Monday, March 4, 2013

March


*Thank you - your words on the nursery reveal were so sweet.
Steve and I read them all and truly appreciate your kindness! <3
*** 

March.  How can it already be March?!  
The end of winter?!  Almost three months since Christmas?!
Our due date month?!

 Yesterday marked full-term for us.  37 weeks.  
Just crazy.

Days are starting to pass slow rather than fast.  And I'm likin' lovin' it -
 these last few pages of this chapter...

Two weekends ago, my (talented) friend, Kelly, came over and turned a Friday night (and our dining room table) into a fun-filled paint party.  She teaches paint classes.  And I was so excited to host a class and invite a handful of my dearest friends.







Pizza and salad - creative fuel




We chose Kelly's "Spring Love Birds" painting and got right to work.
She had us set up so nicely - fresh canvases, an array of brushes, paint galore, aprons for each of us and even a pretty, protective tablecloth. 






We had so many colors to choose from.  It was neat to see everyone's paintings come along as the minutes passed - all different, but still somewhat the same.






 Muffin was jealous.  She didn't get an apron or a spot at the table.










 More creative fuel - sugar
Kelly made adorable cupcake ice cream cones.


 Jessica made red velvet cookies (and left me with a couple dozen too many...always tempting me every time I walked by them in the kitchen for the following week).


 My finished love birdies


 Kelly took them out to the deck for a coat of gloss.


And once our masterpieces were dry, we posed for some photos.



 Thank you, Kelly, our fabulous teacher!   It was so much fun to get all of us together and do something different for a change.  <3



 Love these ladies.  Love this photo.  Loved this night. 
<3

Wednesday night - "cooking class"


My mom's best friend, Karen, and my mom came over to teach me how to make lasagna.  Yes, I know, it's (supposedly) easy.  But I'm a visual learner.  And as you know, I just began getting comfy in the kitchen a few months ago.
  Besides the pumpkin lasagna I made at Thanksgiving, I've never made a regular lasagna.  Yes, you read that right.

Karen brought over all the ingredients 
along with this brand new, shiny, pretty, red lasagna pan for Steve and I.


My mom brought the wine for her and Karen (and the pretty leftover bottle for me to turn into a vase later).

Karen's clever sign.
Don't listen to her.  They barely had two glasses each. :)




 I was already likin' her recipe - lots and lots of cheese!


Steve came home from work and the four of us sat around the kitchen talking as we waited for the lasagna to bake.  My mom was Karen's student teacher years ago - back when my mama was just twenty-one.   They told Steve and I stories of their old class and students - many of them quite amusing and shriek-worthy. 

We watched American Idol during dinner and my mom and I continued the shrieks, as we 
rooted for our favorite singers.



 Dinner is served.

  It was awesome and hard to not go for seconds thirds.
  We had so much leftover, we had a few meals worth to freeze for later. 
  (Perfect for after baby's arrival).
Thank you, thank you, Karen! 


 Another sweet gift from Karen.


   Love these ladies.  I'm so inspired by their 30+ years of friendship.  
And so blessed to have them both in my life for all these years.
<3

Thursday, I was lucky enough to get another dose of lasagna.
I went over to my dad's for dinner.  Brigid made lasagna (and her famous salad) and we all had dinner together for the last time before baby's arrival.
 <3

Friday, we had a double date in
with Jen and Sean.



Jen was saying good night to baby girl, telling her the next time she "saw" her would be when she truly gets to meet her.  She got a few kicks out of her instantly!! <3



 Dessert buffet...I'm stuffed just looking at it.
<3

Sunday morning, Steve, my mom and I went to church with Kim and Adam.
And afterwards, went to breakfast/lunch.  Well, lunch for my mom and I.  Breakfast for Steve.

 Steve said he was making up for me and my mom's healthy eating.
We went with the salad bar.


And Steve...he went for the funky meat bar.  YUCK!  At least he ordered the tomato juice and put some oatmeal on his plate to make it look a little bit healthier.


We all felt like we were going to explode afterwards.  Steve, with bacon.  
My mom and I, with vegetables.  

My mom and I spent the day together and walked it off 
with a trip to the grocery store and Five Below.
The lesson in church was about never giving up.  And as my mom aggressively wrangled (for five minutes straight) the two toothbrush holders I had my eyes on (for our hospital stay) with the hook of a three dollar umbrella,
 she proudly exclaimed "You don't give up!!" as we caught them and
 laughed at how ridiculous we looked.


 <3

A big thank you to my friend, Lindsey, who sent and surprised me with this giant box of teeny and precious clothes for baby girl.  Her daughter, MaKenna, wore them just months ago.  I was so blown away at her thoughtfulness and that she passed them onto me for baby girl.  
<3

 <3

We had another doctor's appointment last Thursday.

*Cervix closed
*50% effaced
*Total weight gain - 25 pounds
*Tested negative for Group B test - Yay!
*Her head is down and in position!


37 week bump... 
 37 week baby girl...


 How you've grown since the summer!

6 weeks to 37 weeks



What a difference 7+ months (and 25 pounds) makes...

Don't you love the off-centered line (linea nigra or whatever you call it) that I'm sportin'?




 Yesterday marked twenty days until our due date.
We're in the teens now...

 <3<3<3

Have a happy one. 
I'll see ya soon.
 
Full-Term Lovin'


32 comments:

M said...

March...Yay! Finally! And what a cute bump you have :) My linea negra is also off-center and sorta wavy ;) 20 more days...c'mon baby girl! We can't wait to see your little face :)

Rebecca said...

Aw, what a fun week! I'm still trying to lose some baby weight....and OMG your posts always send me to the kitchen! I LOVE the bird paintings. All the colors and swirls are so pretty. We just got a Five Below by us, I have to go check it out now. I hope you are enjoying your final days before baby girl arrives. Make sure you sleep in a few times before she gets here! I can't wait to learn her name and hopefully meet her some day! Our girls will only be seven months apart!!!!!! :) Ahh!!! Getting so excited!!

Heather said...

who hoo for March!!! And teen days - you are getting soooo close! Love how the paintings turned out - super cute. Also, thanks for making me crave lasagna now. ;)

Many, MANY prayers for the next few weeks. Can't wait to "meet" baby girl!!!

Unknown said...

Yay!!! You are so close! I can't believe it. Your painting is beautiful. And now I am officially starving after looking at all your food pictures. I wish I had some cookies for breakfast!!!! Much love, Maria!!!!! Xoxoxo

lovejoy_31 said...

absolutely gorgeous painting and bump. You are adorable. I wish 25lbs was all I gained, but not so lucky. Much love to you!!!

xoxo,
Joy

Alex[andra] said...

You obviously have some amazing friends, which you totally deserve!

The paintings turned out so nice and that lasagne looks so yummy! I love lasagne! I find it's just too time consuming to make it often.

Your mom is gorgeous by the way! You look just like her!

Your pre-baby tummy was perfect! (Not that it isn't now. Actually, it's probably more perfect now that it's filled with your Baby Girl). What was your secret to such a flat tummy?

Can't wait to see Baby Girl!!

All the best, always. <3

Janet Off Kilter said...

Looks like such a fun week Maria. I love, love the painting night even though my ability only extends as far as stick figures and not very good ones at that! It must be amazing to have your Mom so close...this makes me happy. xoxo

Kara and Mary said...

Kudos for your jump into the kitchen. I stay away from the kitchen. It can get ugly when I am messing around in there. Kara often wonders how I managed to survive before I met her. I'm getting so excited for you. I anxiously check your blog all the time to see if little girl has arrived yet. I am on pins and needles. Enjoy your last few weeks!

Breakfast With the Bennetts said...

There is nothing like those last few weeks of waiting. Today my Beau is six weeks old and the time has flown by. Soon it will be your turn. I can't wait to watch you enjoy your miracle.

JP said...

What a fun painting party! That looks like a very cool idea. I may have to look into doing that here.

I can't believe how cute that bump is! You look amazing! I'm so excited that it is March!

Ashley said...

What?! 20 days till your due date?! Time seriously flies.....but you are right, this is when it seems to slow down and take forever. Before you know it, though, you will be snuggling your baby girl and won't even remember what it was like before she came into the world! I am just sooo sooo excited for you two. So many special days ahead for you.

So, that painting class looked like so much fun. You all do the funnest things. I have no painting ability, whatsoever! Oh, and I have never made lasagna either. It is on my list of recipes to try this week! Eek, wish me luck!

Have a great week! :)

Olivia said...

Times has flew by... seems like just yesterday I was watching your 20 minute video! LOL ;)

Lora said...

Soooo, I should be studying for my (stupid) Algebra test, but thought hmmmmm I wonder if Maria has a new post? This was after I googled some cute kitty and puppy pictures. Also looked at hot tubs, garden gnomes, and shower curtains. I despise Algebra.
You look so ready to have that baby!!! I know WE are all ready for you to have her. You really should look into doing a Live Stream during labor. Really, you should. STEVE: if you are reading this please research live stream :)

Tracy said...

What a fun party idea! All those paintings turned out great.

mail4rosey said...

These are all great, I especially love the fun photo of you and your friends w/your paintings. :)

Love that your friend sent you baby clothes, and the beginning pictures to now pictures of your baby tummy are AWESOME!

E and R said...

What fun paintings! And wow...only 'teen days until your due date! How exciting, can't wait for you to get to meet her and for us to as well. Take care and enjoy these last days before her arrival. :-)

Maria said...

I remember watching American Idol while grunting through contractions with Gavin. LOL I am going to be on pins and needles to read your birth story! I just know I'll cry more than your daughter will! Motherhood is going to look stunning on you!

Oh and the crooked line... I am kinda jealous. I never got a line at all. I felt kinda short changed because of it. After 5 years of counseling, I am finally at a place where I can accept that I just don't get a line. Not even a crooked one. *sniff*

;)

So so happy for you!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Hello there Maria in this very special month of March! The arrival of Beano is so close now! As always I enjoyed reading your post and seeing the beautiful pictures. It is awesome that you can draw and paint so well. I was so thrilled to see the bird pictures. Of course you are not surprised about that as I am a big bird enthusiast!:) Congratulations to you and all the other students. Kelly is a great teacher. I am feeling hungry seeing the yummy food you have been cooking and enjoying. I will run and have a patty now!:) I eagerly await the arrival of Beano. Lots of Love, Friendship and Best wishes to you, Steve and Beano always.
Judy

Faith said...

Omg! Baby will be here so soon! You are one hot mama!

I love the paintings y'all drew! Such a great idea for a night in! I should completely plan something like this!

And lasagna is so easy to make! Glad you know how to now. I'm seriously hungry after your post but can't eat since it's so late. Boo.

waitingforarainbow said...

March is HERE! Thinking back to the day I started following you, and literally spent the entire night reading through your posts... and looking at where you are now- I CANT BELIEVE IT! This is it! The month you and Steve become PARENTS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I am super jealous of your ladies paint night. I would LOVE to do something like that. And what a fun painting! You are surrounded with crafty, crafty, fun friends. Where can I sign up for some? ;)
Glad you're enjoying these last few slow days. They drove me nuts! Not to scare you or anything, but I was a finger tip dilated, 50% effaced, and my water broke. Baby girl could surprise you any day now!
I cannot tell you enough how happy I am for you, Steve, your family, and your friends. Your story is one that I will remember for a lifetime. Thank you for sharing it with us.
<3
Can't wait to see baby girl!!!
xo- Heather

Alex[andra] said...

I know you have over 200 followers and you've probably done this before, but I still nominated you for a Liebster Award :)

Angela said...

Those paintings turned out awesome! How fun. And the not about the 5 glasses of wine cracked me up. lol. And I LOVE the comparrison pics of 6 weeks vs. 37 weeks. GOSH!! I remember when you first posted those 6 week pics! I couldn't even imagine you preggo, but you make a STUNNING preggo I must say! In the teens now?! Ahhhhhh! I'm so excited. Literally any day now!

Brittany said...

YESSSSSSSS it's march and your DUE DATE MONTH!! I know you guys have been anxiously awaiting this month for so very long (I have too!) and it's finally here. You will be meeting your baby girl literally any day now. And you, little momma, look AMAZING! So, so beautiful. I still remember the day you posted that first belly picture...my how baby girl has grown and blossomed. You are ALL baby...you will go right back to your tiny little self after she's born. Ahhhh, I'm seriously dying to "meet" her!

That painting party looks a blast!! I want to host one now! All of your paintings turned out amazing...they look professional! And that lasagna....yum! Seriously drooling over here. I need to learn to cook; maybe your momma could come help? :)

Hope you and Steve are having a relaxing week as you prepare for your sweet girl's arrival. Sending lots of love your way! Please keep us all posted as much as possible these next few weeks :) we are all anxious and excited!!!!
xoxo,
Britt and Bear

Jodi said...

Wow.., you are almost there :) the paintings are so awesome and fun... I could do the swirlies.. just not the birds lol. Looks like you are enjoying yourself nicely while baby girl has her last few weeks in that belly of yours ... take care!

I'll Love You Forever said...

Yay, March!! Looks and sounds like a great time with friends and loved ones! The art work turned out amazing, I love it! I really love seeing those comparison pics from the beginning until now, so wonderful to have! You look fabulous! xo

Monique said...

Wow, what a fun filled March. Just stumbled across your blog. Loving it.

Big Apple Mami said...

What a great week! And what an adorable baby bump! Yay for full term! Xoxo

Whitney Cypert said...

You look so beautiful in those last photos! And oh my goodness, you guys always have the best food! Those cupcakes in an ice cream cone are calling me name! YUM! Your painting turned out so good, I have always wanted to try going to a painting class. Hope you have a great weekend sweet girl!

Tami said...

The lasagna looks yummy! The love and support you have with your family to so nice. I am surrounded by men (and teenage boys) who only ask "when's dinner?" I am a solo cook. But hey, my lasagna is pretty tasty!

You only gained 25 lbs! Amazing! I don't want to say what I gained, I will say it was more than double of what you did. :-)

Heather Nelsen said...

A paint party and a "cooking class" all in one week?! So fun! I love your "creative fuel" for the party.. hahah! The pictures turned out great!! You are looking amazing, Maria!! So glad you are celebrating and staying busy with sweet friends. It's gonna make these last two weeks just fly by!! Nite my dear! (for real this time ;) )

~Heather

Kat said...

Holy moly you're GLOWING. You look so happy to be carrying around your precious little baby inside.

Aren't red velvet cookies delish? Those are kind of my (lazy) speciality :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...