goin to the chapel.

Earlier this summer Kyle and I attended the wedding of one of my very best friends. I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in Meredith's wedding and got to spend the whole weekend celebrating Meredith and Charlie. 

We started the weekend with bridal party pedicures. We were missing two of the bridesmaids for our pedicure party but we had a fabulous time! 

I didn't get any pictures of the rehearsal or rehearsal dinner but it was a fun night! We dined on delicious Texas style BBQ and heard loads of stories about the happy couple.  

Wedding day fun started with a breakfast that Charlie's aunts hosted. Unfortunately I got lost and arrived late so was a little frazzled when I finally got there, thus no photos. 

After breakfast, the ladies headed to the salon to have our hair done... 

then it was off to the wedding venue for makeup.

I had the most fun getting to spend the weekend with Meredith's bridal party! I had met all of the girls before and loved getting to know each of them better. These are some of my favorite bridal party pictures that Meredith sent me. Meredith was a gorgeous bride!

This collage makes me laugh a little bit. Meredith is such a glowing bride, Sara looks incredible in her yellow dress... and then we have the pregnant bridesmaid. But goodness knows I love those two girls!

My parents and handsome husband were also at the wedding. 

In addition to celebrating Charlie and Meredith, we had some quality time with my cousin, Allison, her husband and their baby girl. Kyle and I stayed at their house over the weekend and had so much fun! My parents met up with us the morning after the wedding so we could all have brunch before driving home. 

My dad brushed up on his baby girl skills and Anderson seemed to approve! She was a big fan of playing piano on his iPad which makes me very proud. She'll be a concert pianist in no time!

Kyle also got in some baby girl practice with sweet Anderson. I think this picture proves that he was doing a good job!

And just one more photo of the little cutie when we went out to breakfast. I am hoping that Anderson and Annabelle will be very close friends as they grow up.

Happy two and a half months of marriage to Meredith and Charlie! Kyle and I were so thrilled to be able to be in Dallas and celebrate such a truly wonderful couple!

showering annabelle.

Two weeks ago we made the drive to Texas so that we could attend a baby shower for sweet Annabelle. The shower was at my parents house and was hosted by my mom, my sister and two of my very best girlfriends.  We had an amazing turnout of friends and family. I am still completely overwhelmed that so many people were able to celebrate with us and am so thankful for the love and support from each of them. 

Every detail of the shower was perfect and unbelievably thoughtful, starting with the cute welcome banner!

My sister had the vintage flash cards (hanging on the glass doors) specially made with all sorts of 'baby' words. We used a book of children's poems for the sign-in. I thought it would be sweet to have all of the guests sign their names in a book that we could read to Annabelle each night.

The birthday cards in the bottom right corner of this collage are probably my favorite detail from the shower. Jennifer made cards for each of Annabelle's birthdays from 1-30 and each guest chose one to fill out. The notes on these cards are priceless! Many of my high school and college friends chose ages that coincided with when we met and shared memories that we have together. Some people shared special birthday wishes and prayers for Annabelle as she celebrates each age. My best friends both offered to take her out for margaritas in about 25 years! I think these will be so special to give to hear on each birthday. Such a thoughtful, amazing gift!

Across from the sign-in table were party favors and our one shower game. The ladies had to guess the size of my baby belly in order to try and win a prize. The guests had lots of time to do this while everyone arrived and while we ate so it was the perfect activity. The favors that Jennifer found were amazing! Each guest received a bottle of OPI nail polish in 'It's a Girl!' and they were wrapped up with the cutest tags. What girl wouldn't get excited over a free bottle of sweet pink polish?

The invitations were adorable and the cake coordinated perfectly! The cake was made by Edible Designs by Jessie. Jessie made mine and Jennifer's wedding cakes and also made Jennifer's bridal shower cake. Jennifer also covered the dining room light fixture with the cutest assortment of poms and paper lanterns. 

The food was incredible! We dined on chicken salad croissants (thanks Sara and Ms. Susan!), salad, fresh fruit and other tasty treats. Meredith made the darling diaper cake which is now on display in Annabelle's room.

Candy coated popcorn was given out to each winner of the game. The shower was on August 14th which happens to be my mom's birthday and Sara's grandma's birthday. There were two extra bags of popcorn for the birthday girls. {I told you that every detail was filled with thoughtfulness!}

The hostesses of the lovely shower. 

{Sara, Meredith and Jennifer}

 I have been friends with these girls since middle school. I am so thankful that we can all still catch up and celebrate each other after all these years!

{Jessie, Nicole, moi, Sara and Heidi}

My two favorite ladies in the whole world. Annabelle is a very lucky lady to have these women in her life!

And the best shot of the day! My dad had to take this picture from our staircase just to get everyone in it. I love this picture so much and think it will need a very special place on Annabelle's bookshelf. She is such a blessed little girl to already be so loved by such a wonderful group of people. 

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to celebrate with us! We received the sweetest, most wonderful gifts for this little girl and are very thankful for the generosity of our loved ones. 

And a very big thank you to my mom and the girls for putting so much time and effort into creating such a perfect shower for Annabelle!

one year.

One year ago today we were celebrating the marriage of my big sister, Jennifer, and her wonderful groom, Jason. It was a beautiful day filled with wonderful people and an amazing couple. 

{photo courtesy of the fabulous Ashley K Photography}

Happy first anniversary, Jennifer and Jason! Cheers to year number two and all of the crazy adventures that it is sure to bring! Big hugs and lots of love to you both!

weeks 27, 28, 29, 30.

Once again I got a wee bit behind on the old updates. I wanted to go ahead and include the 'best moment' info for each week as well as the pictures (except for the one week I missed). I just want to be sure that I don't forget the fun things that stood out for each week in baby-world. 

Week 27

Best Moment this week: The highlight of week 27 was getting to spend time with my sister in DC. As usual, we had the best time together. We added a few new stores to our usual shopping rotation since we now have a little lady to spoil. It was so fun to browse baby clothes and (very stylish!) diaper bags with Annabelle's Aunt Jenn. 

Week 28

Best Moment this week: One of the most fun parts of week 28 was a trip that Kyle and I took to do some Annabelle shopping. We stopped by a huge sale at Carter's and picked up a few precious little sleepers for Annabelle. Want to see the cutest thing in the world? Watch a 25 year old guy pick out pink onesies for his baby girl. I think Kyle picked out most of the the outfits we ended up buying. I never knew it, but he has really great taste when it comes to baby girl clothes. 

Week 29

Best Moment this week: I don't have a picture from week 29 so imagine a bump a little bigger than week 28 and a little smaller than week 30. We had a doctor's appointment this week and were thrilled to hear that Annabelle is doing well! I had my glucose test at this appointment and as my amazing nurse Patrice told me, I passed with flying colors. We also drove to Texas this week. Our time in Texas was fantastic. The drive to Texas was, in a word, rough. 29 weeks pregnant + 12.5 hours in the car is just not a recipe for a good time.

And finally, week 30! That's right, 30 weeks. Meaning we only have 10 weeks left. Holy smokes!

Size of baby: Annabelle is the size of a cabbage! She weighs around 3 pounds and is between 15 and 16 inches long. I am just amazed at how big she is growing!

Maternity Clothes: I am pretty much wearing 100% maternity. I have a few non-maternity tops that I can still wear and one or two non-maternity tops that I bought in larger sizes. Other than that, it's pretty much all maternity, all the time. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: She is moving a lot! In the last few weeks I've started feeling her wiggle around a lot more, before I had mostly just been feeling her kicks. It is so amazing to feel her wiggle and switch positions. I feel like her kicks are so dainty which makes me smile. She has also started positioning herself in ways that are less than comfortable for her momma. I've started feeling little limbs jab me in the ribs, sweet girl just doesn't know that it isn't the greatest feeling.

Sleep: Oh my, sleep is just a tricky thing these days. Last night I slept wonderfully but the night before last was brutal. I was awake from 3:00-5:00 in the morning and was uncomfortable all night. I made the mistake of falling asleep without my pregnancy pillow a few nights ago and felt awful the next day. My stomach muscles were sore, my back was aching and I just felt terrible. I haven't made that mistake again and now sleep with an extra pillow for some additional support.

What I miss: At my last appointment, my doctor told me that I would feel uncomfortable from here on out. She was not lying and I am definitely started to feel big and uncomfortable. I miss being able to roll over easily in bed and sit comfortably on the couch. 

Cravings: I haven't had any lately, at least not that I can remember. I am still drinking lots of water every day. 

Symptoms: I get exhausted really easily these days. Kyle and I went shopping at the outlet mall yesterday and it completely wore me out. I woke up today and was having some round ligament pains (at least that's what I think they are). Lately I have started getting them on the day following a busy day of being on my feet. 

Best Moment this week: My first baby shower was last Sunday and it was an absolutely perfect day! We had a wonderful group of friends and family get together to celebrate our baby girl and shower her with the most thoughtful, generous gifts. My sister, mom and two of my best friends put so much thought and love into the day. I have loads of pictures to share and will post those this week. 

And here I am, in all my 30 week glory...

{I am wearing a J. Crew top in this picture. I have loved it during this whole pregnancy but have a feeling this photo documents my last time to wear it for quite a while. I barely squeezed that belly in there!}

week 26.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 weeks (Thursday)!

Size of baby: According to thebump.com, Annabelle is the size of an eggplant. BabyCenter prefers to compare her to an 'English hothouse cucumber'. Either way, she is between 13.5 and 14.5 inches long and weighs just over 2 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes: Same as before. All pants are maternity, except for some pajama pants, and tops are a combo. I can still fit into lots of my regular dresses but some are starting to get a little too short thanks to the ol' belly. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: Y-E-S! I can feel her kicking almost anytime I sit down and rest on the couch. I also discovered yesterday that I can poke at my stomach and feel where parts of her body are. Annabelle's Aunt Jenn has requested that I stop poking her :) I just think it is amazing that she is big enough for me to really feel her body in there. 

Sleep: At this point, it completely depends on the night. I am sleeping well for the most part, but sometimes it takes me a while to get comfortable. I'm sure that will only get tricker as I get bigger. I have also started having some crazy dreams this week. One such dream included calling mall security on a woman who was stealing Chick-fil-A nuggets from my friends and me. What does that say about me?!

What I miss: I miss sleeping on my stomach. Flipping from one side to the other all night long is getting a little old. 

Cravings: Same as week, if you mention it, I will want it. Other than that, nothing too specific. I have been making a point to drink lots of water though. It is crazy hot outside and I am terrified of getting dehydrated so I keep a glass of water with me all day long. 

Symptoms: Nothing too extreme, mostly just that I get tired really quickly. 

Best Moment this week: The best baby related moment would be getting Annabelle's crib set up! We ordered her crib months ago but couldn't set it up until we moved out of the apartment. Last weekend we finally turned this....

into this....

I absolutely love it! Kyle and I went back and forth (and back and forth a few more times) when we were looking for a crib. I loved antique white. Kyle hated antique white. Kyle loved dark wood. I hated dark wood. For those of you who remember the struggles Kyle and I had when we were trying to register for dinnerware and bedding, this was a very similar experience. I think the angels were singing when we finally stumbled upon this beauty, not too dark and not too light. We love it so much! Big thanks go Grandpa Scott and Grandma Kim for the beautiful gift! 

We also have her bedding but are still waiting on one piece that is back in Texas. Her bedding is also a gift which I *technically* should not have received yet. Thankfully the gift-giver is aware that Annabelle's momma is impatient and was dying to get a peek. So although we have it (mostly) set up and it is looking GORGEOUS, I'm going to hold off on sharing it for a few weeks. (I know that none of you needed that l-o-n-g explanation, but you got it!) All you need to know is that all of Annabelle's grandparents have been very generous in giving her the perfect place to rest her sweet head.

We've upgraded from iphone photos to Nikon photos this week! Sadly they are still bathroom pictures, but it's a step in the right direction. I took this right before I headed to the airport so didn't have time to get Kyle's help with a photoshoot. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

weekend away.

I am just a few hours away from hopping on a plane and heading to DC to visit this pretty lady...

This picture is old but it is from one of my favorite sister weekends ever, our weekend trip to NYC.

Our weekend includes all of our favorite things. We will be eating Mexican food, shopping, seeing a movie that neither of our husbands would have any interest in seeing, going to loads of tasty restaurants and we even have tickets to see Wicked (BIG thanks to my brother-in-law for that!!). I have had my plane tickets since May and am about to burst with excitement that it is finally time for the trip.

I promise to be back soon with pictures and stories from the trip and hopefully I'll find some time to get a pregnancy update done today.

Until then, I'm off to pack my bags and sit on the couch, counting down the minutes until time to head to the airport.

week 25.

Things have been super busy in our neck of the woods! We are in the midst of unpacking all of our boxes at the new house so blogging (and everything else fun in life) has taken a back seat. I am crossing my fingers that we are almost done in which case I should be back soon with actual updates on all of the fun we had in June!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25 weeks today!

Size of baby: Annabelle is the size of an eggplant, about 13 1/2 inches long and approaching 2 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: To be honest, I've spent much of the last week in tshirts and exercise pants. I have seen no need in getting all spruced up just to unpack boxes and organize the closets. For the most part, I'm still wearing a combo of maternity and regular. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: Y-E-S! She is getting more active by the day and I love it! 

Sleep: Pretty good for the most part. Unpacking has me completely exhausted so I usually fall asleep quickly. I am however getting tired of the 2 am bathroom breaks. 

What I miss: My clothes. I know, it's pathetic but true. Most of my pre-Annabelle clothes have been in boxes for over a month so I had kind of forgotten about lots of them. Unpacking them reminded me that a) I really love my clothes and b) I cannot fit into most of them. My closet will be quite the motivation to lose the baby weight asap! As I told my mom, I really don't mind getting bigger... I do however mind wearing ugly maternity clothes. 

Cravings: Nothing specific, I pretty much crave what I hear about. For example, my friend Haley had Steak 'n Shake for lunch and I spent about an hour and a half craving it once I heard that. That burger craving ended as soon as I saw someone on tv eating a taco. 

Symptoms: Nothing too extreme, mostly just that I get tired really quickly. 

Best Moment this week: We had another great appointment on Tuesday! Annabelle's heartbeat sounds great and she seems to be growing perfectly. I am thankful every day for what an easy and healthy pregnancy this has been so far. 

And the bump! Miss Annabelle is 24 weeks and 5 days in this shot. Please pardon the messy bathroom counter... I said we are almost unpacked, I did not say we are organized yet!