Blueberry Ever After

• A baby. Yes, I would like to go ahead and have this baby, that would be a great birthday present to me!

I am due tomorrow (and it is almost tomorrow as I post this) so I am really hoping Baby Blueberry is just waiting to make an on-time appearance. I kept telling him I wouldn't mind it if he decided to come early but he is already not listening to me...I think I am in trouble!

So everyone keep your fingers crossed that he will come soon. The good news is that if he doesn't come out on his own before next Tuesday, my doctor will be seeing to it that he makes his way into the world then. I am officially scheduled for an induction on 5/19, but hoping we don't get to that point!

We'll give an update whenever he decides he's ready to join the real world!

Until then I will just keep staying busy and eating lots of spicy food. ;)

I can usually never think of anything when people ask me what I want for my birthday, but for some reason this year I have a plethora of wants. No mind that I am unemployed and withchild and Jay and I about to be broke for the next 20 years or so due to said child...I still want any and all of these things:

• First and foremost, I would like a shiny new laptop that is mine, all mine. A third floor office is not going to be conducive to my jobhunting activities once baby is on the scene so this is my priority number one. Expensive? Yes. Do I want it anyway? Yes.
• My heart also desires one of these snazzy little pocket video cameras from Creative Labs: http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=833&subcategory=834&product=18108. It meets two very important requirements. A) It is purse perfect. B) It plugs directly into your computer to upload videos. I think it will come in very handy for clips of Baby Blueberry!
• A bicycle. I would really like one and have been wanting one for a while. Obviously not a priority in comparison to my first two wishes, but still, it would be nice.
• Gray towels for my bathroom. Our master bath towels are coming up on 3 years of heavy rotation and could use a facelift. I am thinking gray would be lovely. Even some like these from (gasp!) Walmart would be just dandy: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10805354
• Some cute black Merrells for summertime. I am looking for comfy, easy to slip on shoes for a soon-to-be Mom on the go, like these perhaps: http://www.merrell.com/us/#store/W/W-F/15538W-30547/
• New clothes. After all these months of pregnancy, I am looking forward to having a waist again at some point this summer. I know when I reach that point, I will be in need of some new duds. All hail the gift certificate!
• Bare Minerals. I want to go and get pretty with some new makeup...and I need something low maintenance.
• Super Paper Mario. Yes, I am that far behind the curve when it comes to gaming. But I still want it!

I know there is more but I will leave it here for now. Let's just hope Baby B decides to make an appearance sometime soon. That will be by far the best gift I get this year!

In an attempt to plan ahead for meals after the baby gets here (in only two more weeks hopefully! Ahhhh!) I spent yesterday peforming a freezer meal marathon. I have stocked up our freezer with the following dishes:

Homemade Pizza Dough
Breaded Mac & Cheese
Sausage Lasagna
Beef Noodle Supreme
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Chicken Bruschetta Bake
Sticky Chicken
Easy Chicken Manicotti
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

But wait, there's more! I also plan to make a Broccoli Cheese Bake and a Chicken Casserole too. And I will keep going with the freezer meals until either the freezer is out of room or the baby arrives, whichever comes first. Swollen feet be damned!

Well I am now past the 37 week mark in my pregnancy which means that Baby Blueberry will be considered full term whether he decides to come out now or 3 weeks from now. It is hard to believe that I am almost at the end of the road. I have been so blessed and lucky to have had a relatively easy pregnancy that the time has just flown by! In fact, the only I can really complain about even now are my heinous and unattractive cankles, which I affectionately refer to as sausage feet.

But, if getting this baby means I have ugly feet for 3 weeks I think I can hang. Plus, Jay didn't even try to object when I told him that me and my fat ankles are going for a pedi next week, whether I am jobless or not! Being withchild does have its benefits...

In other exciting baby news, Kathleen and Bill welcomed their new son Nolan William into the world on April 13th! He was 10 days overdue and hanging on for dear life in there, but the doctors finally coaxed him out and I have to say he is about the cutest and squishiest little bundle of baby I've ever seen! Way to go Kathleen and Bill! I am hoping you guys have some pointers for me by the time my little guy decides to make an appearance.

That's about all the updates I have for now, so I will leave you with some squishy Nolan pics (Seriously, is he not the cutest?):

On Saturday, some of the girls from my old company came together to throw me and Lora a baby boy "work" shower and it was so much fun. Thanks again ladies for thinking of us!

Everything was beautiful and Baby Blueberry is sure to love all of his gifts. But my favorite part was spending time catching up with everyone since I don't get to see these girls everyday anymore!

Here are a few pictures from the party:

The beautiful baby bump cake made by Julie Pietz:



Opening gifts:


Lora and I showing off our bellies:

Jay and I have the "big" ultrasound on Monday morning and we have decided to ask the doctor to keep the sex of the baby a secret, just for a few days. Our plan is to get them to put it in an envelope for us to open on Christmas day. I think it will such a wonderful surprise for us on Christmas morning and we can't wait to find out if we are having a son or a daughter!

A lot of people have asked me if I have a feeling one way or another and I honestly don't have a clue. So, what do YOU think I am having, is it a boy or a girl? Cast your vote today in my poll at the top right corner of this page.

I promise to post results as soon as we get back from Christmas vacation!!

The weekend before Thanksgiving Tera, Andrew and I packed up and headed to Charlotte to help Courtney's mom host her first baby shower. It was a great party and a great weekend, and with 5 girls staying at Courtney's parents' house, we had a virtual slumber party going on. Andrew didn't seem to mind hanging with the ladies, but Berry got out of there as quick as he could Saturday morning!

Courtney's bump has really popped out in the month since I had last seen her, as you will see in the pictures below. And Panda got some great loot! That little girl is going to be the best dressed kid on the block. So long as she agrees to put her arms in her sleeves.

It is hard to imagine that the next time I will see Courtney, she'll have a baby. I still can't believe it! It has been so wonderful and special to share this time with such a treasured friend.

Courtney,
You are going to be a great Mommy, and I can't wait to meet your little girl! Love you to pieces!

xoxo

Heather

Balloons on the mailbox:

The beautiful Mommy to be:

Opening presents:

Exhausted Andrew:

A panda for Panda!

Heather & Courtney:

Somebody's awake!

Green Bay and UNC bibs that were hidden in the diaper cake:

I think Jay and I have done a good job of telling everyone our big news, but just in case, I wanted to post it here as well. I am pregnant and we are expecting a baby in May! Here is a picture of our little blueberry. We can't wait to meet him or her in the spring!

And to answer the most popular question, yes we will be finding out if it is a boy or a girl, but not until Christmas, so check back in with us for an update after the holidays!

Thank you to everyone who has called, written and e-mailed to congratulate us. We are really excited and happy to know you are sharing in our joy!