Babymoon in Florida

January 3 and I am finally writing about our "babymoon" to Florida back in October! We had such a great time together. We wanted to go on a cruise but cruise ships won't allow you to travel past 20 weeks, and I wasn't willing to go to Mexico in case we had an complications so after much thinking and Jason researching, we decided on a trip to the Keys in Florida. I had been there before plus we'd be able to see my friend, Ellis and her husband, Josh, while we were there.  Win-win!

We went in with minimal expectations. With work being very busy for both of us and having the trip back to Chicago the week before with the wedding and my two baby showers, it was all a whirlwind!  We got to Florida on Monday and after a long day of traveling, we met up with Jason's co-worker for a late lunch in Ft Lauderdale. By the time we got to our hotel it was evening and we were both exhausted...to say the least. We watched the World Series (where Boston won - WOOOHOOOOO!) but sadly I passed out before they actually won! But man did it feel good to sleep!

That first day on Tuesday we went to the beach (Jason had to work every day while there...he's saving up his days for when the baby gets here) and I literally didn't know how to just sit and relax!  All that go, go, go for months had caught up to me and I sat there trying to read, lay, or do whatever and I just couldn't do it! But man was it nice to have that problem...sitting in the sun, listening to the ocean and seagulls and just enjoying feeling the baby move!  That night we went to dinner for some delicious sea food!

Tuesday we went to Key West, Jason had been there before but I hadn't. I really wasn't interested in driving all the way there but once we got there I loved it and was so thankful we made the trip down! There was so much to see and eat and was just such a fun little town!  I had my first (ever) piece of Key Lime pie...which will also be my last! Ick! That night we also went out to a nice local restaurant along the beach.

Thursday was pretty much our last full day in the Keys and I was definitely enjoying and able to relax very well! We spent the day at the pool and the only thing that would have made my day better was to have a fruity umbrella drink in my hand!  (seriously...whats a vacation without any drinks?!) But it was such a fun day, I found a good book to read, just out my feet up and took in the sun.  Thursday night was definitely my favorite night at a nice, romantic restaurant where we were able to get some cute pics of us together that showed my bump.  It was a night I'll always remember, just the two of us along the ocean...so peaceful and romantic.

Friday we spent the morning in the pool for our last day before driving to Ft Lauderdale to see Ellis. I was so sad the trip had already came to an end as I was seriously enjoying the relaxing! We could have used a couple more days there, just the two of us!  The trip really helped me bond with the baby and appreciate what is about to come with him. The school year had been so busy and even though the baby had started to move by then I was always too busy to stop and appreciate what that all meant. The trip to Florida truly opened my eyes to what we're about to experience as parents. I bonded with the baby and Jason and I bonded together over the baby and together in our marriage. Ahhhh, we're going to be parents!!

Friday night we went to see Ellis and their new house and dog.  Sadly, as I've been saying through this entire pregnancy, I've been exhausted so unfortunately by the time we got there, I was already fading quickly. They cooked us a delicious meal and we sat catching up together before I finally had to go to bed.  I wish we had another day with them so I could have been a little more refreshed but it was great to be able to see them while we were there!

All in all it was a great trip to Florida together. I loved how we were both able to bond with the baby and with each other as we'll be settling into this new role of parenthood together!  I'm so thankful for the friendship I have with Jason and couldn't be more excited to start this journey of parenthood with him.  How wonderful it was to be able to spend 5 days just the two of us in a tropical place together before we welcome this baby boy into our lives!

Ahhhh - peaceful! Just sitting and feeling the baby move :) and enjoying marriage and life

Dinner one with my love

 Our hotel

Key West

 Using my best imagination possible that there is a little extra flavor in my drink

Southernmost Point - fun times...trying my best to get the baby bump to show but then you can't see us!

Dinner 2 with my love

Our last dinner out which was super romantic!

The view from dinner

Colorado Shower of Love for Baby Boy Lockwood

My small group girls hosted a shower for me here in Colorado!  What is so very cool about this shower was that we obviously had been trying to get pregnant for a long time and through it all, I was always thinking that if and when we got pregnant, we wouldn't be able to have a shower here because of the lack of friends here in Colorado.  Well, that sure did change and the girls threw me a wonderful afternoon shower at my favorite restaurant and again, no details were left out!  The invitations were beautiful, they even matched our nursery theme (sneaky girls looked at my registry to figure that out.)  They also sent questions to my Chicago friends and family to fill out so I have a little keepsake album which helped bring a piece of "home" to the shower here.

We all got together in early December at Maggiano's and sat and chatted about all things baby for over 2 hours. Obviously I have a million and a half questions about birth and being a mom so it was so special that I got to sit there and ask all the questions to these other veteran and new moms. I didn't get many pics from that day but it is a memory I will never forget.  I cannot thank you girls enough for loving on me and the baby with a very special shower.  I am so thankful for the friendship and fellowship we have!

Thank you girls!!

Friend Shower of Love for Baby Boy Lockwood

After the family shower that Sunday morning, I had our friend shower thrown and hosted by my great friend, Jolene.  Again there wasn't a single detail left out.  She had been planning this shower for months texting me all the little details of the day and I was so excited to see it all unfold...not to mention to be able to see ALL my friends in one day while we were home for just a few days.

There was endless amounts of food and drink, even non-alcoholic wine for me, a diaper cake, books from each of our friends for our baby's future library, sweet and practical favors and Jolene even surprised us by having our local wedding reception photographer, Tamara Jaros there to take some maternity pics and capture the entire day!  My favorite part of the day that we'll be able to use and remember the day with is that everyone decorated onesies and oh my gosh they are all super adorable...what creative friends I have! Seriously...very creative!

Again, I cannot thank everyone enough for coming out to love on our baby boy, especially on a Sunday afternoon when Chicago traffic was probably less than desirable to dive to the burbs.  Jolene, this day was one that I will always remember and am so grateful for our friendship and what you did to make this day special for me and the baby.

Thank you, Thank you friends!  Such a wonderful day and am so grateful for our friendship, especially over all the miles!  Love each of you! And special thank you to Jolene!!

Family Shower of Love for Baby Boy Lockwood

Our baby boy is loved!  We had three lovely showers thrown for us by friends and family the past couple months.  Two in Illinois and one here in Colorado.

The first was my family shower.  In our family it's a tradition that the aunts (generally the godmothers) throw a shower for the mom-to-be.  Being that I don't have a god mother (I have two god fathers instead!) all the aunts chipped in and then my grandma hosted the shower at her house.  As with all of my showers, no details were left out at the family shower. There were blue balloons to greet you outside and as you walked in. Lots of finger food and desserts, blue cupcakes, veggies, flowers and the whole works! There were even cute star bookmarks as a favor. I was so thankful that they allowed the kids to come so I was able to see my cousins girls who I love and my nieces also got to be a part of the day.  My cousin, Amy, from Iowa even drove in to attend.  While it went by super fast it was such a great morning and I will cherish the memories forever! Thank you to my amazing family who loved on us while we were home!!

The spread

The gifts - and my two nieces helping me open gifts

All of my favorite girls! (good thing we're bringing a boy into the family to even things out! There will be 6 girls and 6 boys now!)

Cousins and sister-in-law  - we like stripes :)

Aunt Marilyn and I

Niece love

Me with the wonderful dad-to-be! 

Grandma and me - this will be her 12th great-grandbaby! 

Mom and Baby's Grandma and me 

Aunts and Grandma - Thanks again for a wonderful shower!!

Happy 2014!!

Happy New Year!  2013 was a wonderful year for the Lockwood family and we are obviously so very excited to ring in 2014!  I have been MIA on this blog for some time. I have lots to share and say including the baby showers, our babymoon to Florida, tidbits about my job, pics of the animals, a 3rd trimester update, my parents trip here for Thanksgiving and just a whole lot of stuff going on but I have been so tired after work and with the holidays and baby classes and preparing for a baby to arrive it's been nuts!  Life has been pretty amazing and I really have wanted to write everything so I will be able to remember this time but it hasn't happened.  So here I am to say Happy 2014!  I am extremely under the weather today as I caught a cold and obviously can't take anything since I'm pregnant, it has made for a miserable day. Jason and I spent the entire day vegging on the couch watching Breaking Bad. Yes we're a little behind on this but we're already through season one.  I really hope to get a little caught up on all the happenings in our life over the next few days! In the meantime I wish you a very happy 2014!

Trip back to Chicago

Back in October (yes, it's December 8!) Jason and I went back to Illinois for his friend's wedding. Jason was standing up in the wedding so it was going to be a jam-packed weekend with wedding festivities. We later found out I was pregnant and because we were already paying for airfare, hotel and rental car for the wedding weekend, it would make the most financial sense to have my baby shower that same weekend while we were already there.  My aunts threw me a family shower and my friend, Jolene, through me a friend shower.

We arrived in Chicago on Thursday night around midnight after a long day of working.  (plus I'm pregnant which as I've been saying the whole time am exhausted all the time!) Friday we woke up at my parents house and my mom and I did some very quick shopping and girl time before meeting Jason and my dad at Portillos who were out picking up the rental car and Jason's tux.  After a delicious lunch we went home and got ready for the wedding rehearsal in Elk Grove Village.  The wedding rehearsal dinner was at Lou Malnati's (yum!).  Great day of Chicago food and good friends and family.

Saturday morning I was very panicked because I hadn't felt the baby move for several days.  In addition that Tuesday before I had had some really bad cramping which I had just ignored and figured was gas pain.  So then by Saturday I was a wreck thinking maybe something bad had happened and I was an idiot that I just kept thinking everything was okay.  So to make a long story short...after a sleepless night for both Jason and I (and the baby still not moving in the morning) I called my OB back in Colorado and told her my concerns. My OB and my relationship is a whole other story but lets just say she didn't ease my mind when I called her.  So I called CDH and they told me to come in and they'd hook me up in Labor and Delivery so there wouldn't be a wait and I could get peace of mind.

I hurried up and showered and got ready for the wedding which was at 2:30 in Elk Grove Village.  Jason had to be to the hotel at 10:30 so there wasn't much time in our day to fit in a visit to the hospital but as I said, I was a wreck with worry.  We got to the hospital, they hooked me up for a nonstress test and the baby pretty much immediately started moving (of course, right?!) So we knew the baby was moving but also found out I was contracting because I was extremely dehydrated.  I wouldn't have thought so but when I thought about it, it made perfect sense.  I hadn't drank a ton on Thursday at work. (my job doesn't allow for many pee breaks) then we drove straight to airport, then flew and both of those I didn't want to have to have to pee every second.  Got into Chicago at midnight...obviously didn't want to be up all night going to the bathroom so hadn't hydrated properly.  Friday during the day it was just busy. I did drink a lot of water at the dinner but also had pizza and their salad both with lots of sodium.  It just made sense that I hadn't made drinking water a huge priority so I learned that day how important it is to drink water...and a lot of it, regardless how much I have to go to the bathroom.  The nurse had originally told me I'd be there until about 4:00 because they'd have to do a bunch more tests to make sure everything was okay but in the end they just gave me about a gallon of water and apple juice, the doctor came in and reviewed the test...all looked better and I was cleared to go around noon with barely any time to spare.  I headed to my parents, changed, and got to the wedding with just a few minutes to spare.

The wedding was a lot of fun. I ended up being a long day since just the morning had been so exhausting. And I must add that weddings also aren't as much fun when you're not allowed to drink but we had a great time together. The bride looked fabulous and there was lot of love in the air! We danced and caught up with some of Jason's friends then went to bed around midnight since we had to be up early for church the next day.

In the morning we went to Willow for church...I cried through all the songs. I can't get enough of that church. I miss it so much but am so thankful we get to go back when we're home.  After church my mom and I drove straight to my family shower while Jason and my dad returned the tux and rental car.  After shower one, we went to shower two.  The whole day flew by and was overwhelming with seeing so many different people in one day but it was a day I will never forget!  (more to come on the showers in a separate post).

Sunday night was spent going through all the shower gifts and packing up before hitting the road for the airport at 4:30am.  What a weekend it was!  I could have used an extra week or two to do all we did in that very short 3 days but wow was it fun!  So thankful I got to see everyone that weekend and that my parents opened their house to us fed us well each morning. Hard to believe that the next time we're back in West Chicago we'll have a little one in tow!