Week 37 Recap and Homage to Libby

I had a great end to Week 37. Finally, in the last few weeks of pregnancy the weather had turned BE-A-U-TI-FUL and I can actually come out of hiding. It was so great to be able to walk 2 miles everyday at the park without dying of a heat stroke, wear actual clothes (instead of leggings and t-shirts) and not feel like a large, bumbling, sweaty mess from just walking the 10 steps from my front door to the car. Nice.

Friday night Pat and I stayed in and made spaghetti and meatballs (one of my favs) and caught up on shows that made their premiere this week (I know. We are super cool and interesting). Since Pat works all day on Saturdays and my mom was out of town helping Libby make her move to NYC I found myself left to my own devices. I ended up going to the park (of course) doing yoga and cleaning the third floor...again. Saturday night was date night though so...It was on! I don't have any cool weather maternity clothes that fit so I ended up wearing an all black non-maternity ensemble for date night. It consisted of a black sweater dress and leggings.  Just envision what this outfit looked like with a my new rotund shape (and an extra 60lbs). It looked awesome.In any case, Pat said it looked great and we headed out for Katie's Pizza. It was pretty late when we finally made it out for dinner (9:45) as it takes me a good long time to get ready. So we had the luxury of being one of two couples in a usually over crowded spot. It was really nice to be able to sit and talk, but they were out of two of my favorite apps (prosciutto spring rolls and the eggplant app) and my favorite pizza (roasted chicken, cipolini onions, garlic, GOAT CHEESE, parmigiano, escarole). We ended up with getting the bean dip (just okay) and the Tre Amici pizza (just okay). We couldn't go home without dessert so we headed over to "Chill" (frozen yogurt shop off Wydown) at around 10:45. For anybody that likes frozen yogurt I would recommend "Yo My Goodness" in Webster Groves over "Chill". They are similar concepts (self-serve frozen yogurt, all the toppings you can imagine, and a modern, minimalist atmosphere) however "Chills" yogurt is not as creamy and the price point is a little higher :(

katiespizzeria.com

Riverfronttimes.com

Sunday was rainy, but it had such a somber fall feel to it (pack on a big sweatshirt, your favorite slippers and some leggings) that I enjoyed the weather anyway. I slept in really late and then did an hour of my yoga. I know I go on and on about prenatal yoga, but I would swear by it to any Prego I meet. I have been doing prenatal yoga (both on DVD and through classes at Urban Breath) since I found out I was pregnant at 5 weeks. It has been an amazing addition to my pregnancy routine. In my first trimester I would do yoga at least four to five times a week and took a 2 hour class on Sundays. It really helped me whenever I was feeling particularly sluggish or had a bad case of morning, afternoon and night sickness.  I absolutely love the Gaiam Prenatal Yoga Video that I picked up at Target. It has three different programs based on which trimester you are in. This becomes very helpful as you start to fill out in the stomach region. In the second trimester I slowed down to 2-3 times a week, but found that it really helped with my achy joints and ligaments and my lower back pain. It also helped me to stay flexible and learn to be mindful of my movements in my everyday activities. Now that I am in the third trimester it has really helped me to become more focused on the baby and has allowed me to continue my full-range of motion in my day-to-day life. It has also helped me prepare mentally for labor and delivery as I can recognize the power of the poses and the confidence I feel in my own strength (both mentally and physically). I HIGHLY recommend doing yoga throughout pregnancy and I intend to take a post-natal yoga class at Urban Breath once the boo-boo arrives.

Amazon.com

Breathing Meditation (One hand of my heart and one hand on my growing baby).

Modified Dancer's Pose

Okay...enough of my hippie-dippie yoga rant for today. Back to the weekend rap-up. Pat and I went over to my mom's for dinner. It was a special family dinner night because Libby was in town from Chicago for one day only. She just finished her last semester at the Illinois Institute of Art -Fashion Design and was leaving this morning for her three month internship in NYC with Tory Burch. She will be working with their shoe design team! She came home to Saint Louis late Saturday evening after her final portfolio show on Friday evening and a busy Saturday afternoon of moving all her stuff to a storage unit in Chicago. Then she packed up all of her clothes and drove home to sort out what she needed to leave at my mom's and what she could pack to take to New York. We had a really great afternoon. She showed me her portfolio (which I didn't get to see at her show due to my inability to drive 5 hours to Chicago) for her design collection. IT WAS AMAZING! She has three separate collections she worked on this year. Her favorite collection was inspired by Isabella Blow and Philip Treacy (hat designer). It focuses on edgy, modern designs and whimsical fabrics. Kaye was so impressed she was hoping to wear one of the dresses from the collection to my cousin's wedding! Her second collection was inspired by bat woman and had great detailing and hard edges. Her third collection was inspired by nature and had a lighter more airy feel to it.

style.com

I still think of Libby as six years old most of the time. I can't believe that she is all grown up and moving to NYC. She amazes me and inspires me with her courage, creativity and perseverance. As the youngest of the Harris girls she was often babied by all of us. This seems to have no  effect on her as she is VERY self-sufficient and responsible. Even though I am six years older than her, I look up to her (this isn't just because she is 4 feet taller than me). She has lived in Chicago on her own since she was 18. Fearless and determined she learned to navigate through the city on her own and make a life for herself there. Now, she is moving to NYC to start a design internship with TORY BURCH! She knows not a soul in the city (besides an old friend of mine from high school) and has managed to land herself a great internship and an apartment in Manhattan within a matter of weeks.It was amazing as I sat and talked with her yesterday. I found myself becoming overwhelmed and fought to not show my nervousness and trepidation in front of her. She however was calm, cool and collected as usual. In classic Libby style she organized her things without even a sign of worry and chatted it up with me. Putting her own priorities aside she even took the time to show me how to knit!!! Many have described Libby as the "nicest" Harris girl. I would have to agree (Kaye only looks nice and I don't even try and pretend). I am so nervous for her, but I know the degree of her strength. She will adjust, make modifications and learn as she goes along (with the occasional call home to my mom for cash).

Libby,
You are truly amazing. I love you so much and I know you will flourish in NYC. Please save me a front row seat when you put on your first fashion show in New York for your own collection. I know it will happen.
Love,
Your Sees-ter.

My Homage to Libby (lib, libster, ski-ball, ski, lou...)

Pulling Libby in the snow

Kaye, Libby and me

My mom, me...and Libby in the Bump!

Libby and I (10/4/08)

WE Love You, Libby!