Mom, A.B.D.

As of October 3, I am now A.B.D. For the uninitiated, it stands for "All But Dissertation," meaning that my only barrier to the Ph.D. is the dissertation. It's a big deal (not as big as the Ph.D., but I'm right on target for my program, and that's a positive thing), and I frequently get asked how I did it with a kid.

First, let me say, I have the most agreeable child in the world. He is very good at entertaining himself so I can write or grade, and he is patient to go to school with me to get errands run. This was a major factor.

Second, I am lucky to live near my parents and J's parents, who stepped up with alarming frequency to provide me with both study time, time to teach, and date nights. My mother-in-law was a constant saving grace because she watched E almost every day that I went to school. I seldom had to ask for help, because those around me knew what was involved and stepped up.

Still, getting it all done to this point (with or without children) wasn't easy, so here are some tips:

1. Get and Stay Organized: To me, this is the key to all success. I'm a huge fan of a good planner, a sturdy binder, and lots of lists. Use what works for you. I can talk for days about my Moleskin weekly planner and monthly planner and how I would be lost without them. But if your phone calendar works better, by all means, use that. If you have little hands around, keep this stuff out of their reach. Don't risk it.

2. Do YOUR Best: It's very easy to get competitive in graduate school. In my program, it's not worth it because we are all studying diverse topics. My friend's dissertation about women of science is in no way competing with my dissertation on corporate media. So, I just had to concentrate on doing my best work, not THE best work. It resulted in success for me because I was just confident in my abilities to perform quality scholarship.

3. Just Get It Done: It's easy to have flexibility in the timeline of a graduate program. Barring serious issues (illness, death, etc.), try to stick to the fastest timeline. The longer you take, the more money you lose, either in tuition or lost employment. It's easy to say, I'll just take one class this semester, but if you can handle two, by all means, get it done.

4. Be Proactive: Have a back-up plan for everything. Save your work to Google Docs or a flash drive every day that you write. Have a babysitter on call (or a way to take your kid to school with you if you are able). Don't wait to register for classes, because if you can't get the ones you need, you need to set up an independent study or readings course. Do not leave things to chance.

Now I'm continuing work on the dissertation, which is going well. I have numerous chapters in process, and I hope to be done in a year or so. I'll try to take my own advice.

- M.

Procrastination Station.

I have a long and not-so-proud legacy of being a procrastinator.  In high school, I remember a lot of panicked late nights trying to finish U.S. History IDs or Calculus homework (the latter of which will go down in my mind as THE WORST HOMEWORK EVER).  The only thing I probably did in advance of due dates was memorizing lines for plays and songs for musicals and chorus.  I still have nightmares involving not knowing my lines, songs, or dances for a show.  I haven't performed in over two years!

Summer iced tea.

The last two weeks have been a blur of finishing things that I've had MONTHS of free time to finish.  I am writing some encyclopedia articles for an online encyclopedia one of my professors is helping to edit.  I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to put some publication credits on my CV, and I'm also getting paid.  However, something held me back from starting these articles until July started.  Maybe I was afraid because I hadn't written something like that before.  Perhaps I felt like I wasn't the right person to compose some of the articles.  I'm not sure, but the experience has definitely resulted in some introspection.

Working smarter, not harder.

I'm ALWAYS happier when I got something done in advance.  Never have I regretted getting something done early enough to let me edit, revise, and maybe even turn it in before the due date.  As a M.A. student, I did this all the time, partly because I was unhappy and during the week, had little else to do but read and write.  I need to remember both the panic of waiting until the last minute AND the relief of having things completed on-time and without rush.  I used to believe that I produced better work when I waited, but I now know that is absolutely not the case.  The work I produced under the gun was good enough.  Sometimes I wish I could go back to undergrad (for a lot of reasons, but this is a big one) just to tell myself to work a little smarter.  Read for philosophy class.  Read in advance so I could have pre-class discussions with my very bright classmates.  I squandered some of the opportunities of being in the honors program, in that I didn't always connect enough with my classmates about the amazing ideas we were being exposed to.

Taking more time to appreciate beautiful things.

I'm very thankful that next week is our family vacation.  I will have a week to spend with my in-laws, my little family, and perhaps even my sister and her boyfriend.  After that, I have another week before anything school related starts.  I'm going to get my hair done.  I'm going to indulge in a pedicure with some of my grad school lady friends.  I'm going to host a play-date and do crafts with Elliott and his friends.  I need to be able to hit the ground running once school begins again, but I can't do that without a little decompression.

What lessons have you learned from procrastinating (or, if you are like my sister, from NOT procrastinating)?

- M.

Oh Sandy.

I can't believe I'm writing another hurricane prep post!  I've lived my entire life in the mid-Atlantic region and never have I experienced such intense weather.

Prep this time is a little different from Irene.  First, we don't have a newborn (phew!) we have a 15 month old.  While he's less fragile, he's also more aware, so I hope we can protect him from the scariness of the storm.

Second, we live in a house.  There is a basement that could flood, a lot of windows, and an attic that needs some retro-fitting.  I took down our outdoor Halloween decor and brought in our outdoor furniture this morning (boo...), and we'll take care of trash cans in the morning (our trash is *supposed* to go out tomorrow).  Our wiring is also above ground, making the possibility of a power outage much much higher than before.  Fortunately, we also live near both sets of parents, so hopefully if the power stays out for long here, we can escape to one of their homes.

Otherwise, we're using our lessons learned from Irene.  We are packing emergency bags; we bought bottled water, flashlights, batteries, and shelf-stable food.  This includes powdered milk for Mr. E.

If you're in the path of Sandy, and not sure what to do, here are some tips:

 - Fill your car up with gas.  If the power goes out, the gas stations don't work.
 - Tap MAC.  Again, without power, credit cards don't work.
 - Put your important documents (insurance, Social Security cards, birth certificates, etc.) in a Ziploc bag.  If you have to leave quickly, you don't want to leave those behind.
 - Clean your house.  Sounds odd, but you can't vacuum without power, and if the lights are out, you want to be able to find things easily.  In that, locate your toolbox, flashlights, batteries, and other emergency supplies.
 - If you have a pet, make sure the carrier is ready to go.  Food, toys, water are all good things to have at the ready.
 - Make a plan!  Work for Jason and I is still on for tomorrow, but the storm will hit during the day.  We are making a plan in case I can't drive home.
 - We have some shelf stable food, such as PB & J, crackers, meal bars, cereal, and tuna.  It might not be a culinary breakthrough, but it's better than nothing.

I hope you all weather the storm well, and we'll see you on the flip side of Sandy.

- M. and co.

Plastic Bags Everywhere!

I've been an active supporter of the "reusable bag" idea for a long time.  Even in college, I tried to have a couple with me at the store.  Try as I might, I don't always remember.  Perhaps the last big trip took all the bags out of the car, and when I need to take a quick trip in for produce and milk, I'm left NOT holding the bag.  Therefore, I end up with plastic bags.  The Giant has a place for us to take them to be recycled, but we also need some around the house for emergency diaper disposal and everyday kitty litter duty.

Anyone who is on Pinterest has seen the tutorial on using an old Clorox wipes container as a pop-up plastic bag dispenser.  As much as I love Pinterest, I'm always a little skeptical that something is going to work until I am completely done with the project.

It really works.

The tutorial is here at Tater Tots and Jello.

As a side note, I'm using scrapbook paper (since I don't really have fabric around), and I easily put 14 bags in mine, not 12.  I also had a lot of usable bags (bags with holes went to the Giant to be recycled), so I started a second roll, and just put a rubber band around it until I have enough bags and another container.

They suggest stowing one in the car, but mine will be in my laundry room (until I can make a second) taking up far less room than the big ol' bag-o-bags did.  It will also open up a hook in the mud room for jackets, now that fall is around the corner.

It was really simple and I'm oddly satisfied with having done something from Pinterest, even something this easy.

*Pictures soon*

- M.

Meal Planning

In my not-so-humble opinion, meal planning is essential to maintaining a personal budget.  I actually learned this habit from Sara, who always pre-packed lunches for her internship our senior year.  She goes months sometimes without buying lunch out.  When I consider how much money that saves her just to plan lunch, it's pretty convincing.

Anyway,  because of our schedule, I end up planning almost every meal, as well as how Elliott will eat what Jason and I are eating.  I get stuck in ruts A LOT.  I thought I'd post our meal ideas to help my readers...reader?  Oh, who cares.

Note: On work days, I have an instant breakfast shake and toast or an English muffin.

Monday: Lunch (packed) - Turkey sandwich with mayo, tomato, and colby-pepper jack cheese.      
               Dinner (packed) - Steak salad with lime, oil, and vinegar dressing.

Tuesday: Breakfast - pancakes (it's my day off)
               Lunch - PBJ and mandarin oranges
                Dinner - Taco night! (Elliott will probably have veggies and a baby food.  Tacos are spicy.)

Wednesday: Lunch (packed) - Beef quesadilla with all the fixin's.
                    Dinner - Grilled cheese with tomato soup (topped with Hot 'n' Spicy Cheez-its)

Thursday: Breakfast - waffles (I have my Thursday mornings off too)
                 Lunch - Pasta and hot dogs (not together...)
                  Dinner - DIY (class night...I'm thinking Neato Burrito for Mama).

Friday: Lunch (packed) - Pasta with homemade red sauce; salad.
            Dinner - Pulled pork in the crock-pot

Not that any of these are intense meals, but our weeks are crazy.  The pulled pork recipe is from Real Simple, and it is amazing.

Do you meal plan?  What are some of your go-to-meals?

- M.

Mischief Managed.

With the new house, graduate school, and life in general, we came to the realization that we need to be better organized when it comes to schedules and keeping the house in order (read: livable for child and cat).  So, I investigated what goes into a House Management Binder.  I had seen them on Pinterest, but I wanted to know more.

Basically, there is no one-size-fits-all binder.  I looked at about 10 different styles and suggestions and found what might work for us.  It will also be a perpetual work in progress.  Right now, I'm getting ready for school and teaching for the fall.  In a few years, it will be Mr. Elliott who is attending school.  Things will change, our life is always in flux, so I made sure it was going to be a fluid organizer.  The suggestion here is just that: a suggestion.  Check out how others do it and perhaps you'll find that perfect set-up.

First, and this seems universal, you need a 3-ring binder.  I got a Martha Stewart one from Avery, which is sturdy and sophisticated:

I have it in the blue.

I'm using my favorite dividers (What is wrong with me?  Who has a favorite divider?!), which are Avery Style Edge Insertables, which even come with printable labels!  Woo-hoo!

Aside from that, I'm using print-ables from all over the internet.  I'll post those in the House = Home tab soon.

My sections are this:

(Not inside the other dividers)
 - Post-it Project Dock (I'll explain at a later date)
 - Daily Docket

Dividers:
 - Calendar: Schedules, week-at-a-glance, and anything else that is need to know about our day.
 - Finances: Budget sheets, bill checklists, and reference material (copies of important financial docs, car stuff, etc.)
 - Cleaning: Weekly cleaning checklist, as well as items for daily and monthly consideration.
 - Food: Meal planning worksheets, grocery lists (reusable), recipes for the week, and take-out menus.
 - Health: Health records and paperwork for every member of the family, including Barney.  Also, insurance info.
 - School: Paperwork I'd need to quickly reference about Penn State.  Later, I expect that this will be used for school items for Elliott.
 - Planning: Party planning worksheets, trip planning, holiday planning...you get it.
 - Reference: Phone numbers, birthdays / anniversaries, periodic table, measurements...all that stuff.

I'll go into more detail once I have more detail to give!  We'll also have house updates soon...you know, once we actually move in.

- M & J.

Independence or: Riding with Boys on Trains.

When you're a mom with a supportive, helpful husband, it's easy to become used to always having that extra pair of hands in unusual situations.  Going shopping?  It's easy with two people!  Need to run to Ikea?  No problem with Daddy along!  I'm sure this changes as you add more kids to the mix, but for now, this is my reality.

30th Street Station, Philadelphia

My sister comes home this weekend for her spring break and Easter vacation, and I wanted to surprise her at the airport with my parents and Elliott, of course.  However, Jason has to work, so we'll be using Amtrak to get to Harrisburg.  I've taken this train probably one hundred times, since I used it in undergrad and grad school.  However, I've never done it with an infant, stroller, car seat, and baggage in tow.  I booked my ticket, and I called Amtrak to ensure I can actually carry-on all the things I need to.  When I did, the Amtrak rep also added a note to my tickets that I would need assistance, so Elliott and I will get to board early and have someone to help me get him and his things on and off the train.  Jason helped me get into the station and such at Philly, and my dad would be on the other end to do the same thing, but there are certain places non-ticket holders can't go.  I'm so glad I called ahead.

Here's my plan:
 - I have a travel system, so the car seat and Elliott can ride right in the stroller.  I'll use a backpack as my bag (Jason will be down on Friday, so I just need the necessities), and Elliott's diaper bag.  The only thing I'll actually need to carry is the car seat base (so we can ride in the car once we get to Harrisburg).

 - I will pack as light as possible for myself.  Normally I'd need things to keep me occupied on the train, but I think I'll have enough to pay attention to.  If I have room / weight to spare, I may bring a book or some crochet for the car ride to Baltimore.  Maybe.

 - I also packed as light as possible for Elliott, which is a whole different definition of "light."  I'll suck it up and wash bottles as needed so I can bring fewer along.  Bottles probably take up the most space in a diaper bag.

 - I booked the train so it will be after Elliott's first nap, but at a time when a nap is possible.  If he doesn't nap on the train, he'll sleep on the way to Grandma and Grandpa's, or on the ride to Baltimore.  He has some guaranteed nap times, basically. He sleeps really well in the car, and a lot of the sources I've read say similar kids sleep well on trains. I know I do.  Perhaps he'll take a cat nap!  (Edit: Nope.  No train napping.  Too many stops for him to get settled.)

 - I also brought my wrap, just in case I needed to part with the car seat and stroller on the train itself.  He also enjoys being wrapped, so if he gets fussy, it will help. I didn't need to use it this time, but it's a great option to have.

So, let's review and add some tips:

1. Call ahead and let the train line know you'll need assistance. They were very helpful and it made transitions on and off the train very smooth. At Harrisburg, they even let my dad come down to the train to help me.

2. Book in advance, if possible. You don't want to schlep down to the station with all this gear in tow to find that the train is too crowded.

3. Now is a good time to learn about minimalism in your own packing. It really helped me figure out what I REALLY use on a trip and what I don't. It was more beneficial to pack extra books for Elliott than to pack an extra set of clothes for me.

4. Don't forget the car seat base! You'll need that once you get to your destination. If you travel with any frequency, a car seat bag might help with this awkward item.

I hope this helps. What do you do to make traveling with your little ones easier?

- M.

Preparedness Pays Off

Before Irene arrived, I wrote a post about how we were preparing for her wrath.  I have never been so glad I prepped for something in my life. 


(Following paragraph reposted from my other blog, Chex in the City.)


We decided against leaving, despite my parents' "invitation" (I think they were using Irene as an excuse to see Elliott).  Around 10pm on Saturday, I deeply regretted that decision.  The lights in our parking lot were out, so we couldn't see what was going on.  Our electricity stayed on (thank God), so at least we had the internet for information.  At about quarter to 2, just as I was drifting off to sleep in the living room, a strange alarm started sounding.  I woke Jason, who grabbed Elliott, and I attempted to wrangle Barney into his carrier, with no success.  Jason and I switched "dependents," and I got Elliott into his car seat.  I put my shoes on, grabbed the car keys and prepared to leave.  But hold on...what is this alarm for?  We had already experienced tornado warnings, so do we go to the basement, or was this flooding, in which case we should probably just chill on the 2nd floor.  Or, perhaps, was it a fire and if so, where do we go in this storm during a fire?  I looked out in the hall.  No one was leaving their apartments.  Hmm.  Jason finally got Barney into the carrier, and we pondered our next move.  Jason ran down to the lobby to see if anyone was down there and had more info.  He returned with the report: there was one guy downstairs just as confused as we were.  We headed back to the lobby, evac bag, baby, cat, and diaper bag in tow.  We were totally prepared to leave at any moment because of the storm.  After about 10 minutes in the lobby, where about 3 more sleepy people joined us, the alarm went off.  The firemen, who responded to the alarm, believed it was tripped by the weather.  Great.  So much for sleep. 


Jason and I spent the rest of the night watching Parks and Recreation on Netflix.  Elliott was pretty unfazed about the whole thing, and Barney just stayed close the rest of the day.  Around 4am, the storm calmed and we decided to go back to sleep.  In the light of day, we discovered that Evil Tree, whose branch had totaled my parents' car in April, had bit the dust, damaging nothing more than the fence it was adjacent to.  The tree was dead, or dying, so it's not surprising that it went.  The other trees, while they made us nervous, are very healthy, so they stayed strong.  

Good riddance, Evil Tree.

This week, we are looking forward to calm and beautiful weather, craft nights, getting back to work (La Salle cancelled Monday and Tuesday classes, so that won't be until Wednesday), and Labor Day weekend.  Elliott will get to meet his Great-Grandma Bebe, see Oma and Pappy again (my grandparents), as well as Grandpa Marc, Grandma Tay-Tay, Nana, and Grandpa Dave.  There might be some other family and friends involved, since this is our first trip "home" since he was born.  :)


How did you "weather" Irene?  We hope you stayed safe and dry.  


- J & M.  

Disaster Planning.

I have lived in the Mid-Atlantic region my entire life.  I was born in North Plainfield, NJ and moved to Mechanicsburg when I was 4.  I attended school in Philadelphia and Middletown (PA), and returned to Philadelphia when I got married.  I know what hazards we face here and how to prepare.  When a blizzard approaches, buy milk, bread, and eggs, and hope for the best.  If a tornado is possible, find an interior room and hope for the best.

That being said, I was and am very prepared for the disasters of this week.  I'm fascinated by geology and have been since I was about 8 years old.  I'm fully aware of what to do in an earthquake: Duck, cover, and hold.  In other words, get down under a piece of heavy furniture (a desk or table is good), and stay there until the shaking stops.  Don't run outside like a ninny.  You run the very high risk of something falling on you from the exterior of the building.  It seemed during our seismic event this past week that EVERYONE I talked to ran outside.  No!  Bad!  Don't do that!  Buildings here are grounded in solid bedrock and aren't going to just topple over because they're not built with earthquakes in mind.  You are safer inside.  Still, it was pretty scary when the earthquake happened because I didn't register what was going on right away.  I thought it was my neighbor walking upstairs.  It was only when Barney bolted under the bed and cried that I realized it was an earthquake.  Animals generally sense the ground movement earlier, especially cats and dogs (they can feel it in their paw pads!).  I ran back to Elliott, who was sleeping peacefully in the Pack 'n' Play, scooped him up, and got under the doorframe, mainly because there wasn't an easy piece of furniture to get under while holding an infant.

For this hurricane, we have taken a few precautions, since we decided to stay in our apartment (which is under no evacuation notices):
 - We moved our car far away from the scary trees.
 - We gathered important documents into a ziploc bag.
 - That bag is ready to go in our go-bag, which has some important items in case we do have to leave in a hurry.
 - Elliott's diaper bag is fully stocked and ready at a moment's notice.
 - We took everything off of our patio.  We don't want our things to become projectiles.
 - We are ready to gather Elliott and Barney at a moment's notice.

Preparedness is the most important thing in a situation like this, and I think we are ready.

Stay safe readers, and we'll see you on the other side of Irene (and this surprise long weekend; I was supposed to return to work on Monday, but they cancelled classes for Monday and Tuesday)

- J & M.

Smiles.

Elliott's all smiles at one month.

I was just reading over the last two posts I put up before vacation, and so much has changed in those almost-2-weeks.

First, the day mom came up to help was INCREDIBLY productive.  Before Jason even left for work at 1:30, he got a hair cut and got the oil changed in the car, and we at home reorganized the kitchen and started spaghetti sauce (I always make spaghetti sauce before vacation to take with us so we don't have to cook the first night...it's a big hit).  After he left, I went to Target for some last minute vacation stuff (a new tankini, sunblock, and other supplies) and I got my pedicure!  It was delightful.  When my pedicurist found out that I had just had a baby, she didn't believe me.  It's nice to be returning to pre-baby form so quickly.  I came home to a house that was vacuumed, dusted, and tidied.  How lovely!  Mom and I made pizza margherita for dinner and watched 30 Rock together before she left.  It was a lovely day.

My plan for Thursday was to get packed and prepped all day and go to bed early.  Well, Elliott wanted less nap time and more mommy time, so I didn't have a free moment  until about 8pm.  Jason and I gave E a bath and then prepped until his next feeding at 2am, then we all slept.  We woke up at 7:30 on Friday with intentions to leave at 9.  Ha!  We had enough trouble getting out the door on time with no kids, so right now, E just gives us a better excuse.  We finally got on the road at 10am (after a stop at Dunkin' Donuts) and had a fairly uneventful trip to Elizabeth City, where we stayed the night with Jason's family at a hotel to break up the trip.  This is tradition, not a new thing because of the baby.  We did hit a snag with the AC in the car; it just, essentially, got tired.  This resulted in sweaty parents and a cranky baby.  We made lots of stops so E could get changed and eat and get out of the car-seat (which if it's not moving, he really doesn't care for).  Once we got the hotel, we sponged him off, changed him from head to toe, and he was the happy E we love.

Elliott in his polo onesie at the wedding.

The ride to Avon was pretty good.  E was sleepy and sweet.  We couldn't get into the house until 4 (argh), so we squatted on our covered porch until the house was ready.  The rest of the week was relaxing and wonderful.  Some highlights:
  - Elliott is now smiling socially, not just due to gas.
  - Elliott turned one-month old.
  - We attended the wedding of family friends on the beach, and we had a great time.
  - Elliott started sleeping longer at  night!  It's not every night, but I can count on a few nights a week of 6+ hours in a row.  I don't want to call it "sleeping through the night," but we're getting closer.
  - Jason and I finally saw Harry Potter.  We had seen almost all the others on opening day or at midnight showings, but this year we were in labor when the movie debuted.
  - I read a ton and got some crocheting accomplished.

It was a great week.  The drive home was good, but long.  When we returned home, we discovered that the storms had knocked some of our power out...some things work and some don't.  We hope to have that resolved soon.  My parents visited yesterday to see Elliott, and Megan was finally able to meet him (she was in a German-language immersion program at Middlebury College in Vermont for the last seven weeks.)

School starts next week, so I'm sure we'll be busy around here.  I'm looking forward to the stimulation of work, but not the being-away-from-Elliott part.

His shirt says it all.

 - J & M.

Mmmm.

Today was a pretty good day.

Elliott napped a lot, providing me with the time to crochet, prep for vacation, and watch Downton Abbey.  He wanted to cuddle most of the evening, which was adorable.  When Jason got home, we gave him his first bath in his little whale tub, put Elliott in his jammies, and he went right to sleep.  Now Jason is making me fried brownies and Oreos.  Sounds gross?  Trust me...it's not.

- J & M.

35 Weeks

Look at that...I'm already posting again.

Yesterday marked the exact 35 week mark, but I generally blog on the days I have doctor's appointments, which was today.  From now on, I suppose, I'll be having Friday appointments.  Every week.  Until the baby is born.  Which could be three weeks from now.  Ack.

The doctor's appointment was normal, except for the addition of the Group B Strep test.  Now, so far, I have felt fairly well informed, and when I'm unsure of something, I simply ask or consult a couple of sources.  I thought I knew what Group B Strep was.  I was incorrect.  The nurse asked if the swab had been conducted, and I said no.  I assumed they swabbed the inside of my mouth.  So did Jason.  Without being vulgar...we were wrong.  Very very wrong.  We'll get the results back next week, and if I do have it, they just treat you for it while you're in labor.  I'll have an IV in anyway, most likely, so I won't even notice.  I just felt silly for not knowing more.

We also took our hospital tour today.  L&D at Penn is finishing some renovations, so there were work-people and construction stuff everywhere.  Things were sealed off so babies and mommas don't get all kinds of dust and stuff everywhere.  It was almost like being in a weird zombie L&D.  We saw a labor and delivery room, although the ones with jacuzzi tubs were filled (I hope to get one of those).  It's a pretty sizable room, and apparently I can have up to three support people with me at a time.  That being said, I have granted permission to a total of two people to be in the delivery room with me.  I guess if I'm in labor for a while, I'll have visitors.  We got a lot of questions answered and I feel a little more at ease with the whole thing.  I'm still nervous, don't get me wrong.  The last time I was in a hospital for medical care was 25 years ago when I was born.  I don't really remember the experience.  I'm getting better with needles, but I haven't shaken it totally yet.  However, I figure that lots of women do this every day, so I will be fine.  I need to go in with a positive, yet flexible attitude, and with the idea that labor won't last forever.

On another baby-related note, I recently ordered some nursing tops from the Gap, who was having a tremendous sale (I think I ended up saving 40 or 50 percent).  According to FedEx and the Postal Service, my package was delivered.  However, after an extensive search of the mail drop points around our apartment complex, my package is no where to be found.  My feelings are that either A) it was stolen   B) it was delivered to the wrong complex (there are a couple on our street...) or C) the post man is currently wearing my nursing tank-top.  I've spoken directly with the Postal Service and they are going to talk to the mail-person about where exactly the package was dropped.  Le sigh...I have a terrible feeling that I'm never going to see those tops.  : /

The next post will most likely be a shower post!  Pictures to come!  :)

- J & M.

The Wedding Planner

Jason, the moms, and I have made some great strides forward in the wedding planning department, which is incredibly exciting. Each little detail that falls into place makes the wedding itself even more real for both of us.

We booked the church and the reception hall. We have made some decisions on other vendors. I have my dress (which is b-e-a-utiful and I cannot wait to wear it). The bridesmaids are outfitted from head to toe. We are registered (Macy's and Target). Nancy has been designing up a storm and the Save the Dates are printed.

Much closer to the wedding, we are going to need the help of aunts, girlfriends, and cousins for the DIY projects I have planned. Bows to be tied, cards to be labeled, candy to be packaged.

Jason and I have also been working on our honeymoon (Disney cruise) and we are super psyched to spend our first week as husband and wife in the happiest place on earth!

Wedding Countdown: 250 days until the wedding!

- J & M