40 Weeks

We are officially at 40 weeks and eagerly awaiting baby girl's arrival! The hospital bags are packed, the carseat is installed, and the smell of Dreft fills the air every time we open the nursery closet. I am so grateful that we were able to capture these pictures back when I was 34 weeks pregnant. Franzi, one of the photographers from Deer Baby Photo, did a beautiful job photographing my growing baby bump. We can't wait for her to take photos of our newborn very soon!

Time to eat some more spicy foods and take a long walk... come on, baby!

Our Minnesota Wedding Reception {family love}

Our Minnesota wedding celebration was all about family. I am one of eight children and Brian is one of nine, so we knew the majority of our guest list would be our relatives! Our celebration was held in my hometown at a golf club less than two minutes from my parents' house. Many of Brian's relatives live in the Northeast and could not make to Minnesota, but all of my siblings and immediate family were there! We took photos together before our festivities began at 11 am. I will cherish these images forever!

Twelve dates of Christmas: On our twelfth date of Christmas...

... we got engaged! 

Brian secretly planned every detail of our anniversary and it was absolutely perfect! He proposed where we first kissed ten years ago and I of course said YES! We celebrated with champagne and appetizers at The Plaza and an amazing dinner at Keen's. I literally have not stopped smiling since he got down on one knee! 

I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with Brian!

One year.

One year ago today Brian and I moved in together. After several years of dating, this was a really big step in our relationship. We cannot believe how fast the year went by and still feel like we are in the "honeymoon stage" of living together. We get super excited to eat pizza in bed while watching The Office, love planning movie nights in, and are laughing together all the time.

I have also learned a lot about myself during my first year of cohabiting... For starters, it turns out I am the messier person in our relationship. Apparently my obsessive compulsive nature does not apply to the clutter that mounts at our entryway every work week or the piles of clothing I leave around our bedroom. I also purchase pints of ice cream way too often, am not the best about cleaning out the coffee pot, and always steal the covers while I sleep. But, I also love to bake treats and leave little love notes for Brian around the house. It all balances out.

 I am looking forward to many more years of living with my best friend. 

Scenes from the weekend.

Once Brian and I heard Saturday's rainy forecast, we declared that we would not get out of our pajamas. Aside from a quick trip to get a manicure/pedicure and 16 Handles, I stuck to our plan like a champ. We brewed pots of coffee, watched Friends, played our favorite iPhone games, and lounged around the house all day long. It was wonderful. On Sunday we were a bit more productive. After cleaning the house all morning, we spent the afternoon on the west side. We shopped around Chelsea Market, ate a delicious lunch at Le Pain Quotidien, and then enjoyed a slice of Monkey Cake from Amy's Bread and iced coffee from 9th Street Espresso as we watched the traffic in the 10th Avenue Square. We concluded our date day walking the length of The Highline. How was your weekend?