Update on Grant Achatz

Here's some good news about Chef Grant Achatz that ran in the The New York Times recently.

Achatz Is Cancer Free
By The New York Times

It was stunning to hear this summer that Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago, one of the most acclaimed chefs in the country, had cancer of the mouth. Today, in a statement released by his publicist, he had better news:
It is with a tremendous sense of gratitude and relief that I have successfully completed my course of therapy at the University of Chicago. It was incredibly important to me to remain as engaged as possible at Alinea while receiving treatment, and during that time I only missed 14 services. I continue to stand committed to innovating fine dining long into the future.
At this time I want to thank everyone at Alinea — the staff, investors, and patrons of the restaurant have offered their unwavering commitment and support in ways large and small. The community of restaurants, chefs, and industry professionals who reached out to us was exceptionally gratifying.
Most of all, I must make special mention of doctors Vokes, Blair, and Haraf at the University of Chicago Medical Center, as well as the countless number of medical professionals and support staff there who cared for me. Where other doctors at prominent institutions saw little hope of a normal life, let alone a cure, these doctors saw an opportunity to think differently, preserve my tongue and taste, and maintain a long term high quality of life. Through the use of a new and rigorous chemotherapy and radiation protocol, they were able achieve a full remission while ensuring that the use of invasive surgery on my tongue was not needed.

The Miracle of the Chocolate Returns

I must have been a very good girl this year because the Miracle of the Christmas Chocolate has returned. My friend Lisa in California mailed me my very own box of See's Candy after hearing how I delighted in the pieces I pilfered from work. I'm sitting here nibbling the corners off the candies on the top layer with the hope of finding the brown sugar chocolates. Life is good.

Nursery

The good news is that the nursery is nearly done. Our contractor, Randy, spent the day here on Thursday--twelve hours--and painted the new room, inside and out. We are thrilled with the work he did and will highly recommend him to anyone looking for some quality carpentry work in their home (not to mention he is very affordable). Happily, our new room loooks like it's been part of the house forever, which is a very good thing.

Now the fun part begins for me. We have furniture on order: Oeuf "Sparrow" crib and changing table, Duhtillier glider, and cute, retro bedding from Dwell Baby (we chose the "Robin" motif). You can check out the crib bedding here to get an idea of what we are going for: http://dwellshop.com/b2c/ecom/ecomEnduser/default/default.aspx. The colors we are using are primarily a deep robin's egg blue and the green you see in bedding. The accents will be white (crib/changing table/one of the brick walls) and brown (the chair and a floating shelf). We're waiting for the furniture to arrive and are hoping that everything will be in place within the next few weeks.

Baby Boy seems to be doing well at 25 weeks. It's hard to believe I only have 14 more weeks to go if I deliver to full term. It doesn't seem like much time. He is kicking up a storm this week, and I can feel him past the top of my belly button (which is still "in," thank you very much), all the way down to the bottom of my cervix. No wonder I have been having such sharp jabbing pains all week--this kid is kicking me and growing all at the same time. I definitely see that a growth spurt has occurred in the past week. I just hope I'm not contributing to any type of hyperactivity because of all the sweets I've been eating. C'est la vie. He'll be sweet one way or another.

A Chocolate Christmas Miracle!

A Christmas miracle occured for me this week. One of my office mates from California put a 2 pound box of See's candy in the kitchen for shared consumption. How could they have known that every day I dream of See's bordeaux bars and caramel marshamallows, only available on the West Coast? How could they have known that ever since I visited my parents in Utah last month I have been dreaming of ways to order a tub of chocolates without Joe finding out? (Don't worry, I wouldn't actually do it!)

This is crazy behavior for me, I know. Nicky put it best yesterday when she walked into the office to find me cramming chocolates into my mouth.

"If I didn't know you were pregnant by looking at you, I would definitely figure it out now. I don't think I've seen you eat chocolate in two years."

"Ummmhummmm, Nibby. Ib's gooooodt. Mmmmmmmm!" I replied.

Merry Christmas to me and the Baby Boy!! Those 20 pieces of chocolate I ate this week will definitely morph into the gift that keeps on giving.

Christmas Time is Here

The Drake Hotel

Judy is serenaded by a high school violinist!

Evan though we are in the midst of construction with the baby's room (this week we are in the painting process), me packing up and moving out of my office (while taking on new clients), and saying goodbye to my wonderful assistant, Nicky, as she goes from part-time employee to freelancer (boo, I don't get to see her all the time now), we have found the time to make some Christmas memories this year. With all of the business swirling around us, Joe and I really want to make sure to keep focused on the real reason we celebrate what is more than a holiday. Christmas isn't about gifts, parties, and shopping, but the birth of Jesus Christ--our amazing Savior. This year, in particular, I want to savor the story of Jesus' birth, to put myself in Mary's shoes as a pregnant woman. It's more than a bit awesome to dwell on this.

So, it is memories more than gifts that I want to receive this year. Time spent with family and friends reminiscing about the past year and making plans for 2008; looking into the future and praying for wherever God will take us next. Some of the time we have spent with friends and family lately include a dinner party hosted by our friends, the Jerozal's, where we laughed harder than we have in a looooong time! We were also invited to a wonderful party with Joe's parents, some of their friends, and our friends Judy and Justin. The party featured a group of teen violinists from Wisconsin who are extremely talented and entertaining and put us all in the holiday spirit with their selection of hymns, carols, and standards. Joe and I also had a "Christmas in the City" overnight at the Drake Hotel this past weekend, eating at our favorite restaurant, Le Colonial and going to see Wicked (fantastic, by the way!). We also enjoyed a stroll down Michigan Avenue on Monday morning before heading for home. Tonight we look forward to a Christmas gathering with our small group to eat and celebrate our new friendships.

As those little Peanut's characters sing so peacefully, "Christmas Time is Here." I just want to keep in mind what it's all about.

22 1/2 Weeks Pregnant and Building a Room

I thought I would post some photos of me as I have finally had the big stomach "pop" that everyone talks about. I sent the pics to a few friends today by e-mail, and the verdict is that I officially look pregnant and that I have a huge chest. Don't you love honest friends??

In other news, we began construction on the baby's room this week! It's amazing how we were under-utilizing the back corner of our living room...turns out that all we had floating in this 8 x 12 space was a pantry, so viola, an enclosed room will be ours in the next week. I can't wait since this puts me one step closer to decorating my little boy's space. Fun for mom, fun for dad!

NYC Photos

Top of the Empire State Building and ready to lose it!!

The yummiest Gluten-Free bakery in NYC: Babycakes!

Chelsea Market, home to the Food Network

Enjoying our tour of the Chelsea Market with some homemade gelato

Yummy Italian lunch at Chelsea Market

Sadly, I am just now getting around to posting my photos of our anniversary trip to New York City in September. Remember, I really only had one good day there since I was sick for most of it, but I did manage to fake smile at the top of the Empire State Building.

They Really Like Me!

This post is for Roxanne, Chloe, and all of my Thai food-loving sisters that frequent Cozy Thai in Evanston. As you may know, I eat at Cozy at least once a week. Usually by myself as a break in the work day. Yesterday I went in with Joe on his day off and we had lunch. Our friendly server, who seems to wait on me every time I go in, walked up and patted my tummy, exclaiming, "How baby? Baby dancing?" Joe looked at me increduously, probably wondering just how often I really eat at Cozy! Toward the end of our meal, the nice woman came back to drop off our check and handed me a box. "My owner want you to have this for Christmas," she said in semi-broken English. Inside the box were two pefectly darling little key chains featuring brightly colored elephants and a little note thanking me for my patronage.

I think my husband is going to limit my Thai food consumption from now on.

Fun with Family

Happy Thanksgiving, Indeed!

Happy Thanksgiving, all! We are so thankful to be having a baby BOY in April!!

And the Baby is a....

Oh, sorry! I can't reveal that information until Thanksgiving when I tell my family in Utah in person! But I will post it as soon as possible. And if you're not following this, you probably don't know that I had my first ultrasound yesterday at 20 weeks and yes, we did decide to find out the gender.

A bit about the scan. Joe and I arrived at ENH at 10 a.m. for the ultrasound II and soon found ourselves in an exam room all ready to go. Our technician was really nice and explained everything we were looking at. Surprisingly, everything seemed pretty clear to us and we were pleased to recognize the feet, heart, head, arms, just all of the little bitty parts. After about 30 minutes of prodding (Baby McG did NOT want to show us a face shot!), it was declard that the baby was "looking good," with no apparent signs of problems. Praise God! The only downside, for me at least, was finding out that I have a 6 cm fibroid that may prohibit natural birth since it is presently blocking the birth canal. This means that a c-section could be in my near future, but the doctor will reassess at 32 weeks to find out if the uterus has grown enough to allow the baby to get by the dumb fibroid. If not, it looks like I will be scheduling Baby McG's birth, but it is too soon to know at this point.

I spent a restless night worrying and feeling a bit depressed about the potential c-section and potential surgery down the road to remove the fibroid. The fibroid is presently just where the c-section incision should go, but there are definitely alternate ways to do a c-section and, as my doctor reminded me, she spent 12 years in higher education to leaern those techniques. So, thanks for joining us in praying that the fibroid would either disappear (Yay! First choice!), shrink, or move. As I mentioned, we have 12 more weeks before a decision needs to be made about how I will give birth, but I am still praying for this to be resolved quickly and for NO pain in the meantime.

Now back to the best news at hand...celebrating a healthy child!

A funny story to close. A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, is also pregnant and had her ultrasound a few weeks ago. After her scan, a nurse talked to her about being part of a study for measuring the cervix to find out if there is a correlation in size and pre-term labor. The study only took a few minutes but required a transvaginal scan (fun). She agreed to be part of the study and while she was lying in the exam room participating in the study, the research nurse handed her a folded up $10 bill and thanked her for participating. "I felt so cheap," she said. Well, during my ultrasound yesterday, guess who offered me cash money??? Those research nurses really get around.

Laying Low

Rox's birthday party!

David Burke's Primehouse

This weekend I am laying fairly low. Besides going out to a fabulous dinner at David Burke's Primehouse last night (family friend, Rose, took Joe and me, and his parents, for a belated birthday dinner downtown...yummy cinnamon and salted carmel ice creams!), I am sitting on the couch in sweats. Work has been so very busy over the past few weeks with Ken Blanchard's house burning down in the San Diego fires and the Schuller book tour (he was on Fox & Friends on Saturday morning!) that I feel like my body needs a rest. I thought I was over the extreme weariness after my first trimester, but I just cannot seem to keep my eyes open.

But it's been a great week and I feel like Joe and I accomplished a lot. For me, the accomplishments were small but mighty--finding a birth class I think we'll like and finishing up some work projects. For Joe, the accomplishments have been mighty big as he worked around the clock to make sure the new B & O store was ready for business on Saturday. I had a chance to visit the new store last night and it is beautiful--twice as large as the last store, with a stunning courtyard for client events. It seems that the new staff will be very happy there. Plus, it's right next door to Pops for Champagne, so friends might find that an added bonus when visiting!

Mixed in with the hard work of the week was the chance to celebrate our friend Roxanne's birthday with a fun girl's lunch at BomBon Cafe in Chicago (way to go with the candle in the guac, Beck!) and a surprise party thrown by her superstar husband Jason the very next night. I also had the chance to breakfast with my dear friend Judy in celebration of her November birthday.

This week promises to be just as filled with fun and adventure as we kick off the Thanksgiving holdiay week with our first ultrasound tomorrow morning! I have not had an ultrasound prior to tomorrow's 20 week scan since by the time I got in to the doctor for my first appointment, I was at 11 weeks. So, this should be very exciting, not to mention a huge reality check. My friend, Colleen, who is just three weeks ahead of me, said something very insightful about her ultrasound. She said that it made the entire pregnancy experience much more real to her and that it helped her bond with her baby (girl). Bearing her words in mind, I think we have made the decision to find out the gender of the baby (besides, I really am chomping at the bit to start pulling a nursery together and I don't want my baby wearing yellow and green each and every day...). So, be sure to check out new posts this week for the update! We fly to Utah on Wednesday for Thanksgiving, and look forward to revealing the gender to my family on that day.

In Honor of the Holiday

First I commemorated Columbus Day, now Veteren's Day, in a very special way. Yes, the two times I have actually thrown up during pregnancy have been on these two holidays, so I'm a little afraid of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's so crazy that I have been feeling good, eating like a horse at times (I ate an entire plate of chicken Vindaloo at Hema's on Friday night!), and, for the most part, have my energy back in spades. But this morning I drank a glass of water rather too quickly, with the results ending up in the kitchen sink.

Oh well, I will just chalk it up to hormone surges since I am now feeling lots of baby movement and and my stomach is exploding into the size of a canteloupe. I have my 19 1/2 week appointment tomorrow with Dr. Herndon, so she can listen to me commiserate about random regurgitation. But being sick makes me want to get in bed and go to sleep and now I have to go to work to hop on a conference call. Sigh.

I do need to mention that several people have asked me if Phil from my last post was a weirdo. The surprising part is that he was very normal!! Doesn't that make the story even better??

On Being Pregnant

I guess I could be writing more about being pregnant than I have, but the truth is, I feel like I'm still adjusting to this life phase. Between being sick at the end of the first trimester and suddenly gaining my energy back at the beginning of the second--which has led to a flurry of shopping and comparing prices at every baby store in the Chicagoland area--I haven't had much time to actually ponder the fact that I am, as they say, with child. Now that I'm approaching week 19, feeling movement and seeing a larger roundness in my stomach, I am at the beginning of acceptance.

Part of that acceptance is recognizing the fact that sometimes you just feel frumpy when you're pregnant. But that goes with the territory, right? As I dressed today, I realized that I had donned my first complete pregnancy outfit. Gap pregnancy jeans. Check. Cool long-sleeved graphic t-shirt with hood. Check. I thought I looked pretty cute, but then I realized that the jeans, so loose when I purchased them in a fit of early pregnancy excitement in August, were already snug. And I even bought a size up from my regular size. It dawned on me that I will probably need to buy another pair in a month or so, and this depressed me a bit. Another depressing thought hit a few minutes later. Pregnancy has already forced me to crack the 130's (don't judge--we all have different body types!), and today I already weighed in at 139.6. A horrific thought entered my head: I will soon weigh 140 pounds, and I'm not even half way through pregnancy. So, it stands to reason that I can expect to hit 150 in the not-so-distant future. AHHHHHHH!! A depressing set of thoughts, indeed.

But I guess God knows when I need a boost. I was without a car today, so in the afternoon I took the El downtown Evanston to do some shopping. As I walked my pregnant-belly self down the street looking for a shop, a handsome man on a bike passed me, giving me a glance that made me think we had somehow met before. I didn't give it much thought and had walked another block when I heard a voice behind me say, "Excuse me! Excuse me!" I turned to see the man on the bike behind me. Holding out his hand he said, all in one breath, "Hi, my name is Phil. I noticed you when I passed by earlier and just wanted to say hello. I think you are very attractive and didn't want to let the opportunity pass by. Do you live in the area? Are you single?"

Taken aback by his guts (nerve, cajones, boldness) I politely told him that I was taken (and didn't he notice I am 4 1/2 months pregnant??!). Poor Phil didn't get a date, but he gave me something even better...a moment of un-frumpiness!

Doing Fallish Things

This past weekend was very fun, very fallish. Beautifully sunny with dappled leaves floating through the air, I embraced the gently brisk days like a coat I knew would only be warm enough to wear for another week. Smoky smells, pumpkins, and corn were all part of the outdoor ambiance.

One of the more interesting things that happened during the weekend was the wonderful opportunity for Joe and I to meet Shauna James Ahern, author of the Gluten Free Girl blog(Shauna's blog has been linked to my blog for months and I encourage you to check it out if you have not already done so). I stumbled upon Shauna's blog about a year ago, after Joe was diagnosed with gluten intolerance, and fell in love with her prose, her recipes, and her real-life stories. From sharing her struggles with celiac disease, to meeting her now-husband, the Chef, to sharing tidbits from her wedding and honeymoon, I almost feel like I know Shauna. Now, she has released her first book, Gluten Free Girl, and when I found out she would be in Chicago as part of her book tour, I knew we had to meet her.

Making a potential meeting with Shauna even more intriguing was the fact that our friends Karen and Shawn, who just moved to Seattle, are currently living with Shauna's book publicist! I turned Karen on to Shauna's blog months ago since she is also gluten intolerant, and it was just a big happy connection for all of us.

That is how we came to sit inside Swirlz Cupcakes in Lincoln Park on Friday afternoon sharing stories with one of the most prolific bloggers we know. She is a great gal, and even invited us to have dinner with her that night. Alas, we already had plans, but we sure were sorry to pass up the opportunity. Joe found her story really encouraging as he navigates his own journey as a wheat-free guy. Check out her blog today to read the shout out she gave us!

From gluten-free conversation on Friday to Northwestern football on Saturday...who says we aren't well-rounded? Saturday dawned beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, and we were happy to make our way to Ryan Field at Northwestern University to watch an autumn football game between Joe's alma mater and Iowa. Northwestern was slated to WIN, but they really let us down in a big way. But we enjoyed ourselves among the purple-clad fans.

Parties and More Parties

Even though I don't enjoy Chicago winters, I do enjoy how, after summer disappears, all of my friends are back in town and cozy get-togethers commence. The past few weeks marked this lovely time of year, and we have had the opportunity to celebrate Joe's birthday, my birthday, a fun dinner party with our friends, the Currat's, and a bittersweet goodbye party to dear friends Shawn and Karen before they moved to Seattle (we're so sad to see them go!). Enjoy the photos and I promise to keep up with my blog better than I have been. Darn the distraction of Face Book.

The First Bit of Bump

As I approach week 18 on Saturday, I am happy to report there has been a bump sighting--finally! (Uh, don't you hate that word? I feel so BFF with Nicole Richie). Anyway, the fact that I just sort of popped out over the past couple of days is more support that I am bound to give birth to just one child, right? Really, how could two children survive in the small space that is currently my uterus? I know, I know, it's going to get gi-normous in the next few months, but take a look at JLo. She's reportedly three months pregnant, and believe me girlfriends, you can tell! The report today is that SHE is the one having twins.

Twins, or not? You be the judge.

*****

In other news, I think I felt the baby polk me. Not just one time, but four different times this week and multiple polks at one time. Today I received the most number of polks--six--and got a little freaked out to think that a tiny person inside of me is floating around bumping my stomach. A tiny, five-inch person anywhere is an oddity, but especially when it's inside of you and you can't do anything to get it out of you short of giving birth. But I am teaching the baby to like Mexican and Thai food, eating lots of spice, so maybe all the polking is prenatal rebellion.

It's a Beautiful Day

It's a beautiful day. That phrase always reminds me of the U2 song. Better yet, that song always reminds me of being lost in a rental car in the middle of Monaco with Cherice and Larisa, trying our best to find Italy before dark. Being lost can be so enjoyable when you have a trunk full of French wine and chocolate. But today the beautiful day I am referencing is all about God's creation of the perfect Fall day coupled with an utter lack of nausea and a peaceful contentment. Maybe it's my energy level since going back to the gym or maybe it's the Lou Malnati's thin crust pizza I am happily munching as I alternately type these words and gaze out the window at the sunshine, but just in this moment I am fulfilled.

Things have happened over the past several weeks that could make anyone lose their peace and surrender to anxiety, but I'm glad Joe and I haven't done that. From pregnancy ailments to sudden job transitions (Joe was just promoted to store manager for Bang & Olufsen Chicago), to cars breaking down, to friends moving away (enjoy Seattle, Shawn & Karen!) we have glimpsed on a daily basis the faithfulness of God to take care of us. Along the way, He has given us the added bonus of mom friends to provide encouragement, a stellar small group and an exciting time in our family and marriage. We're excited to see what lies ahead!

But When Do You Stop Throwing Up?

Not to keep bringing up my pregnancy--sorry, it's just going to be my primary topic of conversation for the next six months--but when do you stop throwing up? Granted, I've so far suffered primarily with nauseau, with little heaving involved, but today I experienced the textbook pregnancy sick session. Wake up, drink some juice (not good on an empty stomach as I found out), do some computer work, get dressed, and...wait! I think I'm going to throw up now! Finish getting dressed and go eat pancakes and sausage with my husband, just like it never even happened. Hormones are so weird.

Hell in a Taxi Cab and Other Adventures in New York City

Joe and I flew to New York City last Thursday in celebration of our 5th anniversary. And I'll admit that part of me wanted to fit in as much carefree travel as possible before the birth of Baby McG in early April. But sometimes I need to know when to say when. I never imagined that a simple trip to another city could take it out of me the way this trip did, as if a large banner was rolled out in front of me shouting, "Welcome to Pregnancy!" Still, in spite of some harrowing moments kneeling in front of a toilet, Joe and I still managed to have fun and arrive home with smiles our our faces.

The flight to New York itself was fairly uneventful, as was checking in to our conveniently located hotel, Four Point by Sheraton on 25th and 7th Ave. After settling in, we strolled down 7th and had brunch/lunch at Cafeteria before grabbing some California-style frozen yogurt at Pinkberry (I swear this is the same thing as Humphrey's in L.A., but with a new name). Then began a quick hour or so of shopping for maternity clothes. (I'm really a planner since I don't even need these yet, but who knows if I'll feel like shopping next month? Yeah, right.) Anyway, if any of you girls are interested, I tried on some things at H & M Maternity and I give them a thumbs up. I tried on some of Zara's new maternity line and I give them a thumbs down. How many pregnant women have no booty? Not me! It's sad when you can't fit into a LARGE maternity shirt. I don't think so.

Everything was rosy until we approached...our first taxi cab. We climbed in. "SoHo, please," my husband cheerfully told the driver. Suddenly a rank smell filled my nostrils. A smell so pungent I wanted to throw up out the cab window. But I didn't. After a few minutes of creeping through traffic so thick we could have walked faster than any moving vehicle on the road (thanks to an appearance by Barack Obama at Washington Park--thanks United Nations!), I indicated my distress and climbed out. "Did you smell that horrible odor?" I exclaimed to Joe. "No," he replied to my shock and dismay. Hmmm...is this the super sense of smell that pregnant women are said to posess? It was my first time experiencing it first-hand, and it was almost like I was...bionic. Could I run faster than Joe, as well? Was my sense of hearing more keen? I already knew that I could throw up on demand, definitely much faster than he could.

Thankfully, Joe found me a bagel and some water to revive my poor tummy, and we commenced walking to SoHo to visit Giggle baby store. The evening continued uneventfully with dinner at Dos Caminos, where somehow, despite nausea, I was able to put away chips and salsa, two pork tacos, and a bowl of chile. How does that work?

After a good sleep, Friday dawned sunny and comfortably cool for our morniing visit to the gluten-free bakery, Baby Cakes. I think this was the highlight of Joe's trip as, for the first time in a year, he could indulge, guilt-free, in a brownie and coffee cake. I tried a cinnamon role and it was just as good as anything you would find in a "regular" bakery. Now if we could get them to franchise in Chicago. It's so hard to find good gluten-free products, so it's worth celebrating when you do. Food was the day's theme and we continued on to Chelsea Market for a guided tour of all of the food vendors in the incredible former Nabisco factory. Chelsea Market is the longest continuous walkway in New York City and is home to The Food Network, among other things. We hoped for a glimpse of Rachel Ray or Bobby Flay (we wanted to throw him down), but we had to settle instead for tastings of yummy eats like lobster, homemade gelato, soups, cookies, and jams fromt the local vendors. Later, we walked through the Meatpacking district and went inside several top restaurants to take a peek: Del Posto (Mario Batali), Morimoto's (yes, the Iron Chef himself), and Buddakhan. We also went to the top of Hotel Gansevoort to check out the view and ogle the incredible pool and deck. If only we had $900 a night to spend on a hotel. Sigh.

After all the goodies, we hopped in a cab (no problems this time) and checked out "Free Friday" at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa). I don't think I would do that again as it was absolutely jam-packed with tourists. We viewed the Calder exhibit, which was cool, but we spent about 40 minutes total in the museum before we just couldn't take it any longer. Besides, we had reservations for dinner at Crispo for Italian food and we didn't want to be late.

Crispo was amazing...bruschetta, salad, homemade tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, creme brulee...and heartburn. I figured out on this trip that I can no longer eat a heavy meal and go immediately to sleep. I think it's another joy of pregnancy, but I'll spare you the gory details. Suffice it to say that I woke up the next morning feeling pretty lousy, and then decided that it wouldn't be a problem to climb to the top of the Empire State Building with 10,000 other visitors to New York. Strike one. But once again, I recovered enough to eat a burrito and walk down 5th Avenue to a cool Japanese department store called Takishamaya--it is so awesome, especially their tea room in the basement.

Strike two that day was the cab ride back from Central Park. Crazy New York drivers are fast, but deadly. Strike three was thinking I could actually eat dinner at a fun French-Vietnamese place called Indochine. Sadly, I could not. What I could do was eat some yummy beef Pho soup they were offering. In fact, I ate two. "Another soup for the pregnant lady," my husband beamed proudly. Despite the sickness, that is actually my favorite memory of our trip. I guess my sickness will be a story for another generation. "Hey kids, did I ever tell you about all the soup your mom ate when we were in New York that time..."

Start Spreadin' the News...

Yes, it's true that I'm going to NYC tomorrow for a little vaca. But the news I'm spreading today is of far more importance. I'm pregnant!! Now that I'm 12 weeks along, Joe and I have spent the past week sharing details with our friends. So, if I have missed telling any of you, you really are finding out just about when everyone else is.

We are extremely excited and can't wait until the April 4 arrival of Baby McG (our baby's rap name).

A Day at the Shedd

We just returned from a fun day at the Shedd Aquarium downtown. Joe's parents won a behind-the-scenes tour of aquatic life at the musuem at an auction and took us, as well as our friends Pat & Jill and kids Lily, Evan, and Clara. We all enjoyed the up-close-and-personal views of the world's largest and ugliest catfish, stingrays, penguins, and sharks. The kids were bouncing off the walls with excitement! The highlight for most was seeing a dolphin at close proximity.

The festivities continue this weekend as we take a daytrip to Michigan to the birthplace of the Lola Living blog--Three Oaks, Michigan. We're going to pick up the last jam of the season and, of course, to eat dinner at Casa Tosi's! I'm such an old woman. We'll celebrate anniversary number five and drink a toast to many more to come.

40 Years is a Really Long Time

Brother-in-law Matt and niece Sarah, getting ready for the surprise

Mom & Dad

Uncle Jack

Brother Scott, Kate, Kristina

Grandad & Grandma

Me, niece Breann, and sister Melissa

Surprise!

Backing up a few weeks, Joe and I had the chance to help throw a surprise 40th anniversary party for my parents over Labor Day weekend. We traveled to Utah, along with several other relatives, to pull off the big surprise. With my sister, Melissa, working logistics from inside the state and my Grandmother giving us good advice over the phone, I handled some of the party planning from Chicago and, amazingly, it all came together! My grandparents traveled from Florida and my dad's twin brother, Jack, and his wife, our Aunt Renee, came from New Mexico. In addition, we invited people from dad's running club and their friends from church. My brother, Scott, was also there helping as a decoy, along with my sis-in-law Kristina, brother-in-law, Matt, and nieces Kate, Breann, and Sarah.

We loved seeing my parent's faces when they walked into Magleby's and saw us all standing there, ready to toast them for a relationship sustained over four decades. That's no easy feat in this day and age, and they seem to be having more fun as the years pass. Especially now that they will be spending months on end cruising around the world, working on Princess Cruise Line (that's a whole other story, folks).

At any rate, it was a wonderful weekend full of celebration. In additon to my parent's anniversary, Scott & Kristina celebrated 16 years of marriage, and Aunt Renee celebrated her 39th birthday (did I get that right?). Maybe for my parent's 50th anniversary we should all go on a cruise with them? Hmmm...wishful thinking...

Congratulations, Mom & Dad. We love you!!