

Here's the rocker by the window! And a little baby quilt I made with leftover fabric from the quilt I made when Macy was born. Just finished it a couple weeks ago - was so glad to get that done.

Baby corner in our bedroom - just a shelf, the rocker, dresser/changing table. We still need to get the "real" bedroom set up on the main floor. We'll get there. This is all we need for now : )

Baby books! 

Each of my girlfriends brought a bead to the brunch a couple weekends ago. Each friend said why they chose that bead and said a blessing or good wish for the baby. Michelle made them into a dream catcher for the baby : )

Carmen is cuddled up in the other quilt I just finished - this one from fabric I bought with Becky when she was out visiting almost exactly a year ago when she was 6 months pregnant with Leo. I figured if I didn't use that fabric to make a blanket now, I probably wouldn't for a long time. It has been on my to do list for a while and feels great to have it done! I haven't been able to sleep much, so have been working on this in the early mornings when I'm up.

36 weeks! Getting close...

A girls' day to prepare for baby

 A couple weekends ago, Jami and Michelle planned a girls' day as a shower for baby O. We started by meeting a group of about 13 or so of my girlfriends for brunch near our house (I had blackberry creamcheese stuffed french toast. So so so getting that again, I've been thinking about it constantly : )

We drank coffee, ate good food, opened some gifts, and each friend brought a bead and blessing and Michelle made a really neat dream catcher for the baby with each of their beads on it. It was such a nice morning.

After brunch, a smaller group of us - Jami (and her 4 month old Arlo), Michelle, Heather and I - all headed up to Mt. Hood to go apple picking at an orchard, have a picnic and enjoy the gorgeous fall day. We came home with tons of apples, cider, honey and other goodies. Bryce (Heather's husband and Ashley's good childhood friend) came over to our house afterward and we all went out to dinner. All in all, such a fun, beautiful fall day....

Jami with Arlo and Michelle at the orchard

Heather, Michelle and Jami picking apples

Michelle with smiley Arlo. SO CUTE! 

Heather took this photo. Beautiful day with great views of Mt. Hood! 

I've made two apple pies since : )

Last week was the rough one, with Ashley's skin surgery and both of us with horrible colds. We laid low as much as possible and still got lots done this last weekend. Bryce came over to help Ashley with some stuff in the basement (which is wrapping up - touch up paint today!) and we're getting all sorts of stuff organized and ready. Getting excited!

Wisconsin, Part 2.3: Shower after party ; )

I was so glad Morgan, Brooke and Macy were at Mom's to keep us cheerful after everyone left when the shower was over!

Mom gave Macy a bath with the rubber duckies

Ashley, the girls and Leo laughed at goofy videos on Morgan's ipad

The girls talked to their cousin 

The next morning, Macy tried on my prom princess dress from Deb's prom! Look familiar? Also reminds me of trying dresses on at the farm : )

Getting ready to leave that morning was HARD! One last photo with Mom before we headed to Heather's and Mom and Charlie headed to the farm

Ashley gets in some final running around the yard with the girls. Gorgeous day.

Grammy with Morgan, Brooke and Macy! I love this photo.

We headed to Heather's after this to hang out for a bit before catching our plane. It was a gorgeous fall day and it was so nice to hang out and lay low before our travels back.

THANK YOU everyone for everything while we were back. Such a great trip - miss everyone and can't believe how different things will be next time we see each other! XO

Wisconsin, Part 2.1: Shower at Mom's

Saturday of course was the shower! So many adorable touches - thank you so much Mom, Deb and Heather for all your work...

The guys heading out the door to make themselves scarce

Super cute favors

Blue punch

Such cute and yummy cake! Great choice

I loved how into all the gifts the girls were. Reminded me of my wedding shower, so stinkin sweet.

Horrible picture of me, but LOVE the sweater from Mim!

Again, horrible picture of me, but so many cute things to open : )

Kashton, such a boy!!

Can't believe they made it all the way from Montana. Reminds me of our wedding where there are so many people to talk to but so little time!

I love this photo : )

And this one!

It was so overwhelming to not have seen everyone in so long, but to get such an outpouring of support and generosity in such a short amount of time. Fritz and Susanne of course had to leave shortly after the shower ended as well, so it was a bit of a quick goodbye after such a great trip - its always so hard to say bye, and so much will change by the time we see them next! I was a weepy emotional mess after everyone left, but  was so so so glad Morgan, Brooke and Macy were there to be their bouncy energetic selves that night - we had so much fun with them and Mom. Also, Morgan took a lot of these photos with Mom's camera, so maybe you've all seen most of these already.

More photos of the shower "after party" to come : ) 

HUGE THANK YOU again Mom, Deb and Heather for all your work to make that such a nice day!! And Deb, I LOVE the album, thank you so much.

xo

Wisconsin Part 2: Pewaukee

After our lovely time up north, we arrived at Mom and Charlie's Wednesday night to another great meal, hang out time, and shower preparations : ) 

Mom and the adorable duckie ice ring

Fritz and Leo get in some quality time

Thursday, the guys went golfing and Mom and Susanne did some shopping and shower prep, while I ran to Madison to see Grandma at the farm (I got to see Jean and Kathleen while there too) and pop in to see Deb, Emily and Matt briefly.

Blurry, but the only photo I have of Grandma and I at the farm

Grandma lookin good

It was a gorgeous fall day out there

I beat the big storm back to Mom and Charlie's where we grilled and hung out again.

Friday a.m. I met up with Becky and Natale to get our nails done and grab lunch. So so so nice to catch up with them.

Mom and Susanne working in the kitchen. That afternoon we went into Delafield to do a bit of shopping.

That night we grabbed dinner at the Gasthaus. So good! 

More photos to come separately from the shower and the rest of the stay at Mom's. So many good things packed into one trip : )

Wisconsin, Part 1: Presque Isle

I have been trying to get caught up on photo organizing and sharing from the trip - I have photos on my camera, my phone, Ashley's phone, and the ones Morgan and Deb took at the shower, etc. So many good ones. Figured I'd just start getting some of them up here....

Obviously Ashley, Fritz, Susanne and I all arrived safely at Mom and Charlie's in Pewaukee on Wednesday night (almost a month ago already!). Mom and Charlie made an awesome Wisconsin burger and brats on the grill dinner, we caught up and crashed after a day of traveling. 

We shoved off around noon on Thursday for up north, had a beautiful drive, stopped for lunch in Portage, and arrived in PI in time for sunset. : )

Sunset, night 1 in PI

Our sunny first morning in PI. I heard loons when walking to the garage to go to bed the first night, and saw some the first morning when we woke up.

Ashley opening Baby O's first Packer gear. Thanks Dad and Jean!

One morning we kayaked around and stumbled across these fisherman : ) 

Beautiful fist day

Ashley, Fritz and Dad

Dressed up for dinner out (no Jean in this photo though!)

Dad, Fritz and Ashley working on a project in the garage on one of the overcast days

Dad and I on a mule ride

The "adults" planning their cruises one morning

Ashley caught a bunch of crawfish, but an otter or raccoon got to them overnight! 

Ashley and Fritz on the pier on a sunny day

Dad and I : )

Dad raking up apples for deer in town. SUCH a gorgeous fall day!

Susanne and Fritz on a pontoon ride

Fritz and Ashley out front

Captain dad

Another pretty sunset

Ashley and Fritz put a lot of work into catching a batch of crawfish for a boil for the last night we were there. Hopefully they didn't fish out all the crawfish from the bay!!

The whole group before we shoved off the morning of Wednesday,  9.18.

Grubby photo of Dad and I : )

We stopped in Minocqua at Otto's for some brats on the way back down to Pewaukee.

We had a nice drive down and arrived at Mom and Charlie's that night. There are so many other great photos I should grab and post randomly. And lots of things I didn't get photos of: Dad, Susanne, Ashley and I spent a nice day in town - had lunch at Paul Bunyan's and hit up some antique stores. Dad and I went on a gorgeous long walk one day, etc. 

More photos to come of the second leg of the trip : )