Belly bulge, bagels and buddies...

My belly is expanding rapidly these days. I feel a little discomfort at times, but mostly in my lower back. Babygirl's incessant punches and occasional rolls don't bother me at all; I welcome those with sheer delight. It's the back and leg discomfort that makes me disgruntled. Embarrassing admission--I had trouble putting on my clothes today. I had to lay on the bed to get my skirt on; the lifting of one knee, followed by the other, which would be the normal series of motions for putting on clothes seemed all too difficult. Another embarrassing admission--Dan has had to buckle my sandals for me more than once. Bending over my belly is an odd feeling. I admit that I feel a tad lazy and defeated during these moments, but I figure that it's nice to have Dan here to rescue me when I can't reach over my gut to get on a freakin' pair of shoes. That's why today, I wore flip-flops! 

Switching gears now. I L-O-V-E a yummy tuna melt! Unfortunately, I can't dine on those whenever the urge strikes (darn mercury!). So, I have resorted to the next best thing: THE CHICKEN MELT at City Bagel. City Bagel is a meeting ground for many Murrieta residents who crave a delicious bagel sandwich. The fact that I can't have a tuna melt whenever I want, makes the urge for a chicken melt all the more amplified (If I have had anything close to a craving--it's this sandwich; however, I believe this falls more in line with the "you want what you can't have" mentality, so I am going for the next best option.). So back to my main point--City Bagel is awesome! It's easy, it's comfortable and I seem to find myself there quite a bit, especially with my childhood companion, Crystal. 

She got married this year!

We've been friends for 28 years! We have gone through Barbies, dolls, make-believe restaurants, boys, fake game shows and now as we're grown, weddings and parenting (no baby for Crystal yet; she loves CATS). She and her mom, Brenda, came down to the restaurant yesterday to visit with me and my papa (she calls him George Clooney now because of his new facial hair). :) I ordered the mouth-watering, perfectly seasoned, open-faced chickey-melt and got to hang with three people whom I love dearly! Of course, Crystal is notorious (nuh-nuh-nuhtorious-B-I-G reference) for showering her loved-ones with gifts. Her mom is no exception to this rule either; they both arrived with gift bags in hand, ready to shower babygirl with some LOVE! Boy, did they! Too much Cutie-goodness!

Here are some of the items that babygirl received: 

Baby-girl will wear this when Crystal babysits!

Cute outfit on left is from Brenda!

Everything was so darn fun that it inspired Dan and I to do a little more shopping of our own! That's when Dan saw this:

She is sure to be her father's daughter! So cute-patoot! 

Well, that's all for now! We're in month seven, with only a couple month remaining! So exciting! 

The Gene Pool...

Those people you see on the left are going to be parents in a matter on months. That is the ever-looming thought that's been permeating our home for the last several months. Lately though, that idea is even more amplified. With the countdown-clock reaching its final mark, we continue to ask ourselves the following questions: Who will she resemble most?   How much will she weigh at birth (I was a lightweight, Dan was not)? Will she have the "Shaffer" eye-lids? Will she have the "Hipp" brow? Will she dance like her mama, draw like her papa, swim, run or grow a mop of really curly hair?


We seem to entertain ourselves for hours while contemplating the answers to all these questions. It's fun to consider how our little girl will be a blend of the both of us, but just what ingredients will she take from each side? Also, what ingredients will we find are reminiscent of her grandparents, aunts, or uncles? If she somehow inherits her Uncle Donny's eyebrows, we're in for it. He was born with Vanilla-Ice eyebrows. If you're not keen to this reference, just Google him. You'll get a laugh. Even if she does claim that genetic trait, she can always consider a career in rap music--MC Hipp??? It has a ring to it.

This is what gets me. Take these two images for example:

 Our child is going to be an amalgam of us! In some ways, that is exquisite, but in others, it's terrifying. In preparing to have our baby girl, I have become much more aware of my own personality traits that I hope our little one avoids (specific to me of course--can't speak on behalf of Dan--he's perfect :) ). I laugh like a man, am incapable of walking in a straight line, am incredibly anal-retentive and OCD, and I have an uncanny knack for talking loudly in quiet settings (among others).

But then I thought about it some more. Isn't it the quirks of our personality that endear us to others? You know, the flaws bringing out the humanity, the charm, and the individuality of us all? I absolutely love the little quirks and funny mannerisms of Dan! And of course, I know that's why he fell in love with me (wink wink)! I think it's safe to say that no matter what Dan and I anticipate as far as how our little daughter will be, it doesn't even matter; we're so darn excited to have her in our life. We haven't even met her, yet we are so in love with her already!

One Last BBQ Before School Daze

Can you believe that school has started...already?! I think I am asking you because I am still in disbelief. It's mid-August as I write this and I am two days into seeing my kiddos sit in their neatly arranged desks. I am two days into homework due dates, two days into butchering the names of the hard-to-pronounce and two days into establishing a routine again...and I love it! Thankfully for me, I love my job! I work at an amazing school, filled with tremendously supportive staff, great colleagues of which many have become great friends, and a lively classroom where teaching and learning occur every day!

But with the onset of another school year, there is always another HUGE adjustment period. After two months of limitless free time, developing a regimented schedule is like hearing those dreaded nails to a chalkboard. Waking up at 5:15 when I was waking up at my leisure or going to the bathroom whenever nature called (believe me--it's hard to adapt to those bells)--well those days are over...then I got to thinking.

If I am talking adjustments here, nothing could be more surprising than this little one that is debuting in November! If I am seriously complaining about early wake-up calls for school, I have got another thing coming. Butchering names? Let's talk about butchering my new shirt after a projectile poo-attack from a small, yet volatile bottom (Matt, you'll appreciate that). Worried about going to the bathroom when I want? Maybe I should be thankful that I have control of my bladder right now--there's no telling what will happen after she arrives (I have heard stories)! The point is that I realized I had to gain a little perspective. School starting in August, when the beaches are still beckoning and my bed looks like heaven could be the best thing for me. It's like a mini-lesson in what is coming up around the corner. There is no denying that our life will change dramatically once baby-girl is here, and with that, so will our schedule. I need to realize that!

On a totally separate note, Madeleine is home from Germany! I hadn't seen her since June! We finally had one of our summer BBQ's, which was a great way to bid farewell to summer and welcome in a new school year! By sound of it, she had a great time in Europe, but we're really glad she's back! We missed her! She brought the babygirl a cute little blanky-doll that I know she will love! I can't wait to give it to her!

German Grammy!

Vacation time at six months!

Hello everyone! This past week and a half have been exceptional! Dan and I ventured to Hawaii last week in what many might call a babymoon. You know, that last hurrah vacationing as a twosome. We had such an excellent time. Really, we didn't do too much. Dan read two and half books in the course of the week and I read half a book (he reads REALLY fast-I was lazy)! We did some sunning, some swimming, some turtle-gandering, snorkeling and eating. I loved our schedule there! Since the time change is three hours earlier for us, we woke up early every morning! I went running and Dan swam in the pool and would lounge poolside reading. We'd enjoy the Hawaiian mornings--they are spectacular! The water is warm, the weather is cool, and the sky is gorgeous! I could live in Hawaii! It's so A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Well, I'd actually consider living there if milk didn't cost $7 a gallon! I swear, I don't know how people survive there--groceries are astronomically expensive!

Each evening we would take a stroll along the beach. We'd dip our feet in the water and run from one patch of rocks to the next, as if we were children playing a silly game! It was so easy to let our obligations and worries evaporate--we just played all week long! We even got in some nostalgiac video game sessions at a local arcade in Lahaina! It was so much fun! 

You can also observe my expanding belly as Dan and I tanned on the beach! It was a little awkward to lie in the sand, jump in the water or snorkel, but I was able to do it. It's amazing how much you have to adjust how you move around when pregnant. My mobility is a little different than it once was! Needless to say, I wasn't doing any acrobatic feats while beachside--mostly light swimming and lots of sand time!

This next picture is one of my faves! Dan took it while we were out on an evening stroll:

Overall, it was a downright good time! It was exactly what we needed! Now, we have three months to go before baby arrives! We can't believe how fast the time is flying! Before we know it, she'll be crawling around the house like a crazy lady!