Prego Meg-o

With our little bundle on the way, Nate and I decided to join the wonderful world of bloggers to share news of our growing family with our loved ones. Our online family journal will be at: http://littlelittles.blogspot.com/
If you really like us, I suggest bookmarking it for easy access :) *And I promise to work out the "kinks", for example our lovely sideways photo, as we get more familiar with blogging*

4 weeks, 3 days left until Stella's due date. But who's counting? Nate and I had an eventful week...on Wednesday, April 30th, it was our three year anniversary, so Nate planned a sweet getaway to Fredericksburg, Texas. We stayed in a really cute bed and breakfast, ate delicious German food, and shopped on Main Street. The next day we woke up early, so we could enjoy the best part of staying in a bed and BREAKFAST, walked around Main a little more, then ate lunch at the Herb Farm. They have their own garden, and use fresh herbs, edible flowers, and produce for their menu. Yummm! By mid afternoon, we headed to the lakehouse to hang out near the pool, read, and relax for a while. Then we drove down to Gruene to meet our friends at the Gristmill for dinner. We got home pretty late that night.
It was quite a mini-roadtrip, but we considered it our "last hurrah" before our baby girl arrives!!

On Sunday, Nate graduated with an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Acton School of Business. Mama Barnes, Papa Barnes, Susie, Charles, Aunt Vickie, Uncle John, Carl, Kathy, Haley, Mark, and Bianca all came to watch the ceremony at the Four Seasons. We were all so proud when they announced that Nate was the class Valedictorian!!! I won't go on much more, because I will embarress him, but let's all hope that Stella inherits his smarts (and of course my charm, hee)! He has worked really hard all year, so now he is excited to have a break, and enjoy his pregnant wife!

Today, my amazing parents were still in town, so we all worked on Stella's nursery. The curtains were hung, the shelves are up, the art is on the wall, her bed is made, the clothes/blankies/bibs are washed and put away, and her closet is organized. So, after all of our hard work, it finally feels like a cozy little baby girl's room and I love it! Thank you mom and dad!!!

Wednesday we have our 36 week appointment and most importantly our last ultrasound. They will use this to determine Stella's approximate size, weight, and date of arrival. I can't wait to find out!! I feel ready to have her on the outside of me, because lately I can feel the effects of having a big baby in my belly: my back hurts (especially the right side) and I have started sleeping in an elevated position; my ankles are swelling and my legs are retaining water; and Stella is really packing a punch now. Really, I can't complain because I have had such an amazing pregnancy, but I feel ready to finally meet our little angel! Nate has been especially attentive and helpful these last few weeks. He is still reading books to Stella in my belly, and his favorite seems to be "But Not the Hippopotamus". I think she likes it too, because she moves around at the sound of daddy's voice!