Archives for September 2012

Pictures of the Week *The Week You Were Born*

September 30, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Dear Beanette,

We are SO SO Incredibly excited to meet you!!  I thought it might be fun to do a little post about what’s happening in the world during the week you will be born (here’s hoping you arrive this week).  Someday you can look back at it and laugh about the terrible trends… meanwhile, your Dad and I will look back and get teary about how fast you have grown up.

(As a bonus, if you have wi-fi access you can read up on pop culture so you can make small talk with the other babes in the nursery)

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So, here’s what happening in the world:

  • 2012 is the year of the Dragon (ironically, your Mom went to a high school that had a dragon as a mascot)

  • The OU Bobcat football team is doing AWESOME!  They are undefeated right now at 5-0!  Your Dad and I met because we both went there and we even had our wedding there.  No pressure, but we would LOVE it if you decided to be a Bobcat someday.

  • The US experienced what your Dad refers to as the Ryder Cup meltdown today.  It was an ugly day on the golf course for the Americans.  I’m sure your arrival will brighten his week and he’ll forget about this golf course massacre.
  • The Steelers are 1-2 and are still getting warmed up for the year.  If you arrive before Sunday you can watch the Steelers take on the Eagles with us.  Maybe you’ll bring them good luck!

  • We also love hockey in the McGee house as you’ll some find out, but the NHL is in a lock-out currently (bummer!).  We’ll take you to a Sabres game eventually.
  • The Office is in the midst of their final season.  Maybe sometime you’ll watch these shows in syndication on Nick at Nite.

  • Obama is President currently and but Romney is running against him (kind of boring, right? Don’t worry, we don’t get too into politics in the McGee house)
  • ‘We are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ is at the top of the pop charts.  Justin Bieber has had a few hits this year too, but he’s way too old for you so please don’t catch Bieber Fever.
  • Brightly colored skinny jeans are pretty trendy right now, but luckily your Dad and I try to avoid any clothes with the word “Skinny” in them so you won’t ever uncover pictures of us in these.

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There it is, fall 2012 pop culture in a nutshell, just for you!  Please hurry and pick your Birthday soon!  We really can’t wait to meet you.

Lots of Love, xoxo

Your Mom & Dad

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Operation: Let’s Get This Party Started

September 29, 2012 by · 4 Comments

Today marks 39 weeks and 4 days!

Beanette’s room is still ready, the bags are still packed (we surprisingly haven’t even eaten any of the “Dad/visitor” snacks), our kind neighbors are ready to Lexi-sit, car seats are installed (in both cars), house is relatively clean, and I finally feel like I’m at a good place that I can be done with work if she arrives.

Hooray, it’s Go Time!

Since we are getting anxious for the big arrival, and since it is football season, it seemed appropriate to hunker down, come up with a game plan and go for the Victory (aka the arrival of our little baby girl)!

Introducing: Operation Let’s Get This Party Started!!

Team Roster:

  • Captain: Little Miss Beanette McGee!!
  • Quarterback – Denny
  • Tight End (because I wish I had one) – Me
  • Offensive Line – Nurses
  • Kicker – anesthesiologist

Referees:

  • Dr. Susan and Dr. B

Cheerleaders:

  • Mom & Dad Quilty (sorry to put you on the cheer squad, Dad)
  • Mom and Dad McGee
  • Melissa
  • Neighbors, friends & family
  • Lexi (she wants to be at the top of the pyramid)

Today we brought out the starting line and implemented our early game plan… long walk at mall, long walk in the hood, spicy taco dinner and some jumping jacks (perhaps tomorrow we’ll do Beanette jacks).

At the end of the first quarter we’re still tied at 0-0.   We’re feeling good and moving the chains down the field.  If we keep up this momentum, we want to move into the red zone aka the maternity ward in the coming plays (although playing football in a hospital gown might get tricky – I’d hate to expose my non-tight end).

For now, we’re going to huddle up and take a breather (and a cookie break).   We need to rest up because tomorrow’s game plan entails some big plays — more walking, spicy chili dinner and maybe a bumpy ride screen pass.

If our Team Captain decides she’s ready for a big play and wants to get in the game, we’ll keep you posted!!

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Happy Birthday Deegan!!

September 27, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Today is my very first nephew’s Birthday!!  It’s hard to believe how fast he has grown up!

  When I started dating Denny he was just a little guy and always cracked us up!!   He’s still hilarious even though we don’t get to see him enough.

Here are some pictures of Deegan as he grew up through the years.  

Kennywood Trip with Scooby Doo – Summer 2004

#1 Steelers Fan with awesome hair – 2005 (the same night the Steelers won another SuperBowl)

Deegan & Connor
Happy Holidays 2011

::  We love you lots Deegan, have a GREAT day and a Very Happy Birthday!!  ::

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It’s A… Watermelon!!

September 25, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Today I got my weekly e-mail from The Bump.com and it told me that our little girl is the size of a…. Watermelon!

Yep, she’s That big!  (Enter profuse sweating & heart palpitations)

O-U-C-H!

But on the bright side, we made it to 39 WEEKS!

Crazy, right?  How did that happen, and who the heck approved our License to be parents?  I sure hope we are ready!

I still feel pretty good and we are quite excited and a little nervous & anxious.  Our Doctor’s appointment yesterday revealed that our little girl is quite cozy, but Dr. B said that doesn’t mean anything.  Our little watermelon is in complete control and can make her appearance at any time.

SO just in case we don’t make it to 40 weeks, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane from seedling to watermelon, courtesy of Picky Sticky:

8 Weeks, and Hey I still have a waist!

12 Weeks and Safe Zone! Hooray!

16 Weeks… and I remember thinking I had a bump then.

20 Weeks, Halfway there!

24 Weeks, and counting!

28 Weeks aka Where’s Waldo?

32 Weeks

36 Weeks, one month to go!

There you have it… I’m no gardener, but our little watermelon sure has managed to thrive!  We are seven days away from her official due date (which means nothing to 95% of babies) but we’ll keep you posted once she picks her birthday.

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Have a great week!

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Pictures of the Week *What’s She Going to Look Like?*

September 23, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Our only hope is to have a healthy baby Beanette!  But since we’ve been waiting almost 39 weeks (or 9 years, depending on when you start counting) for this little addition to our family, it’s hard not to think about the other fun stuff.

::  What she will look like?  ::

::  How will she act?  ::

::  What hobbies will she have?  ::

::  Which parent will she be more likely to take after?  ::

SO many fun questions!  We can’t wait to see her and learn all about her personality.

I think it’s normal for most parents to hope that their children get the best of both of them.  So here is what we are hoping (but of course we will love her no matter what):

Denny’s nose… my ears… Denny’s pretty blue eyes…. my thumbs (they are in limited quantity in the Q family)… Denny’s calves and ankles… my patience… Denny’s athletic ability (golf & baseball mainly)… my writing ability… Denny’s Words with Friends ability (if that is even around when she gets her first phone)… my love of education (aka I’m a geek)

We also hope that she is not allergic to cats and we really truly hope she has a decent sense of humor.  If she doesn’t have a sense of humor she is going to really think her parents are L-A-M-E and her teenage years are going to be incredibly rough for all of us!

Here are some pictures of Denny and I through the years.   Take a look at what she’s working with…

LOVE this picture of Denny as a baby!!!

Me as a baby (eek!) sporting an infant-sized wifebeater and playing with a scary-looking reindeer

Denny looking super cute and very happy!

Me, and Yes I still make this face when I get caught in the Cheerios box

Denny & Scott, two cute Steelers fans!!

Me hanging out on the tire swing in my stylish matching sweat suit (and yes I have the same haircut as Scott – see above)

Right now you could be thinking, Whoa Slim Pickins for this little girl, or perhaps you are thinking Aww, she’s going to be cute!  No matter how she looks, we know she is going to be the World’s Cutest, Most Lovable Beanette and we will love her to pieces!

Now we just have to keep waiting for her big arrival!  Nine Days and Counting!

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Politics, Schmolitics

September 22, 2012 by · 1 Comment

I realize that we are knee-deep into an election year but the political games and “He said, She Said” is already feeling way overdone!   I can’t be alone on this, right?

Unemployment, tax hikes, politics, schmolitics… when does it end?

Personally I’ve had a very good four years (I’m not saying this to promote one candidate over the other) but it’s the truth.  Marriage, grad school, first house and now a soon-to-be arriving baby girl.  Heck Yes, I’ll vote for this plan again.

In order to give back to our country and lighten-up the political shenanigans, Denny and I felt that we should try to be good citizens and improve our little area of the world.  And what better catalyst to do this than the impending arrival of a new baby girl.

Without further adieu, we are pleased to announce the following

McGee Stimulus Plan

  • Retail Support– Over the past 38 and a half weeks we have opted to prioritize our local economy and make a conscious effort to sustain jobs in all the local baby stores.  It was tough, but someone had to do it.  Target, Carter’s, Babies R Us, various Etsy vendors… it’s not that we “wanted ” to buy onesies, headbands, leg warmers, bouncers and crib decorations in every shade of pink, lavender and magenta but we did it to ensure you had a job to come to daily.  Yes, you are Welcome!
  • Local Farmer Support – We know how tough it is to be a dairy farmer (well we don’t really know, but who’s fact checking this blog anyway?) and we wanted to make sure all the local cows felt loved and appreciated.  Therefore, we have done our best to enjoy ice cream on a regular basis.  It was another challenging initiative but we managed to complete it and help all the Bessies of the world feel validated in their milk  productive.

Moo!

  • Job creation – Unemployment, what?!?  Not with Beanette on the way!  Not only have we likely created jobs with our 100 trips to Babies R Us, but we also created job security for the sweatshops that pump out Circo crib sheets, hooded towels, pink onesies, booties, burp cloths and on and on.  In addition, we are have increased the McGee payroll.  After some tough interviews that included essays, multiple personality tests and a tap dance competition, we are pleased to announced the following hires:

 **Social Media Chair during Beanette’s arrival – Melissa Q Bixler!**

Melissa, aka Beanette’s Aunt, brings a wealth of knowledge to the position including 5+ years on Facebook and substantial knowledge of the ins and outs of delivery after she survived the marathon birth of her adorable son Ryan!

**Childcare Provider  – Doodlebugs!**

Yep, we have to pay the bills somehow so once Beanette arrives I’ll eventually be headed back to the office.  Lexi is not quite prepared for full-time baby-sitter just yet so we had to add daycare to the list of “Places Beanette is allowed to go.”

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So there you have it!  Our take on political craziness and our attempt to stimulate the economy.  If you are employed in the toddler tap shoe industry, the prom dress industry or the wedding gown industry, we will work to stimulate your industry in the upcoming phases of the McGee Stimulus Plans.  Stay tuned!

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Picture of the Week *Attempting to be a Crafty Little Mama*

September 16, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

This week’s Picture of the Week is actually my crafty project from a few weekends ago…

a no-sew crib skirt!

Turns out crib skirts are quite difficult to find unless you buy an entire bedding set, and those are not necessary.  So after much searching in stores and online, Melissa sent me a link for how to “Make” a crib skirt.  Score!!  And let’s be real… anyone who has ever known a type-A prego mama knows that if you send her an idea (especially while she is nesting) the idea will turn into a finished product faster than Kim Kardashian can turn a marriage into a break-up.

So if you are interested in making a crib skirt for your little Beanette, here’s all it takes (items can easily be bought for about $18-$20):

  • Fabric that can be washed & ironed (look for the 60% off one piece of fabric coupon from JoAnn’s to save some pennies)
  • Fabric scissors
  • A tape measure or yard stick
  • A packet of Witchery stitchery
  • An iron
  • A few velcro squares
  • Some decals if you want to jazz up the skirt
  • A bit of patience is helpful too!

I found a packet of these girly decals for $1.99!

And here’s how to do it:

  • Measure the length and width of the crib and the distance from the mattress to the floor (do this prior to buying fabric)
  • Cut the fabric into 3 pieces – one in front, and one on either side (no need for a piece on the back if the crib is against a wall)
  • Iron along the bottom using the Witchery stitchery to hold in the seam
  • Then place velcro square to the back of each piece of fabric and the matching piece on the bottom the crib
  • Velcro the crib skirt to the crib, stand back and check out what a great Mom you are!

View from above while attaching the crib skirt

View before adding mattress back in the crib

Finished product!!

Happy Crafting

and

Have a great Week!!

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The Calm Before the Storm

September 15, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

What. A. Week!

I’ve been trying to prep for the impending arrival of our little girl and I’ve been trying to prep for 3 months away from the office.  Both are keeping me quite busy.  Aside from that we had a short (and fun) visit from my parents this weekend.   And we’ve been trying to find time to clean, cook and do laundry (my darn housekeeper never shows up!).  In addition from the everyday life, here’s a quick update of where we are.

37 Weeks and 5 days… 

That’s where we are!

Smack dab in the middle of She can arrive at any minute-ville!  Woah!!

:: PHYSICALLY ::

I feel great !  I’m pretty big and I’m getting some crazy restless legs at night, but overall I feel great.  I’m a big believer of mind over matter right now.  In November when we lost our first pregnancy I remember thinking, “How can anyone ever complain about being lucky enough to be pregnant?”  And that is the thought I have everyday.  When I feel tired and puffy, I just think about how Incredibly Lucky I am to be tired and puffy.  It’s not something that everyone is lucky enough to experience and we are 37.5 weeks into it.  It’s pretty cool.

:: EMOTIONALLY ::

Anxious. Excited. Disbelief. Nervous. Happy. Blessed.  Scared.  SURREAL!

There are just not words to describe what we feel right now.  We are aware that something big, huge, life-changing is about to happen, but it is hard to wrap our minds around it.

Some days all I can think about is holding that sweet little girl.  Some days all I can think about is how or if I will ever get all my work done in time to be away for 3 months, and Some days I think a Whoa, I sure hope we can handle this.

So essentially it’s the calm before the storm.  We’re working… we are waiting… we are wondering.  We’ll keep you posted when the Beanette picks her Birthday.

Until then, have a great weekend!  🙂

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Picture of the Week *Beanette’s Nursery*

September 9, 2012 by · 3 Comments

Our Baby Girl has a home!!

This has been one of the most fun projects, and after months of work (if you can even call it that), we’re super excited to share Beanette’s Home with our friends & family!  

You are welcome to see the real thing, but in the meantime, here is a picture slideshow of it. 

We just hope she loves it as much as we do!

Click Here to see it… Enjoy!

 

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The Birthing Playlist ~What NOT to have on your IPod~

September 6, 2012 by · 5 Comments

The “Oh my God We’re about to be Parents To Do List” is getting shorter!  Recently Denny and I put a check mark next to the Create an IPod list to be played in the birthing room item.

It seemed simple enough, but it turns out we had more fun selecting songs that should Not be allowed versus selecting songs appropriate for 26 hours of excruciating pain.  So we have  instead created…

The Top 10 Songs NOT to Play in the Birthroom:

10.  I Wanna Be Sedated  –  Chances are that if you want to be sedated the anesthesiologist has already been paged, don’t let the Ramones remind you of how long you’ve been waiting.

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9.  Sexy and I know it  –  Hospital gowns, swollen feet, sweaty hair… if that makes you feel sexy then you deserve an award Mama!

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8.  Baby Got Back  –  Playing this song might just make your little one decide to show off her itty bitty waist and put her round thing in your face, and you probably don’t want to have to deal with a breach situation.  Save this tune for your reunion with your college girlfriends!

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7.  Baby  – Pretty much everyone knows why you are in the birthing room, no need for Justin Beiber to be Captain Obvious and remind you of whats happening.  Plus do you really want the first noise your baby hears outside the womb to be the voice of a teenager that wears skinny jeans?  Highly doubtful!

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6.  It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere –It probably is five o’clock somewhere but the last thing you need to do is to be watching the clock, especially if you’ve been in labor since it was 2 AM somewhere a day or two ago.  But on a bright note, you might only be a few days away from someone pouring you something Tall and Strong for the first time in 40 weeks.  Cheers!

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5.  Born to be Wild  – Kids these days are wild enough…have you seen Here Comes Honey Boo Boo??  Don’t give your future daughter or son any more ideas.

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4.  Everybody Hurts –  If you are the one in labor, don’t let anyone else tell you that they feel your pain, let alone REM.  Odds are, you are the only one in the room understanding how much you hurt.  So skip this song and focus on breathing through those contractions.

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3.  You Shook Me All Night Long  –  Yep, you did… about 9 months ago.  But thinking back to that night is clearly inappropriate for a serene birth setting.

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2.  Push It – I’d advise listening to the nurse tell you when and how to push, not Salt N Pepa.

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1.  Like a Virgin  — Sorry girlfriend, but that ship has sailed… and you are not on it.  Perhaps Madge should be filling your room with Like A Prayer.  You’ll Like a Prayer, especially if you don’t Like an Epidural.

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