Waiting and waiting and waiting for baby

This baby was a tease!  I started having contractions 3 weeks before my due date, yet no baby!  My mom and Mike were here to play the waiting game with us.  It was fun to get to do things with them and they were kind enough to help us get some things done around the house (kitchen, entry way, living and family rooms all have fresh paint--no more purple or salmon colored walls!!!).  But perhaps the most fun was the day trips they were able to take with Grace.  Here is what we did while we were waiting...

A trip to Estes Park for fishing followed by fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park

A few trips to Spring Canyon Park

Grace had a visit to Bounce! in Loveland and lunch at Sonic with Mama and Papa Mike

We started swim lessons with daddy

Mama, Papa Mike, and Grace had a trip to the farm while Mark and I had a date night :-)

We hiked to Horsetooth Falls (Yes!  I hiked at 38 weeks pregnant--I was desperate to get baby out!)

We got overtired...refused to go to take a nap...and fell asleep sitting up in the hall

(Seriously!  She's sleeping here!!!)

We set up the pool and sprinkler in the front yard to cool off from our heat wave (90+ degrees more days in a row than I care to remember--not good for a preggo woman's ankles...oops, I mean cankles!)

A trip to Poudre Canyon to throw rocks while Papa Mike fished

More water time in the front yard (we were waiting for a really long time!!!)

A trip to Loveland Lake

Complete with a ride on the train they have at the park there...

Feasting Fort Collins with Alice and Richey

A visit the Children's Museum in Denver

Quiet time with Daddy

That was a lot of pictures!  Yes...we waited a VERY long time for baby to make her appearance!

Girl Time

After school on Tuesday, Grace and I had a "girls' evening" with Mama.  My mom and I both needed a pedicure and we decided that it was time that Grace enjoyed one too.  She loved every minute of it!  She had to sit on the edge of her seat to get her feet in the water and eventually just stood in it.  She was very apprehensive when the woman started working on her feet but loved the purple sparkly nail polish.  Much to all of our surprise the woman also did Grace's finger nails--complete with little white daisies.  It was supposed to be a treat when she stopped sucking her thumb--oops!

When we got home we planted flowers in our pots.  Grace loved donning her gardening gloves and making the front porch pretty!

It's great to have Mama here!

Four's Class!

On Tuesday, Grace started transitioning to the 4's class (it goes by their 1/2 birthdays).  She's been ready to transition for some time, as many of her friends already have.  Right now it's been nice because she gets to spend time with her friends in the 3's and then goes into the 4's for a few hours.  I think she'll really miss the kids still in the 3's and definitely will miss her teachers.  You can tell from the pictures though that she was pretty excited on Tuesday!

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a great, relaxing Memorial Day weekend.  We had no plans and then last Thursday as we sat in the waiting room waiting for my 37 week appointment we talked about driving into the mountains.  Then we had our appointment and learned that things were progressing.  I had indeed been feeling contractions all week and was almost 3 cm dilated.  So we decided to stay closer to home.  It was really nice just hanging out and giving Grace some time with mommy and daddy before our world changes. 

Saturday we headed to Old Town in the morning and had a great time wandering in shops, getting a snack, and enjoying our great town.  We also got some new patio furniture for our front porch.  I'd been wanting to get some since we first moved here and as I've been nesting, I was able to sell some items on Craig's List so we used the proceeds to outfit the porch.  I'm in love with being able to sit outside, have a cold lemonade, smell the flowers, feel the breeze, and watch Grace play.  It's divine!

 

We spent Sunday morning cleaning and then Mark's boss and his family, who were in Colorado vacationing, stopped by for an afternoon cookout.  They have 3 kids (9, 6, and 1).  Grace loved playing with the big girls and doting over the baby.  It was a fun afternoon.

Monday Mark and Grace went for another hike to the waterfall and then we welcomed my mom and Mike.  They weren't planning on coming out until this weekend but with my progress and the contractions I was feeling on Friday they decided to take off early.  Grace couldn't be happier and my stress over going into labor before they got here is gone.  Our final highlight of the evening was the chimes of the ice cream truck.  A few weeks ago Mark and I hid away a few dollars just in case an ice cream truck came our way (we never have cash on us).  Well, Monday night around it came.  Grace had no idea what to make of it and I definitely think I was more excited than she was but she certainly liked the treat she got!

 

Cousins

My cousin, Joey, lives near us.  Grace LOVES her daughter, Alice.  Can you tell they have fun together?