A Relaxing Weekend for the Terrys

Dear Baby Bug-

We have had such a nice, relaxing weekend which we needed after this VERY busy week! After the craziness (and fun) of last weekend, it didn't slow down and by Friday, Mommy was exhausted! We had our first childbirth class on Wednesday and even though it's scary, Bug, it doesn't make me want you out of me any less! Thursday we went and watched your cousin Casey in the middle school production of The Wizard of Oz and Friday we went to Daddy's basketball game. Although his team played hard, they didn't quite pull out a win. Daddy is getting ready for his Regionals this week and plays a team he has never played before on Monday. If they win, they will be playing the same team they played on Friday. He is very stressed out and we are just hoping that his team continues to play hard to finish out his first season as a head coach.

Yesterday we spent the whole day relaxing before getting ready to go to our friends Josh and Trisha's housewarming party. They built a beautiful new house about a half hour away from us and we finally got to go and see it. There were lots of fun people there and we had a wonderful time talking and eating. Everyone that we talked to last night is very excited for you to get here and I can't believe it could be in just 8 weeks! We are growing bigger and bigger together, Bug, and here are some pictures of Mommy's belly at 32 weeks taken last night before the party:




Today has been another lazy day. Daddy has a pizza party with his basketball team tonight and I am thinking about doing some shopping for you later. We still need some furniture and shelves for your room, so I may run to Target to see what I can find. I also have some coupons for some cute baby stores that are going to expire, but I am not sure I feel like a trip to the mall. We'll just have to wait and see how the rest of the afternoon goes. This week will be another busy week, but those busy weeks make the time between now and meeting you go so much faster! I love you, Bug, and I will talk to you in another couple of days!

Exploring All of Your Shower Gifts

Dear Baby Bug-

Boy did you make a haul this weekend! You got so much stuff and although Mommy saw everything as I opened it, I really got the chance to go through everything today and appreciate all of the wonderful things people gave to us. I wanted to show you everything from everyone so that you can see this when you get older, so here you go!



Here is your ladybug hamper and umbrella stroller from Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Walter, Great Aunt Molly, Great Uncle Jeff, Mattia, Kylee, Kabrea, and Jadison. That umbrella stroller is what was cleverly disguised in Great Grandpa's weed whacker box!



Here is your fully constructed stroller and car seat from Alta, Irma, Mary, Wilma, LaVera, Melanie, Ella, Charlene, and Michele. We can't wait for you to be here so that you can ride around in style!



This gift was from Wanda and Marge and it included your tummy comfort seat, some cozy pajamas and a Boppy slipcover. Daddy was very excited about the comfort seat- he can't wait for you to use it!



This gift card and blanket are from Mommy's third grade teacher Sheila Gregg. Mommy can't believe how lucky she is to stay in touch with so many of her former teachers- I only hope that you have teachers in your life that make as much of an impact on you as teachers like Mrs. Gregg made on me!



This cute outfit, pair of shoes, and stuffed bunny are from Mommy's fourth grade teacher, Marlene House. See what I mean, Bug? Mommy has had some wonderful teachers who have remained friends for her whole lifetime!



These outfits, onesies, pajamas, and cool pink shoes are from Great Aunt Marti and your cousins Brooke and Jess. Brooke is getting married this summer and the whole family is busy making plans for her wedding. We can't wait to go and hope to spend lots of time with them this summer!



These diapers, onesies, and pants are from our good friend Leslie. Leslie has been a very important part of our lives since before Mommy was born and is a great friend from church. Leslie plays the violin and even played her violin in Mommy and Daddy's wedding. We are so happy that she could come to your shower and we can't wait for you to meet her!



This gift if from Mommy's dance friend (and good friend from high school) Jen. She got you a bunch of stuff for your diaper bag and is even sending Mommy a beautiful bag from 31! Mommy can't wait to see it and carry all of your stuff around in style!



These outfits, lotion, and baby wash are from your cousin Carol. Carol did you a big favor by getting you some things that you can wear once you get a little bigger and I can't wait to put you in this when you are 24 months old!



Your Great Aunt Lori and cousins Kristen and Kimberly got you your bottle warmer and some burp cloths. Great Aunt Lori lives not too far from Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Rand but Kristen and Kimberly live all the way in Arkansas- that is a long ways away! We hope to see their whole family at some point this summer so that we can introduce you to them!



This gift card is from Aunt Lou and Uncle Bernard who still affectionately refer to you as "Bernadette Louise." Don't be surprised if they refer to you as BLT no matter what name we end up giving you! They had a chance to go to Florida this week and we are happy that they are enjoying the sunshine even though we missed Aunt Lou at the shower!



This gift card was from our lake neighbor, Dot. We can't wait to spend time with Walt, Dot, Steve and Linda this summer when the weather is nice!



This picture frame and ladybug book is from Mommy's fifth grade teacher Sharon Parker. Sharon is a great friend of Aunt Lou and Uncle Bernard's. If you look closely, Bug, there is a baby picture of Mommy in that frame! She also wrote you a thoughtful poem which Mommy is saving for you for when you get older.



Here is a super fun gift from Grandma Carol that included some books, ladybug washcloths, Daddy bibs, a beautiful sweater with matching hat, a cute bug plate, and your puppy purse. :)




This great gift is from your cousins Cheri, Tony, Jayce and Cameron. We love going to their restaurant to eat and can't wait until you are here so that we can take you there when we visit Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Rand. It was Cameron's birthday this weekend, so their family was busy celebrating lots of things!



This gift is from your Great Aunt Wanda and your cousins Stephanie and Amy. Stephanie lives pretty far away and Amy couldn't make it to the shower, but we so appreciate the gift and were very glad that Great Aunt Wanda was there to celebrate with us!



Do you see all of the nice things in this picture, Bug? Lindsay MADE everything that you see! I am so excited to put you in that little ladybug dress and the cart cover will come in so handy when we go get groceries! Lindsay and Adam did a great job with your shower gift but I have an idea that we need to give Lindsay most of the credit for this one! :)




These super cute shirts, pink coat, diapers, and wipes are from Cecilia, Sheila, and Joni. I can't wait for you to wear that coat, Bug, because I have one almost like it! We'll be twins and the good thing is that you will be too young to care if we dress alike!



This super cute gift is from Staci, Erin, Allison, and Olivia. Staci was the only one able to come to the shower, but she did a great job picking out this fun gift for you! Staci gave Mommy another great gift this weekend and fixed her hair for her- something that is VERY important to keep up with!



This gift was actually addressed to Daddy from Ethan and Cameron. They know how much your Daddy LOVES the Dallas Cowboys and Superman, so they found the perfect clothes to dress you in! We can put you in your Cowboys shirt and you can watch football with Daddy all day on Sundays for the rest of your life!



Ok, Bug, this has to be one of my most favorite things that you have received so far. I have been telling everyone that I want to get you a tutu and your Auntie Carrie not only got you one of those, but a lot of super cute other things as well! I think that you are going to be wearing this hat as soon as I can put it on you and you will definitely be using that tutu in your newborn pictures! I can't wait to dress you up in all of this fun stuff!



This beautiful blanket and cute outfits are from Brenda Avery who works with Grandma Cindy at her school. She made this blanket especially for you and I only hope she had as much fun celebrating her future grandbaby as we had celebrating you!



This Bumbo play tray and sleep sack are from Candy. She couldn't make it to the shower but we are so thankful for her thought and for the gift!



The baby food maker, supplies, and giraffe teether are from Kathi, Jess, and Jolyn. Jess is one of my best friends in the whole world and I am so happy that her mom, Kathi, could come to the party. That giraffe teether is the cutes thing ever and Mommy was going to register for one for you but forgot. They read my mind!



Cassi Jo got you these adorable outfits! Mommy remembers when Cassi was just a baby and now she is all grown up and a senior in high school! She is absolutely beautiful and has grown into such a wonderful person. We were so happy that she was there to celebrate with us!



This little dress and gift card are from Denise Dilts who also works with Grandma at her school. The gift card will come in VERY handy when Daddy and I need some food! I can't wait to put you in that little dress- it is so summery and will be perfect for church or for playing.



The diaper genie, refills, and thermometer are from Great Aunt Liz and cousins Wanda, Vickie, Connie, and Kathy. Vickie couldn't make it to the shower because of the crummy weather, but we are happy that she stayed safe and sound.



This fun gift is from Linda who is our neighbor at the lake. We are so looking forward to summers at the lake and spending time by the water or on the pontoon with Steve and Linda!



This gift is from Nikki and I will always think of her every time you wear one of these bibs. Nikki LOVES horses and is a little cowgirl herself! :) It was so fun to see her and I was so happy that she could make it to the shower.



This gift is from Tina Helmuth and Tina was almost a second mom to me in high school when I used to be at her house all the time visiting Jen and Tiffany. Tina was in Florida and couldn't come, but she was so thoughtful and sent this wonderful gift!



This beautiful dress is from Aunt Katie. She couldn't make it to the shower, but it was so nice of her to send this gift! Daddy loves this dress because it matches his school colors. :)



These cute ballet-themed gifts are from Aunt Julie, Laney and Clara. They can't wait for you to be a ballerina and start going to dance with them. Even though you are quite a bit younger, you have some great teachers when it comes to your cousins! They will help you with everything and anything you need!



This basket of goodies is from your Great Aunt Marge. She gave you a great assortment of things so that you are prepared for anything! The basket is the perfect size to hold some of your toiletries and you now have a sleeper that says you're "Bananas for Grandma!"



This awesome gift is from Cathy Brown who is a good family friend that worked at Lima-Brighton with Grandma for years. There is only one book pictured, but she actually gave us two recordable books so that I could record my voice on one and Grandma could record her voice on the other. That way, no matter who you're with you will always be able to hear the other one. Isn't that a great idea?!



ALL of these beautiful gifts are from Great Aunt Sharon and Sarah. They are the ones who spearheaded the planning of this wonderful shower and they had all of these gifts scattered on the tables and hung on a clothesline on the wall at the church. They went to so much trouble to make this day perfect and on top of all of their hard work, they gave you a boatload of new things! We can never begin to express how much we appreciate everything they did and all the fun things they gave to you. They are so special to us and we love them VERY MUCH!!



This load of loot is from Deb, Jen, Katherine, Stephanie and Christine. You would not believe how much great stuff was in this gift bag, Bug! They did a great job picking out tons of cute stuff for you and I was so happy to be able to spend time with them at your shower.



This adorable bag and accessories was also in with the previous gift but I had to showcase it separately because Stephanie MADE all of this stuff! It is so cute and includes a wipe holder, burp cloths, and bibs. Steph couldn't make it to the shower, but the fact that she made this stuff for you is amazing! We are hoping to be able to get together with Stephanie and our dance friends over the summer if it works out!



Your swing and all of these adorable gifts came from your Grandma Cindy. She has helped your library to grow with lots of great books and found some of the most adorable outfits ever so that you can be a stylish little lady. We are so happy that we were able to spend the whole weekend with Grandma and Grandpa and so appreciate all of these PERFECT gifts. You are going to love your swing, Bug!



Here are Rudy and Zoey in the midst of all of your things. I think that they were a little overwhelmed by all the baby action going on in your room, but they were very patient while Mommy sorted through all of your stuff.



This is a little bit ridiculous...



...look at your STUFFED closet!



Here is your dresser with some new decorations and a stand to hold some books and toys.



Your chair has a few more friends added to it now- you have lots of furry friends to greet you when you arrive!

Sunday February 20, 2011: A Perfect Shower for a Perfect Baby

Dear Baby Bug-

Today was a day to celebrate you! All of your great aunts threw you the most amazing shower and I only wish you could have been here to actually see it. I suppose that it is good that you are still in Mommy's tummy because you are not quite fully cooked, but it would have been fun for you to have been there to experience all the love that surrounded us this weekend. I am going to do my best to describe the shower in pictures, but Daddy and I are so appreciative of all the friends and family that came to the shower in the AWFUL weather, brought you beautiful gifts, and took the time to celebrate the one thing that we are the most excited for- welcoming you! Here is the day in pictures...Enjoy!



Here are Daddy and I getting ready for the shower to start. Great Aunt Sharon and Sarah gave Mommy a special "Mommy to Be" sash to wear to make me feel extra special. Doesn't Daddy look handsome? He traveled all the way from home with Grandma Carol, Auntie Carrie and Aunt Julie for your shower. He is the best Daddy ever!



Table One included your cousins Brooke, Jess, your Great Aunt Lori, Great Aunt Marti, cousin Lindsay, and our dear friend Leslie. We were so happy that they all could make it and they are all very special to us!



Table Two included Mommy, Auntie Carrie, Grandma Carol, Daddy, Aunt Julie, and your cousin Carol. Your Grandma Cindy was also sitting at this table but she was too busy being a social butterfly to sit still for a picture.



Table Three included Mommy's dance friend from growing up Jen Cain, Mommy's fourth grade teacher Marlene House, a good friend of the family and coworker of Grandma Cindy Cathy Brown, Mommy's friend Nikki Helmuth, and Mommy's friends from dancing WAAAAAY back when Jen Godbey, Katherine Cain, and Deb Cain. Mommy's dance friends are very special to her. We used to spend HOURS at dance practices and competitions and the Cain, Helmuth, and Walter families used to travel all over the country together for dance competitions. We don't get to see each other very often, but when we do we have tons of fun!



Table Four included your cousins Kylee, Kabrea, and Jadison, Jess' mom Kathi, Great Grandma Walter, and our friends from church Wanda and Marge. Every time Mommy and Daddy are home for the weekend we go to church on Sundays followed by McDonald's with Wanda and her husband Seb, Marge and her husband Glenn, and the rest of the Walter family. We can't wait until you are here this summer to go with us!



Table Five included your cousins Staci, Cheri, Melanie and her daughter Ella, Great Aunt Marge, and cousins Charlene, Michele, and Cassi Jo. We have such a big family and were so happy that everyone could come!



Table Six included your cousins Wanda, Connie, our good friend and lake neighbor Linda, cousin Kathy, Great Aunt Liz, and Great Aunt Wanda. They all traveled a pretty good distance to come to the shower and we so appreciate them being there! If you look closely, you can see the cake table in the background.



We finally got your Grandma Cindy to stand still for a picture and she was able to take it with your Great Aunt Molly. I can't believe your Great Aunt Molly is a "great aunt!" She sent all of the invitations out for the shower so that everyone knew where it was and who it was for. Great Aunt Molly and her family are very important to us and we love them VERY much!



Here is a picture of the dance crew (minus Christine, Steph, and Tiffany): Katherine, Mommy, Jen, and Jen. We had so much fun catching up and I am so thankful that you are on your way, Bug, because it gave us a chance to get together.

Here are some pictures of gift opening. It was so much fun to open everything and we can't believe how spoiled you are already!



Here are Mommy and Daddy opening a gift from Grandma Carol which included a lot of great stuff including a puppy purse just for you! Now you can carry all of your things with you in a puppy that won't wiggle away from you.



Here is Mommy opening a beautiful blanket that was made for especially for you by Grandma Cindy's coworker Brenda Avery. She couldn't be at the shower because she was at a shower celebrating the coming arrival of her first grandbaby. This blanket is so beautiful and you will always know that it was made just for you!



Mommy had to include this picture because Great Grandpa Walter went to a lot of trouble cutting this weed whacker box down enough to make it a perfect fit for wrapping your umbrella stroller. Daddy was excited to think that maybe there was actually a weed whacker in there, but he was just as happy that it was a little stroller to push you around in. Great Grandpa Walter took a lot of care in creating this box for you and even used PLENTY of packing tape to make sure the stroller didn't escape. Mommy will never forget opening this present! :)



Here are Mommy and Daddy opening the last present of the day, your travel system which included your stroller and car seat. This was a gift that we absolutely had to have and we are so thankful to everyone who went together to get it for us!



These were little gifts that Mommy put together to say an extra special THANK YOU to everyone who helped to put on this beautiful shower. We can't thank Sharon, Sarah, LaVera, Wilma, Katie, Alta, Irma, Mary, Great Grandma Walter, and Molly enough for this amazing afternoon. We are so lucky that we have loving and caring people in our lives who will go above and beyond to make us feel so special. This was one of the best days of Mommy's life and it is all thanks to these ladies who made the day possible.