Beach Trip!

We took our last trip without diapers, a pack-n-play, a car seat, toys, and other baby "gear" this weekend. My granddad was celebrating his 80th birthday(!!) so we went down to Sunset Beach to spend the weekend with family. We had a great time, spending most of the day Saturday and part of Sunday morning at tbe beach . Saturday night we had a fun party with my granddad, spending quality time with the family. 5 of the 8 cousins were there, along with 3 of the 4 aunts and all 4 brothers! Sunset Beach is really nice. We'd never been there before but we really enjoyed it.

School has started for me and the past week has been a real whirlwind. At Open House on Monday I wished I had a shirt that said "I'm due on September 24...It's a girl...Her name is Isabella...I am feeling pretty good...yes it is hot...yes I am coming back to school after my maternity leave." I don't know how many times I said those responses! But it is sweet how excited people are for us and how many well-wishes we've received. Guilford Day threw us a shower last week and it was very touching. I am so lucky to work at such a wonderful school with such wonderful friends and colleagues! They pitched in to buy us a glider, which should arrive in the next week or two! Nick's coworkers also threw him a shower a couple of weeks ago, which was very sweet (and it was a surprize!). Although we are surrounded by people we work with every day that we know care for us, the amount of support and well wishes that we have received is still very moving.

Speaking of moving (of a different kind), Isabella is getting bigger and stronger! I can really feel her feet, knees, and elbows in my sides, mostly the top and right side of my belly. I'll be 36 weeks tomorrow and she's supposed to gain 1/2 a pound a week for the next 4 weeks! Sometimes I just don't think I can get much bigger...but I guess I can!

In other news, Snickers had a cyst removed from her paw this week. It was a trying afternoon for me because I had to pick her up from the vet by myself, get someone to help me get her into the Yukon (she doesn't really like jumping). And then...it started POURING down rain on the way home. Her bandages couldn't get wet, so when I got home, I had to go inside, get a bag and some string, then go back out to the truck, where Snickers didn't want to come close enough to me to put the bag on, but I finally got it on. And Snickers HATES the rain, so I had to really coax her out of the truck and we ran inside. Snickers is such a drama queen that she wouldn't stop whining about her misery, so I had to lock her on the porch for an hour because her whining was so annoying! Argh, that dog! We'll find out in a few days if her cyst was cancerous or not. Until then, we have to stare at the stitches on her foot. Hopefully she'll be ok.

The nursery is almost done! Nick painted the bookshelf this week and finished putting up the curtains. Oh and we got faux wood blinds to replace the broken shutters. We bought a rug but might take it back. I think we'll wait to make a decision until the glider arrives. I ordered a diaper bag, which was exciting!

Emily and Brent are throwing us a shower this weekend that we are looking forward to. Tricia and Jeremy are coming down from DC, which is exciting, and we're hoping that Janet and Cary will make it up from Charlotte. After Saturday we'll really know what other necessities that we need to buy before the big day. I can't believe that she's almost here! :)