Our Five Ring Circus: May 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

30 Weeks!

I'm so excited to reach the 30 week milestone! This is the week I went into preterm labor with Dylan. I'm nervous that it will happen again, especially with all the contractions and dilation, so every day that passes is good! As excited as I am to finally meet little Nugget, he/she needs to bake longer!

DATE:
May 31, 2011

How far along:
30 weeks!

Total Weight Gained:
I gained back almost 3 pounds of the weight I lost.

How big is baby? Nugget is about 15.7 inches long and weighs almost 3 pounds!

How baby is growing: Nugget's eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he/she is born, Nugget will keep his/her eyes closed for a good part of the day. babycenter.com

Maternity Clothes: I'm wearing my regular clothes. My regular pants still easily fit, thanks to the fact that I'm carrying so high!

Sleep: I wake up more frequently to pee and flip over.

Best Pregnancy Moment of the Week:
Feeling the baby hiccups several times a day!

Movement
: Nugget is still really active. He/She moves around frequently, and only seems to sleep at night! Nugget loves to stretch out and flip around, and it's fun feeling all the little baby limbs and feet that are poking out of my belly!

Food Cravings: I haven't had any cravings yet. I eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, and grains.

Food Aversions:
Anything citrus, and anything made with artificial sweetener. I'm against artificial sweeteners to begin with, but if I happen to taste something containing it, I get really sick to my stomach.

Morning Sickness:
Morning sickness is back to being intolerable most days. I still take Zofran daily. It's frustrating now, because I'm hungrier, but I get sick shortly after I eat.

Gender:
It's a surprise! Most people think it's a girl!

Symptoms:
Morning (all day) sickness, breakouts, strong and frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, mood swings, and a general feeling of being uncomfortable. I got my first full-blown leg cramp of this pregnancy while I was sleeping this weekend. Those things hurt so much!

Exercise: I'm allowed to keep up with my daily walk, but everything else is restricted.

What I miss:
Not feeling sick!!!

What I'm looking forward to:
Getting everything set up for Nugget's arrival!

30 Week Picture:

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Monday, May 30, 2011

Kicking Off Summer

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! We had perfect summer weather-in the high 80's/90's and sunny-all weekend. It was one of the best Memorial Day weekends that I can remember!

Last week seemed to go by so slowly. We were all looking forward to our long holiday weekend!

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We started off our weekend with a trip to the library. It is my new sanctuary on early Saturday afternoons. Nobody is there, and my kids are happy to look at books and play for an hour. In return, I get to sit on a comfy couch and enjoy the quiet! Afterward, we headed to my sister's house for my great-niece Aubrey's birthday party!

This beautiful girl turned 5!

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The oldest cousin (my nephew, Kelvin, almost 26!) and the youngest (Lexie, age 4).

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It was so nice to see Aubrey again, and to spend time with my family. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins!

They are quite a crew! Brady (7), Dylan (6), Aubrey (5), and Lexie (4).

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I headed home with two soaking wet, exhausted kids!

On Sunday, we went to a picnic at Amber and Rex's house. We had a lot of fun with our friends! We finally got to meet sweet little Charlotte, who is now a month old!

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As usual, Dylan and Lexie had a great time with their buddies!

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On the way home, we decided to stop by Grant's parent's house for a late-night visit. Grant's mom, the kids, and I sat on the balcony, enjoying the gorgeous night. Lexie fell asleep while we were there, and Dylan fell asleep on the way home. It was a long day for all of us!

Our Memorial Day was very relaxed. Grant's family usually has a big picnic, but they canceled it this year. We ended up having dinner with Grant's parents at their house. It was very humid and in the 90's outside, so we ended up having our picnic indoors! The kids thought it was very cool!

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After dinner, we spent some time outside.

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Before long, our weekend came to an end. It was a wonderful one, full of great memories! Happy Memorial Day!

***I'm 30 weeks pregnant with little Nugget today! It's hard to believe!***

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Preparing for #3

I have to say, preparing to welcome our third baby into our family is a lot different from the first two! My due date is just over 10 weeks away. According to my OB, I only have 7-8 weeks left. Honestly? We don't have much done!

There are things we need to do, and there are things that we wanted to do, but will have to put off until a later date. There just isn't enough time! This time of year is so busy for us between end of school activities, summer activities, and a busy baseball schedule.

Before Nugget arrives, we have to get rid of a lot of stuff in our finished basement and clean it up so we can turn it into a playroom. Dylan and Lexie have far too many toys, so we need to move some down to the basement to make room for baby gear! We also have to paint the living room before Nugget's arrival, and get some more shelving for Grant's massive DVD collection. We have some DVD's in our bedroom that we need to move out, because Nugget will be rooming with us at night for the first few months.

I saved most of Dylan and Lexie's clothes, and all of the baby gear. It, along with our 3 month stockpile of diapers and wipes, is waiting in the attic. I know I need to go through it, but I'm just not in any rush. I'll get to it as soon as our projects are complete!

I was just thinking about how I had everything completely prepared at this point in my pregnancy with Dylan and Lexie, but I'm so much more go-with-the-flow with this baby! After having two babies, I've learned exactly what I do and don't need, so I'm not stressing about it.

Preparing for Baby #3 is nothing like preparing for #1!

CRIB

Baby #1: The crib is completely assembled and is outfitted with adorable crib bedding long before my due date. Pack and Play with bassinet attachment is set up in our room.

Baby #2: The crib is set up and has same adorable crib bedding in it, months before baby is due to arrive. New bassinet is set up in our room.

Baby #3: Baby (uh, kid) #2 is still using the crib as a toddler bed. Once she gets kicked out, the crib will get set up and fitted with a mattress pad and plain white crib sheet. After Nugget is born, I will buy a gender-specific crib skirt and sheets. Bumpers and comforter are, after all, unnecessary since they are a safety risk! Nugget will be sleeping in the bassinet in our room at first.

CHANGING AREA:

Baby #1: Dresser that matches crib is set up with a changing station on top. Changing pad and basket of toiletries are sitting on top, and diapers are hanging in the diaper stacker along the side. This gets set up the same time as the crib. Changing supplies are set up in pack and play as well.

Baby #2: Ditto. Supplies are also stocked in bassinet long before baby is born.

Baby #3: Need a new changing pad and cover. Need to put basket of changing supplies under bassinet. What's the rush? Baby can get changed on the bed...on the couch...on the floor...I'm just proud of our 3 month supply of diapers and wipes, which we only have room to store in the attic, anyway!

CLOTHES

Baby #1: Wide variety of gender neutral clothing is washed and put away in the dresser immediately after baby shower.

Baby #2: Gender neutral hand-me-downs are pulled out of storage, washed, and put away in the dresser. A box of newborn boy clothes and a box of newborn girl clothes is waiting in the closet.

Baby #3: Must go through the huge stacks of storage bins, and separate newborn girl clothes and newborn boy clothes. Someday. Will wash the remaining gender-neutral items and put them in the dresser. Someday. Don't even bother looking for gender-neutral clothes, because baby will get plenty of new clothes after he/she is born. Money is set aside to buy gender specific infant summer clothes after Nugget is born.

CAR SEAT

Baby #1: Car seat is installed in car immediately after baby shower. It's outfitted with strap covers and a newborn seat insert.

Baby #2: New car seat is bought and installed weeks before baby arrives. Get a seat safety check. Ditch the strap covers because you realize they're unnecessary.

Baby #3: Car seat is sitting on attic steps and will be installed when baby arrives, because you are now an expert at putting in car seats properly. All strap covers and newborn seat inserts will just be pitched, because they are a safety risk.

BABY GEAR:

Baby #1: Swing and bouncer are set up in living room, highchair set up in kitchen, pack and play ready to go, and tub is in the bathroom. Long before baby arrives.

Baby #2: Everything is, once again, set up well in advance.

Baby #3: Gear is still packed away in attic. New highchair is still in it's box in the attic. Will set up when needed!

FEEDING

Baby #1: Bottles are sanitized and stocked, along with bibs and formula, in a kitchen cabinet.

Baby #2: Ditto.

Baby #3: Must buy new bottles and breast pump. I'll be exclusively breastfeeding again, so really, I don't need to prepare much!

TOYS:

Baby #1: A basket full of infant toys and books are in the nursery.

Baby #2: Ditto, even though I now know that baby won't use them for a few weeks. The books will be read.

Baby #3: The infant toys and books are packed away in the attic. Somewhere.

It may not look like we're prepared for Nugget, but truthfully, this is the most prepared I've felt. I know exactly what to expect, exactly what I need to get and when I'll need it, and I know what works and what doesn't. The truth is, we have everything we need to bring our baby home. Everything else will fall into place!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

When The Lights Go Out...

Yesterday started off as a typical weekday.

Normal:

*Wake up early to babysit.
*Get kids food and drinks 560,000 times a day.
*Clean.
*Get kids dressed and send Dylan off to school.
*Indulge in some nesting and reorganize my dresser drawers just because I'll go insane if I don't.
*Get critiqued by a little girl in a laundry basket while walking on the treadmill.

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*Start to pack an overnight bag, as my OB suggested, just in case I have to go to the hospital for preterm labor.
*Clean some more. (Does it ever end?)
*Run around like a maniac during the after-school rush. Give snacks, cook dinner, eat dinner, clean up, prepare for baseball.
*Run around even more, searching for a lost baseball hat.
*Go to a baseball game and find said hat that D lost.
*Try to watch Dylan play baseball while entertaining a bored 4-year-old.

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*Hike to a port-a-potty, only to find it a disgusting mess. Search for a private spot for Lexie to squat in the grass.
*Watch Dylan get hit in chest with the baseball, knocking the wind out of him. Dylan looks shocked, then lets out a scared, "Mommy!!!!" while walking away from home plate. Daddy and coaches check on him, and Dylan returns to plate and hits a single seconds later!
*Try to hide the tears that may have leaked from my eyes.
*Dylan is super excited to get the game ball for his bravery!

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*Drive home and mentally prepare for the it's-past-bedtime-and-kids-need-to-go-to-bed-now rush.
*Hit the garage door opener, and realize that the power is out.

Normal ends:

*Realize that there is, indeed, no power. Unable to open refrigerator for snacks/drink, take baths, and brush teeth.
*Kids think this is neat. Put Lexie to bed. Read Dylan's book on the front porch, because it's dark in the house. Put Dylan to bed, with his game ball.

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*Find out that it's a major power outage affecting 45,000 people, and it's going to be a while before the lights come back on.
*Get frustrated because we've watched entire seasons of American Idol and Glee, and are now missing the biggest night of Idol and the Glee finale. Bummer.
*Find out the numbers, and vote for our favorite.
*Kick back on the couch with my kindle, and read an entire book with my super bright LED book light while the hubs reads a book by candlelight. iPod is on in the background.
*Realize that this is why people had so many babies before electricity was invented.
*We are bored.
*We are hungry. Drink warm bottled water and unhealthy snacks.
*Hope that electricity comes back on soon so our food doesn't spoil.
*Give up around 11:30 at night, and head to bed.
*Realize that it really could be much, much worse. At least we're safe, healthy, and alive.
*Fall asleep, and wake up to blinding light. Power is restored!

That was the longest our power has ever been out. It was definitely an interesting night. Although I don't wish to repeat it, I realize just how fortunate we are!

Monday, May 23, 2011

29 Weeks

I kicked off my 29th week with an OB appointment this morning! Nugget is growing perfectly, and the heartbeat was strong! I measured exactly at 29 weeks. My doctor decided not to check for dilation today, since I had just had it done (just under 1 cm), and it's not good to do it too frequently unless absolutely necessary. That's fine with me! I got a bit of a lecture on how I need to gain more weight and stay off my feet more, but he's happy with my progress so far.

DATE:
May 23, 2011

How far along:
29 weeks!

Total Weight Gained:
I gained back 2 1/2 pounds of the weight I lost.

How big is baby? Nugget is just over 15 inches long and weighs 2 1/2 pounds.

How baby is growing: Nugget's muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his/her head is growing bigger to make room for the developing brain. babycenter.com

Maternity Clothes: I'm wearing my regular clothes. My regular pants still easily fit, thanks to the fact that I'm carrying so high!

Sleep: I wake up more frequently to pee and flip over.

Best Pregnancy Moment of the Week:
Hearing the heartbeat again this morning. I love it!

Movement
: Nugget spends more time moving than sleeping! He/She loves to flip over and stretch. I love feeling the little feet, elbows, bum, and knees sticking out! The baby hiccups are very noticeable now!

Food Cravings: I haven't had any cravings yet.

Food Aversions:
Lemonade, oranges...anything citrus!

Morning Sickness:
Morning sickness is with me 24/7, though it's more tolerable than it used to be. I still take Zofran daily.

Gender:
It's a surprise!

Symptoms:
Morning (all day) sickness, breakouts, strong and frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, and a general feeling of being uncomfortable.

Exercise: I'm allowed to keep up with my daily walk, but that's about it!

What I miss:
Not feeling sick!!!

What I'm looking forward to:
Passing the 30 week mark! That's the point where I went into preterm labor with Dylan, so it's a relief to get past it!

29 Week Picture:

Picture courtesy of Lexie. ;) I'm not crying, it's just my lovely sunburn!

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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Weekend Snapshots

We had yet another busy...and baseball filled...weekend!

On Friday, the rain FINALLY stopped!!! Saturday was 80+ degrees and sunny all day. It was such a nice change from the constant rain!

We all slept in on Saturday morning, and then took the kids to the library to pick out some books. I used to take the kids to the library frequently, but that stopped once Dylan started school. I promised to take them every week, and they are really looking forward to it! They love to read!

That afternoon, Dylan had a baseball game. He hasn't had a game or practice for over a week, due to all the rain! Despite the break, he had some really good hits and runs!

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After the game, we treated the kids to dinner at McDonald's. We only get fast food every few months, so they were really excited! After dinner, I did some shopping, and then we went over to my best friend's house for the evening. The kids had fun playing with their friends, and it was so nice to hang out with Jocie and Tom!

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We didn't get home until late, and as soon as we woke up this morning, we had to get ready for another baseball game! Of course, right before we left, it began raining! We continued to the field, expecting the game to be canceled, but they warmed up and started to play in the rain. The rain made the kids very hyper and muddy!

Halfway through the first inning, the rain stopped, and the sun came out! It ended up being another 80+ degree day. I wasn't prepared for it, and forgot the sunscreen. We all ended up getting scorched. Epic fail!

It was Dylan's half birthday today, and he made sure to let everyone know! It's hard to believe that tomorrow, he'll be closer to 7 than 6!

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The boys played really well, so the coaches treated them to ice cream cones! Grant, Lexie, and I decided to get cones, too!

We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting Grant's family before heading home. It was a great weekend!

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

To Do: Build An Ark

I'm not quite sure we can handle any more rain! It began pouring at 7 AM, then the sun came out briefly, which was followed by thunderstorms and downpours. Certain spots in my backyard are flooded, and it is just yucky out.

The past four days have been filled with movies, playdoh, moon sand, moon dough, color wonders coloring books, painting, drawing, and bracelet making. Cabin fever is setting in!

It's a good day to play catch-up!

*I had my glucose tolerance test last Wednesday. Most pregnant women dread this test, but when you are still struggling with morning sickness, you dread it even more! Yep...it was just as bad as I remembered, but I made it through!

*I'm going to a lot of OB appointments these days. My next one is on Monday morning. They're time-consuming, but I'm glad they're keeping a close eye on my progress! I've had a bad week with the contractions. They got a lot stronger on Sunday, and have stayed that way, even when I'm off my feet.

*Blogger briefly kicked the bucket last week. I'm glad I didn't lose any posts, but a lot of the comments from that week have disappeared!

*Lexie has been into painting her nails over the past week. Today, I found her like this:

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*Dylan's new obsession is pirates and the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. It all started on Friday, when my mom bought him a Pirates of the Caribbean Lego set!

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*I've been waiting for the novelty of having a new pet to wear off, but it hasn't. Lexie absolutely adores her hamster, and holds him constantly. He really is a sweet little guy!

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*I have to admit, I love him, too. Cuteness overload!

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*Yesterday was the 12th anniversary of Grant and I getting engaged! It's hard to believe that we have been together for that long!

*Dylan and I have been really accident prone lately.

Last Wednesday, right before my glucose test, I smashed a tray table into my face. It resulted in bruises under my eyes. Luckily, concealer helped!

Dylan ended up splitting his lip while playing with his cousins on Saturday night, and then got a big bruise on his cheek from another cousin on Monday. It does not look good!

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Here's to some (hopefully!) sunnier weather over the weekend!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I'm starting to believe that it's never going to stop raining! This has been the rainiest Spring EVER. It rained all day Sunday, all day yesterday, all day today...and the nearest end in sight is Saturday!

Due to all the rain, we've been stuck indoors a lot. I've had to resort to lots of arts and crafts to keep the kids busy. Today's activity was making bracelets. Lexie and I sat at the kids table, and threaded beads onto string for about an hour!

Baseball has been canceled at least once a week, if not more, since it started at the beginning of April. Today's game was no exception, and I'm guessing tomorrow's game will be canceled!

We can't wait to get back to the hot, sunny weather we had last week!

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My Aunt Susie and Uncle Milt are in town from Texas. It was so nice to see them at the wedding on Saturday! My kids, however, didn't get to see them, so we all met at my sister's house last night, for dinner.

My Uncle Milt hasn't been in town for over 5 years, so he's never met Lexie, and Dylan was only a few weeks away from turning 1 when he last saw him! Dylan, being the social little man that he is, ran right up to my Aunt Susie and gave her a hug. He then walked over to my Uncle Milt, gave him a big hug, and said, "Hey, Uncle Milt! It's good to see you!"

Even Lexie, who is slow to warm up to people, gave Aunt Susie a big hug right away, and immediately took to Uncle Milt. I'm guessing it's because he looks and acts just like my dad!

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It was so nice to spend some more time with them before they had to go back home! We had a great time talking and laughing. I love them and miss them so much! When it came time to say goodbye, Dylan and Lexie gave them big hugs, and Dylan told me, "Hey, Mommy, we really need to start planning to go to Texas to visit Uncle Milt and Aunt Susie!" I agree!

A few cute and funny Tuesday Tidbits-The Lexie version:

~I tried to get Lexie to go out to the bus stop in her pajamas. Her sassy reply? "These aren't clothes!!! What are you thinking?!?"

~Upon being splattered with colored bubbles, courtesy of Dylan, Lexie put her hands on her hips, and stomped into the house, shouting, "That's great, Dyl, that's just great! You ruined my dress! That's just great!"

~The other night, Lexie was upset over something. She told me, "You're making my feelings feel bad!"

~ When Lexie wants a movie paused, she asks, "Can you unpause it?"

~Lexie draws a family portrait every single day. She always includes Nugget in the picture, and Nugget is always a girl! I have a feeling somebody is going to be upset if I have a boy!

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Monday, May 16, 2011

28 Weeks-Third Trimester!!!

Today marks the beginning of my third trimester! This is the shortest one for me! Even though morning sickness is still a daily part of my life, it's nowhere near as bad as it was the first 25 weeks. As I always say, any improvement in that department is a big one! I'm at the point now where my Braxton Hick's contractions are getting much stronger, and starting to hurt a bit, due to my overactive uterus. I have to pay close attention to my body now, and be aware of any changes, because these contractions can easily turn into preterm labor. I'm spending much more time off my feet these days!

DATE:
May 16, 2011

How far along:
28 weeks! This is the start of my third trimester!

Total Weight Gained:
I gained back 2 pounds of the weight I lost.

How big is baby? Nugget is 14.8 inches long and weighs 2 1/4 pounds.

How baby is growing: Nugget can blink his/her eyes, which now sport lashes. With the developing eyesight, he/she may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb. Nugget is also developing billions of neurons in the brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. babycenter.com

Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing my regular clothes. My regular pants still easily fit, thanks to the fact that I'm carrying so high!

Sleep: I wake up more frequently to pee, but other than that, I can't complain.

Best Pregnancy Moment of the Week:
Feeling my sweet baby move around all the time. He/She loves to kick Grant, Dylan, and Lexie when they touch my belly!

Movement
: Nugget is in a very active phase right now! It seems like he/she is moving more than sleeping!

Food Cravings: I haven't had any cravings yet.

Food Aversions:
Lemonade.

Morning Sickness:
Morning sickness is still with me 24/7, though it's more tolerable than it used to be. I still take Zofran daily.

Gender:
It's a surprise!

Symptoms:
Morning (all day) sickness, breakouts, strong and frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, and a general feeling of being uncomfortable due to my baby bump sitting so high.

Exercise: Walking 4-5 days a week, but I'm definitely slowing down!

What I miss:
Not feeling sick!!!

What I'm looking forward to:
My next OB appointment on Monday. I'm hoping I haven't progressed any more, and that my glucose tolerance test comes back normal!

28 Week Picture:

I should have worn something form-fitting, but I was on my way out the door, so it will have to do!

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Sunday, May 15, 2011

We Are Family!

Weddings in my family are always a lot of fun! Yesterday, my cousin got married, and it was the first family wedding in many years. Everybody had a great time celebrating the marriage of Charlie and Gloria!

One thing is for sure: my family knows how to have a good time!

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The weather didn't look very promising that morning. Several storms came through before noon. Thankfully, the sun came out and it warmed up, just in time for the wedding! It turned out to be a beautiful Spring day!

Dylan and Lexie spent the day with my sister and her family, while we attended the wedding. It was nice to be able to enjoy the wedding, with only Nugget to worry about! Sweet little Nugget fits right in with the family, and partied all night long! Nugget spent the entire ceremony and reception moving around...I'm guessing he/she liked the music!

The wedding was beautiful, and afterward, the party started! There was plenty of food and drink, a very impressive cookie table, lots of dancing, and the hit of the night: a photo booth! My family is wild and crazy, but so much fun!

My man and I both got Lei'ed, while dancing!

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My parents, sister, brother-in-law, and I:

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My Aunt Susie and Uncle Milt, my wonderful Godparents, were in town from Texas! I haven't seen my Uncle Milt in over 5 years. I love them and miss them so much!!! The fact that they were there made the day even better!

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My mom with my wonderful Aunt Jackie (the mother of the groom):

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My mom, my sister, and I:

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Hanging with my brother-in-law...even though he loves the Patriots, I still love him:

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Proof that even a Father can have fun (Sorry, FRob...I couldn't resist sharing these pictures...love you!):

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My dad with his brothers and sisters...this is the first time they have all been together at the same time, in the same place, in years! They had so much fun!

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The reception wrapped up around midnight. The adventurous family members continued the party at a local restaurant/bar! I, however, drove my family home, and ended up picking the kids up from my sister's house, since she had to go to work really early. By the time we arrived home, it was almost 1:30 AM!

I may not have had a single drink, but I felt like I had a wedding hangover all day! Not only was I tired, but I ended up having a lot of contractions today, most likely from all the dancing I did. The wedding was so much fun, though, and I love my amazing family!

Congratulations to Charlie and Gloria!!!