It's Summer Time

Summer break began for me a week or so ago and since then we've been enjoying some visits with family, beginning the organizational process of making room for two infants, helping Zac prepare for opening, and trying to get into a workout routine. I'm definitely finding a little exercise everyday keeps the feet swelling down and gives me more energy (and makes me feel a little better about my expanding physique!)

Here are some pics from our summer fun so far:

A trip to St. Louis to visit Cori and Austin allowed Marco to meet his new friend Sally :)

Zac and I took advantage of a free concert near UK and spent an evening listening to Phil Vassar rock it on the piano

The family came down to visit for Memorial Day, which included a very hot day at the Kentucky Horse Park. Here we are in front of Secretariat

Marcus and Kristin enjoying some good old-fashioned s'mores

Grandma "marshin' some marshmallows" as we used to say

Chillin in the shade

Not bad for the first week of summer vacay!

What's in a Name

New Parent Warning: Picking out baby names is much more stressful when you share the names pre-baby. I had a friend once who gave me this advice and I thought, nah, surely not! But the truth of the matter is everyone has an opinion about every name...and they're not afraid to share it. I learned quickly, though, to take it all with a grain of salt. Zac and I both l-o-v-e these names and are quite excited that our babies are now a step closer to having an individual, uniquely loved identity. So here goes:

Nolan Wyatt McCallister!

Caroline Ainsley McCallister!

 

Sew What?!

Today, I got back into sewing--a baby gift for our friends James and Beth who are expecting a little girl very soon. It took me all afternoon and several uses of the seam ripper before the job was complete. I wish I could have a review session with Stacia Stroud who inspired me to start sewing in the first place, but I suppose Iowa would be a little far away for that. My to-do list is getting long and my skills were a little rusty today, so I better get some more practice in before I get in over my head. Here are some of the ideas and inspirations (via Pinterest) for the nursery:

This is the most dreaded part of sewing projects for me...picking out coordinating fabrics that look good together but aren't too matchy-matchy. Help!

Home sewn birds in coordinating fabrics will add a personal touch to some second-hand crib mobiles

These little owls will add some whimsy to a bookshelf

Zac's grammy's rocking chair is in need of a cushion...this will probably be the biggest challenge. Grandma Dot's skills might be elicited for this

This tree wall decal from Amazon will go between the two cribs and add some life to the otherwise blah renters' beige walls

I opted out of registering for a crib set since you aren't supposed to use bumpers and there aren't too many gender-neutral options...this fabric would make a nice crib skirt

Some possible artwork

Any other ideas, tips, or tricks for this tree-themed nursery? Feel free to share :)

Happy Mother's Day!

After a hot and humid weekend with a broken air conditioner, I had a tiny glimpse of what mom must have went through when she was pregnant with Kristin and me with no a/c all summer. Thanks, mom!

For Mother's Day, Zac and I decided to let our moms in on a little secret...if you're lucky (and if we don't change our minds by then) we'll share it with you all in the next week or so!

Mego Prego Week 22

Some pregnancy updates:

1. The babies have started to move like crazy this week. I can feel them throughout the day, but when I lay down at night it feels like there is a soccer game going on in there! I can't yet distinguish who's kicking when but hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to tell who has the harder kick.

2. As we're nearing the end of the school year and plans are being made for what classes I'll be teaching, it's becoming more real that I will be leaving my babies not long after they make their arrival. This has resulted in my first tinges of parental guilt. I'm sure this is only the start of many many things that will make me feel this way as a parent, but it has kept me awake at night thinking of who might be taking care of them in my place during the day. As soon as school is out (2 weeks!!), I will be looking very seriously for someone worthy of watching them.

3. My students have been increasingly commenting on my ever-growing size. In fact, one of the special ed. students that occupies my room during my planning period welcomed me Wednesday morning by saying "Boom, boom, boom" with every step I took into the classroom!

4. My growing belly has also caused me to realize that I don't think the maternity clothes I have been accumulating over the last month are going to fit for a whole lot longer. I figure by July, I will be stuck with workout shorts and Zac's tshirts...

5. I have found that my favorite way to get a good walk in is to mow the front yard with the push mower.
Side note: Weed Peter has now discovered that we have a riding lawn mower. He was so impressed he said he was going to ask for his own for Christmas this year.

6. Our house is already being taken over with baby gear. We have been sooo blessed with family and friends gifting us with everything from swings and strollers to cribs and clothes that I haven't been able to keep up with it all. This weekend I will have to go into major Clean This House mode and do some crazy organizing. I know Zac's feeling it too because last night he stayed up until midnight organizing the garage that had been transformed into the baby gear dumping ground.

Baby closet

Living room full of baby gear...thanks John, Tammy, and Eli!

The beginnings of the nursery. In need of some major color and decor.

Seeing these side by side makes me smile everyday :)

Marco and I (and some creeper driving by) at 22 weeks before Zac's Chamber of Commerce banquet

Happy 27th!

This weekend, we celebrated Zac's birthday with a trip to Natural Bridge State Park.

Here we are on top of the bridge....no railings!

The bridge from an overlook across the valley

Underneath the bridge--pretty amazing that this was naturally created!

This will be my way up if we go again this summer. The hike up was quite strenuous carrying an extra 20 lbs

My attempt at playing with the Panorama app on my Iphone

Happy Birthday, Zac!