NY Life Formal

It's not too often that a 9 month pregnant woman has the occasion to go to a formal event. Well, I did this past Friday!

NY Life hosted their annual awards and kick-off banquet. There were LOTS of awards. While Nate didn't win any this year (he only started this fall!), we are both motivated for next year!! I have to say, it was pretty fun getting all dressed up (in my one, knee-length dress. with ballet flats) for a night out. Nate and I enjoyed dinner, chatted with a bunch of his fantastic co-workers, delighted in how much better NY Life is than his previous company, and danced!

It's a pretty funny thing to see a 9 month pregnant woman dipped on a dance floor.

Harrisburg Baby Shower!

Laura is already so spoiled - and she hasn't even arrived yet!

We were honored with a fourth baby shower this weekend. Nate's parents arranged a truly lovely afternoon in Harrisburg, where we were showered with even more gifts for our little girl.

And we got some great stuff! Adorable outfits (in some bigger sizes!), diapers, bottles... and best of all, the Pack'N'Play and rocking chair we had wanted so much!

After the shower, Nate and I had dinner with his parents, brother and sister so I could help celebrate Maria's 21st birthday. Dinner was very yummy, and it was great helping Maria pick out fun drinks from the menu!

Hopefully the next time we see Nate's family, we'll be able to show off our little girl!! Two weeks from today until her due date!

Happy 21st Maria!

Nate's sister, Maria, celebrated her 21st birthday this weekend. Nate joined the rest of the BadFam in Pittsburgh for the celebration. I'm told that the German bar they went to was a lot of fun, complete with gigantic beer steins!

Since we are rapidly approaching Baby Laura's due date (three weeks from today!), I stayed home. But I wish I could have been there to join in the festivities. Happy Birthday Maria!

Happy New Year!!

And what a great year 2010 will be!! Nate and I will meet our precious little Laura THIS YEAR! A little nervous? Of course! But we could not be more excited for this new chapter in our life together.

So here's a toast to all our friends and family:

May you have a wonderful, happy and healthy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

This was our last Christmas with just the two of us... but you can see that Laura was right there with us for every minute of the fun!

Nate and I began our Christmas celebrating in PA with his family. This was my first family away from home, and I was a little nervous about it. So you can imagine how touched I was that my mother-in-law went out of her way to make Christmas feel like the ones I grew up with - complete with Chinese for dinner on Christmas Eve! Nate's family is wonderful, and we had a great time celebrating with them.

On Saturday, Nate and I drove back to Maryland laden down with fabulous gifts. My parents and younger siblings were driving down from MA to spend a few days with us, since I couldn't brave an 8-hour car ride this year.I cooked my first Christmas dinner, and had fun serving it in my delightfully Christmas-y dining room - fancy china and all! Dinner was great, but seeing my family was even better. And the gifts kept flowing! My family stayed till Wednesday morning after a wonderful visit!

Merry Christmas!!

Let it snow!

I haven't seen this much snow in years! Nate and Ries have been having a ball playing in the mounds. It certainly is beautiful out there!

BadBash 2009

Another year, another great party!

Nate, Riesling and I hosted our annual holiday party on December 12th. Like so many years before, there was good food, yummy punch, and a host of great friends. We love seeing everyone in their holiday finest each year! And this year was no different.

I almost think this year was even more fun, with babies and toddlers joining our ranks. Owen and Caroline gave Nate and I a good idea of how much baby-proofing is in our near future. Riesling got a good taste of tiny tots as well - and loved it! Jackson was adorable in his reindeer slippers, even if he's not quite old enough to understand the fuss. Our party next year will be even more fun with Laura around!!

And yes, we're already planning next year's party :-)

Let's go for a stroll!

With our new stroller and carseat!! Laura's dolly is modeling the car seat for you:
Laura's stroller/carseat combo arrived in the mail the other day. We are very excited to have it all ready for our little girl. We would also like to thank Grammy for getting it for us. We have such a great family!

Childbirth Class

What fun! Nate and I got to spend an entire weekend at the hospital for a childbirth education class!

Actually, for a class that went from 9:30 to 3:30 during precious weekend hours, it wasn't so bad. Most of the information is common sense stuff, but still good to hear. Nate and I most enjoyed the hospital tour. It's nice to become a little more familiar with the place where our child will be born. And very nice to know exactly where we are supposed to go when the BIG DAY arrives!

While we are feeling more prepared for Laura's arrival, here's hoping we still have a few weeks!