"Beauty Shop"

I've been busy doing chores around the house.  Maddie came up to me and asked me for "a bowl of water so Grace can soak her fingers."  What?!?  I asked what they were planning to play in the basement and she, very matter-of-factly replied "Beauty Shop."  Please understand that I've never taken them to the beauty shop.  Sure, they know I go there.  I get a pedicure regularly.  But there is something very perceptive about Miss Maddie. I went downstairs a few minutes ago to check on the progress and the pictures above show what I found. 
Several things stand out to me in these pic's.  1) Maddie is taking her job very seriously.  She's really getting in there and working to make Grace's feet beautiful!  2) Grace is EATING IT UP.  She is thoroughly enjoying herself and the relaxation that comes with someone making your toes look better.  And finally 3) I don't know how she knows this, but Maddie even brought in a few books/magazines for Grace to peruse while she's being serviced!  This cracked me up the most :-)
Madeline sure is growing up.  We registered her for Kindergarten this morning.  It was bittersweet (but heavier on the sweet).  Life is about to change in more ways than one. 

Workin' on the nursery...

I know I look super tired in these pic's but this is what we did Sunday afternoon :)  The baby's room is really starting to come together!!

Dresses & Inchworms

This week seemed to fly by!  The girls and I found a great deal on dresses this week so that's why I took a pic of them before school Monday.  They looked so cute!  Then, the big thing on the playground at school were inchworms.  I took pic's of the ones we have brought home and are now living in a jar next to our coffee pot :)
On another note, I had a doctors appointment this week and everything is going along as it should.  Mason gave a huge kick while we were listening to his heartbeat.  Even Gabe saw my whole tummy jump from across the room!  I've got 9 weeks until my due date and 7 weeks until he's considered full term.  Time is ticking down.  I'm working on the nursery every day and will hopefully have pictures of the finished product this week.
Happy Sunday!

Happy Easter!!!

Pictures at Fort Point

In each of my pregnancies I've had the opportunity to go home to California for a visit.  When I was pregnant with Maddie, the thought crossed my mind to go to one of my favorite spots in San Francisco, Fort Point.  It almost feels like a secret place :)  It's under the Golden Gate Bridge in the Presidio and it's a place I grew to know and love while I was in college there.

The picture on the far left, is me pregnant with Maddie.  I'm 28 years old and it is June 2006.  I had come home for a visit and for my baby shower that my Aunt Susan was throwing for both me and my sister-in-law Jen.  I remember it being such a fun, special trip.  The same week I came home, Gabe and I had moved into our very first home.  He stayed in Virginia and unpacked most of our belongings!  I remember feeling like life was pretty spectacular.  All I had ever wanted was to be a mom and it was finally happening.

The middle picture is me pregnant with Gracie.  It is my 30th birthday; March 2008.  My Mom, Jer, Maddie and I had all ventured into the city to go see an Annie Leibovitz exhibit at the Legion of Honor.  It's what I wanted to do on my big 3-0!  I remember it being a beautiful day but I also remember feeling somewhat exhausted from taking care of a 17 month old while pregnant.  At the time Gabe stayed in Virginia/North Carolina to go to a dog show and to work.  I remember feeling sad that he wasn't there for my birthday but I also remember that almost every day of that visit, a present showed up at my Mom's from him; a Coach purse, a gigantic cookie, flowers, a Nintendo DS (It's what I wanted; honestly!).  I also remember that on that trip was the first time Maddie's hair fit into a real ponytail.  She seemed so big.

The picture to the far right is me pregnant with Mason.  I am 33 years old (1 month before turning 34) and it is February 2012.  On this day it is only Gabe and I.  We are off on an adventure; both of us doing something we've never done before.  Gabe has just finished his first tour on Alcatraz; he loved it, it was a lot too much walking for me.  We ate lunch before the tour where I had my first experience having Dim Sum.  We ate at Hop Sing and it was fantastic.  I am in love with steamed pork buns.  We had a really amazing day and it stands out in my mind.  When this picture was taken, we had only known for 2 weeks that we were having our first boy.  I think my mind was still reeling from that reality.  On the airplane to get to California, Grace leaned over and hugged my tummy and said "Hi Baby Mason."  Gabe and I looked at each other and decided that Mason would be his name.  We were probably somewhere over Colorado :)

I'm proud of these pictures.  I just love, love, love capturing memories through photos.  I'm surprised as I sit typing this how much I remember about each of those time periods in my life.  They are all special and I'm grateful.  I'm officially 29 (almost) weeks pregnant which means time is winding down on all this.  I'm getting excited to meet this little guy and terrified of labor/no sleep/etc. at the same time.  I'm focusing on the positives though and fighting the fears :)