Happy Term Day! (1 day late...)

We are thrilled that baby and I made it to term--37 weeks. It is a huge relief knowing she is "fully cooked" as I like to call it.

We have been very busy as of late, and sadly I have missed a lot of good blogging opportunities due to pure exhaustion. I do want to share 2 special events: our last road trip pre-baby to NC and my baby shower weekend!

We had a great time taking our time traveling to Boone, NC for a mountain house getaway a few weeks ago with our dear friends Marge and Nate Smith. We have made a habit to take a long weekend trip with them at the end of the summer. I laugh because a year ago we were toying with the idea of Vegas but obviously that did not happen. To sum up: On the way down we stopped to visit with my cousins Abbey, Nate, his wife Jenn, and their new baby Asher! I knew I had to see him now during cute tiny baby stage before he grows up too fast! We had a lovely dinner by a lake waterfront and enjoyed some quality hang out time after. From there we were off to see my sister and brother-in-law Michelle and Steve and our nieces Olivia and Maggie! We got to see Olivia get off her kindergarten bus (she is getting so big) and Maggie was cute as ever playing with my big baby belly. Steve was able to come home from work for lunch too :) From there we made it up the mountains to Boone where we finally met up with Nate and Marge. The first day was rainy so we took the opportunity to spend money at the outlets nearby then watch football and relax in the cabin. Nate cooked us a spectacular pot roast, and John cooked up his amazing mashed potatoes (our men can COOK!) The next day we ventured up to Grandfather mountain for some amazing views. Some of those views involved bears, cougars, and otters! (they had a mini zoo exhibit) That evening was more relaxation. All in all it was a great trip, mainly because we all got the much needed rest and relaxation we needed.

This last weekend was my baby shower! K School spoiled me with her amazing hostess skills, creativity, and food creations! Thanks to everyone's generosity, my nursery became stocked overnight. It made me reflect on how special and important community is to a family--I would be lost if it weren't for the help of so many family and friends in our preparations for baby Bedard. I used to make fun of Hillary's saying that "it takes a village to raise a child" but now I am coming to understand it. We were so blessed to have family and friends come from out of town that we continued the festivities that evening with a cookout at the Prudencio's home. It was a great way to include all the boys later on and get some quality time with everyone. By 10:30 I was wiped out but oh so happy :)
We were also spoiled that weekend because my brother and sister-in-law Matt and Laurie stayed with us for a few days. After Matt's time in Iraq and now crazy police schedule, we were so lucky to have so much time with them. We enjoyed showing them around our favorite places in Charlottesville!! John and I spent most of the time trying to convince them to move here. hehe

I am hoping next time I write I will be close to giving birth or will have given birth! Many pre-labor signs are here and I am making some slow but steady progress. Only time will tell when baby decides to make her debut. Please keep us in your prayers for a safe delivery and speedy recovery (and that John and I figure out that whole parenting a newborn thing!)