The Excellence That Was Easter

Between the peacefulness of the spring wind whipping around the corners of our home longing for a touch of its season and a weekend to just be a family, this Easter was one to remember:

Great Grandma broke out the spoils again with a delightful snail mail package

A boy who identifies with superheroes themed his eggs as such

A jaunt up north to the Zona Rosa parade meant big smiles, puddle jumping, candy collecting, animal feeding and a
private concert by Mr. Stinkyfeet himself

And the anticipation of Easter meant a 4:45 a.m. wake up call that could not be coaxed back to sleep for anything, leading to a 5:15 a.m. hunt of goodies (that were by the way then consumed by one said Golden Retriever hours later while the family brunched)

The "basketball guys" (aka cake toppers" this guy has been dreaming of came true in a jelly bean filled reality

Endless amounts of food and laughter were shared table side with family at Gaslight Grill

Until the 4 a.m. wake up call caught up with him and a 15-minute mid-morning snooze was in order

Practice with a beautiful new baby (cousin Carver) was in order while we enjoyed time, another egg hunt and delicious eats with wonderful family

Including cousin Caiti, who little dude believes is just the cat's meow

Most of the weekend was spent counting blessings, being abundantly thankful for the amazing people in our life and sprinkling in the Hallmarkesque pieces of the holiday that make it so fun too. I couldn't help but wonder if it's one of the last weekends it will be just the three of us in our little utopia, but grew excited and anxious with the thought, thankful this Easter was one to remember. May yours have been filled with magical moments and all you'd been wishing for too!

Daydreaming

"Yep - doing great - hanging in there! Getting excited! A bit uncomfortable, but good!" have become key phrases to the empathetic and thoughtful folks who like to ask: "How ARE you doing - feeling ok?" So although I try to spend each waking minute delighted in my last pregnancy, anticipating all that is to come and really cherishing our final moments as a family of three, admittedly there are moments I let my mind wander to what I'll do quite immediately when the 10-month journey is all said and done. You know, besides surviving, marveling in the magic with my boys and being over the moon grateful for these amazing gifts in life. When I do the wandering, here's where it goes:

Wrestling and having hard core pillow fights and dance parties with this guy

Sleeping on my stomach. Or maybe just a bit of sleeping in general. 

A tall glass (or two) of prosecco...or a beer. Let's just go with an adult beverage in general, shall we?

Reigning in my germaphobia (scarred from flu/respiratory infection during this pregnancy and limited drugs). We're going to be sick the first 1.5 years of L2's life anyway!

Having an actual date or conversation with my husband. Oh - and friends. Maybe even some colleagues and clients. Somewhere on this journey I lost the ability to make small or even regular talk.

Source: runninglate2.blogspot.com via Christie on Pinterest

Wearing regular clothing and shoes!!! I may have an Office Space moment with my maternity wardrobe...

Leaving work at work - right where it should be, piling up for 12 weeks to concentrate on what matters most in life

Not having to hoard snacks in every sack, bag and room I own or chugging inappropriate amounts of water

What's one of the first things you did sans baby in the tummy?

Tour de "Spa"

"Welcome! My name's Lori and I will be your maternity coordinator today," she said brightly, her years of experience and warm soul lighting up her face. My husband grabbed my hand tightly, a gesture I had missed over the past few months, and I was delighted to see that a look of what appeared to be excitement lined his cheeks for nearly the first time in this now 9-month journey we'd been on to bring L2 into this world. You know how men are: stuff doesn't get real until stuff gets real, you know?!

Freshly painted walls in soothing colors mixed with the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, jittery legs of anxiously awaiting family members, low lighting, spotless dark woods and bright, friendly faces hit my senses, making the new Shawnee Mission Birthing Center feel more like a girlfriend's home than a hospital. The hospital's recent ads ticked through my head as well as several friends' experiences in the last year, and although the word "spa" kept coming up and sounded good and all, I couldn't turn off my pediatric improvement portion of my brain (eight years in the biz) and immediately began asking curiously about continuum of care, referrals, neonatology, medical procedures and more. Without missing a beat, Lori answered thoroughly, professionally and calmly at my level, giving me the utmost confidence I could just show up, trust this institution completely and get 'er done. Now that's my kind of birth plan.

After marveling at the size of the rooms, exploring the almost comfort of the pull out beds for Dad and giggling at the track lighting of the spa tubs and talking through their philosophy of keeping family educated, informed and together, I fell in love.And when Lori flippantly responded to a woman who paid me a comment near the elevator: "Girl - that's gonna be one BIG baby," (while staring at my stomach) with words loud enough to hear: "Don't you just HATE when people say those types of things?!" I fell in love with her too. I wish the woman was qualified to deliver this guy because she seems like my perfect partner for the job.

Papers signed, hard questions answered and completely at ease, we went to return to our busy day of managing a sick child, hours of meetings, preparing for Easter and tending to our home when suddenly they caught our eyes:

The newborns. In the nursery.

And like the Grinch of third trimester, my heart grew 10 times bigger in that very moment, marveling at their fuzzy heads, scrunched faces, football-sized figures, little button noses and tiny fingers and toes. And despite the endless hours of kicks, heartbeats, hiccups and wishes, it finally became real for me too.

I can't wait - for any of it. To have an amazing experience at the new birthing center. To go through the battle of labor with my life partner. To hold my second son in my arms for the very first time. And to experience even more love than I ever thought possible.

So thank you Shawnee Mission for creating that moment...and walking us past the nursery. Stuff just got real for Momma too. And I liked it.

PS: The bathrooms are pretty spa-like - a girl can't help but notice the tiles. Seriously - they're nicer than the four-star hotels in which we frequently stay for work! Note to self: spend a little time in there at some point...strobe light bathtub and all...

New Fixtures

"Yes - that's perfect...a touch of transition in an Ethan Allen hand-me-down home," I said, eyeing the price and dumping it into my cart, satisfied.

Our quest to simplify and create cleaner lines in our home will be a slow and arduous one, but a few saved pennies at a time, patience, persistence and visits from Brad (contractor) will eventually get us there. Here are two new fixtures in our home:

Edgemoor pendant from Home Depot for over the kitchen table

ANOTHER basketball hoope (this one reaching seven feet) for the...entry way? Kitchen?

You can imagine which one I'm more fond of and the other merely a survival/productivity tool...but a BoyMom's gotta do what a BoyMom's gotta do.

What's on your list for spring cleaning or creating new ambience in your home?

The Boy and the Belly

Day two of being cooped up indoors, beautiful snow falling around the warm walls of our home and a three year old at his wits end, jumping from activity to activity resulted in a jelly bean bribe for this mini photo shoot:

Life's gonna be good with three boys. Counting down!

Anticipating Easter

Kansas over spring break of course means a sudden snowstorm, so to combat the winter blues, we began anticipating the Easter holiday right around the corner:

Bonding with the Bunny (which has resulted in asking for "basketball guys," which don't exist, so Mommy had to get creative and order a cake topper?!

Crafting eggs

Plus the mantle is themed, decor spread through the house, chocolate stuffed in corners, Starburst jellybeans being eaten by the bag full daily and talk of what the holiday is all about. We can't wait to spend next weekend with our family and friends and wish yours to be a heartwarming one too!

Bag Your Vote

As with son #1, the birth plan was created, things organized at home (quasi at work), diapers purchased, furniture erect and then came the obsession with...the diaper bag?! Perhaps it's my adoration of things in general you sling over your shoulder (hello-handbags) or my brain's way of losing control as the time grows nearer, but this non-net surfing, quick to make decisions gal gets a little crazy over choosing the right one. Here's where I've narrowed the pick to:

Rebecca Minkoff's Marissa diaper bag: an item I've stalked since I received the positive sign that is now half price!!! Still not a steal, it's functional and views even better in person. A touch of sparkle, functional, easy to clean and tote - swoon! A little torn between the gray with teal trim and the navy, but the navy stole my heart originally. Still pricey.

JJCole bag: well priced, functional and organized, easy to clean and a tad bulkier than the rest. Excellent price point.

SkipHop bag: lightweight, functional, lays nicely against the body and across the shoulder and is a fun bronze color, looking a bit more purse-like; good price

SkipHop Studio bag: large and organized, a bit bulkier but great price and like the bronze and navy; the handles look really cheap (inexpensive was too nice of a word), but overall functional and cute

So, given this is the LAST thing I should be thinking about or focusing on as the date grows nearer, what's your vote? Hey - we're snowed in and it's likely you're doing other mindless activities, so thanks also for indulging in mine!