The Closet Project

We have a lovely, spacious walk-in closet in our master bedroom. We have wanted to update it for ages, but never really dedicated the time, nor money. We saved some money earlier in the year and now with baby #2 on the way, there was no better time than the present.

As usual, Jack did an awesome job. Although this was billed as a modular "DIY" system, I don't see how the Average Joe, errrr Average Michelle would ever do it. The good news is, Jack is far from average, so it comes as no surprise that our new closet looks smashing!

The Before

The During. Jack may not have a son to teach all his tricks to, but he does have one sweet little curious "helper."

The After. Ta-da! Fresh paint and all!

My favorite parts? The shoe shelf. The new lighting. And the fact that we purged all kinds of stuff that had been in there for the last six years. I swear, every couple should gut there closet every now and again!

Mama, Can I Paint?

Every now and again Shelby will ask to paint on the weekends. I figure that is a reasonable request, so I normally end up setting something up for her. She paints her paper for about 5 - 7 minutes and then after that she just likes to make a mess and paint her hands...over and over and over. The first time she did it I was stricken with mess-induced panic, but after that I decided to just let her be little.  She won't always beg to do fun art projects on the weekend....

Half Way

Yes, I am "over the hump" for pregnancy number two. One Tuesday I will be 22 weeks. I had my "20 Week Ultrasound" last week and baby girl (still a girl!) looks like she is doing great. She was measuring a little big (no surprise), but 10 fingers, 10 toes and all her organs are accounted for. My favorite part of the ultrasound? When the ultrasound tech commented "That's a good sized foot!" I am sure it is, it made me giggle. The baby weighs roughly a pound and I can feel her move around a lot - some days more than others.

This pregnancy has been similar in many ways and also  different in others.  I am still tired. VERY tired. No matter how many hours I sleep at night, I am completely gassed by the end of the day - sometimes even by mid-day. I don't like being tired and sluggish. I am not a tired person, in fact, I am known for boundless energy and taking on the world. Ya, not so much when making a baby!  Like last time, I have a hit-or-miss appetite. My blood sugar is low when I wake up and I am hungry as a bear by lunch time, but after that I could go with or without dinner and be just fine. I remember experiencing the same thing with Shelby. I consider this a plus, as it helps me keep my weight in check. I have not gained  any weight yet, but I am sure it's coming soon.

The differences? I don't have time think about being pregnant. Aside from the few early weeks when I was just praying to stay alive until the second trimester, time has gone by relatively quickly and I don't have time to think about it much. Last time around  I read every chapter of my pregnancy book and could tell you practically to the cell that Shelby was developing in a given week......this time - not so much. I also know that I will be fine without being perfect. I have not had the chance to "nest" mainly because I have  hardly had the energy, but I keep waiting for my burst of energy and inspiration - it is bound to come at some point!

Shelby is very excited about being a big sister. She often mentions things that big sisters do and do not do and calls her sister her "sissy." She suggests we name her sister Rosa, however Jack and I have not reached the same conclusion. We will use Shelby's old baby furniture in the nursery, but with a coral and aqua accents; should be cute!

Here's to you little one.....we all love you to the moon and back!!

The Royal Wedding

My little brother's wedding was amazing. Not only did he pick the most lovely girl to marry, he married into a fun, loving and dynamic family. What a bonus. There was not a cloud in the sky the day Brent and Carli said "I Do." Shelby was practiced and ready to perform her Flower Girl duties and when the time came, she nailed her role. The ceremony was great. The dinner was excellent. The recption was superb. All in all, I spectacular day! Here's to Brent and Carli and many years of happiness together!

Shelby, Brent and cousin Wylie

Sporting her new "Flower Girl" shades

Reporting to duty!

The beautiful couple

My sweet mama

Mother-Son Dance

The whole Mosbacher crew, pre-wedding

The fab five. Love my siblings

The whole wedding party

Look at that bride! The new Mosbacher crew!

"Shake it off, shake it off."

City by the Bay

Jack joined Shelby and I on day 4 of our vacation. It was really important to us that we had some family time with just the three of us. We reserved a day and went into San Francisco for the day. We had a BLAST! We tried to get tickets to Alcatraz, but we had to settle for the next best thing - a cruise of the Bay. Apparently Alcatraz was sold out all month. Who knew?

After the boat ride, we toured around Pier 39 and then on to Fisherman's Wharf. There was not a cloud in the sky - such a beautiful day!

Our final stop was Ghirardelli Square. It was quite the hike to get there, so I feel like we at least had to work for the calories. Fear not parents, Shelby did not eat that whole thing....surprisingly, that single scoop was the smallest thing on the menu! Jack and I shared a lovely sundae too - deeeeeeeeelish!

Power Squad

My dear cousin Allison has two little girls. Since there would not be kids at the wedding, I made sure to schedule a day with her family. We had a blast and as you can see from the photos below, the  girls really enjoyed themselves. We went to a place in Oakland called Tilden Park and enjoyed a carousel, a farm, large trees and even a train! After that we had a lovely lunch at an old fashioned creamery near Howard's house. It was such an awesome day! The last time the girls were together, Shelby was too young to really enjoy it, so this time was a true memory. Some of these are frame-worthy! Soon there will be a 4th little pumpkin in this power squad!

Road Trippin' Home 

I took a few days extra off work before Brent's wedding so I could spend some time at home with my parents. It was lovely. Shelby and I set out for a 600 mile road trip together to Placerville. I have never had Shelby in the car nearly that long, so I was not sure how it would go. She was a CHAMP!  We made it in pretty much 'normal time.' We left at 6 a.m. and pulled into my mom's house by 3:30 p.m. I had a short list of things that I wanted to do while I was in town for the three days, as we got most of them done. I don't get home too often, so this was a real treat!

Stories, snuggles and milk with Grandma

Warm apple donut at Apple Hill - my favorite!

Swings at the park!

Memory land with cousin Wylie

Cake! Celebrating Wylie's 9th birthday!

 We also had the opportunity to get together with my good friend Amanda and her two boys, walk on Main Street and go swimming at the city pool. Shelby was able to have her fist go at a water slide and she loved it! A good first leg to a fantastic trip!