For Keeps

So long blog!

2010-08-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that I have been blogging less and less and less. As a new mom, I'm super busy and barely have time to check and respond to my email, let alone blog. I'm blessed to have a great group of girlfriends (fellow mommies!) who keep me busy with playdates and am busy with getting Ike out of the house for walks and workout class (in between getting the house clean, taking care of the laundry, and making dinner).

But there is another reason too. While I have no problem talking about myself and Andro online, I find it difficult to put out anything about our sweet, innocent baby. I think we are just beginning to see the backlash from putting too much information about our lives online on facebook and blogs and websites. I'm an adult and can and will accept full responsibility for whatever I put online about myself. But Ike shouldn't have to worry in 10 or 20 years about what I said about him when he was tiny. I'm his Mama and need to shield and protect him from whatever I can as he grows up.

So this is a blog goodbye from the Dio's. If you want to know what we're up to, give us a call or come hang out with us.

Like Father Like Son

2010-07-10T12:57:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Ike is already nearly 8 weeks old! Time is flying and I'm loving each and every day I have with him; he's amazing.

My favorite photos of Andro when he was little are these:

I love that he was a little dancing machine. And it seems that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, check out this video of Ike dancing along with his puppy mobile. WARNING: the entire video is over 3 minutes.

Enjoying the view

2010-06-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Last week we moved Isaac from the bassinet to his crib. He looked way too big for the bassinet, but now he looks too small for the crib. Oh well! He's been enjoying his puppy mobile, and capturing this video was a good excuse for me to start using my Flip camcorder (love it!).

One month

2010-06-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but Isaac just hit the one month mark and that means I've managed to survive 30+ days of middle of the night feedings (like right now as I try to rock Ike to sleep). It's funny how hard it is (for me at least) to even remember what life was like before he was here, we love him so much. He is the most amazing little man, we are so blessed to have him in our lives.

At his one month doctor checkup, Ike weighed in at 11 lbs 6 oz and measured 22 inches. He is more awake and aware of his surroundings every day and is becoming a lot of fun. He gives me plenty of smiles that totally melt my heart every time. One thing that I've learned about my son, he is a morning person just like me. By 5am, he is bright eyed and ready to start his day.

He is also becoming aware of Libby and she can no longer sneak up and just give him kisses, he now tries to 'pet' her (hopefully this won't become tugging). Libby is doing extremely well with 'her' baby. She really loves Ike and is very protective of him even around us--she follows him everywhere, even when he is in our arms (Andro will often pace with Ike to get him to quiet down when he's upset, and Libby is there following a few steps behind).

Isaac and I have started venturing out and last week had our first play date with his buddies Jason and Lucas. Jason is 8 months, Lucas is 3 months, and Ike is 1 month. It's hard to believe that they will all be in the same grade level when Jason and Lucas seem so much bigger than Ike right now. It was a lot of fun at least for us mom's (Me, Jackie and Carol) to get together and I'm looking forward to our next meet-up.

All in all, we're starting to move from 'surviving' to 'thriving.' It was really tough for me to say goodbye to Momma, but we talk every day and try to get on for video chats as often as possible (which is tough, trying to find any spare moment to talk on the phone or check email is nearly impossible when breastfeeding a baby who loves to eat). Momma will be here again in less than a month for Ike's christening and I'm so anxious for her to see him again and see how much fun he is. I'm also excited for my Daddy to meet little Phillip. I think Ike is going to totally wrap his Grandad around his little finger (just like he's done to everyone else). Ike and my Daddy already have some personality traits in common; both are not fans of crowds and like to be in calm settings with only a few people around--I think the two of them are going to be good buddies as time goes on.

Ah, baby is finally falling asleep so I'm going to wrap this up and get him back in his crib. I've got about an hour and a half left before he's up for his day.

Mr. Personality

2010-06-05T18:54:00.001-07:00

Just a few of my favorite photos from our hospital photo shoot when Isaac was 2 days old.

He is now nearly 3 weeks and has changed so much! At his 2 week check up this week he was up to 9lbs 8oz (over his birth weight) and showed the doctor just what a strong little guy he is, pushing himself up on his forearms when the doc put him on his tummy and trying to crawl up the table towards me. I'm going to have my work cut out for me when he gets a little more coordinated, this guy can move. He has started to really use his hands, poor Libby has nearly been hit a few times but she's figuring it out. Our next doctor visit is at 1 month and I'll be interested to see how big he is then, as he is going through a growth spurt right now.

After nearly a month with us, my Mom finally had to return home earlier this week. I miss her a ton, as far as I'm concerned she could never be with us for long enough, but she'll be back for the christening next month and we're trying to coordinate daily video chats (although that can be tough as Isaac either seems to be fussy or asleep when we get online). As much as I miss her, Andro and I are figuring out how to parent without her and that's good for us to do. He's such a sweet little guy, it's not hard (just sleep depriving).

We are all now anxiously awaiting news of the impending arrival of my little niece Isabella (Izzie) Campbell--due on the 10th. Wishing them a quick labor and delivery and all the best of luck during those first few days with a newborn.

Late Arrival

2010-05-26T11:18:00.001-07:00

Isaac is 9 days old today and is on something of a schedule, giving me time in 3 hour increments to myself and letting me finally get online. He is the most handsome little man and I love him so much, it's impossible to think that 9 days ago we hadn't even met yet. On Sunday, May 16th at 40 weeks and 3 days preggers I was admitted to the hospital to be induced. We got there at 7pm and by 8:30pm I was on pitocin. Andro and I got as settled in as we could, we were both in fairly uncomfortable beds and I was so excited I barely slept at all, and at 2am on Monday, May 17th my water broke. I was so excited and thought, great, I'll have this baby out by lunchtime...but that's not what happened.

I didn't fully efface and dilate until 3pm. My nurse didn't want to worry me and tell me that I was making no progress (my water broke at 2am but at 9am I was still at -4 station), but I knew this was taking a lot longer than it probably should. I also knew that at least I would be guaranteed to be having the baby that day because my water broke. Throughout my whole pregnancy my stance on a 'birth plan' has always been that I want my baby to be healthy and whatever needs to happen for him to be delivered safely is what I would do. I don't believe in making ultimatums for a situation that you can't control, and I'm really glad for this because I never would have foreseen Isaac's birth happening the way it did.

I started pushing at 4pm, determined to get the baby out and was pushing 4 times for each contraction instead of 3. After 2 hours of pushing, my nurse took my temperature and I was up to a fever of 101. I was given medicine and pushed hard for another hour, my doctor came in and tried using a vacuum extractor but it didn't work. It felt like (and I'm guessing looked like from that angle) the baby was stuck. The doctor told me we could keep pushing--throughout the whole labor process Isaac had a strong heartbeat and was not in distress at all--but I knew it wasn't happening. I told her I wanted to do whatever she thought was best and once she said she wanted to take me "to the back" (i.e. c-section) I fully agreed.

After the first hour of pushing my epidural had begun to wear off and by the time they were wheeling me to the back it was impossible to not want to push through the contractions. Once they got me to the operating room I made sure to tell the anesthesiologist that I had feeling again and waited until I was good and numb again before we continued. Andro came back to the room and within a few minutes at 7:57pm the doctors had Isaac out. He was so beautiful I immediately started crying. I couldn't believe we had made a person and he was here safely. They cleaned him up and Andro went to the nursery with him. After they left I finally began to succumb to exhaustion and was out of it for the next 45 mins or so as they closed me up. I woke up when they told me how big he was--21 inches and 9lbs. 7 oz.

I was wheeled to the recovery room and was in and out of sleep there for the next couple of hours. At 10:30pm, I was wheeled down to my recovery room and Mom and Trini came in to say hello and goodnight. They had waited all day for the baby to be born and once we entered the room the nurse told them they wouldn't be able to see him until the next day. But just as I was getting settled in, the door opened and they rolled in Isaac. I have never seen 2 people more excited then they were at meeting their grandson. I hadn't had a chance to hold him, so I was excited to finally get to and the picture above is from that moment.

I stayed at the hospital until Thursday afternoon (it felt like I had moved in by then, I had been there for so long). Finally coming home was wonderful, but we're still working on a schedule and the first few days were really rough (especially the first night as I failed to fill my pain killer prescription on Thursday and didn't take anything until Friday afternoon...with a c-section that is a HUGE mistake). Isaac is doing well, eating, sleeping, and pooping like all newborn babies should, and looking at him just melts my heart, he is so sweet. I have been incredibly blessed to have my Mom with me and am extremely thankful that she was able to extend her visit for a 3rd time to help me take care of him. I know she is going to go home and probably sleep for 2 weeks straight. We are definitely a bit sleep deprived here, but I'm finally able to sneak in naps here and there and I wouldn't change it for a thing.

D-day

2010-05-12T14:13:00.001-07:00

The due date is finally here. It's been 40 long weeks, and baby Isaac shows no signs of wanting to leave. Everyone (myself, my doctor, my mom) thought I would have had the baby by now, but he has proven time and again that he is going to do what he wants to and that does not mean being born 'on time.' My doctor's appointment this morning was disheartening to say the least, but an end date is looming. I'm being induced either Monday or Tuesday (waiting on the confirmation from the hospital) and while that is definitely not what I wanted, I am very done being pregnant. I made it to 40 weeks and have given him a safe, healthy place to grow and develop, I'm done now. Hopefully he'll decide to come on his own before I go in next week, but if not at least I know that the end is near.

Ugh...

2010-05-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've been ready for the baby to show up since Mom got in on Wednesday. We've been running last minute errands, walking a ton (including with Libby at the dog park), gardening, going to the movies, etc. to get everything ready before the baby comes. Every day I hope it will be the day that Isaac finally decides to appear, and every day it isn't. Today I woke up determined to get the baby out, but I don't think my efforts will work. I've been cleaning everything (moping the floors, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, up and down the stairs about a million times to do the laundry) but I think he is more determined to stay in there now. I know all about the supposed nesting that happens right before you have the baby, but I don't think it counts as nesting if it's done out of sheer desperation...guess we'll find out.

Not yet but making progress

2010-04-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

My guess for the baby's birthday has been (and still is) May 8th...and I think I might be right. We're making good steady progress...up to 1cm dilated (the doctor actually felt his head) and still about 60% effaced. I'm looking forward to my mom's arrival next week and am taking it easy until she gets here (I don't want to speed anything up until she gets here, I don't want her to miss Isaac's bday) and Libby and I are catching up on all the sleep we have been missing at night.

Last day!

2010-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day at work! I originally wanted to work until this Friday, for fear that boredom would overwhelm me at home, but am really glad I adjusted it to today. I'm sore and tired and could really use the time off before Isaac moves in. But I know, come tomorrow, I'll just start counting down the days until my Mom comes. I can't wait to see her and am so excited that I get her for nearly 3 weeks, which isn't nearly enough time for me but I'll take it.

Hmm....

2010-04-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Went in for my weekly doctor visit yesterday and Isaac is continuing to do well. The doctor is guesstimating that he'll be in the 75th percentile at birth and thinks he's around 7lbs. right now. I went from no progress to being 60% effaced in a week (and yes, I know I can be effaced and dilated for a long time without it meaning anything, but any progress is promising :) So thankfully there are no talks of needing to induce me--I'm a firm believer in letting him stay in for as long as he wants to (provided, of course, that there are no complications)--and they think he'll decide to come on his own probably a bit before my due date.

My last day of work has been revised from next Friday to next Tuesday (I'm starting to really get uncomfortable now and am having trouble sleeping--but am still feeling good for the most part) and all I'm doing now is waiting for Isaac to decide on his birthday. I'm thinking he'll come May 8th or May 9th but Andro is thinking earlier than that.

Nearly full term

2010-04-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we will officially be full term. Wow. I'm still feeling good for the most part, my rib cage had gotten ridiculously sore from the baby, but I think he must have dropped because I can breathe and am feeling much better.

Last week, at my 36 week appointment, the doctor realized that Isaac had had a MAJOR growth spurt. He went from measuring right on track to measuring 2 weeks ahead. I went in for an ultrasound on Saturday and they confirmed that he looks great (fluid levels are good, his heart and all his organs look good) and that he is just a big baby (their guess is that he is already between 6 1/2 and 7 lbs). To be honest, I'm really not surprised.

My brother and I were both 8lbs. 10oz. and my Dad was an 11 lb. baby. The smallest babies in my family were Tine and Tommy, the twins, who were born early and were still the size of most 'average' full-term babies.

What I did find surprising was that he has made no progress towards wanting to leave...at all. I'm heading to the doctor again this week on Thursday, it'll be interesting to see if he makes any progress this week and how big he grows in a week. I'm trying to adjust my thinking that maybe he'll decide to come early, but also prepare that we could still have a long wait ahead.

35/35

2010-04-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today I'm 35 weeks pregnant with 35 days left to go! Wow. Had my doctor's appointment yesterday (am now going every week until the end) and everything is great--he's doing really well and is growing right on track. I'm still feeling good and am still walking a mile a day (from the train station to work) and really can't complain (my belly button has gotten incredibly tight but hasn't popped out, I'm able to get sleep most nights, and while he likes to stretch, Isaac is not a kicker).

In very exciting news, my best friend Julie is coming to visit us this weekend (while I still feel good enough for company) and I can't wait! I'm really looking forward to a great weekend with an old friend.

A month of lasts...

2010-03-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

Today is March 31 and my last day of work will be April 30. We have always said that we would want to have me stay home when we started our family, and while it is happening sooner than anticipated, we feel very, very blessed that I will be able to stay home full-time to raise our baby (and our furry girl too). Now, getting ready to start my last month, and training a new person in how to do my job, it's really hitting me that I'm going to be at home. I'm really excited about Isaac and all of the changes heading our way, but it is hard to wrap my head around not working too--I'm the girl who ALWAYS had a job, even in college when I was in marching band (2 hours of practice a day plus entire Saturday's gone) and taking 19 credit hours I had a job. It's hard to imagine going from the structure of a full-time job (I live for rules and boundaries, odd but true) to the flexible hours of being always on demand for a small child; but I'm excited. It really is a whole new chapter in my life and hopefully I'll be ready in 42 days or so...

Also--on a totally random note--I think it's funny to realize how many people (besides myself) have May birthdays. It seems like everyday someone tells me "well, if you go into labor early (or late) you'll have him on my birthday." I guess late July/early August is the most romantic time of the year ;)

Finished!

2010-03-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Well, after a rare burst of energy this weekend, the nursery is finished! Poor Andro--I woke him up early Saturday morning to help me hang the shelves (i.e. to do it for me) and then spent most of the day organizing all of the wonderful things that Isaac has gotten from our amazingly generous family and friends. After getting everything unpacked and put away, I was shocked by how much room there is!

The nursery, and in particular the glider (thank you to my Momma and Daddy!!!), is my favorite room in the house. It is so peaceful (at least right now, before the baby takes residence) and the glider is the most comfortable chair for me these days. Almost to 34 weeks and I'm starting to be plagued with 3rd trimester discomforts. I can't seem to get comfortable at all, my joints are sore from the 'softening,' and I've been suffering from bouts of insomnia. Poor Libby will wake up and halfheartedly try to find a toy to keep me company at 3am, but usually she falls asleep within a minute of trying to hang out with me. Only 6 more weeks to go! (lol hopefully!)

And...in other news, I've sent in my hospital admittance form and have a pediatrician, so I'm making progress on all of my to-do's.

Updating the To-Do list

2010-03-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted my to-do list. I've been making slow progress on this, but thought I might as well update it. On my to do list:

1) Get a 'practice' baby to teach Libby boundaries [status--complete]
a. Libby has been doing really well with 'practice baby,' my infant Cabbage Patch doll. She knows that she can't jump in my lap when I'm holding him and she's learning that I need to give attention to the baby and not just to her (that's been really tough for her, she is my little furry shadow and gets tons of affection whenever she wants).

2) Get a cd of baby sounds to teach Libby to not bark when she hears weird noises [status--need to order]

3) Finish organizing the nursery and put in deeper shelves in the 'built-in' bookcase for storage [status--work in progress]
a. Over the weekend, I got the wall repaired (i.e. spackled flat where old anchors had been) and painted (miraculously got Lowe's to match the paint color) and purchased everything that I need for the shelves. Next step, getting Andro to put up the new supports, hopefully he'll do it this week. Issac has so many clothes and toys and things in general now, I need to get them put away on the new shelves. And I hate having unfinished projects staring at me!

4) Become members of a local church [status--complete]
a. We joined a local church and have been going to service and it's great! I love this church,

5) Find a pediatrician [status--almost completed, still]
a. I found a practice that I like but missed their March open house. Hoping to get some interviews scheduled and/or attend their April open house. This is a top priority.

6) Fill out the hospital registration form [status--complete and mailed in!] (and get the hospital bag ready [status--giving myself some more time before I start packing])

And 7) Figure out a way to con my Mom into living with us and taking care of the baby full-time [status--I've given up on this one, but having her here for 10 days was so wonderful...it really spoiled me, I'm looking forward to her visit in May!]

A couple of new ones to add to the list:

8) Wash all of Isaac's clothes and linens (just bought some baby laundry soap) and get them organized (i.e. in the bins on shelves and need to get some drawer organizers for his dresser)

9) See every movie that I have even the remotest of interest in before May 12 (not really a major to-do, but I love going to the movies, and have a feeling that it's going to be one of those luxuries like washing my hair and putting on clean clothes in the beginning few weeks/months of being a mom that just isn't going to happen)

Amazing weekend

2010-03-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

Mom, Aunt Jay, Tine, and Trini threw me a baby shower on Saturday and it was wonderful. A great chance to see friends and family (including Auntie Ema, these are actually two of her photos that I'm hijacking)and celebrate the impending arrival of Isaac. The theme was Noah's ark and that cake was as delicious as it is beautiful (I'm anti-fondant, it tastes so bad I don't care how good it looks, this was pure butter cream perfection)and the decorations were adorable--animal balloons, gorgeous white roses, the blue table cloths that we had made up for the wedding. It was an amazing day and I feel very loved and very, very spoiled.

Andro and I before the big event got under way (he hung out at Mickey Finn's with some of the husbands).

I mentioned in my last post that Jackie's little boy's due date was nearing and he was actually born last Sunday. Jackie sent word the morning of the shower that she was in labor and her little boy, Lucas, was delivered early the next morning. We can't wait to meet him! All in all a pretty full, fantastic weekend.

Getting Caught Up On Photos

2010-03-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

I've been really horrible about taking photos lately, but Layla posted some from our annual friends holiday dinner that I thought I'd share on the blog. I've noticed that I've worn a lot of black during this pregnancy, making it a little difficult to discern the bump...but he's there, although he has been cut out of the photo of me and Andro.

This year's dinner was held at Pete and Carol's which is now only 20 mins. away from us back in January. In the above photo you can see half of the class of 2028--two lil boys are still cooking, but one is getting close to being finished. Jackie is due on the 18th. Funny to think that by the next holiday dinner--tentatively being held at Mark and Tiffany's new house--there will be four high chairs set up.

29 weeks 4 days

2010-03-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

Andro and I went to a stunning wedding for our friends Aisha and Dave at the Adler Planetarium. This wedding was simply gorgeous, beautiful flowers, amazing view of the city, and a great time for everyone. Above is a belly shot taken at the event and yes, he's getting big. Please note my arms are still the same size (and my bf Kinsey thinks they look a little thinner now because of how big the belly is). I tried to take photos during the ceremony but the flash wouldn't work...grrr...

PS (How handsome is my husband? He's the cutest and has been going above and beyond to still make me feel pretty while my belly gets bigger and bigger.)

Another wedding!

2010-02-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

My very, very favorite thing to do is to be involved in weddings. After we got engaged, I went totally overboard in everything to do with our wedding--all the paper (stationery, invites, place cards, programs, etc.), decorations, timelines, contracts, you name it. Andro thought I'd wear myself out and be sick of weddings by the time we finished ours...but the opposite happened. I can't get enough! I was thrilled to help out our friends Jason and 'chelle along with Kinsey at their fantastic event in October and am gearing up for another one this Saturday for our friends Dave and Aisha. I'm going to pretty much being making sure that everything gets set up and is ready to go and get the bride down the aisle on Saturday and can't wait! Just got off the phone with the bakery and am so excited. It's going to be a beautiful, beautiful event!

Nesting

2010-02-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I officially start the third trimester and have begun anxiously trying to get everything in order for Mr. baby's arrival.

On my to do list:

1) Get a 'practice' baby to teach Libby boundaries
a. In What to Expect the First Year--they recommend pretending a baby doll is the baby to teach the dog about what is going to change (i.e. when he's feeding, Libby can't be right in my lap but she can sit next to me, not jumping to see what is in the bassinet, etc.)

b. So my Mom mailed me one of my old Cabbage Patch newborn dolls to practice with...we'll see what happens after it arrives

2) Get a cd of baby sounds to teach Libby to not bark when she hears weird noises
a. Not sure if this is actually going to help her not bark, but I'm hoping it'll at least get her used to the sounds that she can be expecting

3) Finish organizing the nursery and put in deeper shelves in the 'built-in' bookcase for storage
a. A reminder of what the bookcase used to look like:

b. I've since cleaned it off completely, but what you can't see in the photo is that these shelves are only 6" deep. I'm replacing them with 12" deep shelves so that I can use normal size bins and baskets to help hold diapers, toys, etc. Don't be fooled by the drawers in the desk or the closet--those are entirely full with other things (I've got an amazing ability for cramming things into 'storage space'), so we've got to go out into the open with Isaac's things.

4) Become members of a local church (almost completed)
a. I found a church that I really, really like, so now I just have to get Andro up every Sunday to go with me (I refuse to look like a girl in trouble who just found Jesus). I've got Isaac's Godparents all lined up and am actually really excited about being a member of a church again. I haven't been a member of any church since Evansville.

5) Find a pediatrician (almost completed)
a. I found a practice that I like and I'm going to an open house to meet the doctors next month.

But...until I officially have a baby doctor I can't do this one:

6) Fill out the hospital registration form (and get the hospital bag ready)

And 7) Figure out a way to con my Mom into living with us and taking care of the baby full-time.
a. Yeah, that's not going to happen. I'm thrilled that my Mom will be here for Isaac's birth (she's pretty much going to come up in early May once I stop working and wait it out until he's born), and for a bit after he's born to help us out. But I'm also excited for this new chapter in our lives.

97 days to go...

2010-02-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

Yikes/Yay! Time is really starting to fly. I've been following all of the week by week pregnancy updates that get delivered to my inbox but just looked at a calendar and was a bit shocked to see 97 days to go to the due date. I'm excited to meet him and nervous too (like I'm sure most first time moms are) and can't help but think back to the last time I had a countdown, when it was counting down to the wedding, and how time seemed to zoom past after the 100 day mark.

Nursery (work in progress)

2010-01-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

A HUGE thank you to Gigi and Granddad (my parents) for buying our nursery! The best surprise that we've had--after the surprise of finding out that we're pregnant--was when my parents told us that they wanted to buy the nursery. We still have a few pieces to add (a glider and ottoman and a bookcase for more storage) but I am thrilled with the way it is turning out. Andro has been hard at work, assembling the crib and changing table/dresser and did a great job. And now I get to work on the fun stuff--decorating! Libby's toys have successfully been moved down the hall, but she still will leave the occasional 'buddy' behind if she follows me in there.

Only 16 more weeks until the due date! I've been feeling good and Isaac is doing really well. The doctor confirmed what I already thought--that he looks perfect (I know, I haven't even formally met him yet and I'm already a total sucker for this little guy). Isaac is kicking up a storm and getting bigger every day. He has a major sweet-tooth, definitely an Antosik!, and I've been craving every kind of bad for you sweet that I never let myself eat.

Nursery Before Pics

2010-01-09T05:27:00.000-08:00

We are finally ready to start getting Isaac's room set up, so I thought I'd put up some of the 'before' photos. The crib, mattress, and changing dresser have all arrived (and are the boxes you see leaning against the wall) and are waiting to be assembled. Despite my efforts to keep it clean, the nursery has become something of a catch-all for our stuff, so I have to put more of what can be seen on the shelves away.

Libby's toys--which are littering the floor--are also moving. I'm getting a 'toy box' for her and putting it in the guest room. Our big fear is that Libby will have a hard time understanding the baby's toys vs. her toys. Keeping her toys in the nursery, really doesn't help this as I often find her sitting outside the door whining to get in and play.

As you can see, two little friends are already anxiously awaiting Mr. Dio's arrival, so now I really want to get Libby's stuff out of the room. Many, many, many thanks to our friends Tom and Mona for lending us so much stuff--including the bassinet.

It's a Boy!!!

2010-01-07T07:16:00.001-08:00

I have to say, yesterday was probably the second best day of my life (after getting married to my wonderful husband, of course). We woke up early and headed to the doctor's office for our ultrasound. Yes, I know, I've been emphatic in my stance that I would not find out the baby's gender until the baby is born in May. But in my reading, I knew that by 22 weeks the baby's 'family jewels' are fully formed and was prepared to possibly be catching a glimpse. And what a glimpse! There was no doubt, Potsticker is in fact our little man Isaac.

I cried throughout the entire ultrasound, not bawling, hysterical sobs, but I couldn't stop the flow of tears. It was so truly amazing to see him! And to see him push against the placenta and kick me (now I know how to distinguish those 2 movements and he does them quite a bit). He is healthy and normal and--to my eyes--looks 100% perfect. I am totally blown away that Andro and I made a person.

Andro is very diplomatic and has not been saying one way or the other which gender he wants. We both just want a strong and healthy baby. But I have been wishing and hoping and praying that Potsticker is a boy and could not believe it when it was confirmed. Bring on the toy trucks, little league, and legos!

Can't wait...

2010-01-05T08:37:00.001-08:00

We are less than 22 hours away from our 22 week ultrasound and I'm so excited I can hardly sit still! I just can't wait to see what Potsticker looks like now. Our last (and only) glimpse of the baby, just showed a nondescript 8 week old fetus. But by now, as all of my pregnancy books have shared, he/she is almost fully developed externally and I can't wait to see that profile. Other news (exciting for me) is that hopefully sometime today Fedex will be delivering the baby's crib, dresser, and mattress. I'm ready to start nesting and getting ready for baby and am really looking forward to getting the room set up. I can't believe I'm over the half-way point in the pregnancy already and I'm getting more and more excited to meet this little person every day. I have a feeling that the last month is going to be like the night before vacation when I was little, I could never let myself sleep, I had to be constantly repacking and reading the guide books.

In other news, we just found out that my brother and sister-in-law (who are due exactly 4 weeks after us) are having a little girl! I can't wait to buy tap shoes, tutus, and all sorts of extra girlie things for this little girl--which has the added bonus of delighting my sister-in-law and driving my brother crazy :). And I can't wait for this new generation of cousins to meet! Nearly everyone (except my Dad) thinks I'm having a girl. But I still think Potsticker is a boy and with all the little girls being born this generation, I think a boy might be a refreshing change for everyone. Guess we'll find out in May!

Holiday in the South

2009-12-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

Andro and I left snowy Chicago behind for the warmer weather of St. Simons Island in Georgia. After my 20 week check-up--wow...half-way through the pregnancy already! hard to believe...the baby's heartbeat is holding steady at 156 bpm and my ultrasound is at 22 weeks--we started our drive south. We stopped overnight just over the Tennessee/Georgia border and made it to Mom and Dad's on Wednesday. We had a wonderful Christmas and have been taking full advantage of the better weather (Andro and my Dad are out playing golf and intend to play at least 2 more times) and the nice vacation from work. Libby is walking on eggshells around Mom's dog Brad, but is loving her trips to the beach (see photo above) and her Christmas present from Potsticker (see below).

Hope everyone is having wonderful holidays!

So not surprised

2009-12-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

We had our monthly doctor's check-up today. (My schedule got thrown off a bit from Thanksgiving. Instead of going at 16 weeks, I went in today at 17 weeks and my next appointment is at 19 weeks 6 days because of Christmas.) Everything is good and normal and healthy. But in a hilarious moment, Dr. H was having a hard time with the doppler as Potsticker was squirming all over the place and even kicked right at the doppler. She finally had to hold on to 'him' and we got to listen to a strong steady 156 bpm heartbeat. It was just really funny. Between Andro's jimmy legs and my inability to stay still, I am not surprised at all that this baby is a squirmer. Soon I'll be feeling all those little kicks and I can't wait.

Bump watch 2009

2009-11-22T11:43:00.001-08:00

(taken yesterday at 15 weeks, 4 days pregnant)

I've been having Andro take pictures of my 'bump' so I can monitor it's progress. Unfortunately, he has little patience for taking the pictures, and the angle on this one is a little off. I haven't really gained much weight so far (only about 5 lbs. at 15 weeks) but it's amazing to me how the belly seems to grow on its own.

(taken at 12 weeks, 4 days pregnant)

It's hard to see the difference, but believe me, the bump is definitely bigger than in the 12 week picture. At that point, it was still comfortable to wear normal jeans with a belly band over them, but (as mentioned previously) that ended last week and I am embracing pregnancy jeans.

In non-baby news, I'm getting really excited to decorate for Christmas. Andro has a firm "no decorations before Thanksgiving" rule so I pulled out everything today and have it all waiting in the nursery until I get the okay to start putting things up next week. (Although, I have snuck up a few small things that he hasn't noticed yet). I'm hoping to eventually wear him down on this rule. I don't think 3 weeks is enough time to fully enjoy Christmas decorations (especially when they take so long to get up!).

WOW

2009-11-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick one--I'm going to try to post photos of "the bump" sometime soon (if I can find my camera, etc.). Yesterday, I had an appointment with the maternity center's nurses in the Lake Forest Hospital's Center for Women's Health. The appointment was fine, just a big class full of other preggos to get acquainted with the practice. Actually, I felt like an old hand, because while I was 15 weeks, most of the other girls were like 7-8 (I transferred from my first doctor after we moved, so had to do this class a little later than normal).

But the class was not for nothing. I didn't get to do a full tour yet, but it is my understanding that I will deliver in this building and let me just say WOW. I have never seen a more beautiful hospital. Andro and I are going in for a full tour the Sunday after Thanksgiving and I'm really excited to see it all.

The bump is getting bigger everyday (or at least it feels like it!). It feels like almost overnight I went from being able to zip and button my work pants to needing the belly band. And--after last Friday's jeans day at the office when I felt so restricted even with the belly band--I succumbed and bought some pregnancy jeans at Old Navy. It's hard to believe that I'm already 15 weeks pregnant. I still have a LONG road ahead of me, but I was just thinking the other day, by the time I see Mom and Dad for Christmas I'll be at 20 weeks and halfway there! Really exciting, can't wait to meet you Potsticker.

Thank you Old Navy

2009-11-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to say that my favorite clothing company when I was a high school kid making minimum wage has quickly become my favorite again as I see no point in spending more than I have to on maternity clothes. After my 12 week appointment and hearing the baby's heartbeat again, I finally purchased some maternity clothes (although I'm barely starting to show, so I'm in an in between phase right now and can't really wear them). One of my purchases was new black leggings as my current leggings are much too tight on the belly. And these leggings are amazing, comfortable, still tight on my legs but fit under the belly (or...will once the belly gets a little bigger), so nice. Thanks Aunt Jay for treating me! The baby thanks you to as he/she is no longer being squeezed by lycra.

Hmm....

2009-11-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

I can't help but wonder (constantly!) who this little baby is and--of course--what this baby is going to look like. I know it's a crazy dream, but how cool would it be if the baby got my Dad and Grandpa's blue eyes, or at least my hazel eyes? I love looking at our baby pictures to try to imagine what our baby will look like.

The Secret Is Out

2009-11-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

(Baby Dio at 8 weeks)

Andro and I are, unexpectedly but delightedly, 12 weeks pregnant! I found out at exactly 4 weeks, just before Labor Day. We were by no means trying to get pregnant, but a little birth control snafu had me thinking it might be a possibility. It was weird, I've heard of women just knowing that they're pregnant, but I had no idea that I would be one of them. I woke up on a Wednesday morning and just felt different. Pregnancy was lurking in the back of my mind, but I didn't think I really was.

I wanted to be sure, so I bought a test on my lunch break and took it at work. Sure enough, there were 2 lines. The positive line was really, really faint, but it was there. I made it home and broke into tears the minute I saw Andro, feeling totally overwhelmed, anxious, and really nervous. I took another at home test the next morning, still positive, then went to my doctor's office to take yet another test, which came back positive. By that point, I had begun to adjust to the idea that I was going to be a mom but I can say, I really didn't start to get excited until the next day, when I told my mom.

We had plans to see my parents over Labor Day, so we took the opportunity to tell them in person. And I'm so glad that we found out when we did and were able to share our news face to face. Our flight got in late on Friday night, so I held off on saying anything until the next morning. I woke up early Saturday, totally unable to sleep, and at 6am told my mom, 'I'm pregnant.' Her genuine happiness and the immediate surge of love she had for the baby really got me excited about this little person.

My family has known since 4 weeks and I can honestly say, for me, it was not hard to keep the baby a secret. Andro has been dying to tell everyone, but I really wanted to make it to 12 weeks (heaven forbid something happen) before sharing our news. But, the moment we heard the heartbeat at our 12 week appointment, this past Wednesday, I felt like I was going to burst if I didn't let everyone know.

I'm so excited to meet this baby! It's amazing how much love I have for the baby already and I know nothing about this little person yet. We still have a long road--the baby is due May 12, 2010--but I am so excited and thrilled to be going through this experience with a supportive family and friends. I feel unbelievably blessed to be carrying our first child and can't wait to meet him/her! (I want to be surprised by the baby's gender and--much to Andro's chagrin--he is also going to be surprised, I told the doctor not to tell him because I know he won't be able to keep this a secret from me...)

I know it's only October...

2009-10-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

[photo: Libby as Rudolph in November 2008, costume courtesy of my friend Jen]

But I'm already getting into the Christmas spirit. Andro and I moved last weekend and are still in the process of unpacking and putting things away, but I'm so excited about having more room to decorate. Andro told me that he expects me to go all out for Christmas this year, and I do indeed! I'm working on my holiday card, need to get that finished and ordered, and have a whole list of crafts to finish (from my ambitious holiday projects of last year). Can't wait to get started!

The Good Life

2009-09-18T04:21:00.001-07:00

Libby enjoying her first ever steak bone.

It's been a busy month, and September is barely half over! And, of course, we seem to be booked solid through October. But I think we'd just get bored if we had a simpler schedule.

Another Long Weekend

2009-09-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Andro and I headed down south to visit my parent's at their beautiful retirement home on St. Simons Island (Georgia). This was Andro's first visit to their new house and we are definitely looking forward to spending a very warm Christmas there this year. The whole goal of the weekend was to craft Libby's Halloween costume. But sadly, we got very easily sidetracked...

About a year ago, just before Halloween, Andro stumbled upon this article. While he often scoffs at my attempts to dress Libby up in her various costumes and outfits, even he admitted, if we had an Ewok costume, he would dress Libby up in it all the time. We have been in discussions with Mom all summer about how to make this costume. I bought a bear that we could de-construct, we had all the measurements, and we thought we were set. But a late start on Saturday meant we didn't make it to the fabric store until after it closed... (and in the south, once it's closed, it won't be open until another business day...nothing is open on Sundays)

So, Mom and I came up with an easy solution...head over to Target and pick up one of their dog costumes. We choose the turtle, below are a few photos of Libby modeling once I brought it home. I think this is her favorite costume to date, because essentially she is being encased in a comfy pillow; nothing dangling off her, no wings or extra claws to chew on.

Why did Mom and I get so easily distracted? Well...I have no answer. We both wake up early but can fill an entire day with not doing much but talking and hanging out together. It's both a blessing and a curse. We talk to each other all the time, but then every time I talk to her it feels like we haven't spoken in a week!

Andro and Daddy enjoyed a round of golf on Sunday, while Mom and I went to the movies and just walked around the downtown. On Monday, in our honor of our long-standing tradition, Mom and I went to the water park and left the boys to fend for themselves. We headed over to Jekyll Island and had a blast! It's a smaller park, but we probably rode more water slides than we ever have in our trips to Splashin' Safari, because there was no crowd. We relaxed in the lazy river, jumped in the wave pool, and just had an overall great day.

Great trip, over too soon, and of course I forgot to take any pictures...

Campbell Kids Reunion

2009-09-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

Of course, I brought my camera along for my trip to Connecticut, but only managed to take a couple of photos of my furry niece Sophie... I have to get back into taking pictures!

I managed to bring the chilly Chicago weather with me to the East Coast, but we had a great weekend nonetheless. Friday, Addam and I hit up the movies then we all went to the casino that night. The casino is on a reservation and is like a big lavish Vegas casino with a Native American theme, beautiful and really nice. I managed to win $17 on slots (and yes, by win, I mean I won back all the money I put in plus $17). Saturday, despite the rain, we headed up to Northampton, Massachusetts. Smith College is in Northampton and it's like the ideal college town.

In between, we managed to eat a lot of junk food, candy, and drink a lot of local beer. It was great, but yesterday my plain spinach salad tasted like manna, so I'm taking a break from the bad food for a while...

Overall a great weekend. It was great to hang out with Addam and Christine and see their town.

Never say never

2009-08-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

If you would have told me when I was the age in the above photo, that I would be EXCITED to see my brother, I would have thought you were crazy. Can't wait to see him and Christine!

Love this

2009-08-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've gotten hooked on this blog--www.cakewrecks.com. Hilariously bad cakes. By far my favorite is the Darth Vader baby shower cake. When I'm pregnant (in like 5 years), I want this cake.

Who's the boss?

2009-08-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to head out to Connecticut this weekend to catch up with my brother and sister (in-law, technically; really just my sister). They have been living there for a few years and this is my first trip out to see them. I know, I'm a bad sister, but better late than never!

While I'm gone, I'm hoping that Andro will clean up the condo. I've been cleaning on Fridays (giving Andro the summer off from his chores for good behavior) but that is quickly coming to an end as my summer hours (half day Friday's) are over Labor Day weekend. I have a feeling, though, that a lot of his free time will be devoted to naps and video games.

Working Girl

2009-08-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of all sorts of blogs. Blogs by people I know (Mae and Kasey), blogs by people I don't know, blogs about saving money, blogs about decorating and home improvement (younghouselove.com), to name a few. On one of the savings blogs I check out, they had an article on ways to make more money. My favorite tip was getting your dog a job.

While I think she is adorable and definitely has 'spokesdog' potential, Libby could never sit still long enough to model anything. And any career as the next 'Wishbone' is also out the window--she only understands commands about 45% of the time. But, Andro has found her a job nonetheless. We just have to move to Italy.

I think Libby would look great in that swim vest. The only problem I can really see is her complete hatred of water.

She's just furry because she's illegitimate--give me a tax break

2009-08-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows, I consider Libby to be my daughter, not my dog. And to be honest, she is so spoiled, I'm pretty sure she thinks she's my child as well. She sleeps on the bed, has a very extensive toy collection (even if most are currently being held in squeak-atraz), and loves to dress up.

So, I was intrigued by this article that Andro sent me about giving pet owners a tax break. I think it's great--if it encourages more people to rescue dogs (like our rescue girl) I couldn't be more supportive.

I am currently trying to fight the urge to adopt another dog. I'm ready for another addition to our family, so is Libby, but I don't think our condo could handle 2 silly dogs.

One year later...

2009-08-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

A year ago, after the wedding, I closed down (and deleted) my blog and Andro stopped blogging too. We both just thought there wasn't really much to write about without the wedding and settled into married life. It's been a wonderful exciting year full of all kinds of emotional ups and downs, and while I'm still not sure how much there is to write about it, I thought I'd add myself as a contributor to Andro's blog and give it another go. So this time, the blog will truly be a Dio family effort.

So--since we last posted in July 08, we have been traveling, a lot. With family spread out everywhere, we are almost always on the go (and every time I think it's going to be a slow month, we end up booked solid). After the wedding, Andro headed out to Las Vegas for a hacker convention (9 days in the city that never sleeps is a little too much) and I met up with him over the weekend. We love Vegas. As much as I'm an early riser, I love staying up all night there, it's kind of intoxicating. By the time I got there, however, Andro had had enough of the nightlife and was starting to get a cold, so we didn't go out a ton, but it was still fun.

Over Labor Day, the first in 2 years to be wedding free, we headed back to Indiana to visit my parents. By this point, Mom and Dad had started construction on their new beach home in Georgia, so we were approaching the 'end' of our Evansville visits. Mom and I have been going to the Holiday World Splashin' Safari park (we spend the whole time in Splashin' Safari) every summer since we moved to Evansville. We both LOVE waterparks and had a final trip to Santa Claus, Ind. Very bittersweet. Only a few days after getting back to Chicago, we had some terrible news. We lost my Aunt Janice. I can't even believe it's been nearly a year since she passed, it still feels like it just happened, it was so shocking. I will always be so grateful that she and my Uncle Mike made it to the wedding, it was the last time I saw her alive and she was so happy. A beautiful ceremony was held in her beloved Nevada and all of the family that could make it came together and celebrated her life.

For Libby's second Halloween, she went as LiBEE Dio. I thought she looked great, and so did she. Andro is still trying to come to terms with my love for dressing up the dog. He doesn't like it, I believe he says 'it's silly honey,' but he is slowly coming to terms with it and even picked out her costume for this coming year; which is being hand-made by her Gigi Campbell.

My brother stopped into town for a night in November, just around the time I began suffering from Addam withdrawal. I lived with him for 16 years full-time and another 2 years part-time while he was in college. I thought I had had my fill of him, but the truth is, I've started to miss my brother. It's not quite like the 'Leinfelder' withdrawal I go through if I don't see Tine and Andy every couple of months, but it's getting there. I'm taking my first trip out to see him and my sister Christine in Connecticut in a couple of weeks and am really excited.

We hit the road the weekend before Thanksgiving to hang out with our friends Ken/Kinsey and Jason/Michelle and Michelle's parents cabin. It's a gorgeous home they've built on a lake near the Dells in Wisconsin, and we spent the whole weekend drinking, watching football (we are all in the same fantasy football league), and wearing sweatpants. Very relaxing.

Andro and I drove then down to Evansville for the final Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's house. Mom threatened to make me take all of my 'stuff' with me, but luckily I was able to buy myself some time (and got rid of a ton of stuff at home in Chicago). Libby loved Mom and Dad's big backyard and had a ball chasing her 'Aunt' Jenny and anything that Grand-dad would throw her way. We drove home with one thoroughly pooped pup!

In December, we drove north to Minneapolis/St. Paul to see the Leinfelder's. Great trip, as always, and way too short. We baked Christmas cookies at Aunt Jay and Uncle Tim's house, got to hang out with my cousins Paul and Tom, and just had fun with Tine and Andy. We spent Christmas in Arizona with Mae/Brett/Brooklyn/Deuce/Trini and Howard. It was great to see everyone and be there for the baby's first Christmas.

We took our long awaited honeymoon in February and let me just say--best idea ever. It was so cold here and getting on a cruise ship and sailing through the Caribbean was WONDERFUL. We enjoyed each and every minute, but by far, our favorite day was spent at the beach in Magens Bay on St. Thomas. I think we could live there as full-time beach bums.

In April, I finally had to pack up or throw out all of the stuff I had left at Mom and Dad's house over the years. It was a very intense couple of days of sorting through all the things that had been left behind. I threw away a lot, Mom decided to take some things with her, and I packed the rest into the Mazda. I have since been able to consolidate everything into the condo, and for the first time since I left for college, have all of my clothes and belongings in one place.

Tine and Andy came to visit in early May and we all went to Kiefer's to eat--what Andro describes as--the best steak in Chicago. It was good, that's for sure, but I'm not sure if it was my favorite. No visit with the cousins would be complete without the movies, so we all went to Star Trek and were pleasantly surprised by it. We used to watch Star Trek the Next Generation when I was growing up, and I remember being dragged along to the movies (especially #4 with the whales), but have never been a huge fan.

Over Memorial Day weekend, I flew to Georgia to visit my Mom/Dad and Addam/Christine. The original plan had been to fly in Saturday morning and fly out Monday night--I had the benefit gala two weeks later--but I got very, very sick and ended up staying until Tuesday. I felt fine when I landed and Dad picked me up at the airport, made it home and hung out with everyone for a bit. I got really tired and went to bed, only to wake up with a cold sweat and a fever over 102. Not fun. But at least I got to hang out with my family and honestly, even as an adult, there is no one I would rather have take care of me then my Mom when I'm sick.

A couple of weeks later we headed to Florida with the Stephenson/Feldman branch of the family. We got to stay in a gorgeous condo right on the beach and had a great trip. Andro and I went to Epcot by ourselves one day and then went through the Magic Kingdom with everyone. Andro had promised to take me to Disney World and we had a wonderful time--but we've both agreed, the next time we go is when our youngest child is 4 years old and we won't be going later than April (very, very humid).

For our anniversary, we drove back up to Bayfield and stayed at Aunt Jay and Uncle Tim's house on Madeline. Really, really wonderful trip. The whole family came up for the weekend of the 18th and we went out on the boat twice. As we get older and it gets tougher and tougher to figure out schedules and times to meet up, I really cherish the time we get with my family that much more. After everyone went back to the twin cities, we spent a few more days on the island just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery. I love it there.

So--that's been our year! Every day, it hits me just how blessed we are. We are surrounded with an amazing group of friends and family, who love and support us. And every day we get to spend together.

I can't guarantee that we'll update often, but keep checking!

Done and Done!!!

2008-07-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

So to start, this is gonna be long. I've got about 6 days worth of material and many of you I'm sure want to know every detail. So buckle up this is gonna be a long ride.

Well a year of hard work has finally come to fruition and Rachelle and I are married!! Almost everything went off without a hitch but I'll get to that in a second.

My trip started on Wednesday. Rachelle went up 4 days before to start prepping so I had some time to kill with just the dog and my thoughts. However just about everyone who saw me saw a pretty calm an collected normal Andro. The drive up there went really well. I abandoned my original plan of driving up solo, instead opting to bring my 14 year old cousing, Jared. This made my family pretty happy but I did it mostly cause I knew that when I got up there I had some fun waiting for me that I knew he'd enjoy.

Upon arriving and checking into the Seagull Bay I entered my room and saw an immaculate view. My room had a huge patio that overlooked the bay. It was perfect sunny day and the lake was filled with sailboats. That's basically when I finally took a deep breath and took it all in. Rachelle and family picked us up next and we headed over to the island. Upon arriving at the Ashenfelter condo I did the one thing I looked forward to (other then actually getting married). I hopped on one of their Vespa scooters and took it for a spin. Phil with Jared in tow took up the other one and we went for a ride around the island. I tell you what, 40 MPH is faster then you think. Jared had a blast and of course so did I. We called it a night shortly after dinner as I was pretty beat from the drive up. (Mom, next time you want to pawn someone on me for a long drive, can you please make sure he can at least share the driving load?)

Day 2 in Bayfield, started pretty early I picked up Rachelle and left Jared with my inlaws as we got our marriage license. Pretty uneventful except for the monarch that started to cocoon himself as we were filling out the forms. We had a funny conversation with the clerk as to whether I was Pacific Islander or Asian. Its a rather ridiculous argument but as my friends will attest, one that amuses me to no end.

The one thing I noticed about Bayfield up to this point that it was pretty hopping with tourists. I was expecting a sleeply little town, but as I was told it was the height of the tourist season. Well Bayfield didn't know what it was about to get hit with. That afternoon the massess began decending upon this sleepy little town. Let the chaos begin.

That night most of our friends showed up. I promised Rachelle that I wouldn't get drunk at the rehearsal or the wedding, so tonight was my night to let loose and boy did my friends make sure of it. I vaguely remember Rachelle going to bed while I kept on going and going and going. I wasn't Layla's bday drunk, but it was pretty close. I remember sitting on the pier with Nicole chatting about whatever it is we chat about completely surrounded by fog. This was at 3AM. It was pretty surreal.

The next morning the boys and I had a 8AM tee time. I'd lying if I said I wasn't hurting, cause I was. I also didn't find out that till later that afternoon that some 'girl' had called the golf course before I showed up and told the front desk that we were coming and not to let the groom drink. Rachelle swears it wasn't her but no one has owned up to it yet and she had motive. Regardless I wasn't drinking that morning anyway. I could barely see straight my head was throbbing.

But let's talk about the golf. We had 3 groups with me, the twins and Pete in the second. I think we all played like crap but no one cared. Between shots the 4 of us either laughed or marveled at the view. Seriously, I can not put the view from this course to words. Mark brought his camera with him so I'm waiting for him to post some pics but till then lets just leave it at breath taking. The course was on the side of mountain that overlooked the town and the lake. It was a pristine day with the sun out brightening up the bay. I could have spent hours just looking out into that. I think at that point if there was any question of why we were in Bayfield for my wedding it was answered.

After golf and well after I sobered up I spent the rest of the day waiting for the rehearsal to start and welcoming everyone. By this point I couldn't go more then 10 ft in the town without running into someone else I knew. I also ran into my little sister and her new baby Brooklyn. Let me just say this. What a beautiful little girl. Mae and Brett are so lucky to have such a beautiful and healthy little girl. I can't wait to play the part of the cool Uncle and I'm sure Rachelle will smother her with as many gifts as we fight for he affection. But more on this later.

So the rehearsal was pretty uneventful. Rachelle, John (the minister), Michelle and Carol talked about what to do, while I just goofed around (literally). I love my friends and I love even more how they feed into me. When we're all together I honestly feel bad for anyone trying keep some semblance of order. We're all kids at heart and we probably all deserve time-outs.

After the rehearsal we all took the ferry out to the Island for the dinner. The best part about this was seeing everyone take in the ferry ride and the view. I think everyone had a camera in their hands at some point. Walking around the ferry I was so flattered seeing almost everyone I cared for so deeply surrounding me. My friends and family all in one place. This really is the best part of my wedding and the thing I will remember most.

Dinner was great and I couldn't express enough thanks to my parents for putting it together. For never having set foot up here they did a remarkable job organizing. One really funny moment was when Mae asked me if I wanted to hold Brooklyn. Up to this point I had never even held a baby let a lone my little niece. Of course I agreed. The moment I put her in my arms you would have thought it was the kick-off of the Superbowl with all the flash bulbs going off. I guess it was no secret how momentus an occaision this particularly simple occurence was, but it was documented as if it were revolutionary. But through it all I just stared at her little face marveling at the sweetness. Rachelle of course made sure I didn't get used to it as we both know we're not ready for that type of responsibility yet. One thing at a time I suppose.

The other noteworthy thing about the dinner were the speeches. Addam talked about Rachelle and how happy he was that she had found me and his approval. My parents thanked everyone for coming and how happy they were to be here too. Tommy got quite laugh as he quoted "Wedding Crashers". But the speech that meant most to me was Jackie who talked about our unique relationship and what I mean to her. She almost made me cry but I kept it together.

The rest of the night Rachelle called it a night early as she had quite a busy day coming up while the rest of our friends took over the patio bar at the hotel. The patio also has a great view of the lake and offered even more beautiful views. During this time Jackie and I, kept on being...well...Jackie and I. At one point her and I were laughing so hard that we almost fell out of our chairs. I didn't get drunk as I tried to honor my promise to Rachelle but it was fun helping everyone else get to that point.

I got up a bit early the next morning. Actually I hadn't really slept well for about 2 weeks going in to this trip and it continued while up there. Call it anxiety or nerves or just nervous excitement but despite my late nights my body was itching to go as soon as the sun rose. So i walked over to my favorite local breakfast place, The Egg Toss for some quite time. I had intended on just finding a quiet table so I can write a message in this card I got for Rachelle. Got most of it done before Tony and Jackie joined me, then all the Ashenfelters, Addam and his wife Christine, the Carothers, and Phil all showed up. Then came the Tarnawas and the Gomez parents. Needless to say my quiet moment had passed. I finished breakfast and found me a quiet bench looking upon the lake to finish up.

By this point I could feel the repressed anxiety finally kicking it into high gear. It didn't help that there was a large rain cell headed directly for us. To take the edge off I went for a quick run...by quick I mean an hour. Didn't really help but it did get me tired enough to take a nap. Woke up just in time to get ready and notice that the rain was just about to hit. I got the hotel and found my best man Jim. He asked me what I needed. I told him "1) A breathe mint and 2) a glass of scotch" he laughed and asked me what the breathe mint was for? I said "the scotch, of course". What anxiety the run couldn't cure the scotch took care of. But by this point the rain had hit in full force.

Now I wasn't in the room with her for obvious reasons but my sources tell me that Rachelle was a pillar of calm throughout all this. The original plan was to erect a tent in the even to inclement weather, but rain had made the whole park muddy and cold so Rachelle made the call to move it indoors at our reception site. A few logistical changes later and we were good to go. Mother nature was not gonna ruin this day.

So the boys and I lined up, music was queued, guest were seated door opens and there she is. Looking more beautiful then I've ever seen her. There was pool amongst my friends as to whether I'd cry or not. I guess I can admit it now but while everyone was watching Rachelle I ALMOST did, but again held it together. Seeing her though made all the anxiety go away. This was gonna happen and I knew in that moment of peace and clarity that I was making the best decision I had ever made.

We both held it together through the ceremony, even laughing when we had a bit of a hick-up with the sand ceremony. I said my vows staring deeply in her eyes with every word. I couldn't tell you what I said but no one laughed and she didn't cringe so I guess I said everything right.

The reception was perfect. From more then one person I heard it was by far the best wedding they've ever been too. I'm not going to go over every little detail because if you weren't there then that's your own fault :-) but it really was a great party. There was a lot of skeptism about some of the choices we made regarding this wedding. Why Bayfield? Why no DJ? And why a big band. Well if you were in Bayfield this past weekend you'll know why Bayfield and if you were at the party you'll know why we had a big band. Everyone to a person was amazed by our band...shit...even Rachelle and I. They totally rocked...err...swung. How often do you have to kick people out of your wedding at midnight cause they wouldn't stop dancing? I even got a request if would be ok if people started dancing before Rachelle and I had our first dance. And at one point one of the band members told me that they haven't seen that many great dancers at a wedding. It really was awesome.

And the pavillion and food was amazing. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that everyone enjoyed the food given that a bunch of people went up for seconds and we had absolutely no leftovers. I'll get pics up of the inside as soon as I can. I'm bad with cameras and didn't have one on me for most of my trip so I'm relying on everyone else to document.

The other noteworthy event at the reception occurred during the band's 2nd break. Layla asked me to grab Rachelle and join her outside. As we walked out I saw one of her brothers on the pier with a lighter and laughed. The next thing I knew they were launching fireworks into the sky. And not the cheap fireworks that just spin and make noise. I'm talking about the REALLY illegal stuff that you really have to search for to find. Everyone came out to see the show and no one lost any fingers. People did ask us if we paid for this. I laughed and just said...let me introduce you to the Hodi's. It was once again one of the more unique aspects that made our wedding night even more special. However not everyone agreed cause Bayfield PD showed up to put an end to it all. They had received a noise complaint, but we were done anyway. And no...no on got arrested.

So after the wedding Rachelle and I got changed and joined our friends at the hotel bar, which we basically took over. Rachelle wore a "Mrs. Dio" t-shirt which was lettered like the rockstar lettering which Kinsey was able to put together. It was pretty cool. It was great being with my friends watching the party continue. Mae and Brett got pretty tanked, which was awesome since I'm sure they don't get to let loose very much anymore with the new baby. At one point my sister started cheering and leading all the SHS alums in the Stevenson fight song. Ah the silliness. The next thing I know its 3am and they're kicking out of the bar. I guess all good things must come to an end and this was the end of my wedding.

The next morning, Rachelle and I fought off our exhaustion to make the breakfast rounds. We got to say goodbye to most of our families and a couple of our friends. We couldn't be anymore thankful for everyone and sad that they all had to leave. I got to hold Brooklyn one more time before saying goodbye to my pretty hungover sister and Brett.

We relaxed most of the afternoon and Uncle Tim took us out on his boat. This was especially cool since my parents got to come with and experience the fun. My mom had never been on a boat like that and she and Howard got to take in the lake scenery again which I'm sure was pretty nice.

We finally said goodbye to the rest of the Ashenfelter's and Antosik's and its sad to think that with no one getting married soon we all won't get to get together again. Rachelle and I have been pretty spoiled the last few years with how often we got to see both our families but so far nothing big planned on either end. Hopefully soon though.

So that about ends our wedding adventure. Monday morning Rachelle and I packed up a lot of random stuff and set off back to the big city, but this time as husband and wife. I really wish I had my camera on me a bit more cause there were a lot of great picture opportunities, but I was lazy and/or busy. I'm sure the rest of my friends and family will come in in the clutch for me though.

It really was an unbelievable weekend but one I'm glad its over. The best part of a wedding is getting everyone together to celebrate and our wedding was no exception. Everytime I ran into someone and saw how happy they were only heightened my experience. So many people told Rachelle and me how they never would have come up here had it not been for us but there is a good lot of them already planning trips back. Well Rachelle and I already booked our trip for our anniversary next year so if you're reading this and thinking about it....you know where to find us.

So now that the wedding is over I'm not sure what I'll do about this blog. I'll try to post links to pictures as I get them. Maybe I'll start another blog just to keep everyone up to date on us. Or maybe I'll just leave that to Rachelle who's blog is linked off this one.

Thank you to everyone for keeping up with us and all the well wishes. Rachelle and I are nothing w/o our friends and family. Our love is only accentuated by yours and your support and friendship make everyday that much more enjoyable. If I could hug each of you I would...cause I've become quite the hugger these days. Rachelle and I got more then we could have possibly asked for and I've run out of words to express our thanks.

Till next time.

1 week, 5 lbs gained

2008-07-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

So a week I've been equally dreading and looking forward to has passed. That being my 30th Bday/Bachelor party? Well why a week you ask? Well, I can't help but lump in my friend Layla's 30th in that as its 6 days ahead of mine and this year I decided to put my own memorable or in my case, not so memorable stamp on her bday.

It all started 2 Friday's ago when as pseudo-reward for a few ridiculously LONG nights at work one of my vendor's decided that to suck up he'd take me and some colleagues to the Cubs/Sox game and sit in the bleachers. I started drinking that day at 11AM (this is a theme). We caught part of BP and the entire game through Rami's walk-off!! First off, what a game!! The bleachers were awesome (as they always are). Of course we had to celebrate the big win with some shots post game. I'm not sure but I think I ended up at a bar called Red Ivy at some point. You'll have to forgive me but a lot of what I'm telling you now I got second hand as well I pretty much blacked out at this point.

So somehow I got home before my buddy Pete picked me up for Layla's bday dinner that same night. Now I'm not sure how exactly it happened but Rachelle got me out of my Cubs gear and into something more appropriate for a nice dinner. I checked the pictures and amazingly I looked very put together for the event. Little did Layla know that she was about to get a clown for her birthday.

I spent the rest of the weekend recovering (my in-laws who happened to come in for the weekend were quite forgiving of my condition) and apologizing to all parties involved. It seems I didn't make too big a fool of myself at Layla's. Everyone said I was quite funny and at some point Mr. Hodi convinced me to form my own company.

Fast forward to Wednesday where Howard took me to my 2nd comes game in 5 days. I think its funny that I was on the same schedule as the starting pitcher as I got to see Ted Lilly pitch 2x in a week. Howard wanted some father/son bonding time prior to the nuptials and who am I go to turn down a Cubs game. We had great seats and a great time all around. I think we need to make this a tradition.

So next stop is Friday and my 30th, which was thrown by Jax and Rachelle an Tony and Jackie's place. I didn't really want to make a big deal out of my bday as thats just my thing but Rachelle insisted on doing it up and what a great job. They decorated the place in "Andro's Favorite Things" which included footballs, baseballs and Transformers (a shout out to my childhood...or is it?). We got my fav hazelnut/choco cake from Oak Mill Bakery and grilled out on their patio. totally great night and good to see so many of my friends. Tine and Andy came down for the weekend along with Dr. Fung and my parents even showed up. I think its great that we're finally at a point where its cool to invite your parents to your parties. They seemed a little ackward but I think that's just because they're not used to being around my friends. Hopefully we can change that.

As if the weekend couldn't be any more eventful the next day was my Bachelor party. I made it clear from the beginning that I didn't want to make a big deal about my bachelor party, but Jim would have none of it. After much deliberation I decided we'd just hang out and catch more Cubs/Sox and drink with boys. I know what you're thinking...what about the strippers? Not really my thing. Normally I wouldn't be so against it but every bachelor party I've been to with strippers has involved the groom in some sort of comprimising position and frankly as much as I like drawing attention to myself..I prefer to do so under my own controlled measures.

So we drank and drank and drank. For me, at least, 14 hours of drinking from noon to 2AM. Most of the boys hung on as long as they could but that's a long time. I admit though..I cheated. I was popping Chasers all night to 1) prevent a hangover and 2) increase my tolerance. So I barely got drunk. Had one moment of weakness but that was mostly due to a bad combination of drinks (tequila, pale ale and whiskey...bah).

The girls were all about during they're bachelorette party thing. Rachelle lived so I guess it was a success. She was passed out when I got home and apparently danced the night away. Good times all around and thanks to everyone involved.

So after my week of marathon drinking coupled with lots of left over cake. I have gained 5 lbs putting my net weight loss to 10 lbs. Oh well, I'll guess I'll have to hit the gym a bit harder this week.

17 more days...see you in Bayfield (oh and bring bug spray.....its a wedding in the woods!! what did you think?)

Censored

2008-06-10T10:38:00.001-07:00

I had to take down a post I put up because apparently it was too offensive (but hilarious!)

If you'd like to know what it was I said then feel free to ask, just don't it while around Rachelle or any member of my family :-)

Chalk it up to the man holding me back.

Only 39 more days!

-Later, D

I Love My Friends

2008-05-23T07:46:00.001-07:00

I can't say it enough. Some of them are completely unreliable and will fake on you in a moments notice. Others I barely see or hear from consistently whether its my fault or theirs (mostly mine). But when it comes to clutch situations they're always there for me in a pinch and I have never once questioned their loyalty, love and/or support for me or Rachelle

Take for instance my best friend Jackie. She's just the best. I know she's been dealing with some stuff and kind of run down lately but she shelves all of that to bend over backwards to make sure Rachelle isn't alone on her first wedding dress fitting. Not only was she clutch enough to go with her, but she totally rounds out the event by getting her a impromptu bouquet, some chocolates and champagne.

And Michelle who knows Rachelle was in a jam with this day of coordinator stuff, so she gladly offers to pick up the baton and run with it. She's perfect for the job too and I'm happy that Rachelle doesn't have to stress out that day anymore.

And of course all my friends who RSVP'd yes to the wedding. I admit that when Rach and I put together the invite list, there were a few of my friends who I thought "sure we'll invite them, but I doubt they'll go". Well they've almost all proved me wrong. Not that I mind. We invited them because we wanted them to be there and I'm stoked that they're coming. The more the merrier at this point.

So whether its pulling us out of a jam or just calling me while I'm cooking to force me to turn on the Cubs game so I can see the old Houston Lady with the huge hair and the tangerine blazer behind home plate looking like she's gonna die at any moment because he knows I'm gonna lose it when I see her(thanks, Ken! BTW, Rachelle still seriously questions our sanity) my friends our great (yeah, that was 1 sentence...deal with it)

We're at less then 2 months to go and the finish line is in sight. Kind of makes me sad that all this coming to an end and Rachelle and I get to go back to being 'normal'. Oh well. I'm sure she'll be relieved since she's the one stressing out about it. Well in the mean time I'll just go back to strictly communicating to my friends using only Flight of the Conchords quotes and playing video games.

P.S. My sister just went into labor so looks like I'm gonna be an uncle..todayish...YEAH!!

Laters.

Changes? Really?

2008-04-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

The guys I work with (and being in my industry there are quite a few) all tell me the same thing.
"Wow, is my life gonna change when we get married!" I heard the horror stories all the time. Men who after they got married felt completely emasculated. They can't play sports. They can't go out with the guys. Nagging mother-in-laws. Pink throw pillows taking over their couch. TiVo's perpetually filled with soap operas. Just about every married guy I know does this and its baffling to me.

Does a guys' life really change so drastically that they become jaded shadows of their younger selves? Will I come back from Bayfield to find my plasma now painted pink, my speakers replaced with potted plants, condo littered with frilly throw pillows? Should I start selling all my sporting gear?

Maybe its just me being naive and still in young and optimistic, but I don't get it. I mean I know things will change when Rachelle and I get married, but I don't see the changes as being so outwardly negative.

Living together? Already doing it, basically no problem. We have similar tasted in decorating and where we don't, I trust her enough to not question her decisions. In return, she knows better then to question any piece of electronics in the house.

Pressure of supporting more then yourself? Also, check. During Rachelle's post auctioneering days who do you think was buying the groceries? I'm lucky enough to have a pretty good job, though I can see where extended periods of lone income can be stressful, but all that's in the past and Rachelle is now gainfully employed, so if anything getting married is only gonna improve things!!

Shared accounts? Ha! I think we'll all agree that if anyone is a threat to clear out our account because of frivolous spending, its more likely to be me. I've giving her control of that. Believe me its for the best and I'm not worried about it at all.

Social lockdown? Maybe its the guys I choose to hang out with or her unquestioned trust upon me but that's never been an issue. She knows when I go out with the guys we're not chasing tail or contemplating felonious acts. And the girls...well while I admit that Jackie has been known to get me into a bit of trouble, those days are way behind us. Not to mention Tony does a good job of tempering any nefarious intent. Besides, its not like I'm gonna stop her from going out with the girls. Frankly I relish these nights. The more girl nights the merrier!! It just means I can play video games on the couch with a beer with no threat of the phrase "I NEED ATTENTION!!!" being uttered (though it may get barked).

No sports? Who does that (other then my mom)? I play sports and Rachelle dances. This is our relationship. I would never dream of telling Rachelle she can't dance because I know how much she loves it. Conversely she feels the same way about me and sports. While I know there's a bit of a concern with me doing some serious physical harm to myself, as long as I have legs, arms, and the ability to run quickly I'm going to be doing that.

So what changes? Why are men so jaded about marriage? I wonder if they're just saying these things because of some societal mores that says that how they should feel and whether or not I'll be sharing these stories in a few years.

Something tells me I doubt it....

The Dog Speaks

2008-03-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! Its Libby. Since my dad has been too busy at work for his blog I thought I'd get some things off my chest. I found out some things recently that really make me want to bare my teeth. See my mom and dad are getting married and I found out I don't get to go!!!

Can you believe that? I think its such shit. Yeah that's right, I said shit. This is the thanks I get for everything I do for them. They get to run off on fancy vacations and I hang out in a box? How is that fair? If it wasn't for me those two would never get out of bed. Seriously, I'm not kidding.

And what is this dog of honor BS? Pfft. Apparently the only thing that title buys me is a one way ticket to the pet motel, where I get to look forward to 20 min playtime a day. I bet you Bailey gets to go the wedding, cause everyone LOVES Bailey. So what if she comes when you call her or that she doesn't eat dad's IPod. Whoopty freaking do. I think self-independence is refreshing in this day and age, and frankly Steve Jobs can take a rawhide and stick it...oh wait, here comes mom. I gotta look cute and innocent. Brb.

Man she needs a lot of attention. I wish dad would take a minute away from being a dwarf or gnome or whatever it is he does and calls 'work' and give her some attention. I need a break. There's so many things outside to bark at and so little time to do it.

So mom keeps talking about sending me to a spa while they get married. I'm not sure what that is really but it rhymes with bra and those are fun to chew. She says its gonna be fun and while I'm inclined to believe her, she also keeps taking my toys away and telling me they're going on vacation. Please! I saw you put Fred in the trash after I worked long and hard to get that squeaker out of him. Needless to say trust and mom do not go hand-in-paw at the moment.

All I have to say is when they get back from this wedding they better have one hell of a toy for me or I'm gonna take Grandpa up on his offer to live with him. I bet you he wouldn't abandon me. Plus I'll get to antognize that mini-polar bear they got over there.

Oh and if you're reading this ignore the registry. Mom and dad really don't want plates. They want something furry and squeaky. Trust me on this.

Uh oh, gotta go. Dad just pulled out his baseball and I've been dying to see whats inside that thing.

Unwired

2008-02-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, enough with the sibiling rivarly. Though funny, I'm sure my sis and I don't need to pull all of you into a power struggle that's gone on the better part of ~29 years.

Sorry for the delay on posting. When I first thought of doing this blog I thought there'd be more of chaotic mess of things I can expunge on. I obviously misjudged my intended's (I stole that from Carol) organizational skills.

So anyway, not much going on. Rachelle's shower is right around the corner and I love my friends because many of them have offered to take me in as a refugee while Rachelle's family takes over my place. To pass the time Rachelle has discovered the wonders of Facebook, which I hate. She got me signed up on it and ever since then I've been inundated by ppl I have neither thought about or purposely tried to avoid since High School. Rachelle's obsession transcends words however. She's even gone so far as to put a profile of our dog, Libby, on Dogbook.com.

All this technology talk has once again got me thinking about Bayfield and how odd its gonna be to be away from all my gadgets. Not that I won't have them nearby but I'm counting on most of them not being able to do what I intend for them to do. Oh well...no work for me!! However if you're at the wedding and looking for me, chances are my cell is not gonna work so I can be most likely be found at one of any number of bars in the area, most likely the Bayfield Inn bar. However Bayfield is small enough that if you stand in the middle of town and just yell my name, I'll probably hear you.

Hope this reaches everyone well. And as Rachelle tells me every day..less then 160 days till the wedding or something.

-D

Two can play at this game.

2007-12-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

She started it.
So lady's and gent's. I present my sister. The face of evil

2007-12-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

I write this as Rachelle is watching Project Runway, so what better a time to get a few thoughts down. Let's see what's changed? Well I was 'told' we're now having ushers which at first we weren't and then we were and then weren't. I love how fluid decisions are in this whole process. So anyway, I think its great cause we got to incorporate 2 more of my friends in the process. That being Ken Salvatore (Kinsey's husband) and Jason Moy. I'd go into how I know these guys but really its a long boring story. Let's leave it at they're both good friends of mine and Rachelle loves them equally and we're both extremely happy that they're involved. But now they have to work!! HA! What's sad is that we have so many friends and family we still want to get involved but there's only so many spots. Rachelle shot down my idea of having a 20 person bridal party.

Rachelle did a psuedo roll call and it looks like everyone is starting to book at the hotels. Really puts things in perspective as how close this day is coming. Of course how could I forget with Rachelle reminding constantly on how many days we have left. Its exciting to think that all this is gonna come together real soon. Then I look out the window see the 6inches of snow on the ground and I instantly remember, oh yeah, there's still plenty of time.

So this is the only thing I'll say about this because I promised Rachelle I'd shut up about it but our registry is up and on the main website. As the primary cook in this household I'm really exited about a lot of the things she registered for. I say 'she' because I opted out of helping with the registry which as far as I'm concerned is a good thing, but of course now I have no right to comment. Honestly though there's a only a few things on the registry I don't agree with. I said my peace, it started a big broo-ha-ha and we've decided to agree to disagree. But like I said 90% of the registry looks cool with me and I'm excited at the prospect of getting some new 'toys'. I'm a boy and do love new toys.

I don't get showers and I don't mean the ones that involve water, soap and shampoo. I mean bridal showers (or baby showers). I've been to two. The 2nd of which was a couple's shower which was fun mostly because I got drunk with Rachelle's cousins which essentially dulled the pain of boredom but the full fledged one was well...'interesting'. I know what you're thinking. "Andro, why did you go to a bridal shower". Honestly I didn't want to go but I did it in support of the groom who last minute asked me. My favorite take away from the experience was watching the groom hold up a set of towels he and his future wife got and then pretend like this was the coolest thing he'd ever gotten. Classic.

Anyway, I bring this all up because my mom and sister are throwing Rach a shower in February. My mom invited me and I immediately laughed that notion off. You can't pay me to be there..seriously. I know as the groom its my 'responsibility' to show up at the end and help bring home gifts but that's the extent of my appearance I promise. Its not that I don't want to be a good sport but I think we'll all agree that that's a women thing and I don't think I can handle that much estrogen.

Speaking of high doses of estrogen. For said bridal shower, Rachelle of course invited her mom, her maid of honor/cousin (Tine), her cousin's mom (Aunt J), and her sister-in-law (Christine). I expected nothingless. What I didn't expect was that they would ALL be staying at our 2-bedroom condo. 5 women + our dog = CHAOS! Needless to say I will not be staying at my place that weekend. I think I'm a bit too old to be crashing slumber parties and I can already hear the incessant giggling. I'm sure the girls will have a great time, I just fear I'll come home to a dog covered in bows and nail polish.

One last thing before I sign off. This is non-wedding related but infinitely more exciting. I'M GONNA BE AN UNCLE!! I've known for a while but was sworn to secrecy but my sister Mae and her husband Brett will be welcoming their first child this spring. This is such a wonderful blessing for our family and Rachelle and I are so excited to welcome a new addition. If you see my mom, ask her about it. I guarantee you won't see a woman smile as brightly as she does when she talks about being a Lola. I won't say anymore because I don't want to steal anymore of Mae's thunder. However if you want to hear more about it here's the link to her blog where I'm sure she'll be happy to keep you informed.

http://brettandmae.blogspot.com/

That's all from me. Hope everyone is doing well and I'll chat with you soon.

-D

First Impressions

2007-10-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

So, despite Rachelle's skeptism, I've decided to start a blog giving everyone another point of view into our wedding plans. Now before you ask why, let me clarify. The intent of this blog is not to give myself a forum for which to vent and complain about every little step of the process leading up to July 19, 2008. I know Rachelle is worried I'm gonna contradict her decisions but in reality no one is more aware of my choice to give her full creative control then me (some will call it laziness, others the smartest choice I could have made..you be the judge). This is merely to give you insight into my thoughts, paranoia, happiness, worry and joy regarding this whole event.

I'll attempt to send out updates once a week or as needed, so check in regularly and don't forget to check into the main website www.rachelle-andro.com for wedding updates as things are changing almost daily. If you feel so inclined feel free to comment, it is a blog after all (Carol, yes our 24x7 tech support agreement does cover technical issues that will no doubt involve your funny attempts to comment. You know the #). Also, be aware I'm a computer engineer, not an English major. If you have problems with my grammar then I'll show you where to dangle your participle. And I apologize for my long-windedness (not really, but its just the way my mind works)

And away we go...

I made my first trip to Bayfield this past weekend. It took about 8.5 hours to get up there and it was ~400 miles. Not bad, but there were points in the drive where I had wished my Ipod had some new music on it. So like many of you (mostly on my side of the family) when I learned that we were getting married in Bayfield, WI, I was like "I have to drive how far?!!?" Yeah, I admit its not the most convenient spot in the world. From Chicago, it can easily take 9-10 hours if you don't plan around the traffic and the closet major airport is Duluth (still 2 hours away). But after my first trip up there I will say this. I can't imagine getting married anywhere else. Bayfield is a postcard, seriously I have pictures to prove it. The scenery is absolutely breathe taking and the people are some of the nicest I've ever met. The town itself is full of cute artsy shops that I'm sure the girls will enjoy and there were at least 4 bars stocked with beer for the boys. You can walk to just about everything and there's plenty to do for everyone. To the west of Bayfield are the famed Northwoods filled with hiking trails and off road tracks. To the East are the Apostle Islands and Lake Superior for those with more nautical urges. So you can sail, fish, golf, hike, shop, drink....I'm sure I'm missing a lot.

With that said there are moments that are a struggle. Those who know me know that I'm pretty well assimilated into big city living. I'm addicted to the Internet (get your minds out of the gutter), my cell phone is more critical to my well being then my pinky toe, I get confused when I don't hear sirens constantly, I worry about vagrants rummaging through my garbage not bears, the nearest grocery store isn't 10 miles away and when I want to eat out all I have to ask is what type of food I want to eat and there's about 100 places within spitting distance that serve that type of food. So yeah, there was a bit of an adjustment for me. My cell phone stopped working somewhere around Wassau, WI (take note Sprint customers, cause Rachelle's Cingular phone was 'kinda' fine). Surprisingly I was able to check my email once we got into Aunt J and Uncle Tim's place on the Island (don't tell anyone but the Madeline Island Yacht club has a really weak encryption key). Basically things move a lot slower then I'm used to up there.

Nonetheless, we got a lot done on our little mini-trip. I really think Rachelle is doing a great job with this wedding planning and I'm not just saying that cause I know she's gonna read this. Personally if I had to do everything she's doing and coordinate every little detail of this event I'd probably have shot someone by now. Its amazing to me all the little things that you have to consider when planning an event like this and I will fully admit I'm not cut out for it. But while up at Bayfield I finally got to be involved in the stuff I care about. Specifically I tried the cake and I sampled the dinner we're gonna serve. Fret not people, I've got this part under control. The cake can only be described one way. OMFG!!! For those who don't know what this means (Carol), trust me its good. I'm not gonna blow any surprises and tell you what kind of cake(s) but trust me when I say to save room for it. Which is gonna be hard, especially for the meat lovers out there, cause I tried the prime rib we're serving and if the portion was as large as I got then you're in for a world of hurt. Let's just say I wasn't able to finish it and I've put down a few steaks in my time. For those not red meat inclined we'll also be serving some local fare in the form of a trout and yes its pretty good too. My mom is gonna be pretty happy (she likey her fishes).

Anyway, (as you can tell) I'm really starting to get excited about this whole event but we still have a long way to go and I know a lot can change between now and then and a lot has. We had a bridesmaid drop in the last week, but not for any type of negative reason. Rachelle's college friend Julie is studying in Oxford which in itself is a big deal. She's doing a similar type of accelerated program that Rachelle went through while she was in studying there and apparently its pretty grueling. So she dropped not for any ill will but for the simple reason that she didn't want to commit to coming only to have to her school work get in the way. Rachelle and I totally understand still hope she can make it. What's cool, is this change does allow Rachelle to do something we both hoped she could do, but do to a bridal party #'s game, couldn't. And that was make our good friend Kinsey involved in the wedding. Kinsey is actually a good friend of mine (that Rachelle utterly adores and will continue to claim is HER Friend) who I met through my best friend Jackie as they both used to work together. She's now married to another of my good friends, Ken, and through the years they've both gotten to know me pretty well. This is why when I first introduced Rachelle to them, Kinsey was quite adamant that she loved her and that if I screwed this up she was gonna kill me. So as Rachelle and my relationship grew so did their friendship and these days its rare to see Rachelle and I go out without seeing Ken and Kinsey and our other good friends Jason and Michelle nearby (with the boys usually talking about football and the girls debating Britney Spears' latest faux pas). But that's the story for those who noticed change and I wanted to clarify that it had nothing to do with any social drama.

So if you've gotten this far in this blog you're probably thinking "he wasn't kidding when he said he was long winded". I promise you other posts won't be this long but I'm currently sitting on one of my boring conference calls and it was rant or surf the web. Not to mention its my first post so I have a lot to say. But I digress. We're both really excited about the upcoming wedding and we're all hoping you can come. If you do attend please consider extending your trip and take in all that Bayfield and the surrounding areas have to offer, you won't regret it. But the bottom line is that if you all mean a lot to Rachelle and I and this event wouldn't be complete without you.

Till next time...

-D