Overdue & What to do?

Being overdue was probably the hardest part of my pregnancy. Normally, I don't think it would have been a huge deal, except we were moving to South Carolina soon after her due date. And everyday that I went over was one day closer to the move. Oh, and did I mention it was brutally hot? After our first trip to Labor & Delivery. Early labor at 40 Weeks.

So when you are 41 weeks pregnant - what do you do?

We taught Willie to catch a Frisbee. Which may not sound that amazing, except this is a dog who exclusively caught tennis balls. Getting him into a new genre was quite a feat.

We walked. Everywhere. We tried to think of new places that were inside to stay out of the heat. I can now say that I have walked every single aisle at Lowe's. It took hours.

We took Mom to Wilmington - one of our favorite places and had dinner at our favorite restaurant. We watched a Durham Bulls game.

At Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington - a fun day trip.

After the Bulls Game

We waited with anticipation. We waited one extra week. She was totally worth it.

Waiting...

Still waiting to meet Baby B.... she is due on Wednesday, June 9. We'll keep everyone updated!

39.5 Weeks - the belly is officially a weapon.

Showering Baby B - Take 4

My fantastic work colleagues threw me a surprise baby shower several weeks ago. It was at one of my favorite Chapel Hill restaurants - Top of the Hill! It was so nice of everyone to think of me and throw such a beautiful shower. Along with all the adorable individual gifts from everyone - the agency got us our high-tech stroller. Doug & I were so excited - we put it together that night.

Such a bittersweet day, knowing how lucky I am to work with such amazing people and how sad I will be to say goodbye to all of them soon.

With Heather & the stroller :)

Cupcakes & strawberries? Couldn't you just eat them all?

Opening gifts

Adorable swimsuit - for those hot days in Charleston!

Later that night - the guys putting together the new stroller

Famous!

Our baby girl is featured in one of my client's new print ad (they needed an ultrasound photo and I was happy to provide one!)

Check out Baby B in her media debut.

Showering Baby B - Take 3

Blindfolded baby food testing

Opening the gifts :)

With Erin & Elliott - the surprise guests

Beautiful gift table - yes that is a handmade quilt (Thanks, G)

Cute hanging onesies

Our friends in Durham threw us a small Jack & Jill shower back in April. Everything was so beautiful - the adorable onesies hanging, diaper cake and the amazing flower arrangements from my very talented friends. Best of all - there was a surprise guest! Our friend Erin who moved to Miami was visiting with her new son. Such a great surprise and amazing to see them!

The shower was co-ed so we got to hang with the guys and even play a few baby games. (PS never try mac and cheese baby food!) Amazing food, great friends and of course - the most beautiful and thoughtful gifts. Once again, I forgot to take a group photo - so these few will have to make due for now.

We are so lucky to have such amazing friends in our lives here in North Carolina. They better visit us a lot in Charleston (hint, hint).

Movin' on down

Willie at the Harbor

High rise boat storage

Love the Spanish moss - beautiful trees.

View from downtown Charleston

One of the fountains downtown

Hope my 2nd baby sleeps in the car as well as my first....

Enjoying the perks of living in a coastal town - oysters!

Isle of Palms - can't wait to be on the beach!

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To the Lowcountry or Charleston, SC. By this time, almost everybody knows that Doug has accepted a fellowship at MUSC (The Medical University of South Carolina) to study Addiction Medicine. It's a one-year fellowship and we are excited about the possibilities that await us down south. We have spent some time in Charleston and it is one of our favorite places.

We put our home in Durham on the market in March and now have a contract in place. Last weekend Doug, Willie and I took a trip down to our new hometown to find a new place to live. We found a great Condo on James Island and we are excited about the short commute for Doug to work and the marsh views that we will enjoy out our back windows and patio.

While most of the weekend was spend driving all over looking at different neighborhoods and places to live, we managed to squeeze in a bit of sightseeing and even a dinner downtown. We will move in late June and Doug begins his new job at the beginning of July. We are looking forward to the next year in this great town, spending time with our new baby girl.

No, I don't have a twin sister

A fun project at work turned out to be a great time to get some quick new "belly" shots. With some creative retouching - we were able to get one pretty funny photo! This is me at 32 weeks. I'm 34 now, so officially in the homestretch.

I've been so lucky to be feeling good in my pregnancy. I'm a bit more tired these days, but I think that's pretty normal. I've had some insomnia which may be attributed to upcoming motherhood or selling our house (or maybe combination of the two). Enjoying the crazy movement that we are able to see now. She is getting so big and strong, so it's pretty fun to see her move across my stomach or arms sticking out. The doctor says things are measuring correctly and she's in good position. Now if she will just come right on schedule, her Type A mom will be pleased.

Showering Baby B - Take 2

The second part of my weekend home was a family/friend shower in Kansas City. Hosted by my three aunts and at my mom's house - it was a great day filled with all my favorite people. One of the most fun parts was seeing my two cousins who are due right before and after me. Our due dates are within 20 days of each other! Additionally, it was so nice of Doug's family to drive in from St. Louis for the shower. We had a great chance to catch up, since they came in on Saturday night and stayed with us at the house.

The shower was so fun and the food was fantastic - check out the adorable cake! Baby B was thoroughly spoiled with cute outfits & baby gadgets and her mom was pretty excited, too. Time with family is always too short - especially when you get to see them so little. Looking forward to the next visit home to introduce Baby B to her great big family.

With my friends Carrie & Becky

3 pregnant cousins- no it wasn't planned :)

With my Aunts

The cousins with our Grandpa John

Opening presents!

Did I mention the crazy snow that weekend? Beautiful view of snow/lake from my mom's deck.

With the Burgess/ St. Louis Crew

With my Mom

Adorable cake!

With the presents & bassinet (from Aaron & Niki)

Showering Baby B - Take 1

I arrived Kansas City on Friday night for my "Shower Weekend"- just in time for the snow to start. My mom picked me up and we made it home through the blizzard-like storm. The next morning we started out early to make it to Columbia for my first shower. It's always so much fun to spend time in Columbia, where I went to school and this shower was at the sorority house where all my friends & I lived during college. So much fun to go back and see all the changes (and the things that are still the same!)

I feel so lucky to have so many girlfriends from college that I am still in touch with. Although I live far away - email, phone, text, emails, blogs and even Facebook- we have managed to stay close all these years. My friends are amazing mothers, wives, women and I continue to be so amazed by them. Best of all, whenever we get together - it's fun fun & chatting nonstop.

My best friends Sara & April hosted the most beautiful shower and it was so much fun to catch of with everyone in such a familiar place. Of course, there were gifts to be opened. Baby girl Burgess is going to be the best dressed little one in Charleston thanks to my friends. They picked out some of the cutest clothes and baby stuff.

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it & drove through the snow to come to the shower. I felt like such a lucky gal and inevitably hated to leave the fun & party to head back home through the snow.

The required bump picture at the shower (in front of all the delicious food!!)

With all the girls

The hostess with the mostess - with April & Sara :)

Third Trimester

28 Weeks!

Just funny...

Officially into my 3rd Trimester this week. Whew! Besides looking like I'm smuggling a basketball around under my shirt (perfect for March Madness) - things are looking normal and I'm feeling great. (Besides the nighttime leg cramps that have decided to pop up this week.)

In other Burgess News, we have put Willie McGee on a diet. The vet says that he has gained three pounds and is slightly over his ideal weight. I think it's pregnancy sympathy weight (he is so sweet!). We have been told that he will gain more weight once the baby is in a high chair, so we are trying to have him shed a few pounds now.

Best of all - I am really looking forward to my trip to Kansas City this weekend to see friends & family! Leaving tomorrow evening - hopefully American Airlines can hook a sister up with an aisle seat :)

Toes In the Water

So many of the baby books you read, now recommend going away for a "Babymoon" during your second trimester. I'm a sucker for planning & going on vacation so we decided a warm weather get away was perfect for February. After looking at lots of options, we decided on Puerto Morelos, Mexico - south of Cancun and north of Playa del Carmen. We stayed at an all inclusive resort - NH Riviera Cancun which after all my stressed out searching, ended up being the perfect place for our 5 night, 6 day vacation.

We booked an Ocean Front View and loved keeping our patio doors open to listen to the ocean at night. I wasn't pleased about the huge wall on our patio (all the other ocean front rooms had glass so you could see the water better). Everyone was very nice about our desire to switch, especially because I was pregnant. We heard a lot of "It's for the baby!" After two nights, they upgraded us to the Paradise Club which allowed us to have a great Oceanview Room and access to an additional restaurant (which turned out to be our favorite), a smaller, nicer pool, club with internet access and even a bigger room with jacuzzi on the balcony. Overall, we were happy with the upgrade and our two rooms!

We spent a lot of time by the pool - Mexico this winter had cooler than normal temperatures, so the pools and ocean were slightly chilly. On the warm days they felt great! We walked on the beach, read several books and soaked up some vitamin D. The resort was beautiful and the people were very nice. We ate at a different resort "restaurant" every night and enjoyed all the variety. The food really was fantastic!

One afternoon, we took an excursion to Puerto Morelos & Playa del Carmen for some shopping and sightseeing. It rained on us, but it was nice to get out of the resort for awhile. Such a great trip for us and probably our last kid-free vacation for a few years. :)

Marina & cove down the beach from our resort

Doug ready for a walk on the beach

Our view from our lunch table one afternoon

Room #1

The beach & water were absolutely beautiful

View from our balcony on the Paradise Club side.

The courtyard of the resort

The smaller pool & our view from our loungers

Getting ready to go to dinner one night.

Sunrise from our balcony

Toes in the sand :)