98 days.

There are only 98 days until my due date. Baby Hoffmann will be here in about 98 days. 

98 days.

Can I just say that I'm a little bit terrified? There is so much to do before he gets here!! I still haven't changed the guest room to a nursery. We haven't bought a crib yet. I don't have a baby book (gasp!). I haven't finished Babywise. Not to mention all the things that I just don't know yet. How do I get the um, little boy surgery set up? Why are newborn photographers SO expensive in Baton Rouge? Do I really need to buy all the new mom clothing accessories that the internet tells me I need? What does a contraction even feel like? How do I know how many diapers I need to have on hand those first few weeks? So much that I don't know.

But I do know some things.

I know that I am so excited about seeing what this little boy looks like. I hope he has Matt's nose. But it's okay if he has mine. My nose is my daddy's nose and my nanny's nose. My bump has a legacy. I hope his eyes stay blue. But it's okay if they change. My daddy has brown eyes. Though, if I were to make a little genetic diagram (whatever that sucker is called) odds are that baby H will keep his baby blues. I hope all of his little fingers and little toes are perfect. I hope he has hair. Chances are, it is going to be light brown but I won't mind if it he doesn't have hair. As long as it grows in eventually. I want to know how long he will be. I wonder if his ears are going to be adorable.  I am ready to feel his weight in my arms for the first time and know that he is my personal miracle. I want to see if he responds to my voice right after delivery and if all this talking and reading  to him now has made a connection.

I know that he is going to be the most amazing thing that I have experienced.

I know that he has the whole world in front of him to make a better place.

I know that he is going to move mountains.

I know that all that stuff that I don't know won't matter when he's here. The guest room will become a nursery. The crib will be bought. I will find the perfect baby book. He'll sleep and eat. I'll figure it all out.

I know that 98 days is going to fly by. I just have to hang on and enjoy the ride.

New Years Vacation 2013

I have a confession to make.  I went on a WEEK LONG vacation to a beautiful place and don't have a single picture to show for it. I took a few but they are on Matt's phone and well, he's not here right now.  Instead, I'll just tell you what we did. A thousand words for each picture I should be posting, right? I hope you've got a few minutes.

We left from the New Orleans airport LATE Monday night. Our flight just kept being delayed. Over and over. Something about snow in the east. I didn't get it. We flew to Ft. Lauderdale in soon to be sunny Florida!! Along the way, we experienced the most turbulent flight I think I've ever been on. You know, with my vast flying experience. However, during that awful flight something amazing happened. I finally felt the baby move!!!!!!!!!!! At first I wasn't sure, then I was petrified, but the second time, I knew it was for real. I love that Matt was with me for it. His eyes lit up like I just told him that Giselle was going to meet us in Florida. (She didn't meet us. She stayed home with two of her closest friends and her Morgan.) We landed, got a rental car, and drove through all sorts of Jersey-shore like communities to get to a Wendy's. Baby-Momma was starving. We made it to Matt's auntcle's (aunt + uncle. Margaret and I decided it was okay.) house about 2 in the morning and crashed. As in, we went straight to sleep.

The first full day of vacation began with a boat trip to a preserve to the boys could go scuba diving. I was suppused to go snorkeling, but I didn't feel comfortable in the water so I stayed in the boat and watched. And soaked up the sun... After a few salt-filled hours, we went back to the house and had breakfast. Then, I'm not sure what happened. Seems like I took a nap. It doesn't really matter because I was on vacation! Later that day, the boys went lobster fishing (spoiler alert: they didn't catch any lobster.) and then we played dominoes, apples to apples, and quelf (least favorite game ever).  Oh, oh, I forgot. We also stayed up until midnight and had champagne sparkling grape juice. Seems like a football game was on.

The next day wasn't excellent. I believe I spent most of it in bed. I did go on the boat for awhile to a sandbar. I saw a real LIVE starfish!! There is a picture of that somewhere. I'll get back to you on it.

Thursday involved the boys being gone all day. I think they were lobstering. The girls donned our swimsuits and layed in the sun. I got a little burned in the places that I forgot to put sunscreen, like the tops of my feet. Whitney and I almost got attacked by a pelican but we were able to look mean enough to scare it away. When the boys came back, I went swimming in the Atlantic Ocean!!! I almost fell to my death but managed to survive with nothing more than a concrete burn on my back and some scraped feet.

Friday was Key West. I didn't love it but I wanted to see it and I cetainly did. In all its boozy, high-heeled glory.

Saturday was lazy. Sunday was rainy.

Monday was the end. We got up early and headed into town to hit up the Miami Zoo before our flight out. I, of course, was pretty sick this day too and now can say that I've puked in front of nearly all my relatives. Drew and Whitney, you are welcome. The zoo was excellent. It was hot and I was tired about half-way through, but I managed to make it out in one piece. So worth the price, but only with a coupon. We picked up a stuffed, plush elephant for the baby! I'm certain he will love it. Our flight to Tampa was on time, but from Tampa to New Orleans was delayed. It was okay though because the chairs in Tampa were available and comfortable! And the flight attendent to New Orleans gave me extra pretzels and peanuts.

And there it ended. A marvelous trip. I orginally considered taking my laptop and working while I was there but it is a good thing I decided not to do it. Did I mention, a week without internet. It was glorious.