date night chicago!

tim and i were just in chicago for one last time before baby's arrival. we enjoyed a last special dinner at The Capital Grille. i don't have many "belly" pics so here is one of me almost fully baked at 37 weeks! i feel truly wonderful and really have from day one. this little guy has been very easy on me, i pray he will be as easygoing outside of the womb when he joins us!

we're in this together!

so i met my new friend jenna through work, she one of the company trainers and "oriented" me to my new job in no time last summer! jenna and her husband brad surprised us in april with the great news that they were pregnant too - just 4 weeks behind us! we could not be happier to go through this journey with another couple and have had lots of fun hanging out over the summer talking cravings, maternity fashion, baby gear, hopes, dreams, etc. well that is us girls anyway!!! stage left is tim and brad putting back some vodka cocktails, playing beanbags in the backyard and rolling their eyes at all the gear we think we might need to be successful new moms!
they are also having a boy so we look fw to playdates for years to come!

baby shower #3, oct 6th

i have made some really wonderful new friends down here in a short period of time, most of them girls I work with. they've been so excited for us and so supportive of my first pregnancy - like we've all known each other for years!!!! they were very sweet and threw me a baby shower as we feasted on maggianos after work one night.

brooke's wedding, "the girls"

my college friend brooke married mike rummelhoff on june 8th in chicago, it was a beautiful wedding and they make a perfect pair. getting all of us npc girlfriends together now basically takes a wedding or shower event of some type. here is one picture from the big day. notice i'm sticking out my stomach to show my newly pregnant profile at 16 weeks- so PROUD! meanwhile heidi (far right in orange) and shelly (to brooke's right) were both totally pregnant with their 2nd and 3rd babies respectively... they were either hiding their conditions or in denial! i love you girls and can't wait for our next gathering in april.

new trees & new life

who knew trees could be so exciting?! we didn't either, until we became homeowners and discovered not only good landscaping but also hedges! we got 10 huge white pines and a maple planted in may, and not to mention the little germination happening inside of me. only 4 months along in this pic...

san francisco/napa trip

we headed out to SF & napa for a little vacation in early july.







ghirardelli square for husband with the small ice-cream obsession!!!



jaime came up from the oc for a few days to hang in sf with us. the 3 of us had a great time and met up with many old friends during our stay. we were lucky to hit three of sf's coolest restaurants - they did not disappoint! americano, salt house and town hall -awesome awesome awesome! we didn't feel guilty eating so much since we walked our butts off during the day.


it was tough on a pregnant girl to be in napa and not be able to indulge in the local specialty. we took back a few bottles to enjoy later however and we enjoyed this beautiful part of the country. compared to the hustle and melting pot activity of sf, napa was a stark contrast of relaxation and the good life. can't wait to go back and spend more time here. this was an adorable and romantic french restaurant we enjoyed one night, bistro jeanty. i couldn't get over how cute this place was!

big news!!!!!

long time, no post - sorry. i hope to catch up on some events and family updates on the blog in coming weeks.

the biggest news is that our family is expanding on November 28! we are having a little boy!!!! we are very blessed and so excited for what is to come.

i've been thinking about how to creatively break the news on this site, but so much time has passed since we found out in March that i thought i better just get writing!