Hey Chicago! Let's do it again sometime...

We had a great time this weekend in Chicago! I only wish we could have spent more time there. I loved walking along Michigan Avenue and seeing all the beautiful buildings, and of course the wonderful shopping! We got there around noon EST on Friday, and were lucky enough to be able to get into our room right then. We walked to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch and then caught a cab to the Shedd Aquarium. The "campus" the Aquarium, Soldier Field, and The Field Museum are on is gorgeous! We didn't get a chance to really walk around it too much, but I definitly want to go back and just take the time to walk along Lake Michigan, and just see everything there is to see around there.

Beluga Whale at Shedd

Skyline from Shedd

That night we went to Gino's East for some real Chicago style pizza! It was such a fun restaurant! The walls and booths were covered in people's signatures that had been there before. My favorite one (which of course I didn't get a picture of!) was just as we went up the steps and said "World Champions! Colts: 29, Bears: 17" I thought that was kinda funny being in Chicago! But back to the real reason we went...the pizza. Seriously...the BEST.PIZZA.EVER. I have never had pizza that tasted so good! I will now compare everything to that one piece of pizza!! I can't wait to go back to Chicago just for that pizza!!

BEST.PIZZA.EVER.

We finished the night with some shopping. I almost bought a bag from Coach for the diaper bag, but the only stores that had the pink were all the way in California and Arizona! Probably for the better...save the $$$ and just get the one from Pottery Barn Kids. Tony picked out a couple Cubs onsies for Madison that I think are just darling!


We also got a cute Cubs shirt for our niece, Sarah.


Saturday we went to the Field Museum. It was really nice when we got there so we went over to Soldier Field. I would love to go back for a game sometime! It's such a different feeling walking up to Soldier Field than it was going to the RCA Dome for the Colts games. I don't know exactly why, but it was just...different.




The Field Museum was OK. I'm glad we went, but I don't think we'll go back the next time we go to Chicago. I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood for it, or what, but I was kinda bored the whole time. That made me feel SO bad for Tony because the whole reason we went there was for me. I think I would have been happier going to an art museum. Maybe next time!

That night we went to Ditka's restaraunt. We were sitting there enjoying the delicious bread and sweet butter when Tony made a comment about how cool it would be if Mike Ditka was there and sitting at the table right next to us. About 10-15 minutes later I heard some people clapping. I looked up, and there was Mike Ditka. As I'm telling Tony, "Mike Ditka's here!" I'm watching to see where he goes. He walks over the a table two tables away from ours, and sits down with his family! HOLY COW! Are you kidding me?! I know! Now you're all wondering "where are the pics?!" Well there are none because I didn't want to interrupt his dinner with his family, and I sure as heck wasn't going to try and sneak a pic like a paparrazi! I'm still a little bummed that we didn't just go over and ask for a picture, but I really didn't want to intrude. Tony said later that he should have told him that we were huge Bears fans, and I was pregnant with our first child, a son, that we were going to name Mike. I told him there was no way I could keep a straight face through all of that since the only part of that statement that was true was that I am pregnant with our first child!


The food at Ditka's was amazing as well! I had an angel hair pasta with garlic, olive oil, crab and shrimp. The portion was huge. It didn't even look like I ate anything when I was finished! The pieces of crab and the shrimp were huge. I would definitly reccommend going if you're going to be in the area. I was just past the Watertower shops, and half way down the street.

We finished the night at Navy Pier with some ice cream and fireworks. I was so tired when we finally got back to the hotel. We did ALOT of walking that day. I know at one point walking back from Navy Pier I was "typical prego!" I had my hand on my back as I waddled down the street. I'm sure I looked hot!


The weekend was great, but I wish we would have taken one more day. We didn't get a chance to go to Millineum Park (we were right there while at the aquarium and museum!) or to the Sears Tower. We tossed around the idea of coming back sometime when Madison's around 2 or so. I hope! I told Tony if we weren't starting a family, (and if the winters weren't 50x worse than Indiana! :)) I would love to live there!


Sorry this was such a long post, but I wanted to get everything in there!!

"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."

Last night I got to spend some time with one of my best friends, Kim. We were assigned to be roommates my sophomore year of college. I have to admit, I was a little nervous after the first time I talked to her. We talked on the phone once before moving in for the school year. She was so different from me. The thing I noticed right away was that she was kind of shy. I am not shy. If you know me, you know this. I was really worried that I would "scare her off" by being the extrovert that I am. I remember thinking after the first night of rooming together..."This might actually work!"

I couldn't figure out what it was, but we just seemed to "get" each other. We couldn't be more different, yet she seemed to understand everything I was going through, and I everything she was going through. I never really had any close girl friends before college. They really just got on my nerves. Most of them were nice to your face, but were vicious behind your back. So this having a good girl friend was kind of new to me. I was sure that I was going to mess it up somehow, and she would grow to hate me by Fall Break; and the rest of the year would be hell. I was almost more nervous about this friendship than any romantic relationship! I had met my other best friend, Erica, the year before, and thought for sure that I couldn't manage to make two amazing friends two years in a row! Thank the Lord above I was wrong.

Like I said before, Kim just "gets" me. I can tell her anything and not worry about her judging me. I don't have to have a filter when I talk to her. Anything that comes to my mind, I can just say. I love that our conversations sometimes consist of both us telling stories that are in no way related to what the other person is saying, and its OK. It still amazes me how close we are when we're so different. She's quiet, organized, and patient. I'm loud, cluttered, and impatient...SO impatient! But I guess that's why it works. We're so different we "help" each other.

I'm so glad I got to see her last night, and will get to see her one more time before she heads back home to Cleveland!! Thank you, Kim, for knowing the real me, and still loving me the same!

26 Weeks

I had my monthly appointment today, and everything was good! I had to have my blood drawn for my third trimester labs (3rd trimester?!), which included the oh-so-yummy orange drink! It wasn't as bad as I imagined, but I'm really not a fan of Orange Soda, so it wasn't the greatest thing I've ever tasted! And no one told me before I got there that I would have to have it all chugged down in a matter of 5 minutes...needless to say, I got through it. Miss Maddie had the hiccups this morning while the doctor was listening to her heartbeat...it was so cute. She seems to get them often!


They have informed me that I start going every two weeks now up until 36 weeks, which then begins the weekly appointments! I can't believe it's time for bi-weekly appointments already! She's going to be here before we know it!





Tony and I are going to Chicago for the weekend for our last little trip as just a couple...I haven't been to Chicago since I was little, and I don't really remember anything! I know we went to a Cubs game, but I don't actually remember the game. I think that's when I got the small wooden bat that would later be used (accidentally mind you!) to take out my cousin's new permanent front teeth! (Sorry, Stacie!!) We're planning on going to the aquarium, the history museum, and Navy Pier...and of course we'll do some shopping!! It should be a fun little get-away!





And of course, I'll leave you with the weekly belly pic!

Only 15 more weeks!

Believe it or not, we're at week 25 already! Miss Maddie has been become MUCH more active lately. I really wish I could see what she is doing sometimes because they are definitly not kicks or punches! My stomach looks like the ocean with all the "waves" some nights. I could sit and watch my belly "jump" and "wave" all night! It's so amazing that she started out so microscopic and now she's almost a foot long, and over a pound in weight! God is truly amazing!!!

We had Andrew's Graduation Party this weekend. It turned out really well. I still can't believe he's out of high school now. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday!!! And now he's all grown up! I'm really proud of him, though. He has grown into such an amazing young man. He of course still has his "teenage boy" moments, but he really is a great, God-fearing kid! I think my mom did amazing raising a little boy from the age of 5 on her own!!!

And last, but certainly not least, the weekly belly pic!

Please see below

I forgot to mention that I added pictures from Andrew's graduation this week-end. Please look and see how handsome my baby brother is! :-)

Hi, my name is Lindsay...

and I'm 24 weeks pregnant today. Please gawk and comment on the intimidating presence which is my belly! :-)

Nothing like getting all up close and personal with the bump!

Week 24...

I can't believe we're in week 24 already! I remember being so excited to get to 10 weeks because it was finally a double digit! Now we only have about 16 more weeks until little Maddie's arrival! I'm starting to have minor "freak-out" moments every now and then. I just can't believe we're going to have this little tiny baby to take care of, and that she's all ours! I'm afraid I won't know what to do. Sometimes when we're watching TV at night, I realize how much our lives are going to change when she's born. I know that once she's born we won't know what we ever did without her, but it's just so weird (and a little scarey, if I'm being completely honest...).

But on to more important things: Madison's update for the week:
"Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon."

Belly pics to come tonight after I get home!

Andrew's Graduation

Andrew graduated from high school this weekend. I'm so proud of myself for getting through it without crying! Here are a few of the pictures. If you really want to see them all you can go to my MySpace page; click here.

Andrew after he got his diploma
Right after graduation
Me with my "little sister" She and Andrew have been BFF forever!
And I had heels on...he's too tall!
Andrew and the proud mom!

More bad weather...

It looks like we're in for another round of storms tonight! I hope it doesn't hit the East side too bad (hit by tornados last week) or the South side too bad (still flooded from this past weekend!) It seems like there have been bad storms at least every other day for the past week! No idea what we're going to do for dinner tonight...I was thinking cook-out, but with the cracks of thunder I'm hearing every minute, I guess that idea's out the window! Hopefully it lets up long enough for me to walk from my building to the parking garage! Can't wait to go more than one day without storms!

...

I’m kind of in a “funk” today. I don’t really know why, but it feels like more than the usual “Monday Blues.” I’m not sure if it’s because I was home in Columbia City for three days, and just realized how much I want to move back, or what. I’m aware everyday of how much I want to move back, but I think being up there for three days made it front and center to me again. I wish I could just pick my house up and put it up north. I know there are people that live this far away from their mom and some even farther, but I don’t know how they do it! Especially being pregnant! I’ve hated going through this pregnancy “without” my mom. I talk to her all the time and I get to see her fairly often, but it’s not enough. If there was a job available for Tony up there that paid what he gets paid now, it would probably be a “raise” for us because our house payment wouldn’t be as much. (most likely…)

I know in reality that even IF (which is a HUGE word concerning this topic!) Tony was on board with this move, we couldn’t do it until after Madison’s born, and it wouldn’t be until right before school starts in the Fall of 2009 so I could go back to IPFW and finish my degree. I know it’s not going to happen, but I guess it helps me to think about “what-if?” I torture myself by looking at houses in Fort Wayne and Columbia City almost daily, but I can’t help it.

Maybe someday I’ll get to move “home” but I guess for now I better just make the most of where I’m at…

There she grows!

I think the bump looks cute this week! :-)

(and please ignore the basket of laundry that I "get" to do tonight!)
I knew you all wanted to see my beautiful face too! :-)

23 Weeks down, 17 to go! :-)

Well Maddie's another week further in her development. I read somewhere that she could possibly survive if born anytime after this week. Don't want her to get any ideas, but it's a little more reassuring to know that every week she has a greater chance of survival outside of the womb should something happen! Tony still hasn't been able to feel her kick, but he did see it last night. We had finished eating, and I was leaning back just watching TV; I noticed she was kicking pretty hard, so I told him to watch. His face just lit up when he saw the kicks!! It makes me a little sad that daddy's don't get to have the bond that mommy's get. I love the feeling of her moving all around in there!! It's such an amazing feeling that you can never even describe! Erica told me it was amazing, but until you actually experience it, you have no idea HOW amazing it feels!

Here's what Babycenter.com had to say about Week 23:
"Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 8 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb." Well it seems she's already getting used to her "talkative" sisters! Good thing because Nugget likes to "talk!"

Belly pics to come later this evening!