Ten for June

10. Early in the month we got all the final details ready for a new baby.  The nursery was fully decorated, and we had all the shopping done for things that we didn't receive from the showers.  I did laundry for days getting everything freshly washed with baby safe soap.

9.  This month we've had some fun dinners with friends.  Devin loved having an excuse to make ribs on one of the occasions.

8.  Our house has never been cleaner than the first half of this month.  When I had everything else done for Calvin's arrival, I started filling my time vacuuming baseboards, scrubbing sinks, and cleaning the floors every few days.

7.  We made the most of our last few baby free weekends and weekdays with each other.  We were going on frequent walks, going out to eat at the last minute, and seeing movies.

6.  A fun part of having Calvin around has been watching our dogs' reactions to him.  Both have been very welcoming and loving with him.  They run to check on him when they first come back inside, alert me if they hear him make a noise while I'm not in the room, and oversee any visitors who hold him.  Blue has learned to run up and nudge him with his nose if we ask, "where is Calvin?"

5.  This past week Devin has been off of school.  We've had plenty of time to stay up late, sleep in, explore Netflix, and just enjoy relaxed time together.  Some time has been spent on walks or at the dog park, but we really didn't plan or schedule much so that we could make the most of our time as a new family.

4.  We have had a lot of good food this month.  After Calvin was born, we've had many people bring us meals.  Devin's also taken some time to cook some of our favorite dishes for me reacently as well.  During the past two weeks, we've also eaten sushi twice and sandwhiches or subs several more times.  I've been making up for nine months without either of those dishes.

3.  Thanks to Calvin, we have had a lot of time with family over this month.  My parents and one brother were able to visit on Father's Day.  Then, we've been able to see all of Devin's family except one sister over the rest of the month.  It's been fun to see so many people and watch them meet Calvin.

2.  Devin is done with his third year of medical school!  It's crazy to realize that he is now in the "easy" year of med school and will be done in just about ten months.  His last rotation this year was Family Medicine, which he liked way more than he expected.  The past year has gone pretty quick, but we are definitely ready to move forward with this whole process.

1.  By far, the best thing that's happened this month has been Calvin's arrival.  Labor with him was intense, but I was nearly ready to push by the time we went to the hospital.  At first, no one believed me, but the pace picked up when I declared that I needed to push.  We had a big rush of doctors, nurses, and techs join us in room 8, and the show got under way.  I was pretty determined to see my baby pretty quick, and I got Calvin out fast for sure.  Overall, his arrival was a pretty positive experience and the recovery has been definitely managable.  Since then, it's been wonderful to have him around.  We are in love with our little man and have adjusted to life with him like he was always supposed to be here.  Life doesn't feel like it could be much better than this!

A New Father's Day

It's been so much fun to watch my husband become a father, and his son fall in love with him the past couple days.

It's also brought new meaning to pictures of my dad holding me those early days.

I'm so grateful for these two amazing men in my life. 

Happy Father's Day!

Playing the Waiting Game...

I am NOT a patient person.  When my older sisters tried to teach me to sew at the age of 5, I decided the needle and thread were taking too long to outfit my Barbie.  Out came the Elmer's glue, and within mere seconds she was outfitted with the beautiful peach rose fabric I'd fallen in love with.  My problem was solved!

Now, though, I'm in a whole new waiting game.  This baby is mere days away from a grand appearance, and I'm ready.  I mean, the days from now til then can likely be counted one one hand if not two and definitely can be counted if my toes are used as well.  The room is ready.  The shopping is done.  The bag is packed.  We've been driving an empty car seat around for five days now.  Let's do this!

On top of everything else, I've moved on from Braxton Hicks to real contractions.  For over a week, they've been very present.  For five days, we've been able to time them at regular intervals.  The pop up in my dreams or wake me from my sleep at times.  People have noticed the change in my belly as it happens, too.  It's making it very difficult to think about anything else right now.  However, there's very little I can do to make things go any faster.  Come on Baby, we're ready for you!