Baby Shower at School!!!

I was absolutely HONORED today by my staff at school. They threw a WONDERFUL baby shower, and Phil was there to join in the fun. The theme, which was perfectly suited for us, was animals, jungle, and BRIGHT colors. I was ALL SMILES as I enjoyed the special afternoon.

Notice the excitement as I opened a swing for our little girl.

This was from my 8th grade team.
The hostesses (Jill Benjamin and Jenny Gloer) of the special shower.

They thought of everything!
The honored parents.
The jungle "throne" created especially to fit the theme!

The Nursery in Progress

We recently started working on the nursery, and we realized that we haven't posted any pictures of our little babe's room. The vibrant yellow goes with the other bright rooms in our house, but we're hoping it doesn't cause blindness for a newborn. :) She may go outside and look directly at the sun because it reminds her of her bedroom. [Zwemer Girls...do these bright colors remind you of Kim's and my room in Gilmore? Oh, the good old days!] Doesn't Phil look like a natural? He's going to be such a good daddy.

He's still adjusting to the blue and yellow theme (U of M colors) and hoping that he doesn't lose his MSU (green and white) alumni status.

We still have some pictures to hang, clothes to sort, and a few other things like that before it's all done. With 11 weeks to go, I think we'll be fine! :) We just need our little girl!!!

29 Weeks...transitioning to motherhood!

Friday marked our 29th week, and it was an interesting day for Mama Corrie. I had a mini panic attack about lack of movement and "fetal activity." After days of feeling her on a very regular basis, I thought that something must be wrong. I debated on whether or not to call the doctor, and I finally broke down (in more ways than one) as I explained my concerns over the phone. To make a long story short, everything was okay. I had to find a comfortable/relaxed position (which was difficult at school) to sit and count movements. Someone covered my classroom as I settled down, and everything worked itself out. I share this story only because I feel like yesterday was a defining moment for me in the journey of motherhood. I felt like something was wrong, and all I could think about was finding a way to make it better. I prayed for our little girl, and I felt such a connection with our daughter whom we haven't even met. I thought about my mom and the millions of ways that she has provided for me over the years, and I wanted nothing more than the assurance that our little squirt was okay. Even though this "ordeal" was "small" on the scale of what we have to come, it gave me such a deeper understanding of what it means to be a mother.

The Magic Pillow

After nights of tossing and turning, my dearest husband took me on a shopping spree for a body pillow. I was very resistant to this purchase because we are trying to save, save, save our money. Millions of "more important" purchases ran through my mind as we perused the aisles of Target/Babies 'R' Us in search of some bedtime relief. Phil was INSISTENT that I try one of these pillows, and that is when I truly realized how my lack of quality sleep was impacting him as well. Go figure, huh?! Well, the good news is that these pricey pillows are infused with magic, and I've been sleeping much better since it joined us in bed. I think Phil would say the same for his sleep because his wifey isn't huffing, puffing, tossing and turning anymore.
It's kind of like a snake. I LOVE it for sleeping, but it's a bit tricky finding my way out of the maze when I wake up to go to the bathroom every few hours.
For all of our pregnant friends, we recommend this magic pillow if you're having difficulty sleeping amidst the unfamiliar bump in your belly and aches throughout your body. :)

Lisa and Joe blew in from the desert!

We had a wonderful evening with Lisa and Joe. They live in Arizona, but they were in Tampa for a work trip. Phil made a tasty dinner, we played games, and we had great "catch-up" conversation.

It's always fun seeing "old" friends. :)Phil carefully setting up the tripod for our group picture.

Goofy picture...but cute nonetheless.

Baby Shower from the Ladies at Mann

I was honored to have a beautiful baby shower this afternoon. Some of the ladies from my school organized a special get-together, and I was blessed by their thoughtfulness. They also created the shirt I'm wearing, which says, "BODY BY BABY."

These bibs say, "My Daddy Rocks" and "My Dad's a Hottie!"

I ABSOULTELY AGREE.

Our little girl has the hottest daddy on the planet. :)

Another adorable outfit for our little squirt. She will be the best dressed girl in town.
These are the wonderful women from Mann Middle School. I will REALLY miss seeing them on a daily basis next year. (From left to right...top: Faith Evans, Norelle Silati, Lauren Douglas, Jenny Prong, bottom: Jenny Gloer, Mama Hillary, Jill Benjamin). Thank you ladies!

Our Pet Owl

This owl, and one of his buddies, frequent out backyard. Phil usually hears them before we see them, and then he calls out to them. Phil and the owls hoot back and forth, and then they have a stare down. On this day, Phil won.

Celebrating Pregnancy

These are some of our favorite pictures from Stacey Clack's pregnancy photo shoot. Isn't she amazing? We drove down to Anna Maria Island again because Stacey wanted to take some pregnant pictures for her new photography business. Of course, we didn't mind acting as "models" for an evening. The weather was perfect, and she captured over 200 amazing photos. These are just a few, and you can see more on her website (http://staceyclackphotography.blogspot.com/).

Our Little Girl...

Pregnancy is one of the greatest joys of being a woman, and I feel incrediby blessed to feel the miracle of our daugther moving and growing inside of me. This special picture was taken by Stacey Clack, and she's planning on doing a mini-photo shoot later this week. She is a gifted photographer, and you can see some of her other beautiful shots on her blog (http://staceyclackphotography.blogspot.com/). Thanks, Stacey.

Beach Baby

It's no doubt that our little squirt will love the water because Phil and I are both water people. We spent the day at Anna Maria Island, with The Clack Family, and Phil snapped some fun preggo pictures. The water was warm, the weather was perfect, and it was a perfect way to spend my first "Mother's" Day.

Thanks, Heidi...the swimsuit works perfectly.
Where am I supposed to fit another three months of baby growth? YIKES!

Retired MSU Divers

We spent the afternoon with The Clacks, on Anna Maria Island, and Phil and Micah immediately reverted to "the good old days." As former divers for MSU, they insisted on strutting their stuff in the tiny pool that was only six feet deep. Stacey and I obviously encouraged their activity by photographing every single dive. Check out their blog (http://theclackfamily.blogspot.com/) for more pictures.

Nice form, boys!
Smooth entry???

Happy Mother's (and Mother's-to-Be) Day!!!

From the moment I woke up this morning (hence the fresh out of bed look), my amazing husband has gone out of his way to make me feel incredibly special. He gave me a card from him...along with some of my favorite goodies (different flavored almonds and dark chocolate M&M's) and then a card from our daughter (who still has to remain namelesss on the blog). It was all written in little kid handwriting, and it was all from her perspective. She thanked me for taking such good care of her, and the whole thing was so stinkin' adorable. She also gave me some tulips (my favorite flowers), and then daddy made a delicious breakfast for both of us... mommy and daugther that is. We started with freshly squeezed orange juice (from oranges that he picked in Ruskin), and then he made bird's nests (fried eggs inside pieces of bread...with syrup on top), and it was all topped off with a fresh grapefruit (from the tree in our backyard). WOW! I hadn't really thought that I would celebrate this Mother's day, but Phil had other plans. He truly blesses me beyond imagination.
For all of the other mothers, grandmothers, and "mothers-to-be" out there, I hope your day is special from start to end. You are special and deserving of celebration!!!

Our newest nephew...William Emerson Hillary

Keith and Wendy were due on May 8th, and they delieverd (in a record time of 45 minutes) on May 4th. Phil and I were still in Michigan, so we had the pleasure of meeting our nephew. William Emerson was 7 lbs. 10.5 oz., 20.5" long, and as handsome as can be!

Proud parents and family!
William Emerson Hillary

Wendy and her third baby. Another boy in the Hillary Gang!

Practicing for what is soon to come!!!

Hahn Connections

I enjoyed having tea with Grandma, Kathy Bartels, and Joni Groendyk. It was wonderful seeing family...even if only for a few hours. Check out our Shutterfly albums for more pictures and details of our weekend.

We had lunch with The Severances on Sunday afternoon.

With the Girls in Holland

One of the highlights of my weekend was connecting with my dear friends in Holland. I loved seeing my friends, Brooke and Rachel, as new mommies. It makes me even more excited to welcome our little girl into the world. Perhaps she'll be roomies with Teagan someday and married to Jabin. It's still okay to arrange marriages, right? Thank you, ladies, for showering me with love and such generous baby gifts. I miss all of you!!!

An afternoon with Mattawan Friends!!!

Phil and I had a GREAT trip back to Michigan this past weekend, and we were blessed by the many connections that we made throughout our trip. Even though we don't miss the weather or climate, we certainly DO miss our dear friends and family!

Kristen and Nyah Scranton (friend and former teacher buddy)

At Olgas...my favorite (sorry Ann)!

Liz Bosch and Laura Honeysett (former students)
(Dean and Smiddy...my other "dads" and dear friends in Mattawan)

I MISS ALL OF YOU!!!