Happy birthday to me.

Every day for the last three weeks baby gifts have been delivered to my office: diapers, stroller, crib, crib mattress, sheets, toys, books, nursery decoration... As packages tend to get stolen at my condo building's property, and because diapers are a hot commodity in my 'hood and I wouldn't want Baby to have to go around Pamper-less, I get everything mailed to my office. In exchange, I have to endure daily commentary like "Well, I guess those Pampers aren't for you, Theo, har har har!" (insert major eye roll) and "Something squishy and nice must be in this package today!" (says the lesbian in the office as she feels up some new bras* I ordered). It also means going in to the office over the weekend with my car to pick up giant boxes.

It does feel a little like Christmas, getting an unexpected delivery every single day. It's a pretty awesome sight when the UPS or US Postal Santa guy pops up at the door with a big pile of boxes all for me. I bet he's just as thrilled. But frankly, I'm a little jealous that Baby gets all this cute stuff.

So when my mom asks me what do I want for my birthday this year, I ask for this silk maxi dress from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.  

{ Hinge Print Silk Maxi Dress }

Impractical? Very. Ridiculous? File that under "What Was I Thinking?" At six months preggo, I know I have no business buying a skinny, side zip dress that I won't be able to wear until at least next summer season, let alone even think about buying it. The Fella balks and says I should have asked for a maternity dress. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. But when someone opens the door and asks you want you want for your birthday, all practicality is thrown out the window. Call it a sense of yearning for a bit of my old self, or whatever. It's all about to change, kids.

*As Seen on TV GenieBras that I ordered from a very convincing infomercial. Yes, pregnancy makes you do weird things. 

#10 Weekend getaway in small Midwestern town-CHECK!

I would say that spending a weekend at Starved Rock counts for checking off #10 of my 30 for 30 list, right? 

Not only did we stay within the confines of a historical state park during a recent birthday/babymoon trip, The Fella and I also drove around and explored the surrounding small towns of Utica (population under 1,000!) and Oglesby (population under 4,000). We discovered charming flower-potted, wheelbarrow-lined Main Streets, where Harley bikers rule the road amidst the old-fashioned charm of supper clubs and root beer & burger drive-ins, corn fields for miles, and surprisingly tasty Southern food in the Midwest!

{ Mix's Trading Post––random assortment of Harley gear, leather chaps,
fur rugs, stone carvings, and other stuff }

{ Main Street in Utica + Fruit Kabob!! }

{ Cajun Connection in Utica, a transplanted Southern joint with true Louisiana homecooking––
gator bites, fried corn nibblets, jambalaya, Bubba Gulf shrimp, and strawberry bread pudding.
Stick a fork in me, I'm done! }

{ The Root Beer Shack in Oglesby, IL }

{ drive-in at The Root Beer Shack }

{ frosty root beer float }

{ pulled over for some corn }

{ Oh, Fella }

{ housemade crab cakes and onion blossom }

{ lovely small town scene }

{ stately old mansion in LaSalle, IL }

Nursery decorating fun

I'm really pleased with how the nursery is coming together. Mostly, it's just in my head because the vision hasn't all quite been actualized yet, but we did acquire two new pieces for it this weekend so it's starting to have a personality! Our custom glider and matching ottoman was delivered, and it's lovely! After trying out various f-ugly gliders from Babies R Us and Target, we finally decided to invest in a high-quality one that is not only really comfortable, but also attractive and can later be used in a room other than a nursery. 

So we trolled Cribs to College in Naperville on one of our various weekend trips to the 'burbs ever since a baby invaded my body. As you can see from its name, they can outfit you with just about any type of furniture you will ever need. Let's just say, the process to find an acceptable glider for me––here in "the largest showroom in the Midwest"––was much like Goldilocks finding the perfect bowl of porridge. This one was too soft/short, this one was too hard/high, this one was just riiiiiight! To compound the problem, The Fella was most comfortable in all the gliders that were the most uncomfortable for me. Sigh.

Alas, we agreed on this one which ended up costing only a bit more than those at big box baby stores, and FAR less than pricey designer options at Land of Nod. We chose a custom microsuede fabric called "Buff" (not "Oatmeal!") and white cording to pimp her up. Ain't she a beauty? (It's definitely a she, so just go with it, mkaythx!)

We also began assembling the new crib that The Fella's parents gifted us, until we got to the right-side railing and saw a giant nick of wood coming out. Sigh. So, there are no pix of our three-legged crib just yet as we wait on a replacement part.

But, we did hang the new mobile that I ordered from Gin & Rummy on Etsy! I am in luuuurve with this handmade mobile of origami cranes constructed from specialty art paper. It's whimsical, charming, and in the perfect turquoise and orange accent colors that I had envisioned dotting our baby's otherwise neutral room of cool grays and naturals. Hermes orange, of course. :)

The seller worked with me to customize the wire frame to accommodate our sloping ceiling over the crib. Per my specs, she altered the height so that the mobile won't be within reach of our little one. And, check out the cute contrast buttons on the cranes' undersides! I kinda want to sleep under this bad boy.

{ Gin & Rummy hanging cranes mobile }

   

I am 30.

I turned 30 on Saturday, and to no complaints did I feel changed. Not for better or worse. Just status quo. Is that a somewhat non-momentous statement? 

Most people dread their 30th birthday. I don't totally understand it. Isn't age just a number? How is 30 any different than 25? I'm blessed to be generally happy as I enter my 30s: personally and professionally. Could things be a little better or a little different? Sure. But at present, I have few regrets and there's bound to be exciting changes and challenges to come that I will embrace just the same as I have always done in my life.

On this birthday, I was surrounded by a group of my dearest friends in Chicago. On a swanky downtown rooftop, of all places! The Fella astonished me by organizing a surprise party at The Conrad Hotel's Terrace. When all this time I thought we were going for a quiet dinner for two, our friends were secretly gathering to help me celebrate my 30th! And what an unforgettable, heartwarming surprise night it was! For starters, I was just happy I still (miraculously) fit into one of my dressier dresses and that I only felt like I had to pee once on our way to the secret destination. Some familiar faces are missing this year, but I was nostalgically reminded of last year's 29th bash on another terrace at the top of the Dana Hotel. You all know how I love me my rooftops!  

{ old high school friend and new friends }

{ A + J have the cutest smiles - now I know where Baby J gets it from! }

{ something is missing here... a big, black Great Dane mix perhaps? }

{ even more surprising guests showed up, an old friend who has been MIA }

{ cool scientists }

With amazing city views and hot temps that reminded me of lazy Havana nights, and tons of food and mojitos, to boot...

Not to mention, a pre-birthday weekend getaway, surprise cupcakes delivery, clever gifts from near and afar, birthday wishes, and a new BABY on the way, I couldn't ask for a better way to ring in 30! 

At 30, I feel more sure of myself and confident as an individual than ever before and am really looking forward to what's to come. I'm still learning to sometimes ask for help, but at least now I am comfortable speaking up for what I believe in and taking action to make change. Most of the time, anyway. :)   

#14 Hike at Starved Rock–CHECK!

I've fallen off the radar a bit with my 30 for 30 project, but rest assured a few others have been checked off the list since I last posted my progress. Including, #14 Hike at Starved Rock State Park. 

"Hike" might be a bit of a stretch, though. I like to blame it on my 6 months preggo status, but truth be told, I couldn't have done this pre-baby! The Fella took me on a weekend getaway here, and although I was only able to get through about one hour of breathlessly trudging along the trails, I sure did enjoy taking these pictures of beautiful canyons at Starved Rock.

{ that tree-covered rock is Starved Rock }

{ French Canyon }

After French Canyon, I headed back to The Lodge to kick back with an ice cold Lemon Shake-up, while The Fella continued on with another 8 miles of trail-blazing. More lovely pix from his trek...

Later, we also ambled around The Lodge property, scouting out various hand-carved wooden statues, part of the Art in the Park series.

The weekend {at Starved Rock}, succinctly

If there's one reason to go to Starved Rock, Illinois, it's for the Sunday brunch buffet at Starved Rock Lodge and Convention Center alone. Particularly the dessert table.

It's like a bunch of little grannies got together for a bake-fest and whipped up all these lovely, homemade goodies into the preggo women's perfect dream. 

Speaking of, if you're planning a babymoon, Starved Rock seems to be the ideal place. I haven't seen more preggos in one confined area besides at my doctors' practice! I suspect it has something to do with the fact that the men can enjoy the "dude factor" of the great outdoors, while the women can indulge in prenatal massages and dessert buffets. 

This is precisely where I could be found on Sunday, the last day of our incredibly relaxing weekend in Starved Rock. The Fella had whisked me away for a pre-30th birthday/babymoon this weekend and I did more than just ogle the lodge's array of Blondies, Vanilla Bean and Strawberry Shortcake, Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bites, Lemon Blueberry Pie... It's lucky that I had my glucose testing for gestational diabetes the day before! 

I should probably post some pix of the spoils of nature at Starved Rock, but for now, I'm going to share my favorite scenes from around the Lodge, which provided the backdrop for this charmingly rustic weekend. Highlights included: hiking the shaded trails of Starved Rock National State Park, ogling the packs of Harleys abound, trying to find dinner in a small town past 9pm on a Saturday night (we ended up tracking down the only joint still open within a 15-mile radius––surprisingly amazing cheese pizza from Sam's Pizza in Oglesby, Illinois, population 3,700!), and indulging in an incredible couples massage in a secluded log cabin.

{ check-in at dusk }

{ old-fashioned goodies and mounted heads }

{ The Great Room }

{ our view every morning }

{ quaint trolley rides }

{ clans of Harley Davidson bikers rule this part of the state }

{ massage therapy log cabin }

{ after the couples massage }

What a perfect way to ring in 30 candles and a new baby on the way! Thanks, Fella!

I survived July 4th.

{ FurFur on July 5th. She hates this holiday. }

Everything is moving so. slowly. today. Not just myself, but also the streets of Chicago. It seems like everyone (wisely) took the day off to recover. Or maybe it just feels this way because I was incredibly late to work today?

It was a lovely four-day weekend in Chicago. What's more Americana than attending an ice cream social, seeing an opening week movie with friends (Transformers 3, filmed in Chicago, yea baby!), sleeping in, eating lots of watermelon, and grilling out at the park across the street, and watching the annual ghetto-fabulous fireworks show in my neighborhood? Don McLean's "Bye Bye Miss American Pie" was ringing through my head all weekend... 

{ Ice cream social at Kenmore Live Studio––I learned how to make homemade ice cream. It's easy! }

{ my best Fourth of July dress, also seen here }

{ side braids + colorful straws }

{ manning the grill }

{ pals hanging in our 'hood }

{ nautical stripes and cute babies, love! }

{ farm-fresh beet and orange salad made by Annie,
and pesto pasta salad made with basil picked right from our concrete garden this summer }

{ mango-cucumber wine coolers in vintage Mason jars and watermelon-cucumber gazpacho }

{ the best Key Lime Pie ever, made by Rachel }

{ fireworks in the night sky }

If only I had the 5th off...