A Tribute to My Mama...... a little late

"A Little Late" should be on my business card these days. I have always prided myself on ALWAYS being on time if not 30-45 minutes early (a trait I picked up early from my Father). These days I am lucky if I am on time. So forgive for posting this a few days late but in my mind Mothers Day should be everyday!

Today I am 31 weeks pregnant. As the due date gets closer and closer I find that I reflect more and more on what kind of mother I had as a child. Sure, I could tell you the funny, the sad, or the horrific stories that would either make you pity me or think "damn she had a pretty good life." Which I did. Aside from the occasional teen-age melodrama I had a great childhood. Most of that, okay 65%, is due to my mom. If you know my mom, Linda, you know that she is level-headed, fair-minded, EXTREMELY organized/clean, and has a BIG heart for her kids and their spouses. She almost never says no when I ask for a favor (which is daily these days) and will often move her schedule around to accommodate my needs. She has never been critical of my decisions regarding this baby, and in fact has done her best to become more knowledgeable in the choices we are making. When I first told her that we were having this baby at a birth center with a midwife her first words were "Are you sure, I just don't want to see you in pain." Not, are you sure it's safe, are you sure you don't want a doctor, are you sure..... She was worried about HER baby being in pain.
When I asked her about day care, she said "You are not putting my grand-baby in daycare. I am going to watch her!" When I asked her what I should do about the blue room (we needed to paint) she said "Don't worry about it. I will take care of everything." I did end up helping with the painting but I knew if I didn't want to or didn't have time, she really would have taken care of it all.
There are days when I feel selfish and un-greatful for having her as my mom. I feel like I ask too much and give back too little. This blog in no way gives thanks to all she does but it does share with the world what she means to me. Someday I will thank her with plane tickets to Hawaii (although there is a possibility that Steve and I will go too and bring the baby for her to watch).
My mom and I have an amazing relationship. We talk daily. We see each other weekly. We count on each other for all kinds of emotional support. I am extremely lucky to have her as my mom and hope, really hope, that my daughter and I can have this kind of relationship in another 20 years.
Thank you Mom. I love you.

Crib/Changing table Assembly

I love my husband. Not only did he help paint the baby's room but he built the closet, approved my purchases, and then did the hard work of assembling the Crib and Changing Table. He then got so excited he put all the bedding on the crib. I promise to post another picture when the room is completely put together but this will have to do for now.

Chicago-Better late than never

So I am a little behind in blogging about my trip to Chicago but blogging tends to fall last on the list of "to-do" so lets just pretend I was there this weekend and that I am super organized and blogging the minute I walk off the plane. Okay? Okay.
On April 22nd, oh I mean on Thursday, my mom and boarded a plane for Chicago, Illinois. My mother-in-law was kind enough to throw me a shower and I thought it a great opportunity for my mom and I to have some much needed girl time. This is the first ever trip we have taken like this together and we were both pretty excited. We had all kinds of tourist activities planned along with the shower on Sunday. My mom hadn't been to Chicago since the 70's so she wanted to see it all.
My in-laws picked us up at the airport on Thursday and took us back to their home and we feasted on Chicago style beef sandwiches (if you are a Portlander and never had one try Michaels on Burnside, you are in for a treat). On Friday we were up earlyish and out the door headed for downtown. In Chicago you don't drive downtown. The easiest and fastest way to get around is by the Subway. So that is what we did. We got downtown and headed for the Magnificent Mile. We walked to Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, and Millennium Park to see "The Bean." This spot is second in most photographed spots in the city next to Buckingham Fountain. My mom wanted a tour of the city so we bought tickets on one of the double decker buses and made stops all around the city all the while receiving a guided history tour by a Chicago native. It was an exhausting day but my mom had a great time. She must have said "I think your Dad and I should come back for a long weekend" 5 or 6 times. After making our way home we had a quiet dinner with Deb and Mark and went to bed early.
Saturday we headed back downtown to meet my Aunts and cousins who were headed to Chicago from Indiana for the shower the following day. Aunt Jeananne, Aunt Nancy, Melanie, Ellie, and Whitney met us at our hotel around 5:30 and we headed out for more walking a stop at Garrets Popcorn and dinner at Pizza Due. Everyone wanted Chicago style pizza for dinner and this was the best.
Sunday was the day of the shower. Oh how much fun it was! The food was delicious, the cake was amazing, and who doesn't love to be the center of attention AND receive gifts! Like I said my mother-in-law was hosting so it was several of her local friends plus family that I have come to know well over the last several years. It was so wonderful of everyone to gather together to share in this moment with me as well as with Steve. It was such a great weekend. Thank you so much to Deb and Mark for opening their home and letting us stay with them as well as throwing a beautiful, wonderful shower. I love you guys very much and can't wait for you to be Grandparents to our little girl!
A couple of notes on pics: There are no pics from the shower or with my family because I didn't take any with my camera and I haven't received copies from my mom yet. Also the tulips are EVERYWHERE downtown. Every year they plant over a million tulips and at the end of the season they dig them up put them in brown paper bags and hand them out for free to anyone who wants them! Isn't that the best thing ever!