McGee McBlog: May 2012

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Little Kicks & Big Steps

Memorial Day weekend is here, hooray!! Summer is arriving and so is the McGee Staycation. Denny and I both have the next week off of work to relax, work on the Beanette's room and enjoy this beautiful weather. We are SO excited and ready to relax!!

But before I chat too much about 10 days of no alarm clocks, I should acknowledge some big events this past week. For the first time, I felt the Baby Girl move!! I'm 21 weeks and and I was starting to worry since all the books say you should feel it between weeks 16 and 20, but she is officially fluttering around and I can feel it! Denny kept telling me not to worry because it was possible that she is lazy like us, and his dad instincts one again prove to be correct (about not worrying, not about her being lazy). Plus according to our nurse practitioner the Beanette is a bit lower, which can make it harder to feel her moves. Apparently she decided on seats directly behind the dugout versus sitting in the nosebleed section. Smart girl!

Feeling our little girl kick inside me has inspired me to get my legs moving, so next year I'm officially committing to running either a half marathon or be part of a 4-person marathon team (if anyone is interested in being part of a marathon team, let me know!). Running a half marathon was my goal this spring (if we didn't first get good news), so now I've decided to hit the Reset button on my goal. I realize this is a big committment to announce it on a blog because all my readers will now be able to hold me accountable... so if both of you could do your best to get me moving once Beanette arrives I would greatly appreciate it. It might be a long journey to get to the finish line, but I'm glad to have a little pink bundle of joy (and her cute Dad) to give me some extra motivation.

Speaking of getting moving, I better head across the streets. Our awesome neighbors are hosting their Annual Memorial Day bash and the party is in full-swing. Wishing everyone a wonderful and relaxing Memorial Day!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey - McGee Style

I'm not sure how the McGee McBlog can capture the attention of all you ladies getting hot and heavy with your bedtime reading trilogy so I figured I had to spice it up a notch to compete.

Welcome to Fifty Shades of Grey - McGee Style!

In this post I'm inviting you all behind the closed door of our room to share one of the best discoveries Denny and I have ever had in the bedroom. I'm not sure what what you are all thinking (clearly you need to get your minds out of the gutter), because I'm referring to the Target Home Fresh Scent Memory Foam Mattress Topper. What an A-MA-ZING purchase. I've been trying to get used to sleeping on my side so Denny (being the thoughtful husband he is) picked up a mattress topper the other day at Target and it has changed the way I sleep! I could stay in bed all day because it is so cozy!! If you need a little boost for a boring mattress, spend the $61 dollars. You will not regret it!

As a bonus it also smells very minty. I did not initially realize that the mattress topper came with a fresh aroma so I had a dream on Saturday night that Denny ate a York Peppermint Pattie before he came to bed and didn't share it with me. Although I didn't get the sensation, I did get a great nights sleep!

YUM!

On that note, it's past my bedtime and the minty memory foam is calling my name!

Good night, sleep tight and don't let the boring mattress bedbugs bite

(get a Target mattress topper instead).

This picture doesn't really do it justice, but this adds a whole new element of comfort to your beauty rest!

Friday, May 18, 2012

To Do Lists

Speaking of my favorite things, nothing puts me in a better mood than a great weekend To Do list (yes, I realize that proclaiming this via a blog is the equivalent to wearing an I'm a Geek t-shirt), but it's the truth and I'm proud to admit it!

Let me clarify that not all to do lists are the same. From 10 PM Sunday to 5 PM Friday, I live my life by check marks. If I can get 8-12 checks on my Work or Home to do list (both separate lists) in a day, I view it as a success. The lists are packed with tiers of organization, sub-lists and categories: To Do, To Send, To Buy. They go on and on. This week I was so focused on getting a lot done that I actually found "Relax" on my Home To Do list in Denny's handwriting. My husband's a smart man so I took his advice. Thirty minutes of DVR later I placed a check mark next to the Relax Box. One more item, done!

But the weekend To Do lists have a sense of fun and excitement to them because these lists actually include things I want to accomplish. Last weekend, I had "Host our reveal party" as an item. Giant Check! This weekend my To Do list includes "Pick paint samples for the Beanette's room," "Work on her registry," and "Pick up her crib"... talk about fun!

Tonight I'm actually going out on a limb and not even bothering to write anything down, but it doesn't stop me from formulating a To Do list in my head. It starts in about 2 minutes with "Post to blog, check!" "Pick up pizza," "Eat it on couch next to hubby," and "Relax!"

So, with that being said, it's time to run! I've got an order to pick-up and a weekend to enjoy! I hope you all do the same.

TGIF!!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Some of my Favorite Things

Sorry friends, this isn't the Oprah episode in which I shower you with gifts. It's just a blog post from an emotional Mom-to-be having a not fantastic day.

I try to always give 100% in all I do, often 150% or more. I'm not tooting my own horn, it's just how I was raised. But with one aspect of life lately, the results have not matched the efforts, which has been causing me tremendous frustration and concern. I keep trying new ways and and new approaches but the results keep coming up short.

I try not to be down and out about the little(ish) things in life especially when so many big things in life are really good right now, but somedays I can't help it . I think this makes me human, right?

But whenever I'm worried about how things will work out, I look to my favorite little figurine given to me by a friend who knew me since I was in diapers. Take a look...

H-O-P-E

What a great little word!

Four little letters that help me to keep a postive outlook and help me to keep focused on brighter days. When I recieved this gift it was during a major heartbreak Denny and I experienced last year. We kept Hoping things would get better and it did. Now we are 20 weeks away from meeting a little pink bundle of joy aka proof that Hope turns to good things.

With this situation I'm experiencing I know it will all work out because it always does. If life's all about learning and growing, maybe this bumpy road I'm on is a journey to make me a better person. But at the end of the day (or sometimes, the middle of the day), I glance at this little Hope figurine on my desk and I'm reminded that it's best to think of sun even when stuck in a rainstorm with a broken umbrella.

So, here's to Hope and good thoughts! And I hope that each have your little piece of Hope that you can think of when life get you down.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Power of Pronouns

I'm very much an English geek. It has always been my favorite subject in school and my someday dream job is to be a professional blogger. But this weekend made me realize how much I LOVE pronouns.

She ~~ Her ~~ Shes ~~ Hers

What beautiful words!! These are music to our ears!

Let me take you back to Saturday morning...

Denny and I had the long-awaited ITSA party to find out if It's A Boy or It's a Girl! It was hands down one of the most amazing weekends we have had in years.

I was wide awake by 6 AM! I could barely sleep because I was so excited to find out about the little person joining our family. I was 99% certain it was a boy but I wanted to see the blue balloons to be sure. I thought Denny was 99% certain it was a boy too, but at the last minute he came downstairs in a PINK shirt with a blue vest. Pink shirt?!? I was shocked, but he said he had a last-minute feeling it could be a girl.

Denny and I were so fortunate to have a lot of friends and family join us for the big reveal. By 11 AM, the excitement was out of control, and our neighbor Theresa brought over the box (she was kind enough to pick it up from the florist).

Here it is, YAY!!!

Our friends and family were really anxious and almost everyone dressed in either pink or blue. It was so great to see that everyone was excited as us. Check out this spirit!

By noon we were ready for the reveal. Our hearts were racing as we realized it was time to find out if we were having a boy or girl! I'll let the pictures tell this part of it...

"Ready to do this?"
"Hold my hand, I'm nervous"

PINK!?!?!?

So Shocked, So Happy...

So Emotional!

We're having a Little Girl!

Everyone was beyond thrilled! The rest of the day was a blur filled with phone calls, texts, and a trip to Babies R Us.

It is still sinking in for Denny and me, but on a walk tonight we discussed what this means to our friends and family. It's fun to see where she fits in our little world.

Baby Girl McGee will be the first grand-daughter to both sets of our parents (Denny's Mom never thought she would have a granddaughter, and already promised to buy her diamond studs when we get her ears pierced)
She will be the first girl to be born to a Quilty cousin in about 10 years (this ends the streak of about 9 boys). She will be the first girl to be born on the Synk side since me (but in fairness, my cousin PJ was the only other birth)
When it comes to my college roomies, she will be girl #4 out of 4 babies total. Apparently none of us will ever have a boy.
On our half of the street, there has not been a new baby boy in about 16 years (the few boys that live near us moved here later in life)

So there you have it... One AMAZING weekend!

Now it's time to Think Pink!

Friday, May 11, 2012

In just one day...

We will officially find out if we are becoming parents to a boy or girl! This week has been a mix of emotions-- lots of excitement about how our life is changing, an ounce of trepidation about how or if we will ever find all the time and money to be great parents, and a bit of tiredness (let's be real, all this party planning can be tiring for a mama-to-be). We only want a healthy baby but the reality of this is starting to sink in.

Tomorrow our life will change.
We will find out if...

Denny will have a daughter to someday walk down the aisle,

If I will have a son to teach about how to treat your mom.

We will find out if...

Denny will have a son to take outside and show him the essentials of baseball,

If I will have a daughter to take to dance lessons, cheerleading tryouts and Prom dress shopping.

It is incredibly exciting yet very surreal! It will be a great day regardless if the box is filled with pink or blue balloons. We want to savor it and remember every minute of this because I'm pretty sure the next 18 years will fly by, and before we know it we will be spending our Saturdays in May at Graduation ceremonies, college Parents weekends and perhaps even weddings (speaking of, do we need to start saving for that too?)

Have a great weekend everyone, and an especially Hapy Mother's Day weekend to all those amazing women out there that we love, that we miss, and that we admire for their compassion, endless energy, and amazing courage. XOXO Mamas!

May Fun Part II

It's Thursday night and Denny and I are both off work tomorrow, yay! But before we get ready for our ITSA party, I wanted to share the rest of the pictures from this past weekend. Take a look...

Melissa got crafty before the party!

So surprised!

Nothing says Happy Cinco de Mayo
like a fake mustache or three!

Ole!

More 1st Birthday Fun!!

Someone loves cake!!

Ryan's Adorable Birthday Cake Train!

Lots of cake & fun gifts!!

It's his party and he'll cry if he wants to!
Even the Birthday Boy has his limits!

Monday, May 7, 2012

May Fun!!

It's only May 7th and we have so far had two awesome parties this month!

Melissa and I tend to get a little bit excited when it comes to throwing and hosting parties and this weekend was no exception.

We knew this weekend would be the much anticipated 1st Birthday weekend of Ryan, but as we started planning that we also realized this weekend would be the perfect time to throw Mom a Surprise 60th Birthday. Her real Birthday is not until June 2nd so we figured she would not suspect a thing. Plus Melissa already had a tent in her backyard and enough food to feed an army so nothing seemed out of place to Mom.

I took a vacation day Friday and by 7:45 AM I was cruising to Ohio to get the part(ies) started!! And started we did. Melissa and I (along with the awesome support of Dad, Thad and Denny) managed to throw Mom an awesome Cinco de Marilyn surprise bash and then Melissa turned around to throw another awesome party Sunday for the cutest little one-year old I know!

I haven't even had a chance to upload the pictures from my camera yet but thanks to some speedy Facebook posters, here are some weekend snapshots!

More to come, stay tuned...

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Day One: Happy Surprise Birthday Mom!!