29 weeks and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Well, the holidays are now behind us (although we have one last night of Hanukkah to celebrate tonight!) but what a great Hanukkah and Christmas it was!! In the week before Christmas we had a door decorating contest at work, an over-the-top work holiday party, and tons of work treats of all sweet sorts (you'll see the picture of Meghan's mustache cookies!).  I didn't win the door decorating contest (with a door titled "It's Raining Men(orahs)"), but I did tie for second place.  The door was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself - you can check out a photo on my facebook page. 

Last week I spent a couple of days before Xmas in Maine with my godmothers and my mom - baking, listening to Christmas carols on loop, and bickering about various things (no, Kelly's cookies do NOT have alcohol in them MOM!).  Kelly's famous cookies arrived right on time and we added her delicious cookies to our gluttonous cookie stash (you'll see the picture of the hilarious cookie bag decorations that Kelly's mom Jensie helped with!) - the big winners this year were the honey cookie and the white chocolate cranberry... but all were pretty amazing!  Rich joined us on Saturday in time to catch an excellent Pats game, snack on our various sweet labors, and pig out on Christmas dinner.  Sunday we spent the whole morning opening a truly amazing stack of presents - once again everyone was spoiled in the best possible way.  After a late breakfast we took off for Cambridge to join the Foster/Burke/Diallo/Parizale family for their festivities.  As always, Rich's mom is an amazing cook and we fattened ourselves up just a little bit more.  Pnut got some great gifts from his uncles and aunties (aunties and uncles in Boston, aunties in DC, aunties aunites everywhere!) - he was totally spoiled before he is even out and about!!!  It was a great Hanukkah and a fabulous Christmas!

There are so many people who get super stressed out about the holidays, but I love love love them.  This year was no exception.  I love being able to spend special time with my friends and family, treating each other to special trinkets and yearly-awaited gifts (whether something big or something small), and just setting aside time to laugh with each other.  Rich and I so very lucky to be surrounded by amazing women and men in our lives - my godmothers, my mom, and all of Rich's family have done so much for us over the years, and have already been so generous with pnut.  Thank you to everyone who made this holiday as special as ever - and thank you to my husband and our families who make our traditions work, even it if means taking a train and then a two hour drive, eating a little bit later, or opening presents a day later.  We can't wait til pnut can celebrate our traditions with us!!  Only 11 weeks to go... can't believe how fast time has flown!

27 weeks - Happy Birthday (and happy DC shower) to me!

I'm still waiting for more pictures from this past week/weekend, but for the time being - here's the recap with a couple of snapshots.

Last week was my birthday!! I am officially 30 for the 3rd time :)  Most of you already know how much I love my birthday, but what do you do to celebrate when you're 6 1/2 months pregnant?  You can't celebrate with drinking or dancing or partying until the late late hours.  So what then? I'm not going to lie, I was initially concerned about how much fun could actually be had on my birthday.  But you know what you do when you love your birthday and you can't do any of those things?  You celebrate with friends and loved ones. I am so grateful for the people in my life.  My friends and family from around the country showered me with so many well wishes (and SONGS) and thoughtful gifts (helloooooo salon time, lotions and potions, flowers, chocolate, pastries, etc).  My Boston-based friends and wonderful husband treated me to a very tasty/expensive dinner, gave me some awesome gifts (candy, earrings, makeup, ipod chargers, oh my!!), and kept me laughing while we were sweating in the northeast's warmest winter restaurant (whyyyy do you have a restaurant in the basement with no ventilation?!?)  Despite the 85 degree temperature, I had a fabulous time.

The following day Rich and I packed up and flew down to DC for round two of birthday fun and round one of baby showers. Margo, Shelley, and Kelly put together such a great shower.  The food was SO good (buffalo chicken dip, cinnamon swirls, and cookies with JAM!), and it was such a nice group of some of my favorite ladies.  Rich and I (and pnut) were spoiled ROTTEN.  Among some of our special gifts - Jensie made us a beautiful baby blanket - so sweet it brought me to tears - and Nini bought Rich is very own manly diaper bag.  But the MOST awesome gift (sorry everyone) was the prenatal massage that Margo, Shelley, and Kelly treated me to on Sunday (A-mazing.)

Saturday night we met up with the boys (who had been hanging out at the firing range all day skeet shooting), had dinner at PF Changs, and then GAMES at Dave and Busters.  For those of you unfamiliar with Dave and Busters picture a giant arcade... now picture a bar... now put them together.  SO.MUCH.FUN.  Plus you win tickets.  This is pretty much my heaven (and Rich's - except the Pats would be playing 24-7 and there would be steak).  We stayed until they kicked us out at 1am - that's right, pregnant and all, I played game after game after game until 1am, and loved EVERY single minute of it.

Sunday morning I had my massage - it was the most wonderful experience and something I strongly suggest for everyone (pregnant or not!).  Then Shelley and Kelly took me out to lunch (mmm...nachos) and then off to shop! Finally, having shopped ourselves out (well... sort of) we met up with the boys at a bar in Friendship Heights to watch some football.  Sadly, the weekend had to come to an end, so I packed up all my new treasures, hysterically said goodbye to my friends, and came back home. It was a wonderful weekend.

I am lucky to have such amazing people in my life.  I'm not sure I tell them all enough - but I am so grateful for and so touched by everyone's love and support.  It was incredibly difficult for me to leave DC - as it was incredibly difficult for me to leave Seattle the last time we were there (both involved significant amounts of crying).  I love you all so very very much.  Thank you for being important parts of my life, Rich's life, and now pnut's life.  This is one lucky 'nut indeed!!!

25 weeks and suddenly a much rounder lady!

I had every intention of posting last week, but it's amazing how quickly time slips away!! Let's see - newest updates.  I have officially "popped".  For those of you unfamiliar with this process, this is how it works: two weeks ago, tiny belly.  A week later, it looks like I've smuggled a basketball under my shirt.  It's incredibly bizarre how it all happens.  I am grateful that I no longer look like I hit up the cookie tin a few too many times, but I have officially lost the ability to see my feet when I stand up straight.

Rich has finally been able to feel pnut kicking - which makes us both so happy (now I'm not the only one who gets to feel his soccer skills) - and Julia even got to feel it too!! He's definitely got the rolling around/kicking business perfected - I'm just hoping he keeps those cute little legs OUT of my ribs. I'm hoping that my DC crew will get to feel something when Rich and I are in town next weekend (for my 33rd birthday!!! HOLY COW!)

Since the last post, pnut has been to his first Pats game.  For the record, I will never purchase seats in the second to last row of the stadium unless I am in desperate need of some serious cardio.  Walking up and down 50+ stairs every time you need to use the ladies room, get something to drink, or get that warm pretzel you see everyone eating is serious dedication to attending a game.  Pnut also celebrated his cousin's christening (congrats Noah!!) and Thanksgiving at Glenn Terrace - both of which included delicious snacks that the entire Parziale/Astion family enjoyed greatly.

As always, we are incredibly grateful for everyone's love, support, and (ESPECIALLY) hand-me-downs.  We got a fresh new batch of goodies from Seattle (thanks to Rae, Justin, and the ladies!!) and have a bunch waiting for us in Cambridge, Wilmington, and New York.  We are a lucky lucky group - this pnut is already so loved.  We will owe everyone at least one nice dinner and many MANY hugs.

I promise to post after next weekend's trip (and DC baby shower!!).

Much love!!

Pnut's First Post - 23 weeks

Hello all!! 

Over two years ago my cousin was kind enough to create a blog when she was pregnant with her girls.  It is such a nice treat to be able to keep in photo/story/video contact on a regular basis (in addition to our phone conversations) - and since Rich and I have so many friends and family who don't live in the Boston area I thought it might be something nice for us to do as well!! Here it goes! 

This week pnut (aka Baby Boy Parziale)  is officially 23 weeks!  After many weeks of being concerned that I wasn't feeling his kicks, I can happily say that I've been feeling his boxing skills for the last couple of weeks.  It's a totally bizarre feeling, awesome, encouraging, but bizarre regardless.  Rich talks to his son every night - tells him how much he loves him, how much he can't wait to meet him, to stop making mommy so sick.  It might be the cutest thing I've ever seen.  If I'm excited, there are no words to describe how excited Rich is.  Pnut already has a Patriots onesie, a Bass Pro Shops onesie, and an AC/DC onesie - clearly Rich's purchases :)

In body updates, I'm definitely looking pregnant, complete with mini pregnancy waddle.  I finally had to break down and buy clogs (my cousin is smiling as she reads this, I am SURE).  I needed a comfortable slip on shoe that I could wear with socks during the winter.  After years of urging on Rae's part, and running out of other options, I gave the Dansko a shot.  You know what?  There's a reason people wear them.  They're REALLY comfortable.  My feet, back, legs have not been disappointed. 

Other than that, things are good.  Some common pregnancy complaints, but as long as pnut and I stay healthy I will thank every lucky star. 

I will try to update on a regular basis - depending on anything exciting going on - or any new adventures.  And I'll be better about taking pictures, Rich and I have been slacking until now :)