Baby Bachelorette & Date Night

With just a few weekends to go before Baby E's arrival, Mitch says to me, "do you think we should have baby bachelor and bachelorette parties?" I got clarification that a "baby bachelor party" just meant a "bro day." I agreed it sounded fun, but our time was limited so we'd have to plan fast. Amanda heard about the "bro day" and insisted we make plans of our own. A few days and several email exchanges later, both Mitch and I had our pre-baby celebrations planned. 

This past Saturday was our last hoorah before Baby E. Mitch played a round of golf in the morning with his brothers and Dad followed by a day at the farm with his cousins. They wrapped up their night under the stars in tents drinking around the fire. Such a bro day. :) Naturally zero photos were taken (boys, I tell ya!) except one thanks to Nick. I can always count on him for a least one selfie! 

Amanda and I planned on having a pool day with Harper, but sadly a very sleepy girl with a fever changed our agenda. She woke up in a good mood Saturday morning, but progressively got crankier as the morning went on. I got her dressed in her swimsuit then went downstairs to get our treat and pool bag packed. When I came back upstairs, I found her sleeping in her bed looking oh so cozy. I could tell she wasn't feeling great and she certainly wasn't her spunky self. Our pool day quickly turned into a lazy day and I wasn't going to object. Once she woke up for her impromptu morning nap, we sat around most of the afternoon watching too many movies snuggled up on the couch. 

That afternoon Deb came over to hang out with Harper for the night while the girls had our own "baby bachelorette." (Thanks Deb!) Amanda signed us up for a painting class at Brush Studio in St. Louis Park. It's something we've discussed doing for over a year now and we both agreed this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try! 

Before we got all artsy, we clearly needed to fill our bellies with delicious food. The Yard House was just a few steps from Brush Studio and Jen and I had never eaten there, so we decided to give it a shot. The menu was extensive, and the beer and cocktail list was even larger. Let's just say, I need to go back after Baby E - there are a few things that caught my eye! With a million options, it was hard to narrow it down but I figure you can't go wrong with a burger and fries. These were no ordinary fries. They were truffle fries. Thin crispy strips of fried potato dowsed with truffle oil and parmesan cheese. Holy smokes, they were amazing. So good, I insisting on taking a picture! :)

After eating entirely too much, I practically had to roll myself a few feet to Brush Studio. We walked through the doors of the adorable studio and were greeted with a smile by the owner. She showed us to our assigned seats and explained the process. Feeling fancy, we put on our aprons and headed to the paint station prepared to paint the Splitrock Lighthouse.

For the next 2 1/2 hours we listened to the instructor take us step by step through the painting as we attempted to recreate it on our blank canvas. I quickly realized I'm no artist and I can't paint a lighthouse to save my life! Although my painting didn't resemble the instructors exactly at the end of our session, it was still an absolute blast! It was something new and different and getting to share that experience with my BFF and sister-in-law made it even more special. Since it was a "baby bachelorette" we ended the night celebrating with carrot cake - not champagne. Pregnant or not, I may chose carrot cake over booze any day. (just saying!) It was a super fun girls night out, I can't thank you two enough! 

Friday night before our pre-baby celebrations, Mitch and I enjoyed a nice adult night out. We scheduled a double date weeks ago with Amanda and Matt. The agenda? Pizza at Angenos followed by the 7 o'clock showing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The movie choice was all Amanda and Mitch. I wasn't 100% convinced of the movie choice - but went along with the plans. 

We stuffed our faces with too much za, and Mitch, Amanda and Matt made TMNT references throughout our meal. Don't get me wrong, I saw the movies as a kid -  but was never an uber fan. During their turtle conversations, I just nodded and giggled along with them pretending I knew every inside joke. I think I played it off! :) 

Although we were stuffed, Mitch can't see a movie without ordering popcorn. Thanks to the Shemon's and their Stub Club card at AMC our medium was upgraded to a large for free. WE DID NOT NEED A LARGE POPCORN, but we ate it anyway. It was date night, right? Calories don't count! Surprisingly I found myself laughing throughout most of the movie. It was entertaining. Cheesy, but entertaining. I liked it way more than I expected and was glad they dragged me along! It was such a fun night out with those two!

Our baby countdown is still in full force. With less than a week to go, I'm finally starting to mentally prepare. We've made arrangements for Harper for next week and most of the necessary paperwork has been filled out. I still need to pack a bag, but I figure I have all weekend.

Tomorrow is my last day of work for nearly 2 months. It seems so weird to think about! Mitch and I both took Friday off to go to the State Fair. I'm looking forward to my fair food plus trying out a few of the new items they have to offer. 

I may be creating a State Fair monster, as Harper has shared with us her own list of fair foods she needs to eat. As we were walking out of Deb's house today, she said "Okay Mom, let's go get those mini donuts!" She makes me so proud! :)

Harper's Fair Must Haves

1. Mini Donuts

2. Ice Cream

3. Chocolate Chip Cookies

4. Big Pretzel

Until next time…

The Helleen's