Take Scoop to Work Day

Last Friday was national Take Your Dog to Work Day and you know I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take Scoop to the office. A couple of my coworkers bring their dogs in from time-to-time and I've been waiting for a good day to bring Scoop. She was mostly good, but she wanted to run all around the building and into people's offices and check things out. And if I got her to relax and lay down and chew on her stick, she'd hear one of the other dogs move and go running in their direction.

At the computer

Teasing Yogi with her chew stick

She got antsy sitting my lap so I set her on the desk and she enjoyed looking out the window for a while

Messing with Bear

Scooper Dog lasted about half the day at work, and then spent the rest of the day playing with Sierra and Warren. Not a bad dog day!

Baby Pool

Well, it seems as though Chris and I have finally settled on a name for Miss G, and just in time, too! At 37 weeks, I am considered full term and she could arrive at any time! But, it could also be another four weeks ... what do you think? We created a baby pool for you to weigh in, and there just may be a prize for the person who comes the closest.

Go here to cast your vote!

This and That

After all of our shower company left, we got some more company for a few days ... Scoop's best buddies Sierra and Warren came to stay while Erin and Sandor went to a wedding. Scoop thought it was pretty great. Even though there were enough beds for all the dogs to have their own, she couldn't bear to sleep that far away from Sierra.

On Saturday, Chris and I took what is most likely our last little trip before the baby arrives and spent the day in Quincy. I went to a baby shower for my friend Julia while he hit some golf balls with some of the other husbands. Julia, another friend Jenny who co-hosted the shower and me are due in back-to-back-to-back months. I haven't seen the picture of the three of us yet, but I did get a picture of a deer as we left the shower. After that we had dinner with Mom and John and John's sister and brother-in-law who were visiting. The day before was my Mom's birthday - Happy Birthday Mom! The trip was too short to see everyone I wanted to see in Q-town, but hopefully we can go back with Miss G later in the summer.

We were also treated this week to a quick visit from Andrea on her way to D.C. by way of Elko. We had girls night on Monday and it was great to visit. Chris also got to see her before she left at lunch on Tuesday. It's always a good time hanging out with my old roomie and it makes me a little sad we won't see her and Jeremy as often now that they'll be on the other side of the country. Especially since our little ones will be so close in age (in the picture, I'm 36 weeks and Dre is 22). I am happy that she will get to be so close to the V-Team and my sister, though!
I guess that just about sums up our last week or so. Chris and I have spent this evening out on our patio, where I'm writing this now. It's been really hot this week but the evenings are cooler and right now we can see all kinds of stars and hear crickets chirping. It's really nice and I'm looking forward to many more nights out here.

Time

Once upon a time, my cousin Lindy and Scott were married, and Mena and I were lucky to be there as a part of their day (and, of course, Niana, Lindy's twin sister).

As it happened, Chris and I were married one week after Lindy and Scott celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary. Their son David, then 7, was our ring bearer.

And now, Chris and I are expecting a baby of our own and, wouldn't you know it? David's 10th birthday fell on the day of our shower! Can you believe the timing? (Also, I can't believe he's 10 already!)

He celebrated the weekend before at home, but we wanted to make sure his birthday wasn't forgotten in the chaos of the shower, so we got him an Xbox 360 cake, which was a hit! David's a great kid and it was really nice to have him stay with us for a couple days.

Showered with love

We had our Reno shower last weekend, and it was amazing. My Mom came, and my Dad and Deb, and my cousins ... and best of all, my sister surprised me by flying in from DC! Everyone kept it a secret from me, and I got a little suspicious on Thursday but I really truly thought Chris was going to play basketball when he left the house Thursday night and had no idea he was going to the airport to pick Mena up.

Saturday was the day of the shower, and Scoop greeted everyone in her new T-shirt.

Mom, Deb, Mena and Dad did a really great job with food and decorations and I didn't have to do a thing. My cousins helped set everything up, too, while I was getting ready, and I came downstairs to a room full of 100 balloons! It was great. Lots of friends came over from the shower, from here and from Quincy, and I know I've said it before but it's just overwhelming how much support Chris and I have had and how much love there is for Miss G already. She is going to be one lucky baby.

Isn't the welcome sign cool? It matches the invitation!

Cousins! Niana, me, Mena, Lindy and Tanya

Mom, me and Mena

Chris, me, Dad and Deb

We had such a great time seeing everyone and are so thankful for everyone who came to celebrate with us! We are now less than 5 weeks away from the due date - can you believe it! So exciting!

34 weeks

Hello friends. This week I am 34 weeks, and, thankfully everything is still going well. I'm a little more tired and have a little more heartburn, but otherwise feeling good. I'm now very obviously pregnant and strangers like to stop me and ask me when I'm due (among other things). It's hard to believe we're getting so close! We feel very blessed at all the love everyone has already shown for Baby Gabel - earlier this week my coworkers surprised me with a little shower, and this weekend my family is throwing us a shower. We are so excited to see friends and family members and prepare to welcome Miss G! Oh, and on Friday our friend Julie took some beautiful maternity pictures for us. If you haven't seen them yet, you can find some here.

The trip that wasn't

I was supposed to spend today in Sacramento for training for work. My doctor, somewhat hesitantly, gave me the green light to make the 2.5-hour trip when I told her Chris would be going with me. But she did mention I wouldn't want to get stuck in a storm or something on the pass and not be able to get to a hospital if I started having early contractions or anything. But we were leaving June 1. JUNE. Weather wouldn't be a problem, right? We had plans to meet Miguel for dinner, who coincidentally was visiting friends in Sacramento during his trip to Cali. And thought we might hit up PBKids and Ikea on our way home. Even though it was a work trip, we were looking forward to it.

This is what it looked like from my desk just before I left work at 3. That's sunshine and blue skies between those trees. I checked road conditions: all clear.
On the way it was raining-snowing, but roads were clear. At first.

The closer we got to Truckee, the harder it was snowing, and sticking. Chains were required. We pulled over. And I was too nervous to keep going ... although we could probably have chained up and gotten through the pass okay, it was supposed to continue snowing and I was worried about how much worse it wold have been to come home tonight. So I checked with work, and we turned around and came home. We were really bummed to miss Miguel, but I'm glad we came back - I would have been a nervous wreck the whole drive.

The whole ordeal wore Chris and Scoop out.

Dear spring: please come back soon, and stick around a while.