Baby Shower...and 35 weeks and Counting...

The last few weeks have seemed to fly by...I'm still wondering where February went.  We were so busy with baby stuff (on top of everyday things) that the last month went by in flash.  One super exciting part of February was our Baby Shower on February 20th at Glenwood Oaks (I was 33 weeks).  It was such a wonderful day.  It was extremely humbling to see just how many people were there to show their support and love for us and this little baby boy.  We are so extremely lucky to have friends and family that care so much.  This baby is so blessed and he doesn't even know it!  We got so many generous gifts from the shower - I'm still writing thank you notes!  Here are just a few pictures from that special day:

 Me!  33 Weeks!

 The pretty favors my mom, Deanna, and Brian made!

 My Godmother, Annie, made this Baptismal Bonnet for Dominick that will later 

become a wedding hankie for his future wife.  Obviously, this gift made the tears FLOW! 

 Mom and Dad

 My sister-in-law Deanna and best friend Janet.  They helped make this day

so special!

 Nonna, Mom and Dominick  <3

 Me, Great-Gram and Rob

The delicious lemon fluff cake, courtesy of Great-Gram

It took quite a while to go through our huge pile of gifts!  In fact, it took me an hour and a half just to cut tags off of clothes newborn-3 months, blankets, and socks!  Dominick is going to be one well-dressed little man!  Check out this pile of gifts (minus the big box items!):

 Holy Presents!

Also, after the shower, we got to spend some time with Brian and Amy.  It was so good to see them.  We don't get to see Uncle Brian much anymore due to his crazy work schedule so our time with him is even more precious now!

 Rob, Me and Uncle Brian

After the shower was finally over, I washed all the newborn-3 month clothes, blankies, socks, hats, swaddlers - all those good things.  Unfortunately, I couldn't do much with any of it because the nursery wasn't finished yet!  Instead, I hung up what I could in the closet and Rob got busy putting the bigger things together - like the pack n' play, swing, and bassinet.

Daddy putting together the Snug-a-Bunny swing from Mike, Janet, and Natalie.

Within the last two weeks, we finally got the nursery done!  Rob painting the ceiling, primed the walls and all that fun stuff.  My dad (Papa) came over the paint the walls for us because we were getting crunched for time.  He did a fantastic job!  We put a light gray on the bottom and a light yellow on the top.  The colors match the bedding and everything just perfectly.  Then, Rob and his dad (Poppo) put up a beautiful chair rail to finish up the room!  On March 1st, our furniture was delivered.  My parents got the furniture for us for our shower gift.  It is GORGEOUS!  The crib will become a toddler bed and then a full-sized bed!  The changing table will become a fantastic dresser!  Here's the furniture when it was freshly delivered:

 Changing Table

 Crib

I could not wait to get home from work so I could start putting the room together.  I was eager to NEST!

In the meantime, 34 weeks came and went!  Here's the 34 week belly shot:

 Gettin' there!

The room is finally finished - with the exception of two little white shelves we have yet to put up on the wall.  It looks amazing.  I could just sit in the glider all day and look around the room!

 I love his room!  The little white shelves will go on the same wall as the

book shelf. 

 LOVE that glider from my Gram and Papa Joe!  So comfy!

 We'll eventually get a mirror for above the changing table.

For the last week or so, I was definitely feeling a lot more uncomfortable than before.  I could tell that the baby dropped.  My belly just felt farther away and I felt a ton more pressure.  I had gone to the doctor last Saturday and then again last Thursday.  Within those 5 days, baby dropped a whole 3 cm and the doctor could feel his head because he is so low!  I go back to the doctor this Saturday for an ultrasound and check-up.  This ultrasound will be the last time we "see" Dominick before we SEE Dominick!  And based on what the doctor said, we may be seeing him before his due date of April 9!

On Saturday, a photographer, Michelle, from Jamie & Michelle Photography came to our house for a maternity photo shoot.  It was absolutely awesome!  We've gotten to see a few pictures from her blog as a little teaser - I can NOT wait to see the rest!  She took a ton!  We took pictures in the nursery, living room, and family room and we even got some pictures with Dominick's big "sister," Francis!  I told Michelle that she has quickly become our family photographer!  : )  We hope to have her back after Dominick is born!  I can only imagine the fantastic pictures she will take then!  Also, Saturday was 35 weeks!  I can't  believe we're at 35 weeks already!  I can't believe he'll be here so soon!

 35 Weeks !

 I'm thinkin' it's about time Dominick starts thinking about 

moving out!  ; )

Well, hopefully everything continues to run smoothly!  I hope to just get through the next two weeks because I have a lot going on at work until the 18th - not to mention my class at Trinity that I'm teaching goes to April 4th!  Luckily I have a backup professor "on-call" JUST IN CASE!  Hopefully we'll also have good news to report from our doctor appointment on Saturday!  We're winding down to the end...or should I say, the beginning!

xoxo 

Check Out This Growing Belly!

I can't believe it - I am already 30 weeks along!  Just 10 more and our little Babu will be here!  We've had several doctor visits in the last few months and everything is going along just perfectly.  He is growing away in there!  Dominick now gets the hiccups, which is so weird to feel.  He is very long so he doesn't kick as much anymore, but boy does he push!  I have lumps and body parts pushing out all day and night long.  My belly looks like an alien spaceship with some weird life form attempting to break free.  He still moves CONSTANTLY so my belly is always wiggling.  Sometimes it's fun to watch...but sometimes Mommy needs a break!  He kicks/pushes all day long and all night long!  I have a lot of sleepless nights already!  I suppose he is just getting me ready for what's to come!  We've already gotten a few gifts for Dominick, which is very fun and exciting!  Rob's parents got us the travel system (which I put together all by myself - go me!), Mimi and John sent us Dominick's bathtub, my grandparents bought us a beautiful glider and ottoman, and my parents bought us the nursery furniture!  I can't believe he'll be here so soon!  He's already head-down, which is great!

With lots of research and thought, we decided to hire a doula for Dominick's birth.  We found an amazing woman, named Becca.  She will be there with Rob and I for the entire labor and delivery process, plus a few hours after he is born to help with the first feeding, etc.  I decided to have a natural birth without drugs.  I have so many drug allergies that I am afraid to ruin my first day or two with my baby boy due to a bad reaction to something.  To me, hours of pain, without drug side effects, is worth it. We have gotten a lot of support from our families for our decision and to be honest, I am no longer nervous or anxious about giving birth.  It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  And better yet, I know that having Becca with us with give us the best experience possible because she will not only help me, but she'll be a huge support for Rob, as well.

On January 15, we had our 4D ultrasound.  It was AMAZING!  We brought both our moms with us for this awesome experience.  We went to Stork Snapshots in Lombard and they were absolutely fantastic.  I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone.  They took us in this beautiful room with a large couch for family, a special chair for Dad, and a really nice ultrasound bed for me.  The walls had two large flat screen televisions so everyone could see the ultrasound.  We got 30 minutes in there!  And as usual, Dominick was ALL over the place!  It was absolutely incredible to see his face.  I still can't connect the fact that the little baby in the pictures is actually OUR baby and he is in my belly.  It's so weird!  We got to see him play with the umbilical cord, he made some smiles, he kept rubbing his nose, and at one point, he must have got uncomfortable because he kept stretching and tilting his head back...then next thing we know, he shook his head, made a huge frown, and opened his mouth - he looked just like he wanted to cry!  With our session, we got a dvd of the entire ultrasound, a cd with 96 photos, 6 4X6 printouts, and we even got a stuffed puppy dog with a recording of Dominick's heartbeat!

Here's the latest collection of belly pictures!

 26 weeks

 27 weeks

 28 weeks - the day of our 4D ultrasound

 28 weeks, 1 day - all dressed up for Natalie's Baptism

30 weeks

We have LOTS to look forward to in the upcoming weeks!  My aunt Mell and uncle Joe are coming in this week from Denver for my Gram's 80th Birthday!  Then on the 12th we have our hospital class, on the 20th we have the baby shower (can't wait!), and on the 26th we have maternity photos!  February should fly by, but unfortunately, I'm expecting March to drag!  Either way, 10 more weeks!

xoxo

So Far Behind!

With all the craziness of the holidays, the new year, and back to school, I have fallen so far behind in updating our blog!  So, this blog entry will contain a whole mix of stuff!

First of all, Christmas was fantastic!  Both Christmas Eve and Christmas were such wonderful days spent with family and loved ones.  Unfortunately, we were short a few family members as several of them caught that nasty stomach flu that was going around.  Either way, we celebrated with them in our hearts!  Lots of food, laughter, and gifts were exchanged over those two days...and I think Dominick got more gifts than anyone - and he isn't even here yet!

Christmas Eve belly shot - 24 weeks, 6 days

Christmas day belly shot - 25 weeks

On December 27, we headed out on our annual Snowboard/Ski Trip to Boyne Highlands, near Petoskey Michigan.  This year, it was just Rob and me, Chris, Nick, and Ben.  We were very lucky with the drive this year - no snow on the way up!  The last few years it was a very stressful drive with lake effect snow almost the entire way.  Luckily this year, we missed it all.  It only took us about 6 hours to get there - normally, it takes like 8 or 9!  We had a great time up there.  Obviously, I did not partake in any of the snowy activities.  Instead, Chris and I had several days of girl time and we had a fantastic time just hanging out together.  Rob, Nick, and Ben had a great time, too!  Rob snowboarded, Nick skied, and Ben did a little of both!  He took a snowboard lesson and did great, but he is BEST at skiing!  He sure can fly down that hill fast for an 8 year old!  He had such a blast skiing with Dad and Uncle Rob.  Those boys had so much fun together.  They even went ziplining down the mountain!  Ben went down with no hands at one point and Rob and Nick both flipped upside down!  Chris and I....watched.  :)  

 One tiny snapshot of Boyne

There's Ben during his snowboard lesson!  Go Ben!

We had a great time - we can't wait for next year!  We drove home on New Year's Eve (which was also my Daddy's 60th Birthday!) and got home just in time for New Year's festivities.  Normally, Rob's parents have the party, but unfortunately, they got sick!  So we moved the party to our house.  Although we missed them terribly, we still had a pretty fun time.  Everyone brought board games to play which made for a fun night.  We even turned on the XBOX Kinect which was a lot of fun to watch the kids (and big kids) jump around like goofballs.

We are so blessed to have such great family and friends in our lives to share the holidays with.  We couldn't ask for anything better.  I can't wait until Dominick arrives so he can be a part of all of this.

xoxo 

Christmas Fun!

Last weekend we had a whole lot of Christmas fun!  I absolutely love Christmastime.  I am the one who turns on Christmas music BEFORE Thanksgiving.  I am the one who decorates the day after Thanksgiving. I'm the one who skips like a big kid in the snow...yeah, I know, I'm a huge nerd...but hey, are you surprised?  I didn't think so.

On Saturday (December 11), we started the day with a doctor visit.  We got to hear the wonderful sound of Dominick's heartbeat.  His heart rate was at 145.  I scheduled my next appointment for January 8 where I get to take the beloved glucose test.  Oh, I can not wait!  (Please catch the sarcasm)  I think it may be time to lay off the blue kool-aid...well, let's not get too crazy...at least until after the test.  ; )  After the appointment, Matt and Kathy came over to help us chop down our Christmas tree.  There was only one problem...it was raining!  But, we were troopers and went anyway!  We still made it fun!

  Rob and I running around like kids!

 I thought this one was perfect...but no one else did.  : (

The final pick!  We brought this baby home!

Lumberjack Rob

Cold and wet...but still beautiful!  ; )

I tried to chop this one...it was just a TAD too big...maybe next year???

We brought our chosen tree to the entrance where they put it in the shaky machine to shake off all of the needles.  While the boys did that, Kathy helped me pick out a handmade wreath.  It's awesome because it's in the shape of a candy cane!  Good choice!  We then went home for lunch and to dry off and warm up!  

I decided to take a 23 week photo...and then had Kathy jump in.  : )  These pictures will definitely make it into the baby book!

 23 Weeks

 Auntie Kaffy and Me  : )

That night, we all went to Mike and Janet's house.  The guys (Matt, Rob, and Mike) went out for beer and wings.  The girls (Kathy, Janet, Jonelle, and I) made gingerbread houses!  Last year it was a hot mess - we tried to make them with graham crackers and frosting.  It was a huge mess but a lot of fun!  However, none of our houses stood standing.  This year we decided on using kits.  We all had houses, except Jonelle got an adorable train kit.  I was super unhappy because both of my roof pieces came completely broken in half!  Boo Hiss!

 See my face?!  I was MAD!  

Broken pieces or not, we still had fun!  I "glued" my pieces back together and put a nice reinforcement beam of cardboard in the house.  I'm such a carpenter!  

 My finished abode!

 Janet, Me, Kathy, and Jonelle with our "town" in the background!

 I just HAD to get me some Natalie time!  I just love her snuggles!

 Isn't my little mostaccioli adorable?!  Check out those cheeks!

We had such a fun day!  We love spending time with our best friends - it makes life totally perfect.  

On Sunday, Rob and I decorated the tree.  We got a fir tree so it would be strong for heavy ornaments.  Firs are sharp!  I cut my finger trying to put on an ornament!  At one point, I leaned forward and got stabbed in my hideous belly button!  Ouch!  Either way, it turned out great!

 Our tree!

 My little tree in the living room.

When we took our picture for our Christmas cards, we had a little mini family photo shoot.  : )  Here are two of the best ones:

 Our happy family!

Now it's time to finish wrapping the gifts and attend a few more holiday parties.  This year we'll be having dinner on Christmas Eve with the Healy side and dessert at the DalCorobbo side.  On Christmas day, BOTH sides will all be at our house!  I can't wait!  It's weird to think that next year we'll have an 8 month old baby to spoil!

Happy Holidays!
XOXO

Baby-moon

Over the weekend of December 3-5, Rob and I decided to take a little weekend getaway, a babymoon, before Dominick arrives.  We wanted to go somewhere, just the two of us, before I get too big and uncomfortable.  So, we decided on Lake Geneva.  My family has been going to Lake Geneva for years, since before I was born.  Many of my fondest childhood memories are from there.  Many of my fun memories of my early twenties are from there.  Most importantly, Rob and I got engaged there in 2007, just a few days short of exactly three years ago.

We decided to try a new place to stay so we booked a suite at The Mill Creek Lodge.  We absolutely loved it there.  It is right in downtown Lake Geneva and you could see the lake from our windows.  It worked out perfectly for those times that I just couldn't walk around any longer and needed a quick rest - we were never too far away!  The room was awesome.  It had a kitchen, dining area, family room, balcony, bedroom, and a huge bathroom with a jacuzzi.

 Kitchen and Dining Area

 Family Room

 Bedroom

Balcony

On Friday, I picked Rob up from work around 2:00 and we headed out to Wisconsin.  We got there rather quickly and were ready to enjoy the weekend.  We walked around some and then went to an early dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Popeye's (and NO, it's not Popeye's chicken!).  Rob had 'all you can eat' fish and potato pancakes and I had the BEST ribs I have ever had in my life!  MMM!  They cook their ribs, pulled pork, and chicken outside over fires.  It's awesome!

At Popeye's with our lakeside view!

That night, Rob and I decided to try out the indoor pool.  I was a huge baby and was too cold, so needless to say, it didn't last long!  We then made a Wal-Mart run to get snacks and also bought Home Alone to watch back at the hotel.  Of course when we were back in the room I made a "drink".....blue kool-aid in a wine glass!  :)

Hanging out in the room!

The next morning we woke up to a winter wonderland!  It was beautiful!  It was perfect for the weekend because it was Lake Geneva's Festival of Lights.  The town had a big tree lighting on Friday night with a local author reading The Polar Express.  On Saturday, there was a huge list of activities and carolers throughout the town.  The snow made everything perfect!

The view from our balcony!

We started the snowy day with a delicious breakfast at Egg Harbor.  YUM!  We then spent the day shopping and walking around (and trying our best not to fall on our butts!).  We even got to take a picture with Santa and his reindeer Cupid!  This was fun because we took our picture with Cupid three years ago when we were there last.  

 Forgot her name, but she was just a baby and refused to cooperate with the elves.  She was very cute!

 Cupid, having a snack

 Santa and Cupid

Our photo with Santa!

We got the cutest little donkey for Dominick while we were there (I just couldn't help myself!).  And we walked around and got some Christmas shopping until my body just couldn't go anymore.

 Rob being a good husband and holding the packages

Dominick's bashful donkey

Later that afternoon, Rob and I decided to relax for a bit at the Grand Geneva.  The whole place was decorated so beautifully.  I loved sitting there around all the decorations!

 Posin' by one of the many trees

Hanging out on the comfy leather sofa with a beer for Rob and a lame-o iced tea for me!

That night was the Electric Light Christmas parade which was a lot of fun to watch - but very cold!  We got dinner at Hogs & Kisses and then headed back to the hotel for a swim.  I did much better swimming this time!  :)  

Sunday morning we woke up and headed to Gurnee Mills to finish up our Christmas shopping.  It was such a fantastic weekend.  AND! Rob got to SEE Dominick kicking for the first time.  He didn't believe it at first, he thought I was making my belly jump, but then Dominick just kept kicking and proved Daddy wrong!  :)  We really enjoyed our "babymoon" and had a nice relaxing weekend.  But as always, it was good to get back home...especially to see our FIRST baby, Francis.  We miss her when we're gone.  A lot!

Next time we head to Lake Geneva, we'll have a car seat in the back with our son along for the ride!

XOXO