My Baby Shower in Chicago

So, right after we got back from our cruise, the next day I was on a plane off to Chicago for an early baby shower with friends and family. My brother Ryan put the shower together, with a little input from me, of course : ) And it turned out really nice. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, along with the room we were in and the food was great. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Since I couldn't bring back a bunch of gifts on the plane, most people ordered gifts and had them sent to FL for us. So at the shower I opened a lot of gift cards, clothing items and cards that had pictures of the gifts they shipped us. It ended up working out really great. I even managed to fit everything into my suitcase!

While I was there I got to see Evan, Lauren's son for the first time. He was only 2 weeks old, so most of the time I was over visiting, he was sleeping, but it was still awesome to meet the little guy and see Lauren in a whole new light, as a Mommy!

(L) Me and my bro.
(R) Palesa and adorable Amelie (4 months).

(L) The baby tee I'm holding up says "Chicago Baby", I love it!
(R) We have about a million of these pictures together, yet we always seem to take more : )


(L) My cousins, aren't they cute?
(R) My Aunts, I love them dearly!

(L) Me and Nana-to-Be!
(R) Last, but not least....Baby Evan. Just 2 wks old.

Our Babymoon was Grand!

Matt and I had an awesome time on our cruise. As you know, it was our first one and after the time we had, we agreed we would definitely do another one. The customer service on the ship was outstanding. Everyone is so friendly, helpful and willing to do what they can to make your vacation a great one. Mad props to Royal Caribbean and EA!!

Our favorite part was probably Jamaica. We took a tour to a jerk spice factory where we got to see how the spices were grown and put together to become a great rub for chicken, pork and the like. We also went to a ceramic shop where we go to see people making pottery and had the option to buy some ourselves, but the prices were pretty steap and we didn't see anything we just had to have, so we passed on buying anything there. Cool stop though. The shop gave jobs to a lot of people in the community, which was cool.

Driving to these places was another favorite part. We loved our tour guide, she was adorable....teaching us slang Jamiaca words and singing songs. During our ride we drove thru some rough run down areas, seeing how a lot of people really live there. Taxes are high there, so it's not that affordable to live. It makes you really value the life we have in the US. We also drove thru a rain forest, driving up a somewhat steap mountain on a windy narrow road. Crazy stuff, but fun!

I wish I could write a bunch about Georgetown, Grand Cayman, but we didn't actually do too much there. We didn't even make it to the 7-mile beach that seemed to be the rage there. Instead Matt and I walked around on our own and started to melt by the intense sun. We thought we might walk to the beach ourselves, while tons of buses passed us. Yeah, that plan didn't work too well. We saw the beach, but it wasn't where everyone else went to see the beach. Instead, we stopped at a condo resort and took a dip in their pool to cool off. It was quite funny, especially since we didn't have any towels. That really didn't matter in the end though, since the sun dried us off in no time. After our little dip, we took the long walk back, stopped at one shop to pick up some rum cake and then headed back to the boat for lunch.

On the ship we enjoyed hanging out at the piano bar, played some shuffle board and even hit the casino to play some virtual $2.00 blackjack - we both bought in for $20 and I ended up playing for about an hour and a half and winning $30! Matt on the other hand, lost his money in about 20 minutes or less. Lol.

Did I fail to mention the food? Oh the food! Why must they have food available at all times? It's insane. I think I ate dessert with both lunch & dinner almost everyday while on our trip. That's not like me either, but my sweet tooth was in full effect. I blame the pregnancy!

Check out some pictures below. Unfortunately we have none actually together!

Happy New Year!!

It's the first day of 2007, I can't believe it's a start of another year! A lot of things for Matt and I to look forward to this year. We truly feel blessed. Hope everyone had a fun & safe new year! Time to go take down our Christmas decorations, ugh.

Christmas in Chicago

Our trip to Chicago for Christmas was great, our only complaint? The weather!! It didn't snow, I wanted it to snow! Instead it was gray (or it grey? I never know) and gloomy everyday. How do you people live like that? lol. Matt and I are sooo spoiled now that we live in the sunshine state : ) It was great to see family & friends for the holiday. It's also good to be home, we were exhausted by the time we returned. Thank you Trish and Sarah for letting us stay with you!

Baby Max & Baby Evan

As most of you know, 2 of my best friends are (or were) pregnant - Lauren (due Dec. 18) and Michelle (due Feb. 18). While we were in Chicago for Christmas I was hoping to witness Lauren give birth, since she was over due, but unfortunately that wasn't the case and Michelle actually ended up delivering her baby first instead!

Her water broke early and she ended up having Maxwell Jaden Liberty on Christmas day, almost 2 months early. Thankfully, both baby and Mom are doing well. Max is still in the hospital right now, but in a few weeks should be coming home.

Now for Lauren...I went with her to her doctor appointment on Wednesday morning, the day Matt and I were leaving and it turns out her doctor wanted her to check into the hospital rigth after her appointment to get induced since her amniotic fluids were low. So I got to check in with her and even tried to change my flight to stick around for the birth, but unfortunately that didn't work out and in the end it was best, because it was a long time before she finally delivered. After a very slow labor she had a c-section on Thursday night, Evan Joseph Convey was born at 6:43 p.m. Baby and Mom are both doing well. I love being an aunt!!

Another Family Visit...

Ok, this post is late, so you'll notice it's a little out of order. Before Matt and I went to Chicago for Christmas, my family came up from Naples to celebrate x-mas a weekend early. My Dad, Joanne, Marty & Ryan all stayed with us! It actually didn't feel too crowded, but there is no way we could fit one person for sleeping purposes....our inn was full! We had a nice weekend together, had a ham dinner on Saturday and opened presents that night. It was great having them at our house for a change, especially Marty, since he doesn't get to visit too often. Miss you guys!

Boy or Girl?

Our last doctor appointment went well. We got our ultrasound and got to see the baby again, which is such a great experience. Especially since the baby was so much bigger this time. We got to see him (or her?) moving around and everything. As most of you know, we don't want to find out the sex, so when the tech looked for the sex, she warned us first. Well I guess our baby was being shy, because each time she tried to look between his/her legs, they were closed. So right now no one knows the baby's sex, not even our doctor. People definitely have their guesses though, so far most are saying girl. Only time will tell!!

Babymoon in 1 week!

Ok, so you've heard of a honeymoon, right? Well I guess Matt and I aren't the only parents who wanted to take a vacation before their baby was born. These days they're calling it a "babymoon" and since I got the OK from my doctor to go on the cruise Matt won, we're leaving in one week!!

Royal Caribbean actually has a policy that doesn't allow prego's like me to be on the ship if they're 26 weeks along or further. And since I'm currently 24 weeks, we needed to plan this trip fast....and that we did! In one week we're out to sea and I can't wait!

It's a 5 night cruise leaving from Fort Lauderdale (just over a 3 hour drive from us) and goes to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Georgetown, Grand Cayman. On 2 days we'll be at sea, before and after those stops. It's our first cruise and are pretty excited about having a real vacation, it's been so long! Most of our trips have been to AZ or Chicago to visit family. Of course those are wonderful, but they aren't the same as going some place new to explore for an extended amount of time. Now the only thing we're worried about is getting sea sick. Matt is the one mainly concerned, but who knows how it will be for me, being prego and all. Wish us luck! And thank you EA!!

Matt had the golden ticket!

Last Saturday was Matt's holiday work party. It was at the Hard Rock by Universal, same as last year. They had an awards show, then a dj & dancing, cigar rollers, and of course, open bar -which this year I couldn't partake in, but nevertheless, I still had a good time.

So when we arrived, everyone got a raffle ticket to win a prize and on Monday, Matt found out he won the grand prize!!! What was the grand prize you ask? Well, let me just tell you.....it's a 5 night cruise!!!! We still can't believe it. It leaves from Ft. Lauderdale, stops in Key West, then in Cozumel and finally in Belize. Matt and I have been saying how we wanted to get away before the baby was born, but figured we could only manage a weekend getaway, if that. So now this is perfect!

The only problem - Royal Caribbean doesn't accept any pregnant women on the cruise if they are 26 weeks or further along. That means Matt and I need to take the trip in 3 weeks! Thankfully, that's available with the cruise line and Matt & I both got the OK from work. Now we just need our doctor's approval. We have our next appt. on Monday, this is when we get another ultrasound! We're really looking forward to it. Even though we aren't finding out if it's a girl or boy, we'll get to see how much the baby has grown and make sure everything is going along ok. So keep your fingers crossed for us, we really want to take this trip, so hopefully all will go well on Monday.

Stay tuned....

The fun begins!

After shopping on line for the past month or so, I finally decided on a bedding set (crib sheet, bumper & blanket) for our baby's crib. I would have put it on my registry, but it's not from Babys R Us, so I decided to get it on my own. I'm glad I ordered it early too, because if we end up not liking it after we get it, we have plenty of time to return it and get a new one. So anyway, Matt and I both like it and think it will work out well for a boy or a girl, it's pretty neutral (white w/ brown, yellow & green) and modern, which is what we were looking for and even affordable too!

Love this Video!

Ok, I realize this video is now old to those who check out You Tube on a regular, but I just had to add it to my blog, because I can never get sick of watching it. Click here to check it out: Weird Al - White & Nerdy. Hilarious!

was that an elbow or a foot?

Great news to share, yesterday was the first time I felt the most movement from the baby so far! This time I knew it was not gas and definitely a new sensation, it was a kick, I believe. And the best part about it was.....Matt got to feel it too! I was laying in bed getting ready to start my day when I felt it and could tell exactly what it was. So I called Matt over and within a minute or so, he got to feel it too. It was such an amazing experience and it was obviously just the start, because I have continued to feel the movements ever since. Today Matt started to talk to my belly and sure enough, there was the baby moving around. Soooo cool!

Today I am 21 weeks along and still feeling really good. And guess what? My belly is finally starting to show! That happened within the last week or so. Very exciting. Much more baby stuff to share in upcoming posts, so stay tuned....

A Family Visit

Matt's family came to visit from Arizona last week. Nicole (his sister), Russ (his dad) and Pam (dad's girlfriend). They were here for almost a week and we had a great time. We haven't seen Nicole since last time we went to AZ, which was last Christmas and this was the first time she came to FL and saw our house. All of them went to the 2 Universal Parks on a day I had to work, which ended out working well, since I can't ride any of the rides anyway. They said there were no lines and got on all the rides in about 5 minutes, so they had a great time.

While they were here, Nicole and Pam helped me start my baby registry at Babys R Us, which was a huge help. That place is over-whelming for a first time Mom, even with help! I felt over loaded after an hour or 2. At one point I had to say "I'm done!". I still need to add things, but it was a great start. Thanks again, Ladies!

We had our work holiday party over the weekend, so luckily I was able to get Nicole invited, thru a friend of mine who wasn't bringing a date - thanks Andrew! The party turned out to be a hit. Everything went smoothly and people seemed to have a really good time - you figure with a 3 hour open bar, that helps people get in the 'spirit'!

The Melting Pot

Have you ever been to the Melting Pot? Well I can finally say I have and let me tell you, it's a wonderful place! Matt and I went with a group of friends for my birthday dinner, there was 8 of us (4 couples). Great number to go there with. The food was amazing and sooo much of it. OMG - all of us were uncomfortably stuffed after our meal, but I have to say it was very worth it!

The food we ate:
1) Cheese appetizer-we got the cheddar cheese with beer, YUM! You get to dip bread, veggies and apple into the cheese. Sooooo good!
2) Salad - nothing exciting to report here, but good.
3) Entree - our pick had the following: filet (my fave), chicken, pork, shrimp & ravioli (least fave). It was all very good, especially with the mushroom wine broth we picked. Plus, you get all these different sauces to dip into too.
4) Dessert - chocolate fondue! We picked the amaretto milk chocalate, it was mainly Matt's pick and a good one at that! Other couples got the original (milk chocolate & p.butter) and the smores (marshmellows & graham cracker goodness).

I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to eat dessert, with all the other food you get, but like my friend Kelly said - you make room! And that we did. My poor baby, after the 2nd course, he/she probably wanted Mommy to stop, but she didn't. No, she just kept on eating! Ok, I will stop talking about food now. So anyway, if you have never been, I would highly recommend it, also plan on being there for about 3 hours, it's a long dinner.

My Turkey Day

Matt and I drove to Naples on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, so we could hang with family. The traffic sucked on the way there, it took us about 5 hours to get there and it usually should take about 4 or less. We were soooo ready to get out of the car, by the time we arrived, ugh!

So our visit ended up to be really nice. We stayed with Ryan, my bro and we went to my Dad's for Thanksgiving dinner, good food and family. We got a lot of family time in during our trip, which was great. I also got to meet my other brother's (Marty) new girlfriend, Segal (not sure if that's the correct spelling, but it's pronounced like the actor Steven Segal). Anyway, we really like her. She is totally down to earth and seems to be low drama, that's a good thing! Marty seems happy, so I'm happy for him. Yay!

Not much else to report. Matt and I drove back on Saturday, my birthday! That night we went to the Melting Pot for dinner, more on that in another post.

I love pumpkin pie.

Chicago Trip

A few weeks ago, Matt and I went to Chicago for the weekend. My best friend, Lauren was having her baby shower and I decided to come out and surprise her. I bought the tickets in August and decided to tell her I couldn't make the trip, due to financial reasons. So when I showed up at her door on Friday evening, she was more than surprised! It was awesome. She was having the worst day and then I came and totally shocked the hell out of her! So many people knew I was coming into town, so I really thought the surprise was going to be ruined, but thankfully it wasn't and turned out great.

Our trip was short, but we managed to pack a lot into it. Friday night I went out to dinner with Lauren (after I surprsed her) and 7 other girlfriends, it was a good time and it was great seeing everyone (Matt went out with the guys). Saturday Matt and I went to the cemetery to visit my Mom's grave, just one day after the one year anniversary of her passing. We had just got the headstone done, so it was the first time I was able to see it. It turned out really nice.

Afterwards, Matt and I went to my Aunt's house for lunch (good pizza, done the real way, not like FL) to see most of my family (my Mom's side). My grandma was there, aunt's, uncle's cousins, it was great. I hadn't seen them in a year, so it was wonderful to be able to see them all and spend some time together. Since I knew I was coming to Chicago and we were all getting together, I decided to wait to tell everyone the good news that I was pregnant. So instead I could do it in person and not over the phone, one by one. Well, when I announced the news, everyone cheered - there were screams, literally. It was quite funny. Everyone was very excited for us, it was really nice.

After our trip to the burbs, we headed back to the city to visit our friends Al and Palesa and their new baby girl, Amelie. Amelie is 2 months old and sooo precious! We got to get all the info on how being new parents was going, it was very helpful for us to hear about the ups & downs. And as everyone always says, no matter how much work it is and how much sleep you are not getting - it's totally worth it! Our visit with them was somewhat brief, but it was great to see them, their new house and Amelie, their new addition.

That night a group of us went out to dinner for Matt's birthday (which was the upcoming Tuesday - Nov. 7). Matt's Mom, Trish and her boyfriend also joined us, which was great, since we haven't seen Trish in months and it was the first time meeting her boyfriend, Todd. We went to dinner at Weber Grill - good food!

The next day was Sunday, time for Lauren's baby shower. And what a shower it was!! The room was nice and bright and decorated great. There were a lot of people and even more gifts! She got a lot of wonderful presents, I couldn't get over ALL the baby stuff one needs. Lol. It definitely made me excited for when the time comes for my shower.

After the shower, I headed to the airport to meet Matt and head back to FL. All and all, a wonderful trip! Oh, how I miss Chicago and being in the city! But it was nice to also come back to our home and warm weather in FL : )

Girl's Dinner:

Family Gathering:

Baby Amelie:



Lauren's Baby Shower: