marathon

what a day!!!  it was going to be a busy, fun filled day!  we woke up early and got ready to get our silly selves to the marathon.  we took a few buses there and made a pit stop, first, at wishbone {love that place!}.  we gotta feed the pregnant belly!

i couldn’t make up my mind on what to order!  so, i asked for the biscuits and gravy and the oatmeal with fruit.  annnddd, yessss, i ate them both!!!  they were both so delicious!  it totally hit the spot.  after we ate and did some texting with friends…we were ready to meet up with a few peeps.  what a debacle it had turned into!

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[yum]

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[my half eaten oatmeal – brown sugar, bananas, nuts, + milk – and my biscuits and gravy]

first, we were going to meet up with marina.  she was there with her two little boys.  marina had just gotten to the marathon when we sat down to eat but by the time we were done eating, she was ready to go home!  i was like “wahhhhh?!”.  so, strike one.  we missed meeting up with marina.

so, we walked up to the 13.5 mile mark {down the street from the restaurant}.  we cheered the runners on from the sideline.  i texted pam to see where she was at…she was at the 18 mile mark!  ugh, there was no way we were able to meet up with her and ryan!  we couldn’t taxi there {too many roadblocks} and i definitely could not walk that distance to get there!  boo, strike two.

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[the super friendly frenchie – so stinkin’ adorbs]

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[his buddy that was chillin’ behind him – i want a black frenchie and a white frenchie!]

we then decided to walk to the finish line.  we were hoping to catch a glimpse of johnny {rich’s friend} possibly at the finish line.  we had signed up for updates on johnny as he progressed through the marathon but we were not getting any!  as we were walking towards the finish line, we started to receive texts about johnny’s progress…finally!!  but then we realized, after reading the updates, we missed him at the 13.5 mile mark!  if we had gotten the texts earlier, we could have seen johnny run past then!!!!  yuck, strike three.

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[the groupie!]

well, johnny’s wife janice, had finally made it to the marathon!  yay!!!  she was close, by the finish line, so we were finally able to meet up with her!  she had her two beautiful girls with her and her mom!  love her mom.  we were able to hang out for a bit.  it was so good to see them and catch up!  the marathon trip ended on a very successful note!  we were able to finally meet up with at least one of the groups we had intended to see!

it was a very exhausting day overall but i’m so glad we were able to witness one of the great events in our city of chicago!  we are so proud of everyone who participated in this amazing event!  it is so moving to see all these people doing something not everyone can do!  congratulations to all the runners!

xoxo

jenis

it was that time of year to get our eyes checked.  i’ve been going to custom eyes since it has opened…10 years ago!  located in the heart of wrigleyville, on southport avenue.  i use to live down the street from them for five years, after getting my eyes checked by them year after year, i couldn’t find another place!  they are so accommodating, honest, professional, nice, and sincere.  they house an amazing showcase of eyewear and sunglasses that are unique, fashionable, and chic.

so, we trekked our way to the old ‘hood.  it was a beautiful day out.  after our appointments, we chit chatted a bit with the receptionists and order our contacts.  one of the girls at the desk mentioned the new ice cream store down the street.  i had walked by it a few weeks ago but didn’t get a chance to stop in.  she told us that there was a really long line at the shop!  i thought “really?!”…of course now i was intrigued.

we walked out and decided to shop around.  we hit a few stores nearby and i had decided that i needed to try the ice cream shop as well!!!  so, we walked down the street…there was a line but not as obnoxious as before.  we waited patiently, as we were given the glorious time to debate on the flavors, accruements, and accents of choice!

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[jenis]

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[selfie]

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[ice cream sammies]

i settled on the pistachio and honey with the buckeye, accented with the house made whipped cream and salty graham!  it was so good!  a perfect combo of sweet and salty!  definitely worth the wait!  we gleefully got our ice cream and sat outside, on this gorgeous day, and devoured our little treats!

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so worth the wait and we will for sure be back!  it was so decadent and divine!  a must eat!

xoxo

bump status

timeline of the bump.

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[photo by hc]

how far along?  34 weeks!  getting close!

weight gain:  32lbs.  hello!  ugh, the scale is my enemy…that is why i don’t personally own one!!!  i’m bloated…water retention sucks.

maternity clothes?  still a mixture of clothing.  i haven’t purchased anything new, just recycling the old to make it new again 🙂

sleep:  it’s been better!  and so much better now that hc is home on a regular basis!  so happy over that!  it’s so much more comforting.  i am sleeping more through the night…i’m trying to do that as much as possible before the bebe comes!

physical state:  feeling great overall!  just your typical third trimester issues.  feeling heavy {super heavy}, getting a bit tired {ugh, the heavy breathing, the shortness of breath, i can’t physically do what i am use to}, and i’m amazed at how big that belly can get!  the weight really bogs me down.  hc and i walked around the city the other day {to support our friends running in the marathon} and i almost had a melt down!  i was so unbelievably exhausted, i cried.  i’m so use to being the energizer bunny…the batteries do run out!

miss anything?  yes…everything i ‘shouldn’t’ eat.  i went to a sushi restaurant the other night and i wanted to devour all that raw fish!

baby movement:  she’s getting stronger everyday!  it’s such an odd and amazing feeling.  it’s so hard to describe it to anyone who has never been pregnant!  when she is up and kickin’, she is dancing in the belly!  it’s just boom, boom, boom, against my tummy!  she, the other week, did a first:  she kicked under my ribcage and pulled it out…ouch!!  that was a bit jarring.  she is still hiccuping at least two-three times a day!

food cravings:  yogurt, milano cookies, mott’s fruit snacks, sprite zero.

bump status:  big o belly.  it’s so big and there’s a baby chillin’ in there!  it’s only going to get bigger!  people like to point out that i’m all belly but i think they just can’t see past it to truly see those big o hips o mine! 😉

gender reveal:  it’s a girl.  a sweet baby girl.

he’s six

little reagan is growing up!!  i can’t believe he’s six, already!  i’m such a proud auntie, he is such a smart little man!  he’s always so entertaining & funny!

i headed to rainforest cafe right after work.  there was a little bit of traffic but not so bad.  hc was already there and i got there right after him.  we had a drink and a snack at stir crazy before we met everyone at rainforest.  we figured no one would be on time {hey, it’s a doan outing…we never seem to gather together on time ever :)}.

kim and famille arrived early, so we skedaddled on over to the restaurant.  i got cute little hugs from the nephews.  kids just love places like the rainforest…it’s so entertaining for them!  we browsed around the retail shop for a bit and then we were called to be seated.  we sat ourselves down and waited for the rest of the group to arrive.  we ordered drinks and apps and perused the menu to figure out what we were going to feed our empty bellies.

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[froggie fun]

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[aren’t they adorbs?]

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[food and fun]

slowly but surely, everyone found their way to the table and greeted reagan with lots of happy birthday wishes!  the conversation flowed and the food came readily.  it was a very enjoyable time with everyone!  reagan was really looking forward to the volcano dessert!  there were plenty of birthdays being celebrated there that night, so we saw many, many volcano desserts go by!

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[goodies]

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[reagan’s most favorite gift!]

after dinner, r opened up his presents!  he got a lot of goodies from everyone…i think his most favorite gift of all was from aunt thuy!  a very large power ranger!

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[i love b’s face in the background]

well, reagan received double the volcano dessert!  we sang happy birthday and dug in.  it was super yummy, decadent, and delicious.  after demolishing a lot of food, we were stuffed and ready to go home.  it was a very happy birthday for r!

thanks kim and terry for hosting!  happy birthday reagan…we love you lots!!!!

xoxo

maternity sesh

i was beyond excited for our maternity photo session!!  oh the anticipation!  i was hoping the weather was going to be fantastic.  i mean, it’s october…it could be chilly, it could be rainy and honestly, the weather app was looking like the first two were going to be true!  well, lo and behold, it was a gorgeous, warm day!

we headed to lincoln park’s lily pond for these fabulous photos.  it was so perfect, so beautiful out to a beautiful setting.  our photographer, tricia, was so relaxing and great to work with!  she made us feel so comfortable and, of course, knew how to capture the belly bump perfectly!  our minds had collaborated to create these romantic photos.  her creativity and my vision combined, equated to some absolutely lovely shots of the bump.

after the session at lincoln park, we headed back to our abode for some more intimate photos.  the belly bump in the raw!  i wish i could post more of the photos but that would be too risqué {they are a little more private and personal}!  i wanted it to be more of a clean, dreamy, romantic, classy boudoir style session.  it turned out perfect!!  please enjoy the photos…as much as we have enjoyed this whole process!

www.patriciaandersonphotography.com // via tandeminlove.com

[bump love]

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www.patriciaandersonphotography.com // via tandeminlove.com

[me + my love]

maternity photos

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[my absolute FAVORITE…such a pretty backdrop]

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[another bump FAVORITE from the boudoir session!]

www.patriciaandersonphotography.com // via tandeminlove.com

[i fell in love with this chair!  borrowed from tricia’s studio.  thank you to hc for transporting it!]

www.patriciaandersonphotography.com // via tandeminlove.com

a huge thank you to tricia for capturing such a special moment in our lives!  we are so pleased with how the photos turned out; you captured the bump so beautifully!  we can’t wait for our baby girl to arrive and to capture those cute first moments as well!!

{all photos by patricia anderson}

xoxo

m & m’s wedding

the day had finally come for matt and michelle to tie the knot!

we were so excited to see them and see them get married!  we grabbed a cab and we were on our way to the church, they were married at old st. pats!  the ceremony was at 5 pm…we were just a wee bit late {by 3 minutes!}, she was already walking down the aisle as we stood by the door waiting to go inside.  they finally let us in and we snuck up to the front!  the ceremony was beautiful and sweet.

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[husband and wife!]

i love weddings!  it’s just so exciting seeing another couple in love, saying their vows, and experiencing the joys of getting married!  or maybe it’s because i loved, loved, loved getting married and hope that every couple that does, goes through the same beautiful high of emotions like we did.  i always say, if i could bottle the euphoria you feel on that special day, the wonders it could do for the world to experience such happiness and love!

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[the beautiful bride]

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[the bride is wearing lazaro]

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[the handsome groom]

after the lovely ceremony, we ran into some friends, from rich’s old job, outside the church.    we snagged a ride with them to the reception, although matt and michelle had transportation for everyone.

their reception was held at the allerton, at the tip top tap ballroom.  we gathered together for cocktail hour…i was hungry!  i sampled every hor d’oeuvres they offered.  they were all so yummy!  after the boys had a few drinks, the chimes were rung and it was time to enter into the dining area.

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[the yummy food]

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[table decor]

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[mr + mrs clark]

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[our name is correct 😉 ]

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[awwww, so cute!]

it was cozy inside.  pretty table decor, cool lighting, and lovely flowers!  the speeches were sweet and hilarious.  it was so great to see matt and michelle so happy!  the food was delicious and the cake was scrumptious!!!  i loved the pear and red wine cake, it was heaven!  so stinkin’ good!  after dinner, the dancing ensued.  we took turns in the photo booth, boogied a bit, and had a lot of fun!

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[photo booth fun – rich in a golf hat and myself with a black veil fascinator]

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it was after 10pm and this pregger lady was dunzo.  I had worked so early and was on the go, go, go…i had to say adios.  we said our congrats and goodbye to matt and michelle and headed home sweet home!

we love you, matt and michelle!!  congrats on the beautiful wedding, the wonderful journey you are now on, and we felt blessed to have been able to celebrate with you guys!

xoxo

saturday afternoon

we had a lazy saturday afternoon with grace.

just the four of us.  we hit southport nail bar for some pedis for our tootsies.  as we were heading there, we saw that they were setting up a festival on southport!  after we got our nails done up, we cruised through the street.  it was the first ever taco fest in the area!  the boutiques down southport were having discount specials for their stores {yippee!}, there were food stands, and fun kiddie stuff to do.  grace wanted to ride the ponies and the camel.  um, we said you ride horses every week…no to the ponies but yes to the camel!

we got grace to take a picture with her dad in front of her favorite team {we wish!  she is a stinky loving whitey sox fan…boo!}.  after enjoying a beautiful afternoon, we headed home to do some more relaxing.  yes, it was a great, calming day for us.

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[camel riding]

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[grace’s favorite team 😉 ]

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[pedis]

xoxo

bump status

timeline of the bump.

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[photo by hc]

how far along?  32 weeks!  the baby weighs about 4lbs. and it’s starting to get a little tight in the womb!  her movements will start getting a little strained!  can you believe, technically i could deliver 5 weeks from now?!  but i know…every mom has said first timers are usually delivering at 40 weeks or more.

weight gain:  27lbs.  a two pound weight gain since my last appointment.  it’s a gradual process!

maternity clothes?  still a mix of maternity and regular.  i haven’t purchased anything new.  whatever i can throw together to make it work.  i test out all of my regular clothes to see if i can pull off a ‘maternity’ look.  sometimes i’m successful, sometimes it’s freakin’ redic i thought it could possibly fit over my belly.  hehe.

sleep:  it’s alright.  not too bad, not absolutely great.  it’s much better than it’s been before.  i am actually having more restful nights of late and it feels fantastic!  i do get the random days of sleepless nights but it’s been very few of late, which i am so grateful for!

physical state:  i am still clumsy but i am taking my iron pills which helps overall.  though, being clumsy in my state is a big belly pain, literally!  if i drop something, which is quite often, it is very difficult to bend down to pick it up!  i’m finally starting to feel the pinch.  i huff and puff a lot more, it’s hard to just get up from anything {ex. couch & bed}.  everyone says my belly is small but, boy, does it feel huge!  also, baby brain has kicked into full gear.  i’m aloof, i’m forgetful, and i’m lost in translation.  i’m amazed it’s true…i seriously have baby brain and it’s something i can’t fight off!

miss anything?  the usual.  i sporadically make the effort to get a fancy decaf coffee.  tis the season to get a fancy coffee at starbucks.  i love getting one when the weather turns chilly!

baby movement:  oh my goodness.  her movements are getting more strong and rowdy!  it’s shocking, sometimes, how hard she kicks.  and so uncomfortable when she does kick hard and at the same time rolls her head back and forth over my bladder.  yowza.  but it is absolutely amazing.  i am fascinated by it.  poor hc is intrigued but he told me it’s not the same, which is true.  this baby inside my belly is a true miracle and i am amazed by it.

food cravings:  still a lot of fruit.  fruit filled jello.  fruit flavored jello.  fresh fruit.  canned fruit.  fruit yogurt.  sprite zero.  yum.

bump status:  itchy belly.  the feeling has become tight already.  just when you feel like your skin can’t stretch anymore, it does.  oh, and she loves sliding all the way to my right side of the belly into a little ball where it feels likes she is going to explode right out my side.  oh little baby.

gender reveal:  it’s a girl.  totally in love.

heintz baby shower

i felt very blessed to be attending my baby shower hosted by jane and missy!  it was so kind of them to want to throw me a shower!  it was mainly the biondo side of the family and as usual, quite entertaining!

me, grace, and rich started out our day by getting ready for church.  we had to drop off some goodies {sea salt caramel pretzel brownies} i baked for fall fest {a fun event where the programs at church advertise what community work they do & sign up volunteers}.

after mass, grace really wanted to collect some goodies on all the tables, so we patiently waited around while she practically trick ‘o treated all the tables with some homemade goods!  we finally had to reel her in and head on our merry way to grandma’s house!

we arrived just right after 12pm and the party was in full swing…i think we were almost the last to get there [oops!]!  we mingled and gleefully talked a lot of baby talk {hello, it is a baby shower!}.  the food was served and we sat ourselves down to munch on some lunch.

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[hostess with the mostess, jane and missy]

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[pretty pink roses]

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[me and lori]

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[decor]

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[rich, colin, and nancy]

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[kathy, rich, moi, and ruth]

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[sitting down to eat]

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[punch]

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[lunch goodies]

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[sweet treats]

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[dessert time!]

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[yummy cookies]

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[kim’s pov]

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[cake and ice cream]

soon, we proceeded onto the opening of presents!  it was so much fun to open up all the cute gifts for little baby heintz!  so many adorable items for her!  we felt so blessed to be showered with so many clothes, gear, and toys for the little girl!

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[ready to open gifts for baby]

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[how adorbs!]

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[super excited over carrie, nancy, and pat’s gift!!!]

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[missy’s cute gifts]

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[absolutely LOVED grace’s gift!]

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[sisters]

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[kathy and carrie]

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[morgan and darci]

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[aunt vicki]

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[favors]

thank you to everyone for attending and being so kind and generous!  a huge thank you to missy and jane for throwing such a wonderful shower for our little baby girl!

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each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  2 corinthians 9:7

xoxo

lunch date with a cute boy

i had a lunch date with a cute boy!  his name is brady and he was so adorable!

i was excited to have plans with kim!  she went out earlier than expected {pregnancy can be so unpredictable!}, so i was totally missing her!  we talked practically everyday and so it’s been different not having her around all the time!  although, on the flip side, she is totally enjoying being a mommy!  i’m so happy for her & mikey…little brady is so cute!  he does look so much like his dad!

we met up in schaumvegas for lunch.  it was so much fun!  it was great catching up and seeing cute little brady sleep.  i still can’t believe she’s a mommy!  being able to be by her side throughout her pregnancy, it’s amazing to see lil’ brady as a little person.  oh, there was so much to talk about!  time was just flying by!  before we knew it, we had to part ways {bummer}!

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[kim + my 7 month bump!]

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[sweet brady]

our time together was fabulous!  until next time!

xoxo