More Baby Prep

Before shot of the bookshelf.
Patrick hard at work sanding.
The finished product...great job, Patrick!
This is the color of the baby's room. Kind of stereotypical, I know, but it will be really cute accented with the green!

It's LABOR day weekend, alright! Time is slipping away quickly and we feel the pressure to get the baby preparations completed. Patrick worked on the bookshelf today and we will tackle the last piece tomorrow, the hutch. While he was busy out in the yard I started to repaint the remaining guest room so that we can get that squared away and focus on setting up the nursery. A little person we have not even met yet sure can crack the whip!

Grease in Grant Park

Why it's Grease Lightnin'!
Johnny T. when he was still dreamy and not the fat mama from Hairspray!

Chicago runs a summer-long outdoor film festival every year and tonite we joined some of Patrick's work friends to see Grease in Grant Park. Grease is a favorite of mine to begin with, but seeing it on the big screen on a gorgeous summer night with the amazing Chicago skyline as a backdrop? Good stuff! Also, singing along and doing the Hand Jive with thousands of other movie-goers is way more satisfying than going it alone in your living room! The only bummer of the evening was when I was walking back to the parking garage and I spotted a FABULOUS transvestite dressed as sexy Sandy...I desperately wanted a picture of he-she but there was an entourage to get through and I had to pee really bad!

Accenture Chicago 2008

Patrick and Kyle (co-worker)

1.5k~40k~10k

This past Sunday, August 24th, Patrick completed his first international distance triathlon here in Chicago. Despite having to pause in the swim after having his goggles kicked off his face and dealing with TWO flat tires in the cycling portion he still finished at 3h2m7sec. A job well done! It was a perfect day for a triathlon and I only wish I could have made my way north quick enough to take some pictures of him on his bike. (I accidentally took video of him during his run and so I don't have any stills to post!) It was very inspiring to watch these athletes push themselves, especially the disabled...I have four good limbs and I would never have made it through the swim! Congratulations Patrick...I'm looking forward to cheering you on in 2009!

R.I.P., Dear Carmine

The last picture taken on 8/17/08.

Carmine made the trip up north with us as he does most often, but this time he didn't come home with us. Carmine passed away sometime during Sunday night into Monday morning. I did notice on Sunday evening that his breathing sounded very labored, like a rattle or wheezing sound. His appetite was also diminished. I had a bad feeling that he might have penumonia and so I took him outside for some fresh air and cuddling and I took a few pictures of him. I was hoping that he would make it back to Chicago with us on Monday so that I could get him in to see the vet. It was not meant to be. Patrick found him passed away in his cage on Monday morning. We buried him in his Pigloo beneath an apple tree on my parent's property. I was feeling sad and weepy of course, but also guilty for not noticing his illness sooner. Was I a bad guinea pig mommy? Patrick told me that I should not be hard on myself since no one could even save Bernie Mac from HIS pneumonia! That made me smile. (R.I.P., Bernie Mac!) I bought Carmine on a whim in May of 2003 the day my cousin left from a visit and I was feeling blue. Carmine Ragusa Prater was the most adorable piggy ever and he was a good little friend.

Update: I just read online that guinea pigs have a life expectancy of 4 to 7 years, with 5 being average. Carmine was between 5-6 years old. It makes me feel better to know that he was not totally cheated by "dying young".

Everything I Ever Wanted To Know About...

Anatomy! Puberty! Sex! Reproduction! How to behave around the opposite sex! The Life Cycle Library for Young People...a bevvy of information for an inquisitive young girl like I was who had TONS of technical questions for her mother who herself was not raised to have open talks about "the birds & the bees". I read these books from cover to cover and memorized as much as I could to share and lecture with anyone who would listen! My mom found the set somewhere and pulled them out this past weekend to see if I wanted them. My eyes lit up, OF COURSE I wanted them! They were written in 1969 and they are kind of a hoot in many ways! (The chapter on the pros & cons of "going steady" is a fabulous read!) Besides, if my daughter is half as curious as I was I might need some help!

Petoskey Triathlon

Patrick setting up his transition area.
Anticipating the swim that he has before him!
Out of the water and kicking butt!
Running along at a good pace.
Finished!

This triathlon took place in Petoskey, MI and it was Patrick's second one. He did great coming in 15th of 55! He was kind of looking at it as training for this coming Sunday's Accenture event here in Chicago. (Largest in the world!) It was a beautiful morning and he enjoyed the scenery very much despite the fact that the event was small and somewhat unorganized. Thank you to Sue & Dennis for coming out to cheer him on. Good luck on Sunday, Pat-Pat!

Sturgeon Bay

Patrick & Jasper frolicking along the shoreline!
Jasper had a blast swimming and jumping the waves!
Buddy Coyote
Buddy likes the water okay.
By request...a picture of pregnant Ree! Nope, still no belly shots. ;-)

We were able to spend some time at one of my favorite places...Sturgeon Bay. It's a beach/dunes area of Lake Michigan just minutes from my parent's house. I spent endless summer days here growing up and I am forever missing it.

Home

We finally made it home after a few cancelled attempts in the spring and early summer. It was wonderful to spend some time with family and just relax in the quiet and smell the fresh air. My Aunt Rosemary passed away and the timing of our visit allowed us to attend her funeral on Monday. She was a really neat lady and she lived a good, long life. She was the last of my dad's seven siblings.

Got Nothin'

Happy August! I have had some of you tell me that you peek in for blog updates only to find the same tired old Mamma Mia! entry. So sorry to disappoint but we truly have not had a whole lot going on. (Pregnancy has kind of cramped my summer style!) We work, we have days off and Patrick has continued to work out and train for two upcoming triathlons. He also went to Warsaw, Poland for a job in mid-July but I have yet to get my hands on any pictures from the trip. I am almost finished painting the baby's room and then I have to work on getting the remaining guestroom in order. That's pretty much all I've got. Hope you are all well and that your summer wraps up nicely! Ooh! I actually do have something...above is the invitation to my first of three baby showers. My friend Bex made these and they are beautiful! (She even lined all of the envelopes herself!)