6 Weeks Away

6 weeks. Well actually, 41 days to be exact until Baby Boy Helleen joins our crew. Umm, excuse me? What??? I think reality is starting to sink in and I'm quickly realizing all this "time" I thought I had - doesn't really exist. 

Since my belly is being stretched to its limit at 33 weeks (I'm pretty sure I'm bigger now than I was with Harper at 41 weeks) things are starting to get uncomfortable. I can no longer sit up to get out of bed, the belly forbids this. Instead I end up log rolling out. Thank goodness Mitch is still sleeping most mornings as I tumble out of bed as graceful as possible. My toes are officially out of sight and my fingers occasionally resemble sausage links. Oh, pregnancy is a beautiful thing! :) 

Actually to be completely honest, this pregnancy has been pretty flawless and I can't complain. I haven't been sick once and the baby seems to be right on track at every appointment. I've very thankful for that. So I'll embrace all the effects of pregnancy these last 6 weeks, even if they aren't the most attractive. 

We're trying to prep Harper as much as we can, but a 2 1/2 year old can only comprehend so much. When asked "what does Mom have in her belly?" She finally responds, "a baby." Her old response was always "a rubber ducky." So that's progress. While we were sitting at the kitchen table the other night, unprompted she said - "I'm so excited for my baby brother." Yep, it was a heart melter. I know the transition may be tough for the only child and only grandchild on both sides, but she loves babies and is always eager to help out - so I'm optimistic. The next few weeks as we prepare to become a family of 4, we have some fun events planned to pass the time. August 25th will be here before we know it!

This past weekend was Maple Grove Days. It's an annual event in our city that spans over 5 days. There is a parade, community events, kids activities, an art fair, fireworks and a whole lot more I'm sure I don't even know about. It's a yearly tradition that I refuse to break. 

This year was Harper's 3rd time attending the Thursday night parade and it's safe to say it was her most enjoyable thus far. Our music obsessed child loved every marching band that passed and recited every instrument she spotted. "Oh Mom, a flute! Look, a tuba! Drums! There are drums!" The endless candy was also a bonus. At 8pm the parade was still going strong, but we were quickly approaching bedtime. With a few blocks to walk back to the car, we cut the parade short. It took some convincing to get Harper to leave, but finally she gave in. It was great way to kick of MG Days! 

Every Saturday during MG Days, I meet my Mom on Main Street for the Art Fair. Amanda has even joined us the last few years. We browse the dozens of vendors, admiring handmade jewelry, impressive pottery, stunning photography and try to gather all the free stuff we can. This year, Harper won two stuffed animals from the Dave & Buster's booth and I won a free ticket to Yellow Tree Theatre just by spinning a wheel! 

After wrapping up the Art Fair, we made our way to Community Center. This is where all the kiddo activities are held. Harper is still too little for a lot of inflatables, but there was plenty of other things to keep her entertained. We quickly found the petting zoo and she ran around to all the animals. The goats were her favorite (but secretly I find them absolutely terrifying). She fed the llama and alpaca from her hand and thought she was pretty awesome. The pure joy on her face was priceless. Rain clouds quickly took over the sky and after checking the radar we realized a storm was on it's way. After a pit stop for ice cream, we were rushing back to the car before the downpour started. We made it back without getting too wet and had a great afternoon at Maple Grove days!

Sunday we were on a mission to get some things done. We've had extra furniture sitting around (in the middle of our living room) for the last 4 weeks and it was time for it to go. No one in our family needed any of the items, so we were stuck finding a new home for them. A few weeks ago, I noticed a store close to our house called New Uses. They buy and sell home furnishings and we were hoping they'd take ours. After borrowing Deb's van and loading up a dresser, bookshelf and our old bed - we were off to get rid of it, for good. We weren't looking for much money, really we just wanted them to take everything and thankfully they did!

That evening we had scheduled family photos with Kristen Anne Photography. We've worked with Kristen since 2008 and have loved every single experience! She's captured all the major milestones of our lives. Our engagement, wedding, 1st pregnancy, Harper and now the 2nd pregnancy. We met her at French Park in Plymouth. That location brings back many memories of my childhood. I had plenty of birthday parties at the beach and countless hours playing on the rope playground with buddies. It was fun to go back with my own family and capture some fun memories of our own. Harper was great and I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures! 

After pictures, Mitch and Harper played at the playground for a while. There was no way we were leaving without letting Harper burn off some of her endless energy. 

It's birthday week in our families. Last night we celebrated my Mama turning 52! After everyone wrapped up their workday, we headed to El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant to honor the birthday girl. She was a trooper and sported the massive sombrero after dinner while the employees serenaded her. My favorite part? When one of the employees took a spoon, dipped it in her fried ice cream and put it on her nose. I'm not sure Mom was as amused as the rest of the table. Even Harper said, "Grandma has ice cream on her nose. That's so silly!" After stuffing our faces with too many chips and salsa, we went back to my parents for ice cream cake and gifts. I think we all felt miserable, but it totally worth it! Happy Birthday Mama, cheers to a year of greatness!

I have to give one more birthday shout-out and that's to my amazing mother-in-law, Deb. Tomorrow we'll be celebrating her birthday and we're looking forward to it! Happy early birthday Deb!

Until next time…

The Helleen's