Week 23 was the first full week back in NC after Will had gone on to Alabama and settled in for SOS (Squadron Officers School). Surprisingly the week filled up with odd errands and such, and I managed to get two crossfit WODs in, as well as a day at the pool (in just two good days of southern sun I’m already more tan than I’ve been in three years!).
The Food Challenge
The greatest challenge I’ve faced being home is trying to maintain a healthy diet. My grandmothers have an alternate view of what constitutes healthy, and when it comes to making sure baby is being well fed, biscuits, gravy, casseroles and lots of homemade sweets are on the menu. At the beginning of this week I went to Trader Joe’s (oh how I love being near a TJ’s again!) and stocked up on some healthy foods for lunch and dinner throughout the week. I managed to stick to my plan for a few lunches and dinners, but there were a couple of dinners out for special occasions, and that Friday my aunt Jill and Missy came in for lunch at Wicked Weed before they along with my mom and sister set off on shower preparation errands. I wouldn’t trade the time with family for anything, but by the weekend my poor belly had had about all of the restaurant food it could handle. Going from eating at home for 90% of my meals to more like 50% wreaked havoc on my system.
Showered
On Saturday my sister and family through a shower for Baby J. I really have to give kudos to Hannah for all the work she put into this event. It is NOT like her to do things like crafts and such, and she even stenciled burlap to create an adorable banner on the bib art table! The day of the shower it was bright and sunny all morning, then about 10 minutes before the shower was supposed to start the clouds opened up and her beautiful outdoor party was flooded by a torrential downpour. i was hanging out at my friend Laurel’s house which was just down the road and was instructed to stay put until the rain cleared and they could get everything dried off and back in place. From what I understand there may have been a few tears and glugs of champagne to ease off the frustration and stress. About 45 minutes after the 2:00 start time I was finally allowed to come to my party. The sun had returned and everything looked just beautiful! (*Pics courtesy of my mom and Mamaw)
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| Mimosa station |
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| Will’s hangout spot for the afternoon |
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| The hostess with the mostest |
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| Sister and Mom |
My first cousin Erin and I are due just two months apart 🙂
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| I loved all the babies!! |
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| Jill and Missy |
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| My grandmothers |
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| Mother-in-law, and sister-in-laws |
When Hannah and I discussed how we wanted the shower to go, we agreed that a sort of non-traditional shower was preferable. We planned to have the girls show up around 2:00 for a late lunch, gifts and typical girly shower fun. Then we invited the guys to come around 4:00 for an afternoon of fire pitting and grilling out. Since Will and I have been gone so long, we jump at any chance we get to gather as many of our friends together as possible while we’re home. So the shower became a sort of shower/friend reunion party. In the end it ended up being what I called a progressive shower. We started with a spread of lunch food catered by Hannah and Missy, then in the evening Hannah put out a baked potato bar and my grandfather treated everyone to his cabbage and sausage stir fry and boneless ribs on the grill. We had people coming and going all afternoon, and by the end of the night we had seen almost everyone we hoped to at some point during the day. We received some of the sweetest gifts for little one, and got to see some faces that we hadn’t seen in years. Thank you again to all who came, and to Hannah and my family that made the day so special. I never take for granted how blessed I am to have such loving and supportive friends and family!
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| My best friend Lu! |
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| And Lu’s mother 🙂 |
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| My Dad and Papaw Joe, chefs extraordinaire! |
The weekend finished with a Sunday afternoon family lunch to celebrate a belated birthday for myself, and my Granny’s birthday, then a lazy afternoon at sister’s watching chick flicks and snacking on shower leftovers.
I’m excited to be so close to reaching 24 weeks. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t dwell on the negative “what if’s,” but 24 weeks is kind of known as the progress point at which a baby can survive (with LOTS of medical assistance) outside of the womb. Obviously I want our little bit to stay in there and bake until October, but I’ll admit there will be a good sort of relief upon reaching the 24 week mark. Only one week to go!
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