birthdays, babies, and summer.

The last week or so has been a blur, in typical beginning of summer fashion.  Now that the chaos is dying down for a day or two, I can finally relax, put my feet up, and update my blog with an overload of iPhone photos because I'm too lazy to haul around my real camera.

Last week by a sudden stroke of luck, Ryan was able to come home from Saint Louis a few days early. He has spent pretty much the entire month of June working there, and I've been a lonely, clingy, pregnant wife wishing that he was home. I was thrilled that he was able to join me at my ultrasound the morning after his arrival.  By recommendation from friends, we decided to go for a 3D ultrasound for no other reason than for our own pleasure.  I used to think that these were the creepiest things, but now that it's my own, it is pretty darn cool.  We sat hand in hand and watched our baby on the screen.  Despite downing large amounts of sugar in an effort to convince him/her to move around, we have a calm kid who was far more interested in sleep... clearly a combination of his/her parents already.  It was amazing to be able to clearly see the expressions on its tiny face... from a pouty lip to itty bitty yawns. Our kid is already pretty awesome.  The ultrasound tech as well as many friends and family members are convinced that we've got quite the Ryan lookalike, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see!  Boy or girl.... what do you think?

After the ultrasound we went for a long overdue lunch date at our favourite Thai restaurant.  The spicy food sure got the baby moving around! Back home, I packed my suitcase and headed to work. It was a pairing filled with delays and frustration, but I was with the best crew that I could ask for and it was my last 3 days before maternity leave. I was lucky enough to have a quick stop in Saskatoon to visit my friend Kimmy.

 Friday finally rolled around and it was time to go home. I was exhausted from a long work day, but excited to officially be on maternity leave! I threw my uniform into a pile on the floor, not to be worn again for a long, long time.  It's a bittersweet time, but mostly sweet.  

We headed to Red Deer for the weekend, and on Saturday we were surrounded by our family and best friends as we celebrated our baby shower. I still have a couple of months to wait, but my friend Carley was still in town from Victoria and we knew that she'd want to be a part of the event! It was a wonderful day filled with mass amounts of delicious food, and it was so great to see how much our baby is loved already before he/she is even born. 

After the shower it was back to my mom's house, where my friends joined me for a small birthday celebration.  We continued eating, played some hilarious games, and consumed several J-ello shots... alcohol free for me, of course. It was a fun night, and a nice treat to spend the entire evening with friends... that is a rare occurrence in the chaos of our busy mid-20's lives 

The birthday celebrations continued the next day, on my "birthday eve". We headed to Ryan's parents house for brunch, including a delicious chocolate ice cream cake. They know the secret to my heart.  

Monday was my actual birthday. I'm now 27 years old.  How the heck did that happen? I often still feel like a crazy 18 year old, until it dawns on me that I'm married, pregnant, well traveled, and that I've accomplished everything that I only dreamt of at 18. I'm content. I can handle 27.  

In a perfect world, I would have spent the day with my husband and best friends. Sadly, Ryan found out early on the morning of my birthday that he had to fly back to Saint Louis... in a matter of hours. I was obviously very disappointed, and being pregnant doesn't help me hide my out of control emotions. I did not want him to go, but he made sure to make me feel special before he left at lunch time.  

He even stopped to pick up our infant car seat from Purolator. It was only natural that we'd immediately test it with Niko, the only baby that we have to practice with right now.  

Ryan left. I cried. I'm a wimp these days. Fortunately, Carley was still around and I didn't have to spend the day alone. We set out for a day of shopping adventures, spending hours wandering the mall until our feet were swollen and sore. My mom and her boyfriend Justin joined us around dinner time, and I indulged in one of my absolute favourite meals, followed by cheesecake for dessert. 

I'm so lucky to have had them to cheer me up from what would have otherwise been a miserable day. I love the people in my life! 

Continuing on with the week full of birthdays, today my fuzzy little love Niko is turning one year old! I love this little dog more than I ever imagined I could. He provides me with entertainment, cuddles, and unconditional love. I know that he'll be a great big brother when the baby joins our little family.  Happy birthday Niko! 

Now I'm home alone for a few days, hoping to get some of this "nesting" thing that moms talk about. This house is in desperate need of cleaning and organization. So far, no such luck.  I've made a nest of my couch and I'm happily perched there for the time being! 

I hope that you are all having a great summer so far!