Hey everyone …….. We seem to be moving right along here … again the below info is from http://www.babycenter.com/
How your baby's growing:This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.
In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.
This Week's Activity:Find a prenatal exercise class. If you haven't already, now is a good time to start a regular workout. Joining a class can help motivate you to stick with it. And many women find that prenatal exercise classes are a wonderful way to bond with and get support from other pregnant women. Some good options include water exercise, prenatal yoga or Pilates, a walking group, or a dance class designed for pregnant women.
Nausea has seemed to subside for me. Although I get glimpses of baby not liking things. I’m a bit adverse to truly sweet things right now. I made 6lbs (6 pounds people!!) of fudge. I think I only had 2 cubes of it. Most things with a high sugar content make me feel very icky very quickly and likely can’t finish it. Which is fine by me … that means I’m less likely to crave bad things. I still crave sweet but that’s easily satiated with an apple (Honey Crisp are my and Mike’s favorite right now) or a Cutie (only if the store is selling ones worth buying). I’ve been getting in lots of fruits. Need to add more veggies and I’m really not getting in all my dairy like a good mommy to be. I can finally eat my yogurt again and I’m eating cheese sticks so that helps too. (sorry Debbie and Gary … I’m sure part of the reason you had an apple pie last night is because you know I like them so much … I REALLY wanted a slice but knew if I had any it’d only be a bite) Although the nausea is subsiding, the exhaustion is not. I’m not so tired that I feel like I could pass out at any moment but I’m certainly drained. And I’m not sleeping well at all (that’s not too new to me).
As for the mention above about getting into an exercise program … I’ll start looking more in-depth into this. Kaiser offers these in a few locations near me and even another place in WC called Day One. January/February will be VERY hard to schedule since I have such a very busy game schedule. But I’ll have to figure out something. Eek I can’t believe next week is 2010!!!!!!!!!!!! Clothes are getting tighter and tighter. Even Amy said she noticed no weight gain but a bit-o-tummy yesterday when we had brunch. I did have one of the VP’s congratulate me at the game on Saturday night. I don’t think anyone told her as her response was “honey, I have 2 of my own” when I asked what she was talking about in wanting to congratulate me. And it’s official, I had to use the rubber band trick on my jeans this weekend. I’m not up for clothes shopping (or spending rather) just yet so I’ll continue to figure out my own clothes as long as I can. That about wraps it up for this week … we have our normal 4 week appointment on Wednesday. Not sure if they’ll do a sonogram or not. The normals, blood pressure, weight, set up next appointment etc I’m sure. Fortunately it’s a short week with Friday off and Thursday practically being a non-work day since all we’ll do is package up Monta Ellis jerseys to be shipped the following Thursday. I could use all the rest I can get right now. Take care everyone … feel free to ask or seek answers if you ever have any ………….
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Week 13: Peach
Hey everyone ... here's your weekly update!!! ***keep in mind ... NEXT week will be a lemon ... meaning this PEACH is not referencing the HUGE peaches we're used to seeing nowadays ... think more like nectarine size peach.*** Again the below info is from http://www.babycenter.com/. How your baby's growing:Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp/or peach) and weighs nearly an ounce.
For me, nausea managed to kick into high gear the last few days along with some tiredness. Mike has been really helpful through all of this and especially the last few days when I really haven’t felt great. Even the exhausted skier he was on Saturday night when he got home from Bear Valley, he still took care of me. The irony of this is that with starting the second trimester you’re “supposed” to be feeling less nausea and less fatigued but apparently my first trimester wants to go out with a bang? My belly is starting to grow and its freaking me out!! Lol!! It’s still small and really only looks “fat” but for the first time I’m noticing that while sitting I need to unbotton my pants. I tried wearing my new maternity slacks one day last week and it felt like they were going to fall off of me all day. The bump isn’t big enough to hold anything up yet and my pants are all getting tighter and tighter. So I’ll have to figure out a solution in the meantime. I will be telling my bosses/HR this week at work. I’ll be keeping it a secret a bit longer from the department. I’ll give them a few more weeks until it becomes more obvious that “Danielle is getting fat, right?”. Lol!! We have our NT scan tomorrow in Oakland. Mike took the day off work to be there with me. This scan will tell us if there are any genetic abnormalities with “peach”. We’re both a little anxious but “what will be, will be”. It’s crazy to realize that starting off the new year … Mike and I might get to feel our baby move!!! “They” say you can usually start feeling “flutters” around week 14 and actually movement by week 16. We both can’t wait!!! Have a great week everyone …
For me, nausea managed to kick into high gear the last few days along with some tiredness. Mike has been really helpful through all of this and especially the last few days when I really haven’t felt great. Even the exhausted skier he was on Saturday night when he got home from Bear Valley, he still took care of me. The irony of this is that with starting the second trimester you’re “supposed” to be feeling less nausea and less fatigued but apparently my first trimester wants to go out with a bang? My belly is starting to grow and its freaking me out!! Lol!! It’s still small and really only looks “fat” but for the first time I’m noticing that while sitting I need to unbotton my pants. I tried wearing my new maternity slacks one day last week and it felt like they were going to fall off of me all day. The bump isn’t big enough to hold anything up yet and my pants are all getting tighter and tighter. So I’ll have to figure out a solution in the meantime. I will be telling my bosses/HR this week at work. I’ll be keeping it a secret a bit longer from the department. I’ll give them a few more weeks until it becomes more obvious that “Danielle is getting fat, right?”. Lol!! We have our NT scan tomorrow in Oakland. Mike took the day off work to be there with me. This scan will tell us if there are any genetic abnormalities with “peach”. We’re both a little anxious but “what will be, will be”. It’s crazy to realize that starting off the new year … Mike and I might get to feel our baby move!!! “They” say you can usually start feeling “flutters” around week 14 and actually movement by week 16. We both can’t wait!!! Have a great week everyone …
Monday, December 7, 2009
Week 12: Lime
Hey everyone … here's a bit of info I cut and pasted from www.babycenter.com for you all ...
How your baby's growing: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.
For me … dizziness is getting a little more prevalent. Even standing up from squatting at the games. I’m learning to go slower so not to worry!! Still have a bit of nausea at times and energy is coming back but still not to full strength. I’m noticing what other ladies have called the “pot belly” above the very small baby bump. This occurs because your intestines and other organs are being moved upwards by your growing uterus and fetus. It’s your body’s way of making space for the baby to comfortably grow. So this makes women just look “fat” at the beginning of pregnancy … there is no such thing as standing up straight and sucking it in to make it go away. The very bottom of the belly is getting harder (firm to the touch) … that’s where the baby is. As a woman it’s CRAZY to see my body change the way it has. My pants are getting tighter ONLY at my waist and not everywhere else like they would if I just getting heavier. So it’s a bid odd. Fortunately I have some looser pants for work but I think I’ll be in the maternity slacks I bought with the Mom’s soon enough; just to be a bit more comfortable.
Our Christmas tree is up!!! We’ll work on some outside lights this week. Mike is making plans to go skiing (he can’t wait) and we’re still trying to figure out our Christmas cards. Hope everyone’s first few days of December are starting out well … snow in the East Bay this morning … snow on the Livermore hills we can see from our home … and more weather on its way to the Bay.
How your baby's growing: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.
For me … dizziness is getting a little more prevalent. Even standing up from squatting at the games. I’m learning to go slower so not to worry!! Still have a bit of nausea at times and energy is coming back but still not to full strength. I’m noticing what other ladies have called the “pot belly” above the very small baby bump. This occurs because your intestines and other organs are being moved upwards by your growing uterus and fetus. It’s your body’s way of making space for the baby to comfortably grow. So this makes women just look “fat” at the beginning of pregnancy … there is no such thing as standing up straight and sucking it in to make it go away. The very bottom of the belly is getting harder (firm to the touch) … that’s where the baby is. As a woman it’s CRAZY to see my body change the way it has. My pants are getting tighter ONLY at my waist and not everywhere else like they would if I just getting heavier. So it’s a bid odd. Fortunately I have some looser pants for work but I think I’ll be in the maternity slacks I bought with the Mom’s soon enough; just to be a bit more comfortable.
Our Christmas tree is up!!! We’ll work on some outside lights this week. Mike is making plans to go skiing (he can’t wait) and we’re still trying to figure out our Christmas cards. Hope everyone’s first few days of December are starting out well … snow in the East Bay this morning … snow on the Livermore hills we can see from our home … and more weather on its way to the Bay.
Monday, November 23, 2009
The BIG SPILL to the grandparents to be ...
From the moment my parents got to our place … my mom was glaring at my belly. When she failed to say anything about my weight … I had suspicions. This is because normally if my belly gets bigger … so does my hips, butt, etc. But they haven’t.
I went to the mall with my mom yesterday … a sale at Coldwater Creek that she just had to go to. While at the mall we stopped in Williams-Sonoma to check on a pot I was eyeing. When in there she asked what other goodies I had my eye on. We traipsed through and showed other items. Last one, of which I prefaced with “this is for the FUTURE”, was the Beaba Babycook. Apparently she didn’t hear me say that part because her next question was “and do you have a need for this now?”. When I said “no not yet” I wasn’t ENTIRELY lying. J Her response was that if it had been my way of telling her I was pregnant it was neat. All I could think of was “be patient woman … only a few more hours and you’ll know”. Lol!!
Left the mall … got home … proceeded to get things ready. Mike had done an excellent job. Truly he really impressed me. He laid out all the appetizers he picked up from the store (grant it most I had TOLD him to get but he still put them in dishes and on platters to be served J). Mom and I washed the china/crystal/flatware and Debbie and Gary arrived soon after. We hung out and munched as I prepped the rest of dinner … just waiting for the “ok” to put it in to be cooked.
Mike went up and grabbed the gifts we’d made for them and put them on the table. He had taken the u/s to Target to get copies made and purchased frames. 2 white and 2 black. Then bought letter stickers to spell out “Hi Grandma/Grandpa” on them. White to the grandma’s and black to the grandpa’s. Then he bought gift bags and put their name in the letters on them. He did such a great job. J
Apparently this is when Debbie became REALLY suspicious. Because we’d requested a parent dinner (even though we’d already done this with no surprises previously planned) and now we
I went to the mall with my mom yesterday … a sale at Coldwater Creek that she just had to go to. While at the mall we stopped in Williams-Sonoma to check on a pot I was eyeing. When in there she asked what other goodies I had my eye on. We traipsed through and showed other items. Last one, of which I prefaced with “this is for the FUTURE”, was the Beaba Babycook. Apparently she didn’t hear me say that part because her next question was “and do you have a need for this now?”. When I said “no not yet” I wasn’t ENTIRELY lying. J Her response was that if it had been my way of telling her I was pregnant it was neat. All I could think of was “be patient woman … only a few more hours and you’ll know”. Lol!!
Left the mall … got home … proceeded to get things ready. Mike had done an excellent job. Truly he really impressed me. He laid out all the appetizers he picked up from the store (grant it most I had TOLD him to get but he still put them in dishes and on platters to be served J). Mom and I washed the china/crystal/flatware and Debbie and Gary arrived soon after. We hung out and munched as I prepped the rest of dinner … just waiting for the “ok” to put it in to be cooked.
Mike went up and grabbed the gifts we’d made for them and put them on the table. He had taken the u/s to Target to get copies made and purchased frames. 2 white and 2 black. Then bought letter stickers to spell out “Hi Grandma/Grandpa” on them. White to the grandma’s and black to the grandpa’s. Then he bought gift bags and put their name in the letters on them. He did such a great job. J
Apparently this is when Debbie became REALLY suspicious. Because we’d requested a parent dinner (even though we’d already done this with no surprises previously planned) and now we
had gifts for them.
So when it was time to plate dinner we said … let’s open the gifts first then have dinner.
Mike made the announcement that “we just have a small gift for you each. It’s the same gift for everyone so the only requirement is to open them at the same time so you don’t spoil it for the next person. It’s just something small that we hope you will all love”. Unfortunately … my mom’s hearing isn’t the best so Debbie and Gary are about to tear open when my mom hasn’t even heard that she was required to open it at the same time. So we had to stop and start over. Made them all put their hands on the present inside … then say go. Debbie tore through that tissue paper like her life depended on it then burst into tears. My mom smiled at me like she knew I’d lied to her earlier. Gary exclaimed “oh no!!” and my dad said “alright!”. It was hysterical actually.
The mom’s did exactly as I thought they would … Debbie balled and my mom got teary eyed. But nonetheless she couldn’t quite let go of me or Mike when she hugged us. I think it took us an extra 45 minutes before we actually ate our dinner … so we had to heat everything up again. No one could believe we waited so long to tell them. But we really wanted to wait until the u/s to be safe. Since Kaiser waits so long.
We did ask that they still not say anything til Thanksgiving. Because most importantly, we’d like to tell the grandmas (Bunny, Connie, Joyce and Virginia), and Donny and Melissa before anyone else. And I also wanted to be able to tell my good friend Ashley in person at lunch on Wednesday since I had to lie to her the week after we found out when we all went to Tahoe together. Her mom is also friends with Debbie so we wanted to make sure I got to tell her and not find out from her mom. And I’m so lucky that my gf Kirsten is in Colorado right now visiting her family. Because now I won’t have to try to call her St. Maarten!!!
They asked if we had books and I proceeded to show them all the books … and I found out I did make a mistake. When I went to buy the books I’d done so under my DAD’s Barnes & Noble account. Realizing that meant he could see it … I quickly ordered them on Amazon. Not realizing I didn’t clear them from the cart!! My dad actually did see them later. My mom told him I was likely getting them for Jamie. Which wouldn’t be that far-fetched.
We let them know that the day we got our flu shots was actually my first appointment and that I also got the H1N1 shot as well. We even found out that Debbie and Gary didn’t know they each had bugged us about me getting the shot “just in case we got pregnant”.
I showed them the CU mobile I bought before we were even engaged … they LOVED it.
They were all congratulating each other … “congrats grandma … congrats grandpa”. It was so cute. Gary said his favorite thing is seeing us so excited about being pregnant. My dad’s 2 cents was how important it was to him and my mom to be very active in their grandchildren’s lives. They didn’t have grandparents who were and neither did Donny and I. Although we didn’t know it until we got older and realized how close other families were. So at least we were dumb to it early on. But that even though they’re in Colo that they really want to be present. That was REALLY nice to hear. Debbie was practically speechless and every time she talked she started to cry. Hahahaha … she told Gary that until Thursday she has laryngitis and that she cannot speak to any of her friends. Mom asked dad if they could leave later (he was already planning on leaving on Sunday) and if she could tell her boss Becky so she could get one more day off.
The mom’s want to go with me to get blood drawn for genetic testing on Saturday … and asked if they could take me to a maternity clothes store too!!! Debbie professed that within the last few weeks she’s collected kid items for just in case. Like a pack-n-play, a highchair, etc. All items that were supposed to be donated that she decided to hold on to for herself (bad good Samaritan – but great timing). My mom even went to give away baby hangers and decided to just to bring them to us for the future … again … what timing.
They asked what we’re nicknaming the baby … we explained the weekly fruit/veggie schedule and they loved it!! So they requested that at the beginning of each week that I email them what we’re calling baby and size etc. I figured … I can handle that. They thought for sure I was only 5-6 weeks and not 10 weeks. Just shocked that he held it from them that long … so are we. I think the only way we got through it was because it was so important to tell them in person and not spoil.
Mike will likely tell work soon … I will tell them after the 12th week is over. They need to know sooner than later because of the job itself and how hectic the arena can be. But I will also only be telling my asst. and exec directors at first. Then as I start to show more … I’ll let the rest of the dept know. The girls will be so excited. They’ve even started to notice my bloated tummy too.
Ugh … we’re so excited … and we get to be excited all over again on Thursday. I think we decided how to tell everyone on Thursday. We contemplated a t-shirt to say it, saying it at grace (what we’re thankful for … ) or just announcing it. But I thought it’d be fun to whisper to Auntie Joyce (Mike’s god-mother) that we’re pregnant. Knowing her she’ll scream … encouraging everyone to come hither to figure out what’s going on … and then asking her to repeat what we’d just said. Mike loved that idea … I do too.
We’ll be picking up grandma bunny on the way to Auntie Joyce’s so we’ll tell her there. But before that … we’ll make phone calls.
Part of me REALLY wants to either send Donny a t-shirt or send one home with my parents that says “World’s Greatest Uncle”. To be honest … my brother is borderline genius … but sometimes he’s truly dense. So I know Jamie will get it right away but I think it’ll take Donny a second. Dad agreed that it would be great … but I just don’t want to wait so long to tell him. Ugh … we’ll figure it out.
So when it was time to plate dinner we said … let’s open the gifts first then have dinner.
Mike made the announcement that “we just have a small gift for you each. It’s the same gift for everyone so the only requirement is to open them at the same time so you don’t spoil it for the next person. It’s just something small that we hope you will all love”. Unfortunately … my mom’s hearing isn’t the best so Debbie and Gary are about to tear open when my mom hasn’t even heard that she was required to open it at the same time. So we had to stop and start over. Made them all put their hands on the present inside … then say go. Debbie tore through that tissue paper like her life depended on it then burst into tears. My mom smiled at me like she knew I’d lied to her earlier. Gary exclaimed “oh no!!” and my dad said “alright!”. It was hysterical actually.
The mom’s did exactly as I thought they would … Debbie balled and my mom got teary eyed. But nonetheless she couldn’t quite let go of me or Mike when she hugged us. I think it took us an extra 45 minutes before we actually ate our dinner … so we had to heat everything up again. No one could believe we waited so long to tell them. But we really wanted to wait until the u/s to be safe. Since Kaiser waits so long.
We did ask that they still not say anything til Thanksgiving. Because most importantly, we’d like to tell the grandmas (Bunny, Connie, Joyce and Virginia), and Donny and Melissa before anyone else. And I also wanted to be able to tell my good friend Ashley in person at lunch on Wednesday since I had to lie to her the week after we found out when we all went to Tahoe together. Her mom is also friends with Debbie so we wanted to make sure I got to tell her and not find out from her mom. And I’m so lucky that my gf Kirsten is in Colorado right now visiting her family. Because now I won’t have to try to call her St. Maarten!!!
They asked if we had books and I proceeded to show them all the books … and I found out I did make a mistake. When I went to buy the books I’d done so under my DAD’s Barnes & Noble account. Realizing that meant he could see it … I quickly ordered them on Amazon. Not realizing I didn’t clear them from the cart!! My dad actually did see them later. My mom told him I was likely getting them for Jamie. Which wouldn’t be that far-fetched.
We let them know that the day we got our flu shots was actually my first appointment and that I also got the H1N1 shot as well. We even found out that Debbie and Gary didn’t know they each had bugged us about me getting the shot “just in case we got pregnant”.
I showed them the CU mobile I bought before we were even engaged … they LOVED it.
They were all congratulating each other … “congrats grandma … congrats grandpa”. It was so cute. Gary said his favorite thing is seeing us so excited about being pregnant. My dad’s 2 cents was how important it was to him and my mom to be very active in their grandchildren’s lives. They didn’t have grandparents who were and neither did Donny and I. Although we didn’t know it until we got older and realized how close other families were. So at least we were dumb to it early on. But that even though they’re in Colo that they really want to be present. That was REALLY nice to hear. Debbie was practically speechless and every time she talked she started to cry. Hahahaha … she told Gary that until Thursday she has laryngitis and that she cannot speak to any of her friends. Mom asked dad if they could leave later (he was already planning on leaving on Sunday) and if she could tell her boss Becky so she could get one more day off.
The mom’s want to go with me to get blood drawn for genetic testing on Saturday … and asked if they could take me to a maternity clothes store too!!! Debbie professed that within the last few weeks she’s collected kid items for just in case. Like a pack-n-play, a highchair, etc. All items that were supposed to be donated that she decided to hold on to for herself (bad good Samaritan – but great timing). My mom even went to give away baby hangers and decided to just to bring them to us for the future … again … what timing.
They asked what we’re nicknaming the baby … we explained the weekly fruit/veggie schedule and they loved it!! So they requested that at the beginning of each week that I email them what we’re calling baby and size etc. I figured … I can handle that. They thought for sure I was only 5-6 weeks and not 10 weeks. Just shocked that he held it from them that long … so are we. I think the only way we got through it was because it was so important to tell them in person and not spoil.
Mike will likely tell work soon … I will tell them after the 12th week is over. They need to know sooner than later because of the job itself and how hectic the arena can be. But I will also only be telling my asst. and exec directors at first. Then as I start to show more … I’ll let the rest of the dept know. The girls will be so excited. They’ve even started to notice my bloated tummy too.
Ugh … we’re so excited … and we get to be excited all over again on Thursday. I think we decided how to tell everyone on Thursday. We contemplated a t-shirt to say it, saying it at grace (what we’re thankful for … ) or just announcing it. But I thought it’d be fun to whisper to Auntie Joyce (Mike’s god-mother) that we’re pregnant. Knowing her she’ll scream … encouraging everyone to come hither to figure out what’s going on … and then asking her to repeat what we’d just said. Mike loved that idea … I do too.
We’ll be picking up grandma bunny on the way to Auntie Joyce’s so we’ll tell her there. But before that … we’ll make phone calls.
Part of me REALLY wants to either send Donny a t-shirt or send one home with my parents that says “World’s Greatest Uncle”. To be honest … my brother is borderline genius … but sometimes he’s truly dense. So I know Jamie will get it right away but I think it’ll take Donny a second. Dad agreed that it would be great … but I just don’t want to wait so long to tell him. Ugh … we’ll figure it out.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
First comes marriage ... then comes home ... THEN comes baby
We're so excited to announce that we're expecting our first bundle of joy on June 20th, 2010!!! It was so very hard to keep the exciting news from our families but we wanted to be sure that this little baby was sticking around before we announced it. I will be chronicling the pregnancy as I and the baby grow ... stay tuned for the fun ... :)
Friday, October 30, 2009
First year in review
Wow ... a year gone by ... and Mike hasn't run away screaming. Lol! To celebrate our first year we took off for Hawaii. My first trip to the islands and I was so excited. We had 5 days to enjoy Hawaii before we took off to celebrate the marriage union of Donny and Jamie!!!
Hawaii was all about relaxing ... and we did lots of that. We walked around lots, laid on the beach lots, got some sun and a little bit of rain. Did some snorkeling, ate some yummy food and lived a bit like retired folk. We took in a snorkeling trip at Molekini, a luah on the beach (Feast at Lele), anniversary dinner at Mama's Fish House, drove out to Wailea and just had fun being together. Normally Mike and I are the busy busy bee travellers but the first time ever, we chose to take it easy. It was truly a wonderful trip for the two of us.
Then we headed off to Denver to help my family celebrate the newest Price addition. Donny and Jamie did a great job planning their wedding and Mike and I had so much fun being a part of the planning and the ceremony itself. It was a whirlwind trip with the CU vs. CSU game and the wedding. Plus we got a friends birthday celebration in too!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
First comes marriage ... then comes HOME
Once we were back on solid ground, we started our very serious search for a home. With our trusty real estate agent/dad in tow, we scoured the Dublin, Pleasanton and San Ramon areas for a place to call our own. It didn't take too many long weekend searches to find a place that we loved AND was in our price range. And more so enviable in our eyes, it was in Dublin, and it has a view.
We bought a brand new 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhome that came with about a bazillion stairs. But has a view that we cannot get enough of. We spent many hours fretting over just the right picks for appliances, tile, carpet, hardwood, granite, cabinets, etc. But in the end ... we'll have to say that we did pretty good on our first home.
It's so nice to have a place that we call our own ... to know that when we put something on the walls that it's for however long we want. And we only have to paint, fill the holes with spackle or clean the carpets if we want. :)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The planning ... of the wedding and the marriage
After celebrating our engagement with friends and family ... the next step was to plan. Afterall, we were tired of everyone asking when we were actually getting married. To hush the masses ... all we needed to do was set a date.
In order to do that ... we first had to decide which was more important; the place or the date. We chose place. We thought about all the places that were meaningful for us. There were two places that made the most sense. The outdoor theatre at CU or Tahoe. And not just anywhere in Tahoe ... Edgewood. After all ... that was the first place we had been and seen when we begain to seriously talk about marriage. Since the theatre department at CU was undertaking a new head of the department and therefore incredibly slow to return calls/emails/messages. We went in search for Edgewood. Realizing that it's a very popular place to get married ... we went in with hope.
And came out with a possible date. Someone technically had August 24th, 2009 held ... but not booked. In fact, they only had a few more days for their "hold". And no one had become a backup either. So we placed our names down as the backup and hoped that we could steal this very perfect Sunday August 24th. A few days later ... we heard word that they chose to take another venue and the 24th was ours if we wanted it.
Hooray!!! We now not only had a date but we had a venue booked ... the only place Lakeside that is actually in a facility instead of just on the beach in tents. It has floor to ceiling windows that faced north-westward to the lake. Surrounded by a beautiful green golf course and a dining experience that seemed almost surreal.
And so planning began. All the dress shopping, floral arrangements, cake flavors, main dishes, bachelor parties and bridal showers. We had a unique planning experience as I refused to find a wedding coordinator. Places that caught my eye online with reviews and webpages and quality, professional responses became prime candidates. Not to mention, using the now widely popular TheKnot.com. Whom I can thank for introducing me to a few of my newest and now closest friends.
Mike stayed pretty involved the whole time with planning. And was an excellent assistant. :) He was truly helpful and quite the best shoulder and ear through all the stress that comes with wedding planning. He helped pick flowers and look at arrangements ... he tasted all the cakes gleefully ... he even helped make the floral pens for people to send us best wishes.
The planning all came down to a wonderful day ... couldn't quite make it more perfect. Even though Mike had a watch on to know that the pastor was late but the friends and mom's kept Danielle from finding out. The sun was shining bright with just enough breeze to keep from boiling over. A gorgeous sunset that had perfect timing before the cake cutter time. Scrumptious food that the guests STILL wave about to this day. A bestman's speech to beat all the rest and an evening that continued to rave on at the hotel in our party suite. Everyone stopped by even if only for a moment and the party went on into the wee hours of the morning. Complete with a party crasher and all. Who was that guy anyways?!
The boys played goof ... uh hhmmm ... golf the next morning at Edgewood ... just weeks after the Celebs did and had a blast. While Danielle took her mom up the mountain on the gondola and had the privilege to show her the California/Nevada state line. Hahahaha ...
All in all ... the planning ... the stress ... the random hours of cutting out little tags that I did or didn't use and the fun times built with friends ... created a year full of memories and a day to look back on forever with a smile.
In order to do that ... we first had to decide which was more important; the place or the date. We chose place. We thought about all the places that were meaningful for us. There were two places that made the most sense. The outdoor theatre at CU or Tahoe. And not just anywhere in Tahoe ... Edgewood. After all ... that was the first place we had been and seen when we begain to seriously talk about marriage. Since the theatre department at CU was undertaking a new head of the department and therefore incredibly slow to return calls/emails/messages. We went in search for Edgewood. Realizing that it's a very popular place to get married ... we went in with hope.
And came out with a possible date. Someone technically had August 24th, 2009 held ... but not booked. In fact, they only had a few more days for their "hold". And no one had become a backup either. So we placed our names down as the backup and hoped that we could steal this very perfect Sunday August 24th. A few days later ... we heard word that they chose to take another venue and the 24th was ours if we wanted it.
Hooray!!! We now not only had a date but we had a venue booked ... the only place Lakeside that is actually in a facility instead of just on the beach in tents. It has floor to ceiling windows that faced north-westward to the lake. Surrounded by a beautiful green golf course and a dining experience that seemed almost surreal.
And so planning began. All the dress shopping, floral arrangements, cake flavors, main dishes, bachelor parties and bridal showers. We had a unique planning experience as I refused to find a wedding coordinator. Places that caught my eye online with reviews and webpages and quality, professional responses became prime candidates. Not to mention, using the now widely popular TheKnot.com. Whom I can thank for introducing me to a few of my newest and now closest friends.
Mike stayed pretty involved the whole time with planning. And was an excellent assistant. :) He was truly helpful and quite the best shoulder and ear through all the stress that comes with wedding planning. He helped pick flowers and look at arrangements ... he tasted all the cakes gleefully ... he even helped make the floral pens for people to send us best wishes.
The planning all came down to a wonderful day ... couldn't quite make it more perfect. Even though Mike had a watch on to know that the pastor was late but the friends and mom's kept Danielle from finding out. The sun was shining bright with just enough breeze to keep from boiling over. A gorgeous sunset that had perfect timing before the cake cutter time. Scrumptious food that the guests STILL wave about to this day. A bestman's speech to beat all the rest and an evening that continued to rave on at the hotel in our party suite. Everyone stopped by even if only for a moment and the party went on into the wee hours of the morning. Complete with a party crasher and all. Who was that guy anyways?!
The boys played goof ... uh hhmmm ... golf the next morning at Edgewood ... just weeks after the Celebs did and had a blast. While Danielle took her mom up the mountain on the gondola and had the privilege to show her the California/Nevada state line. Hahahaha ...
All in all ... the planning ... the stress ... the random hours of cutting out little tags that I did or didn't use and the fun times built with friends ... created a year full of memories and a day to look back on forever with a smile.
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