Come Away With Me

 

"Come Away With Me" - Norah Jones

 

 

 

 Last weekend, we took a break.  From all the cleaning.  Nesting.  Fixin' things up. 

Putting things together.

 

And we relaxed.

And we ate.  Oh, did we eat.

 

For once, it didn't take a lot of coaxing for Steve to get me to step away from the Lysol and disinfectant wipes (I've become obsessed with them over the past month).

All he had to do was ask me out for a Mexican dinner date and I put down the sponges, spray bottles (and those amazing wipes) and hopped in the shower right away.

 

Saturday night, Steve earned himself the name of "pregnant man." 

He ordered two meals at dinner.  The burritos weren't enough.  He needed a second plate of chimichangas (I honestly don't know if that's what the second plate was...I forget).

 

 

 

I bet him he wouldn't be able to finish it all.  And I won.  He couldn't even finish his chimichangas (whatever they were).

And ahh, my mole enchiladas.  I had been majorly craving them.  But I couldn't finish

my plate either.

 

 

 

 

So Sunday morning, we continued the relaxing and ate our leftovers in bed.  Steve brought up two trays with our feasts from the night before.  And we watched "Despicable Me."  I always cry when Gru reads the girls that kitten book.  Not just because I'm a sucker for kittens.  Because I'm a sucker for the sweet relationship that begins to truly develop between the girls and Gru during that scene.

I sat, blubbering into my last enchilada 

about how if that was a real book, I'd read it to baby girl every single day.

 

 

I love when they drink the milk.  We may have rewinded this scene a few times.

  Yes, I know, I'm crazy.

 

 

We stayed in bed until mid-afternoon watching t.v.

I was happy I didn't feel the urge to break out those lovely wipes or furiously scrub anything.

  I just wanted to savor those moments with Steve. 

 

And the next few days too.

 

 

Monday, we woke up and headed for a little getaway - a pre-baby vacation.

 

We stopped at Wawa, grabbed a couple of bagels and coffee (and gummi bears - a roadtrip essential) and were off to Maryland. We tossed around a few different ideas as to where our destination should be.  I really didn't have a preference whatsoever.  I just wanted to relax.  And that's so not like me.  I usually get extremely bored with "just relaxing" on vacation. 

I think being 35+ weeks pregnant had something to do with my change of opinion.

But not just because I'm getting bigger by the day, because I wanted to spend quality time with Steve...not feeling like we have to see this and do that and go here and go there every minute of the day.  I just wanted to wing it.  I told the Mr. to choose.

 

 

 

 

He went with Annapolis, MD.  And we quickly discovered that it was the perfect choice.

 

 Our first day there was just the right mix of seeing

and doing absolutely nothing.

The weather was pleasantly warm and perfect for taking in the the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The streets were filled with tons of unique shops and restaurants.

 

 

 

 

 

I totally meant to go back and get one (or 13) of these.  Now I'm really wishing I did.

 

 

 

 

 I told Steve to pick our first food destination.  We were starving.  We were starving during the whole trip, pretty much.  But I think it was more that the food was just so stinkin' good.  It always left you wanting more.

 

 

 

 

The best damn crab dip we've ever had.  And they gave us each a loaf of bread - awesome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, we took a drive.  The sunset was gorgeous; a mix of fire orange and hot pink.

 

 

 

 

 

We went back to our hotel room.

I always love scoping out the room service menu.

Food excites me, people.

 

 

 

 

Steve placed the order and I laid in the tub for a good 45 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

A classy dinner of chicken fingers and fries.  That would be a big bowl of honey mustard sitting next to my plate.  Steve has learned that condiments (or should I say, forgetting to ask for condiments) can make Maria a little nuts.  He won extra points with that bowl, right there. 

 

A few chicken fingers (and hours of channel surfing) later and we were snoozin'.

 

 

Ahh, what do you know, more food!!

 

Friends recommended this restaurant to us earlier Tuesday morning.  There was no doubt we had to go once we found out it was one we saw featured on "Man vs. Food."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We didn't even try to give their famous "Colossal Challege" a whirl.  I don't think a 6 pound milkshake paired with a

1 pound burger would have made mama (or baby) feel too hot.

 

 

 

 

But we did have room for a chocolate chip cookie dough milkshake.

It was so good.  And ya know, it helped balance out my veggie omelet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, we stopped at the casino nearby.  I was so happy it was non-smoking.

 

 

 

 

And so happy when I saw they had one of Mr's favorite games - "Deal or No Deal."

 

He shoulda chose DEAL!

 

 

I found this penny slot and pressed my luck for a good half an hour.  Those puppies were lucky little pups.  If it were called "Kitten Stampede," I bet I would have been even luckier.

 

I think Steve said "Come on, puppy stampede.  Gimme a puppy stampede!" about 378 times.

 

 

35 week bump shots...

 

 

 

 

 

This picture cracks me up.  After my fifth bubble bath of the trip, I begged Steve to massage my feet.  I've mentioned before that Steve is horrible in the massage department.  He knows he is and I've told him since day one.  Well actually, the first time, many years ago, he caught me whispering to Jessica about his wimpy and pathetic massages. 

 

But Tuesday night, Steve earned some more points  He made my big, fat, achin' dogs feel like

big, fat, happy dogs.   And I even gave myself a pedicure - for the first time since late summer - Ewww)!  That was a Kodak moment.  I could barely reach them...sitting on the floor, huffing and puffing with my bath towel half falling off of me.  Grunting with each reach to every piggie.

  I had to call Steve to help me up.  We were cracking up.

 

 

 

 

More bumps...

 

I found this dress during one of my nesting frenzies.  It

 was in a bag with the tags still on it.  And from a good two years ago from a shopping trip with Kelly.  It's not maternity.  But I decided I'd have some fun and squeeze baby and I into it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last night was a good one.  We found a window seat at a restaurant close by.  I ordered a giant "crab pretzel" and cranberry and club soda.  Requested music, and smiled when the guy playing that night knew "our" songs.  We talked about old times and funny memories.  We talked about the good stuff.  The happy stuff.  The amazing stuff that has come from the sometimes what was sad and scary stuff.  We talked about us. 

We talked about our soon-to-be new family. 

It was one of those nights we'll always remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our last day, we woke up early and enjoyed the late checkout time...relaxing in bed with coffee, the news and game shows we've never heard of.

 

 

 

 

 

Our last food destination...

It was a sweet one.

 

 

 

 Mocha cream stuffed french toast

 

 

 

 And coconut cream cheese stuffed french toast

 

 

 

 Impossible to finish even half. 

I had it for breakfast again today (I mean, yesterday...it's late...you know the deal with me and my "night" posts).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home sweet home...

 

 

 

There was a package waiting at our door when we returned home.

It was addressed to Steve.  But with a silly expression on his face, he asked me to open it.

 

The note attached said to "read before opening"...

 

I was a bit confused.  Okay, completely confused at what his letter meant.

 

 

 

But then I opened the package.

And I cried so very hard.

 

 

 

 

I had no idea there was a real "Sleepy Kittens" book.

  I had no idea that Steve was not looking at ESPN on his phone whenever he ordered the book on that relaxing Sunday.

 

It was the perfect ending to our trip.

 

I can't wait to read it to baby girl. 

 

And I can't wait to watch our daughter with the amazing man

 I spent the past 5 uninterrupted days with.

 

<3<3<3

 

 

 Have a wonderful day, everyone.

 

I will be back at the end of the weekend or beginning of week with the rocking chair post.

 

 

 

 

So Much Lovin',