I got such a nice surprise this morning…you see, I am at the largest national conference for my work, the National Apartment Association conference in Las Vegas, NV. It is my last business trip before I go on maternity leave. It is always a busy conference but fun because I get to see all my friends. We only see each other a few times each year, since we all work remotely.
 
So, they were sneeky. They asked our General Manager and CFO, Peggy Abkemeier, to arrange a meeting with me this morning to discuss one of our largest clients. Since we have been actively working on the account together, I thought nothing of it! Sure enough, we arrive at our destination for breakfast and there were all my work friends…SURPRISE! They gave me a surprise baby shower. It was so sweet.
 
From the pink balloons and plush pink rabbit down to the bundt cake and the baby confetti on the tables – -there were even personalized tins for favors that mentioned “Tina’s Shower” and the date. All of this and yet, we were all so busy because of the conference. I can’t believe that they put all this effort into this little surprise event, especially considering the circumstances. So, you will note in the photos that although the shower was a blast, all of us had to grab our Blackberries and take a 5 minute break to take care of business. It is so good to see that I am not the only addict!
 
They had the gifts shipped to my home collectively – – a bundle me cover for the baby carrier, a play/walker, a newborn essentials feeding kit, etc, etc. Plus, Rent.com kicked in and provided a gift card to Babies-R-Us. Such generosity from my work friends!
 
On top of that, Nicole brought tons of extra baby clothes that she no longer uses from Isabella, her bundle of joy that is 8 months old. And dragged along a snap-n-go stroller from DC to Vegas to give to me.
 
Anyway, I was delightfully surprised and felt the love from my co-workers…so nice!

Okay, we are at Week 33 and I just can’t believe that in 7 weeks is my due date. Based on the circumstances, this means that she will be born even sooner. It is just around the corner. Here are just a few pictures…and as you can see, the dogs became jealous that I had the attention of the camera man instead of them!

The current schedule: Josh will begin driving to Florida on 7/19 and I will arrive via plane on 7/22. Now, we are just spending time preparing for the trip away from home!

My heart is heavy today. We found out that one of the babies that we saw in the NICU on our visit to Florida is still fighting for his life. He was born May 1st to Tracy & Keith Mitchell (he is their 3rd boy) and has been in the NICU ever since he was born. Josh & I specifically remember meeting this family. Although I was so overwhelmed with emotion and tears, I didn’t really say much during our visit. Please lift up Baby Jonathan in prayer, as Dr.Kays and his team work to repair his lungs and give him a chance at life!

Yes, it is hard to tell…but the car in the background is PACKED full of baby items. After 2 baby showers, there were still many needed items for our little girl, so we went for a little spree. Yeah…it was still light out when we walked in the store! And yes, that is more baby items on my lap for the drive home!

I had my pregnancy check-up with Dr. Vargas on Monday, June 18th.  It was so nice to see her in person – – we had not seen each other since Week 13 (nearly 20 weeks ago).  Instead, we have only been able to catch up via phone.  I gave her the update on Florida which perked her interest.  She assured me that everything looked fine pregnancy-wise.  She listened to the heart rate – 150 beats per minute.  And I have gained 15 pounds so far – – not too shabby!

Today, I met with Dr. Galan to check on our baby girl.  Once again, the ultrasound technician verified that “she has lots of hair!”  Last time we met, her growth tracked at the 15th percentile (Since the contents are in her chest, her abdominal cavity always measures smaller than it should at this stage, therefore weighing down the overall percentile).  Anyway, she must be growing because he tracked her at the 32nd percentile today – – that is good.  She appears to be growing well and weighs about 4 pounds.  We have about 7 -8 weeks left for her to bake in my belly.  Hopefully, she will grow a lot over that time!

…was today, Saturday, June 16th. There was a tremendous turnout which was really great to see. It gave me a feeling of warmth and support that means so much at a time like this…Being from Southern California, there was a mix of family as well as friends. As you will see from the pictures, Claudia and Shannon hosted this wonderful shower. They both put in countless hours making sure that Claudia’s house was in top-notch order and that every detail was attended to. The food and beverages were delightful and tasty! I had a great time…and our baby girl was given lots of wonderful gifts, gifts that she will need as she makes her entry into the world! Thanks again to everyone who attended in presence and in spirit to celebrate the life of our baby girl. Your support is wonderful!

We heard back today that we are approved for a short-term, furnished rental at the community we were targeting! This was a tremendous relief. Again, the leasing staff does not appear to have the same sense of urgency which is a bit frustrating. As I write this update, it has been 5 days since I sent them an email requesting further information (e.g. what is the address? I need this to set up mail forwarding with the Post Office!). Anyway, for now it seems that the housing dilemma has been solved. Also, it is a larger unit which means that we have room for any interested visitors!

My friend, Jen Cyphers, hosted my first ever baby shower today! It was such a great time. It was a beautiful Denver day and so we spent the party out on her patio overlooking her back yard. It was so good to have the love and support of my friends, to celebrate our baby girl. Everyone was so supportive – – thanks to my friends! I look forward to my shower next weekend being hosted by my sis-in-law, Shannon and her Mom Claudia in Southern California!

So, when we returned from Florida…I called our top choice for housing the very next day on Monday, June 4th.  The people seem very relaxed and do not sense the urgency that I have to make sure we can reserve a unit.  This is a condo conversion that offers short-term, furnished rentals.  It is one of the only places that I can find and has a great location near the hospital.  After calling 2x per day asking for the rental application, they sent it to me last night.  I completed the rental application this morning and called the property to speak to them again.  Proactively, I asked if I could include the security deposit along with the application.  Wow…it is a good thing that I work in the rental housing industry…these people are not real swift!  Anyway, I mailed off the checks and application this afternoon.  They should receive it on Monday and told me it could take up to a week to process.  I really hope this goes through – – if not, I do not have a back-up plan!

Yes, I am on the long plane ride home and am catching up on the blog. I am so excited to come home…Northern and Central Florida are not really my cup of tea.

When I arrived home, there was a voicemail message from Dr. Vargas. My blood tests came back fine – – no gestational diabetes!