Catching Up

Eva with her namesake. 4 generations!
Hailey, Abby and Eva!

Lake Dillon

This is the playset we purchased off of Craigslist before Tom assembled it!

Oktoberfest. Totally appropriate place for a newborn.
I just love this picture so much I had to include it.
Declan's 1st fish!

It's been awhile since I've updated my blog. Not that I get much time anymore to sit and write. To say that a new baby doubles the workload is an understatement! However, everyday gets a little easier. We have settled into a "routine" and Eva is allowing me enough sleep at night now to feel like an (almost) fully functioning human.

Eva turns 9 weeks old tomorrow. I can't believe how fast it goes. Some days I want to stop the clock and other days I can't wait till she's a little bit older. I am finally getting the hang of being a mother of two. Though that didn't really come until the past couple of weeks. Eva doesn't get nearly as much "one on one" attention as Declan did as an infant but I suppose that goes with the territory.

I am enjoying getting to know Eva and watching her grow and change every day. She is such a smiley little girl and she's got both Tom and I wrapped around her little finger. She's a challenge in that she can't NOT be held. Declan would sleep for hours in his swing but she wants no part of that. It has to be mommy's arms or her sling which is sweet but sometimes I really just need her to give me a break. She also refuses to sleep anywhere but in our bed. We've tried so many times to get her to sleep in her bassinet but she has no interest in that either. We are just hoping that it doesn't last too much longer.

We spent 10 days in MN a few weeks ago spending time, once again, at the Lady Slipper Lodge in Remer. We had excellent weather and spent the week relaxing, hiking, fishing and drinking. Happy hour always starts at noon when you're on vacation. Right? Declan caught his first fish which he was pretty excited about.

We also spent a few days back in Bloomington. I had a fabulous time seeing all my friends and meeting Stacy and Betsy's new babies Hailey and Abby. One of these days I might just get out those "Thank You" notes I have been meaning to write. If you got us a gift and haven't received a proper thank you from me all I can ask is.... please forgive? I am most appreciative but I just can't seem to make the time to get those done!

Being home and seeing all my friends makes me homesick for MN. WHich brings me to my next thought.

Lot's of great things have been starting to happen for Thomas and his career goals. As everyone probably already knows Tom applied for a Bomb Assessment Officer position with TSA to work at the Minneapolis airport and received a call to come in for an interview. This is huge for us in terms of the opportunity it presents. If he is offered the position it means we can move back to MN and I will be able to continue staying home with my kids. Not to mention a pay raise and federal bennies. On the other hand, it means leaving Colorado which fills me with so much sadness. I love living here! It also means trying to figure out what to do with a house we won't be able to sell for at least a few years which fills me with all kinds of anxiety. I am trying to not to spend any time worrying as Tom hasn't even been offered a position just yet, but I am a worrier so I can't help it. What will be will be.

9 days and counting!

The past month has flown by! We have been busy vacationing with family and enjoying our "downtime" before the arrival of "the Deuce" as Thomas refers to her. Thomas has also been busy making our backyard look presentable (yes, more landscaping) and it is finally looking like something that resembles a finished yard. I fully intend to post pics one of these days. As soon as the memory cards for our camera come out of hiding. Hopefully that happens before the arrival of the new baby.

A great time was had up in the mountains where we spent a week at my parent's timeshare in Breckenridge. My parents rented a pontoon one afternoon and we spent the day boating on Lake Dillon. We also spent an evening in Vail at a Queen cover band concert where Declan shared his first kiss ever with a little girl from Argentina. We spent most of the week relaxing, as there isn't much to do in the mountains when you are 9 months pregnant.

I also had a fabulous shower thrown for me by my friends Casey and Jessie. I was treated to lunch at the Augustine Grill and then an afternoon of pampering at the spa. It was so much fun to spend the day with friends. I think every Saturday should be reserved for girlfriends and pedicures!

My mom has been here since the 17th and it has been such a lifesaver. I really don't know how women manage toddlers and pregnancy. She will be here through the end of the month and I am so grateful for her help.

I am ready as I'll ever be for this baby to get here. My c-section is scheduled for next Thursday the 13th and while I am having a lot of anxiety over the surgery I am anxious to put this pregnancy behind me for now. I am looking forward to meeting this baby girl and learning all about her! My bags are packed and I am ready to go. I won't be disappointed in the least if I go into labor early either.

I am working on getting some more pics uploaded. Stay tuned....

Billy Jean is Not My Lover

34 weeks and 4 days. 5 weeks to go. 5 long weeks! It is getting increasingly difficult to get comfortable. Especially in clothing. I have to be on full time belly alert to make sure the bottom half isn't sticking out of my shirts. Getting up and down stairs is a challenge not unlike hiking Mt. Kilamanjaro. It's especially fun when Declan insists I carry him. The baby is having regular soccer matches with my insides, particularly my spine and pelvic cavity. I am still fitting in about 2 workouts a week. They leave me exhausted, and I cannot get my body into position to stretch afterward but I know that I will be glad I did it once this pregnancy is over. I am so proud of myself for staying in shape these past 9 months. I made a promise to myself that I would not slack off and I kept it. I can't even describe how empowering it feels to me to be 8 months pregnant and still be able to pound out 30 min on the elliptical and then do 30 min of strength training. Getting back into shape post-pregnancy is a bitch and I hope my efforts will pay off!

We had a nice 4th of July break here. Thomas had 5 days off work and my sister was in town for a visit. We spent a night in Vail at my brother's house while Thomas camped, hiked and fished. Although we did join him for a campfire and burgers. No sleeping in a tent for me right now! Other than that our weekend was mostly uneventful! We had rainy weather on the 4th but still managed a couple BBQs and fireworks. Tom and I had a date on Sunday with lunch and a movie.

And I have to go ahead and admit that maybe I am just a little sad about the death of Michael Jackson. Or maybe it's the pregnancy hormones? I haven't been a big fan of his for several years but back in the day I was a crazed and hormonal pre-teen with his posters all over my bedroom wall. I mean, who didn't get the chills just a little when MJ would moonwalk out on stage to the bassline from Billy Jean? I still get them! His music has been on my gym playlist now for years. I suppose he's a little like my generation's Elvis. All I know is, when I saw his daughter speak at his memorial service I could barely contain the tears. Again with the pregnancy hormones. That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it!