Friend Visits, Family Fun and First Vacation

Dean is now over a month old! I can't believe how fast the time is flying!

We are now enjoying watching him smile and grunt and make "dinosaur noises" when we talk to him. He still has a fussy time in the night, but he is starting to become so much more interactive it's fun to spend so much time with him! Yesterday Mark even watched him roll over from tummy to back. We've obviously got the strongest, smartest, cutest baby in ALL the world :)

Apologies for my baby talk, but Dean "talking back"

Had our 6 week visit to the doctor and both he and I are healing well.Dr. has cleared me to start doing more things so Mark and I have been taking more walks around parks took Dean to Afton State Park and other regional parks around our home! I also got to go to the YMCA for the first time and I'm not sure if I enjoyed the freedom from anyone or the Yoga class more. Regardless I can't believe how excited I was to see Dean when I got home and how much I had missed him!

We've also been enjoying lots of time with friends and family: Max's 3rd birthday, trips to Northfield to visit my parents, visits from them here, park trips with Paul, Susan and Henry and random drop in visits from friends!

Fell asleep right away in her arms

Matching cousins

Park time is tiring!

Grame love

Jimpa with Henry

Speaking of friend visits, Cathy came to visit the first week of July and we had such a great time with her! We didn't do a ton, but she was such a help, bought us food, took care of Dean, gave me time to sleep and bathe; it was wondeful! We definitely miss her!

She messed his hair up haha

My babies and buddy

Beautiful view

The 2nd weekend in July Mark and I decided to be brave and make a family trip (me, him, Dean and Cici) to the cabin. It turned out great! We ended up making great time even in rush hour traffic, Dean hardly cried, and we only had to stop 1 time in 5 hrs! Not bad. We all enjoyed the relaxing, peaceful time at the lake, even if sometimes we did have to deal with a baby crying. It's hard not to feel happy when you are surrounded by such beautiful views, have a good place to stay and gorgeous weather.

Relaxing at cabin

He only sleeps being held

Family picture

Cabin Baths are fun!

This weekend we are headed to Afton for a big celebration with all the Aronsons because Mark's sister Sarah and her 3 kids are in town. We are excited to spend time with them this weekend and week and next weekend the entire Aronson clan is headed up to the cabin. It should be a crazy but fun time. Between 2 babies, 2 toddlers, 2 kids, 3 teenagers, 8 adults and 3 dogs, it will be quite an adventure! Very different from our last cabin visit.

Next month we look forward to spending some last days with my parents before they head back to NC, I will start teaching classes at the YMCA again, Mark and I both have a few professional development work days and we get to see Deanie turn 2 months. I can't believe how fast he is growing! Just look below...

Baby is full term in 1 week!

This post will probably be full of pregnancy updates... because baby is coming so soon!  Since my last post we got to celebrate three different baby showers! The first one was at my school, and my 1st grade team put on a fun little baby shower after school. We got our crib mattress, lots of cute clothes and other things we needed for little A like diapers. The next day I got to celebrate AGAIN with Nancy (Mark's mom's) friends. Anne drove me out to Afton and we enjoyed a fun shower with all of the Afton ladies. There was a GREAT gluten free menu, complete with gluten free salads, muffins and a delicious chocolate pudding! The ladies got us our Pack-n-Play which we have in our room for when baby comes home and sleeps in the room with us, as well as the voice monitor, noise maker to put baby to sleep and lots of books to read baby before bed.

Pack-n-play

Clothes from school shower and cute monkey blanket

Gifts from the girls

The last shower I've had in the last few weeks was yesterday. It was a small group of us, just me, Susan and Julie and Anneke. We had a great time though! We started by playing with my little nephew Henry (who was definitely the star of the day) then ate some delicious food! My favorites were there just like at my school shower, tortilla chips, fruit, and Julie even went to the gluten free bakery to get me CUPCAKE :) We also spent a while decorating little oneies and for a group of girls who claimed to "not be artistic" I think we did a great job! I know Mark likes his Ninja turtle inspired one :)

Our Onesies (please note Curious George and Dino (SUSAN!) Elephant and Ninja (JULIE!) BYOB (Anneke!)

Thanks to ALL the generosity of our friends and family the nursery is finally feeling ready! We inherited BUCKETS of clothes from Mark's side of the family (being the 4th boy in the last 8 years) and any gear we have not received as gifts or purchased we are borrowing from Anne and Mike. I still have yet to finish decorating it (I have a vision) but all the key parts are there! We put tthe crib together (finally) and are just waiting for our glider to arrive next week.

Bookshelf

Closet organized Newborn and 0-3

Crib Unfinished

Crib Finished

Organizing all the clothes we inherited

As far as how I'm feeling... I'd say for being 36 weeks pregnant I'm doing pretty good. I had to stop doing most things at the gym, but I have gotten into the pool a few times. First time at 34 weeks (since had to buy a different maternity top!) and once the week after. I'm hoping to go more this week since it will be too rainy to walk. Mark and I have been trying to walk every day, and I'm still doing my daily morning yoga; but I have yet to attend a Zumba class since about 32 weeks. I find that now my body tells me when I overdo something, and I start to get cramps. Dr. said as long as they go away when I rest and drink water it's ok, so I'm just trying to listen to my body and when I feel any pains to stop and rest. I've had a lot more practice contractions, which are scary, and every time I think to myself "What if this is the beginning of the real thing?" (Granted most of these thoughts have happened in the middle of the night). Dr. says things seem good. I am now on to weekly appointments and my vitals have been great and his heartrate has been good as well. Last week he measured a little bit small so if he continues we may have to look into that, but my Dr. suspects it's because he's laying kind of sideways. (Which I know from his constant kicks to my right rib....) He is moving ALL the time and at night the movements became alien crazy!

34 Weeks pregnant about to swim

36 weeks pregnant

Jimpa getting to know Henry

This past week was a fun week in addition to the pregnancy, in that my dad was in town to visit! He came in on Good Friday, and we got to spend some time with him getting to know Henry (who he absolutely loves!) The rest of the weekend we got to spend with him and Paul, Susan and Henry. Saturday we went down to my parent's NEW HOUSE in Northfield, MN, and realized what a CUTE location they have gotten. My dad also got to see ALL the work he has ahead of him. Then on Sunday we went to Minnehaha falls (a bit warmer than the last time my dad was here!) And we did the hike along the falls to the Mississippi river. It was a BEAUTIFUL day.

Pretending to walk Henry

Laughing at Jimpa and Henry

The rest of the week my dad got to spend time with Mark and I in the evenings after work (since he was staying here) and a few days with Paul and Henry. The rest of the time he sepnt getting their new house ready: repairing a leaky roof, installing new door locks, replacing doors, changing the vents in the heating unit, checking out the plumbing, setting up utilities. Etc. He worked VERY hard while he was here! Not the most relaxing vacation! But we were glad to have him, and can't wait for him to be back in a couple months when Baby A is born!