Sunday, March 31, 2013

Family Fun

This has been the best spring break ever. I'm so sad to see it come to an end. Having a trip to Phoenix, then Adam's surgery, a few days of nothing but relaxation and then family in town made one week feel like a few weeks. It was so what I needed.

Friday afternoon, my dad, his girlfriend Anita, my sister Caitlin and her boyfriend Pete all blew in to Chicago. We were excited to have them come as they haven't been here since last summer. Adam was excited to have some basketball watching pals all weekend long. As my dad told me Friday morning, "Today is about basketball. Tomorrow can be about you."

Friday night consisted of watching Michigan nearly get slaughtered by Kansas only to come back in overtime. This made the men in my life very happy.

 Auntie Cait feels first baby kicks!

Intensely hoping for a comeback. 

Saturday we went to Shedd's Aquarium. Adam had been holding six tickets for almost a year so we needed to use them. And if you read one of the earlier posts about Shedd's, you know all about Pete's obsession with the aquarium. Therefore, we knew we had to use the tickets while he was here, despite it being a Saturday and Easter weekend.

OMG was it ever people overload. We were all spent after an hour and a half but, we did it!

 Jellies!!

 Bucktooth fish...bucktooth Adam.

 First family trip to Shedd's!

Snuggles from Aunt Caitlin.

After Shedd's we shopped until we dropped. Literally. We all needed a major cat nap before we headed out for pizza at our favorite old stomping ground, Frasca. We got all gussied up and continued with the eating trend of the weekend. We even ran into our friends Pat and Lynae there! So good to see people out and about. I feel as though I've been living under a rock the last few months. 

 Dinner with sissy.

Mom and dad hope the baby likes pizza as much as we do.

Auntie Cait drinking for two...or three. 

To finish off our weekend, we headed out to brunch at the new, "best brunch ever!" spot we've discovered, Tweet. The food was as always tasty, but the bloody mary's were even better. Or so I heard. Here we finally got some good family pics to remember the weekend by. 

Babes and I brunching. 

 I can't believe my belly is this big. Neither can my dad.

 Hugs from sissy. 

With the world's best dad. (His favorite is on the right).

After all this excitement, we just couldn't stop the weekend there. Nope. Pregnant lady had plans to put together the crib grandpa Dan had purchased and she was not going to be stopped. So after I dragged everyone out of the fun bar at Tweet, we went home to begin disassembling our guest bed and assembling the crib.

It only took us putting it together, realizing something was wrong, unbuilding it and rebuilding it three times. Not to shabby, at least in my book. But then, I'm used to doing things incorrectly the first...second...and sometimes third times. Regardless of that, the crib is up! Her nursery is slowly but surely coming together. Won't be long and there will be a pink, snuggly, human being making herself at home in that room. I cannot wait!

 Grandma Anita and I tackling the front of the crib.

 Reading instructions. Believe it or not, mistakes are still made when instructions are read.

 Daddy putting in the last screw!

Baby B's crib, all ready to go.

Always fantastic to have family visit. Time flies by way too fast and before we know it the house is quiet again. This trip was filled with lots of baby talk, first baby kicks, baby furniture, and baby clothes. She sure is one loved little girl.

Happy Easter everyone!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The Patient and the 6-month Preggo Lady

Adam had major surgery yesterday. He had his four wisdom teeth removed. Icky, I know. But to make it real fun, all of his teeth were bony impacted, meaning they were stuck in the bones never to come out. This wouldn't be a problem if, in twenty years, they weren't going to start pushing all his teeth forward and out ruining his beautiful grill.

So, like the kind, caring, person (nurse) that I am, I drove him to the doctor bright and early and waited for the surgery to be over. Poor guy has never been put under and was quite nervous. I, on the other hand, also known as Knees McGee, have been put under multiple times. I know the fun that comes when you wake up and have no clue what you're talking about or the rambling that is liable to happen.

The last time I was put under for knee surgery, I had to be put in a gathering room of sorts right after surgery while they waited for my room to be ready. This was where there was (if I can remember correctly) around 8 other patients who had also just come out of surgery. What followed was an impromptu comedy show, led by yours truly. I thought I was on stage and everyone was dying laughing along with me. I cracked joke after joke, making friends and crying laughing. It's only now, as I type this, that I realize all of that could have been not real. I know there were other people there. What I don't know is if they were all laughing with me, at me, or even laughing at all. All I know is, I had the best time ever and I was the funniest person in the room! That is, until the drugs started to wear off.

Ok, enough about me. I was really looking forward to the fun I was going to have with Adam after he awakened. Sure enough, he did not disappoint. As soon as I came around the corner he jumped up and did a little mini dance. I think he was trying to show me how great he was feeling. He then sat down and whipped out his phone so he could use his camera to see himself. So vain, even when he's high as hell. All the while, he's talking non-stop to me about who only knows what, as I couldn't understand a damn word he said with all the gauze in his mouth.

The nurse came over, gave me instructions. Then the doctor came over, gave me instructions. All while Adam is talking away, staring at himself. He even snapped a picture!
My face is a face of a scared wife. His clearly demonstrates he was not on this planet. 

When it was time to go, he jumped off the bench and told me to give him the keys because, "he was fine to drive". I said "Sure! When we're outside." Of course, when we got to the lobby, I, ever the irresponsible one, could not find the damn car keys. "Even when I'm drugged I'm more responsible than you" is the comment I got for that one. I swear, this pregnancy brain is killing my credibility. After dumping out every item in my purse, I finally found them. In my coat pocket. By then, Adam had forgotten his desire to drive. Ugh. I have to do everything around here. 

The car ride was the best. We got off at our exit where the usual bum was there, looking for money beside the cars. This is where Adam yelled (through his gauze, window up), "No, what do you got for ME!? I don't want to give you anything! I want YOU to give ME something. What kind of drugs you got for me? Huh?"I laughed so hard I peed a little. It was awesome. 

Then as we're driving further, I see him texting furiously. I could only imagine what kind of goodies he was typing so I asked what he was saying. He tells me then that after surgery, his pants were unzipped. He didn't know why. So he was texting his mom telling her he thought for sure the receptionist took advantage of him during the surgery. Ah, yes. Just what a mother wants to hear. 

He also asked me to tell him the instructions the nurse gave me. Three times. And after each time he asked, he told me he had to know because he knew I would forget. Hmph. The guy knows me too well even when he's out of his mind from drugs. 

I finally got him home, dropped him off, patted him on the head and raced off to fulfill his wishes and needs. It was only when I got home that we learned he doesn't remember any of the doctors office ("What!?! You're so mean!! Why would you say I took pictures of myself in the doctors office?!?!"). Love it when I have evidence!

I tell you what, this waiting on people thing is hard business. I'm already ready to go back to him waiting on me, the six month pregnant lady. I like that much better. In the meantime, its back to taking care of my dear husband. I guess it is good training for when I will have to take care of another human being 24/7 in ohmygosh a little over three months. 

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Summer...where are you!?

We headed out of town last Thursday....or should I say, high tailed it. I could not escape this awful winter weather any faster. I'm so over it.

Friday kicked off with Kendra and Marcus heading to work and Adam heading off to golf. That left me with a whole day to myself. Ahhh, the luxury! I decided to take Adam to golf so I could use the rental to be-bop around Scottsdale by myself.

I ended up stopping in some shopping centers and finding some ah-mazing maternity clothes for summer. I'm so thankful I got knocked up in a time when clothing companies have gotten their shit together and started making cute maternity clothes. No more of those muu-muu type outfits that Mrs. Roper used to wear in Three's Company.

Despite the advances, some people just don't like maternity clothes. This, I cannot figure out. I myself am loving the stretchy tops of pants that allow for all kinds of room in the stomach area. Shhh...don't tell anyone but I'll likely continue to wear them after baby joins us. They're just too comfy!

I even stopped into a little outdoor restaurant for lunch. The food was amazing and so was the people watching. Eating by yourself allows for totally uninterrupted creepy eavesdropping.

Nom, nom. Cucumber lemonade and quinoa mediterranean salad. 

Friday night we went to dinner at a local pizza place called Parlor. O.M.G. I cannot even describe how good the pizza was. I couldn't stop eating.  But alas, eventually it was time to head out and stop by a local watering hole to please the drinkers. 

Before we ate our faces off. 

Whiskey and Old Style. Pure class. 

 Putting hair on their chest. Manly man style.

Our fantastic hosts! 

Love this girl.

Saturday brought on a new form of relaxation in the form of marketing and laying out by a local resort pool. I didn't document any of our time at the pool. I think I scared enough people sunning around me with my lovely lady bump. However, the market we visited is fantastic. Kendra and Marcus live in a dream neighborhood. There are so many local spots within walking/biking distance to visit. My favorite is the local french market. They have lots of stands with fresh, handmade sandwiches, tacos, cheese, bread, pizza, omelets, even paella. I ended up with a panini, fresh oj and handmade tortilla chips. Mmm....

Heaven.

Saturday night led us to a local Mexican food joint that Marcus highly recommended. I have to say, these two know their food. This place was in the middle of nowhere and unbelievably amazing. Adam got pulled beef tacos that were demolished in about 2.4 seconds. I guess they were good. 

I ended up with shrimp tacos which were also amazing. This was the first time I learned that I can no longer inhale my food and that I need to stop when I begin feeling full. The food was just so good I couldn't stop eating! Unfortunately, my gluttonous dinner led to a night filled with awful heartburn and horrible burps. I'm pretty sure my belly grew three inches that night and I can't say it was thanks to my little lady. 

 Second time in a row we ended up with matching tops. Great minds think alike!

Bubs.

Sunday brought the favorite event of the weekend, Bars on Bikes. This consists of bopping around the local pubs/restaurants near their house on beach cruiser bikes. Its a great way to exercise and travel safely when drinking all at once! Except this was obviously a water crawl for me. I have to say, it was still a great time. Instead of drinking, I ate, nibbling my way through each establishment. Are you noticing a theme from this trip yet?
Cruisin'

We capped off this exhilarating day with a home cooked grill-out thanks to Marcus and then a little fire. The daytime weather was amazing and the nights were just cool enough to have a campfire and warm your tootsies. 

 Zoning out by the fire. 

The last day was just Adam and I. We spent as much time as we could soaking in the rays of the warm Arizona desert on bikes. We stopped in at this cute little coffee shop and had some iced chai tea. It was so lovely. 

Oh, hey. Nevermind the legs eating the tank top.

We then headed off to try a dessert that Marcus had highly recommended at another place. Once again, he did not disappoint. It was heaven on a plate. 

Creme fresche and caramel. 

Last stop was back to Kendra and Marcus's to lay out one last time and get sweaty. The heat felt so good! I cannot wait for spring and summer to finally creep its way into the midwest....whenever that will be. For now, a brief break from the cold, gray days of winter was just what the doctor ordered. I'm so grateful for the time spent with friends and the relaxation this trip allowed. Mama Kelly is well-rested and ready for the rest of spring break!
Photo editing apps were made for pregnant ladies. 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

And we are off!

Off to warmer (HOTTER) weather to relax, golf, and eat lots of food. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT.

This spring is killing me softly...rather, very loudly. The unbearable cold has done a number on both of us and there is nothing more we need than a break from the doldrums of winter and some warm weather.

Thankfully, some of our best friends live in Phoenix, AZ so they are helping us out in the warm weather department. Not only are we beyond excited for the weather, we are also pumped to spend some time with Kendra and Marcus. We did this trip last year and it was a great time...although it was definitely filled with more booze.

Adam has lots of golfing plans in his future, while I, on the other hand, have many visions of plopping my behind on a chair, reading trashy novels, and getting some sun. Work has been a beast lately and I just need a mental break. I also have to mention, this is our "mini" honeymoon. We re-used our tickets from the actual honeymoon which were non-refundable for this trip. I'm excited we will get to feel some sun for our "honeymoon" away, even if its not in the tropics.

So with that, we're off to kick back, have some beers, a virgin mojito (or 10) and enjoy this little getaway.

To all of you stuck in the nasty, cold midwest, I feel for you. I really do.

Mother nature, what the F!?!?!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Seriously?

So, this rug. This amazing, brilliant, idea I had for a handmade rug.

I scoffed at paying a lot of money for a new rug in the nursery. Why would I pay so much when I could make one for half the price!!? Me, the queen of craftiness. Have we met?

Me, who is also the queen of doing everything the hard way first. And I mean everything.

I've spent the last two months working arduously on this rug after school and on weekends. My hands have bled (unfortunately I'm not kidding) and my fingers have hurt. All the while, my little lady in my belly has been cheering me along with kicks and punches. Maybe even a little "you can do it mom!" once in a while.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to quit the damn thing, but I am far too stubborn to quit always like to finish what I start. Then two weeks ago, I ran out of fabric. It took some convincing from my husband to keep going on it. So I reordered more fabric, determined to finish even though with each passing week, the final size of the rug in my head was getting smaller and smaller.

When I first tried to order the fabric, one of the colors I had previously ordered wouldn't come up. Then when I tried again the next day, it did. I received the fabric a few days later and last week, took an evening to cut up all the little strips again.

Over the last week I've pushed myself to continue working on it, slowly but surely until tonight happened. Tonight, I actually stepped back and looked at the rug. And lo and behold, the color I had originally tried to order that didn't show up was not the right one. It is off by a word.

The original color I ordered was "Light Heather Grey Oatmeal". In the second order, I ordered a fabric called "Light Heather Grey".

Sigh.
On the bottom, in the corners are where the new, crisp heather grey has creeped its way in.

I would totally love to take this opportunity to blame it all on pregnancy brain, but its not that. I'm just an idiot sometimes and this is a classic example. So tonight, after looking online for an hour for a new rug to just buy, I reordered the correct color. Because I just can't quit the rug. It's become a labor of love. And some hate. And because, come hell or high water, this rug is going to be finished before the baby arrives. And it WILL be perfect. And once she's here, all of the curse words I've thrown out at it will float away into some other land and I'll slowly begin to make happy memories with the rug. But until then.....

Sunday, March 17, 2013

top o' the mornin'

Yesterday was Chicago's St. Patricks Day. I say "Chicago's" because the city celebrates it the Saturday before St. Pat's day every year. It is close to New Years in size of celebration and brings thousands of people into the city for the weekend.

In the past 7 years of living here for this holiday, I've enjoyed many celebrations for this holiday, all involving copious amounts of green beer. I've done the bar thing, the party thing, and for the last three years, the trolley thing. After years of spending our time crowded into overly packed bars spending way too much money, a group of my friends and I got wise and rented a trolley. Geniuses we are, we discovered we could have a party at someones house to start the day off bright and early. Then jump on a trolley filled with booze and ride around the city like crazed green leprechauns for three hours and have the best time ever.

This year, however, things have obviously changed for me. Not that I have a problem not drinking. I'm fine with that for the most part. What sucks is being around every other drunken idiot that I usually am, while sober. Honestly, I was dreading St. Patricks Day. Not only is it my favorite holiday, its my husband's too. My husband that doesn't have precious cargo in his belly. Being the great man he is, he vowed to stick with me for the day and be low key. But, being the outgoing people that we are, sitting inside all day just wouldn't do either.

So with that, we decided to head to our friend Nicole's for the traditional "pre-trolley" party. Because every party needs a pre-party. I knew that before the trolley, stories would be less likely to be repeated over and over again to me and no one would spill beer on me. I'm so glad we went. We got to see some friends we haven't seen in a while and I got to eat a bunch of food. Adam also got to get some of his "party time" out.
 Belly rubs from auntie Jamee


Belly shot with the baby daddy


After the pre-trolley party, Adam and I walked back to our place to rest up for a bit. Yes, all that crazy partying I did was kind of exhausting. Adam had borrowed a carry on suitcase from Nicole for our trip to Phoenix on Thursday, so this is what I got to walk home with. I laughed the entire way. 

Oh hey, anyone need a beer? I got a suitcase full.

Then it was time for my kind of party to start. Let me tell you, shit got crazy over here. I gathered all the ingredients for my homemade healthy shamrock shake and started blending away. I even threw in a hunk of dark chocolate to make it extra dirty. OMG. Heaven in my mouth. The recipe comes from the blog Gina's Skinnytaste. Check it out if you ever have a hankering for a healthier shammy shake. 

My terrible photo doesn't do it justice. It also has avocado in it. Yum!

To top our day off, cousin Emily stopped by to head out to dinner. We walked down the street to stuff our faces with burgers. 
This was the 10th shot. The camerawoman loved taking these. 

Yes, things have changed. But in most ways, they're for the better. I've lived those crazy days of St. Pat's and I'm sure I will again some other time in the future. But for now, I'm fine with my excitement revolving around shakes and kicks from my little peanut inside me. 

Thursday, March 14, 2013

kickin' it

Something really cool is happening. Well, I think its really cool at least.

Baby girl is kicking like a mad woman lately. The new thing is, her kicks are so prominent! She wakes me up at night, she distracts me throughout the day, she even plays games with me. (At least thats what I think she's doing).

I got home from school today and she began practicing her soccer kicks again. She's getting to a size where I could fully feel where her head and legs were. So crazy! And every time she kicked, I'd push down on the spot twice. Then she'd kick back! I like to think it was our first communication between each other and I've been beaming ever since.

What started as something so weird inside my body has become something so cool, I'll be sad when it ends. Of course then, she'll be here alive and kicking in person, which will be much better.

In belly news, I'm finding bending over to become more of a burden. Getting out of cars is becoming pure comedy as I grunt and pull my way out. I can only imagine how much fun it will be in a few short months. And my winter coat which fits oh so snugly normally is not happy about the belly trying to invade its space. Lets hope spring comes early so I don't end up busting through another jacket!

22 Weeks & Kicking:


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Beached Whale?

The other day, my husband made a big mistake.

He told me, jokingly, that I had a badonkadonk for a bootie. I'm not even sure how to spell such a word. And since spell check doesn't recognize it, I wonder if it should just be banished all together? Prior to pregnancy, I guess I had kind of had a booty. I'm no Kim Kardashian thankfully, but it wasn't like I had nothing there at all. Thanks to my darling little girl, lets just say most of my "growth" has been in the hip and Kim K area. 

In two weeks, Adam and I are heading out to Phoenix, AZ to have some fun with our BFF's KK and Marcus. During that time, I plan to spend some quality time laying out by the pool, hanging out in all my glory like the hot mama I am in my head. The other day, as Adam was looking online for a new swimsuit (since he hasn't bought one since 1995), he casually mentioned maybe I should look for a maternity bathing suit too. 

Say what!? I might need a new swimsuit?! No sir. He then went on to add that "You have gotten more of a, you know, badonkadonk since you've been pregnant." Oh hell no. Badonkadonk!?! Are you kidding me?!

So what did I do? The calm, rational being that I am? I went all pregnant lady crazy and tore apart the spare bedroom, psychotically looking for my damn swimsuits. I need a new swimsuit!?! PSSHH. I'll show him!! After tearing open two summer tupperware bins I found one in the rear corner under the bed that I knew was holding the proof that I have NOT gotten too big for my swimsuits. The thing would not budge. Now I was a fat pregnant lady on my stomach side, half way under the bed, maneuvering the tupperware from under the bed with a hammer (arm extension). I'm sure it was quite the sight. 

I finally managed to get the box out, found my suits, and immediately began trying them all on. I was bound and determined to prove that I can still wear my suits. And wear them I can! Granted, it took a little mixing and matching of tops and bottoms, but I'll be damned, the suits still fit. 

In the end, all that really matters is that I was right. What doesn't matter is how much of my ass crack is hanging out or how much side boob I have to show in order to wear the suits. 

Look out, Phoenix. An extraordinary sight is about to hit your local poolsides in T-minus 9 days. 

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Nice lil' Saturday

After a relaxing evening at home Friday night, I awoke Saturday morning ready to Bob Vila my way through Saturday. By 7 am, I had the toolbox out, my measuring tape in hand, and measurements written down for the addition of shelving in our kitchen island I was going to install. Why, you might ask? I don't know why. I wanted a project to entertain me. And I can't sit still. It's that incessantly annoying quality of mine, thanks to ADD.

I woke up thinking about my brilliant idea out of the blue and was determined my day would be filled with woodworking projects all before the sun was even up. This project was to help with storage issues we're having in our kitchen. Or should I say, my storage issues. I've been told some of my favorite kitchen appliances that I never use use all the time have to go in storage until we move to a bigger place.

Then my husband woke up. And I made that fatal mistake of throwing my usual sentence out, "So, I was thinking..." before he'd had his coffee. He knows those sentences always end in something I'm going to ask him to do, he's going to have to shell money out for, or put up with having our house turned upside down for.

My brilliant idea was immediately shot down. He made the point that our little darling will be crawling and climbing up everything before we know it. And that having my kitchen items out in the open right in her reach isn't safe. Hmph. I hate when he thinks things through. Can't he just be impulsive and let me be the toolman I know I was born to be!?!

To satisfy my crafty cravings, we instead went to Home Depot to not pick up wood for shelves like I had wanted, but to pick up paint. The paint will be used for revamping the dresser I picked up a while ago in Wisconsin for the nursery. By that point I was on a roll, so I somehow convinced him to also head over to World Market so we could also pick out drawer knobs for the dresser too.
How precious is this for a drawer pull? 

To round the day off, my beloved husband even drove me to my favorite ice cream shop to satisfy an out of the blue craving for mint chocolate chip ice cream. It may or may not have been part of his quest to continue distracting me from my brilliant idea of adding shelves to the kitchen island. While my day didn't end up with me knee deep in sawdust like I had hoped, I'm so excited about the color we picked for the dresser that I've almost forgotten about the kitchen island makeover. Almost.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Belly Overload

This week has been a trying one, at best. I could sit and cry and whine and blah, blah, blah about how hard my life is, but I don't feel like doing that. I've had enough stressing and crying and complaining this week to last me a month.

Since I can't down a bottle of vino to cure my "long day blues", when I got home from work last night I suggested to Adam we go out to dinner. We decided to try a new restaurant by our house and get all gussied up for the evening. It was a good change of pace for a weeknight and just the stress reliever I needed.

I realize I'm getting bigger, but it hits me at random times. Yesterday I had stomach pains and cramps all day again like I was having a month ago. It's the growing pains of baby girl growing bigger and moving up in my belly. But because I see my belly every day, I just don't see much of a difference. And then I got dressed and ready for dinner tonight. I threw on my trusty preggo leggings which have become like a second skin to me and a sweater from my pre-preg days. It was a bit of a squeeze, but it stretched. And then I looked in the mirror. Woah.

A belly.

It's true. There is a baby in there. And she's growing.


Another piece of evidence proving her growth? This is a good one. When we got to the restaurant, I went to take off my coat. And as I untied the cute tie on the waist of the coat, the button that goes right where my belly hits when flying off. Like in the movies. Ping. All the way across the restaurant. Thank God it didn't land in someones soup. I live for these moments--anything to get a laugh. And at that moment, it was just what I needed.

Apparently she also really likes mussels, because she was doing barrel rolls in my stomach throughout dinner. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the feeling of an alien my baby flipping, kicking, moving her way around her apartment in my body. It's such a strange feeling, yet very cool at the same time. I imagine as she gets bigger, it will only get more interesting.

And with this post, my terrible, rotten, no good week comes to a close. On to much bigger and better things, like the weekend and a newly sewn on button.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

the breast thing ever!

This week, I discovered something incredible. Brace yourself.

Some health insurances cover the expense of breast pumps. And mine is one of those. Woah!

I cannot tell you how happy this makes me, for a multitude of reasons. For one, breast pumps are not cheap by any means. Why does it cost so much to turn yourself into a human cow for an extended period of time? You got me.

I'd like to breast feed, although I don't have strong feelings about it either way. As long as the baby has nutrients and is well fed either by nature or formula, thats what should matter most. But from what I've heard, breast feeding is not the easiest thing in the world. There are countless issues that can come up causing you to be unable to breastfeed. How sad would it be to put so much money into boobie pumping materials, only to have them sitting, collecting dust in the nursery closet.

I had heard about some insurances covering breast pumps but hadn't thought much about it, assuming there has to be a catch or mine definitely wouldn't be one of those companies. Then the other day I decided to look into it, just for giggles. I'm so glad I did! Turns out two brands of electric pumps are covered by my health insurance. With all of the drama that surrounds health insurance and politics these days, I myself am happy the companies are starting to take the needs of so many women into consideration.

So if you're expecting, definitely look into it. It could be the breast thing ever for you, your budget, and your baby. Alright, I'm done using breast in place of best, even though it's so fun.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

reminiscing...

Husband's out of town for next 3 days. So, what do I do? I craft, I bake, I clean. I'm so domesticated these days. What the hell happened to Kager who used to take this opportunity to cram in some major wine sessions with my favorite wine-o's!?! I've changed.

Once baby girl makes her way into this world safely, I definitely look forward to being able to have a night here and there with my best lady friends and "pump and dump" due to the intake of Cabernet Sauvignon as we solve all the worlds problems together in an apartment in Chicago. Doing such a small thing has been one of my favorite memories of my time in in this city. I've been quite reminiscent the last few days, remembering the times I had in my 20's.

Moving to Chicago at age 22 was a leap of faith...or, rather, a leap of "I just graduated and I have nothing else to do at the moment so what the hell, why not!?" I look back at my 22 year old self and admire me back then. I had so much gumption, little fear, and an overall feeling of "it'll just work out". Nowadays of course so much has changed. The thought of even making the move out to the suburbs into no-mans land far, far away from the city is terrifying.

Adam and I have spent a lot of time recently talking about our 20's and the adventures we went on before we met a few years ago. It's funny to me that those years all seem so far away now. I'm so grateful for the time I experienced after college, discovering exactly who I am. Of course, that's a never ending journey, as I've changed so much even since we've met.

In my 20's I traveled a lot in and out of the country, took random road trips just for the hell of it, and had a fantastically awesome career in advertising where I continued my college years with some amazing people. Then when life threw me a curveball, I took another leap and left one career to start another. To think of doing that now is scary, but at the time I again seemed to look at it as, it'll just work out.

I'm happy that I can now look back on my twenty-something years as amazing memories. As we drove down Lake Shore Drive yesterday, I laughed and thought about the summers when, without a thought, a whole group of us would pack up bookbags and coolers with beverages, hop on bikes, bus or even walk down to North Avenue beach. We'd spend the whole day out there laying out, playing volleyball, and drinking until the sun went down. Now you couldn't drag me down to that beach. It's way too far, too sandy, and dirty. And, things like this can happen there once the sun sets:
No clue who he is...just hairy. Really hairy. 

I laugh to think about some of the times, shake my head at my stupidity of some times, and wonder how it is I'm still alive at other times, but all of those events helped to shape my life as it is today.

It's scary to think of already, but one day my own little girl will be thrust out into the world to explore on her own. And when she gets there, I hope she gets to live as much as I lived in her twenties.  I only hope she can walk into her thirties a much wiser, brighter, and stronger woman because of all of the adventures she's experienced.

Here are a few random snippets of my twenties in Chicago. Man, facebook sure does go back a loooong
time.
Slept under my desk at work. This was back when being out til 2am didn't seem to matter when you had work the next day. 

Won a trip to Scotland in 2007 with these crazy cats. It was a trip of a lifetime. 

One time we went to a street festival for "just one drink". The night ended at a German bar drinking out of boots and dancing on tables. One of the best nights ever. 

I went on lots of road trips to Ohio with advertising friends.

Had many trips to visit with these two west coast crazies.

Was in a fantasy football league with awesome ladies purely for the inappropriate team names and booze.

Went to Lollapalooza more than once and hated it every time.

Went to grad school. Used graduation as an excuse to party with my bests.

Went on every type of trolley you could fathom. 90's, 80's, country, St. Patricks Day....

I went on a road trip through 9 states with these awesome ladies. 

Licked a mustache. Oh, then I married this guy 2 years later.
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