Holiday Party

Joe and I went out last night to our friend Jimmy's annual holiday party-- it may be our last party without having to get a babysitter.

I felt like a walking advertisement for birth control since I was limping (due to some back pain) and my ankles looked like they were sprained (since they were so swollen). Up until a few days ago, I kept saying, "I could be pregnant forever." Now....well, maybe there is a reason you are only pregnant for 9 months!



Still, I was amazed all night watching "mojoe" move around-- he is just so active. You can feel his foot or hand come poking through. It's incredible.

At my midwife appointment this week (with my dear friend, Julie, who will be delivering this little guy), I found out I have completely dropped and am almost all thinned out-- so, we're on our way to becoming parents!

I still have 4 weeks left and most likely I will not deliver until then, but we'll keep you posted if anything changes.

Boston

In November, I was lucky enough to go to Boston (what a wonderful gift!) for a weekend get-away with my best friends from Grinnell. We stayed at Sarah Bruinooge's apartment and Ally came along with me from Minneapolis and we met up with Sabrina Eagan who was in town from Uganda.

We had a blast walking around town, eating (and eating and then eating some more), relaxing on the couch, and spending time talking and getting caught up.

It was the perfect weekend and I came home feeling so rejuvenated. Nothing like women friends to remind you of the what is truly important in life!

36 weeks!

So, here are some of really big belly shots-- some are a little risque, so consider yourselves warned!!

House Projects

We have been working like crazy getting the house ready for our mojoe. We fixed the ceilings of the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, took down the wallpaper in the baby's room, fixed the plaster walls, and then painted everything! It all looks good!

Thanks to all of the people who helped us-- and there were a lot of people! Here's a photo of Kt helping me clean the bathroom at 9 pm on a Tuesday night. What a friend!

Night Out on the Town

My mom treated Joe and I to tickets to see "Full Monty" at the theater. We had so much fun-- it was great to get dressed up and out of the house! Although, in the 1st photo, I have to say it was the first time that Joe had a hard time picking me up! Yep, I'm 30 lbs. heavier!!

Happy Halloween!

The three of us got dressed up to frighten and delighten!

Tuck and Maxie

Everyone has been so nice and generous to lend us baby gear, maternity and baby clothes, a stroller (all the way from Christa in Chicago), and even the crib and changing table. My mom, Joe, and I hit a lot of garage sales this fall, so we are going to be ready when this little guy comes.

Here is a photo of Tuck and Maxie lounging in the newest delivery of baby clothes from Sarah Healy and her Mom, Kathy Estry.

Ely, Minnesota

October 19-22, 2006 Ely, Minnesota

My mom and I spent a few days "up north" in Ely at my family's cabin. It will be the last time I'm up there before the baby is born. I've been so lucky to spend so much time at the cabin this summer. It's such a magical place and I can't wait to have "Mojoe" grow up in such beauty.

If you can believe it, it snowed!! We were shocked. In these photos, we are at Bass Lake which is a great place to hike. You can see,in the photo of my mom, a little waterfall in the background.

It was truly a wonderful little Mother/Daughter get-away. Aren't we lucky?

Date Night

26 weeks and counting....We're working hard to keep the spark alive! Joe and I went on a cheap date and brought a picnic to the park by our house overlooking the Mississippi River. We drank fancy bubbly orange drinks and ate a ridiculous amount of cheese and crackers. The colors in the trees were at their peak, and the chilly evening reminded us that winter, and our due date are fast approaching!

August 2006 Photos

August 13, 2006. My baby shower. Here is a photo of my Nonny feeling my baby. We didn't know we were having a boy yet, but my Nonny had guessed it right!




August 16, 2006. Our anniversary picnic! We were sitting on the dock on Harriet Island right by where we got married 4 years ago.




August 19, 2006. This is from Jen's visit to MN in August. Kt also joined us up in Ely for a girl's weekend after my great baby shower. We had such a fantastic time-- this photo was taken by the Kawishiwi waterfall close to our lake.


End of August, 2006 Ok-- so, I must really love you all to show you this photo of me barely in any clothes. Kt and I went on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters for a few days. Kt was my "mule" since she had to carry everything across the portages. It was absolutely delightful to be in the Boundary Waters canoeing after being away for so long during my illness. We spent a lot of time swimming, relaxing, reading, cooking (including Kt's homemade cinnamon rolls over the fire), and talking. The second photo is taken by Basswood Falls on the border of Canada.

Molly at 17 weeks

Here is a photo of Molly and Joe in Puerto Rico in the beginnng of August. You can see I'm just starting to show. We finally went on our "official" honeymoon after 4 years of being married. However, it probably should be called a "babymoon" since I was pregnant and I guess "babymoons" are the next hip thing to do. You know how hip we are....

We had a wonderful time relaxing, snorkeling, exploring secluded beaches, sleeping, and eating. We also spent a lot of time just pinching ourselves and saying over and over again, "Can you believe we're pregnant?"

So it begins....

"Our greatest hope is to be preceded in life by a true love story...."

Isn't this a wonderful wish? Hopefully, our "MoJoe" will feel this way when he is born into this world sometime around Jan. 11, 2007. Although, knowing Joe's tendencies, he'll probably be pretty late. Seriously though, we are so excited to be launching into parenthood together and hope this little blog keeps you entertained by Molly's BIG belly and eventually photos of our little MoJoe.

Yes, did we mention it's a boy!!