New York State of Mind

Thursday is the Big Apple day! Mark and I leave Austin at 7 a.m. for NYC. This will be our last vacation as a childless couple. We still plan to travel once we have our little one, but we know finances and circumstances will change the types of trips that we are able to take. In other words, we plan to live it up starting Thursday.

I usually like to wing it on these trips, but New York has WAY TOO MUCH to offer for us to rely on our spontaneity. Today I bought our tickets for the Broadway show we plan to see. Lion King is supposed to be great and I got a pretty stinking good corporate discount. I guess corporate America does have it's benefits. We are going to be going to Broadway on Sunday night (our last night in NYC). Here's some info: We paid more for our Broadway tickets than our Billy Joel/Elton John tickets. (Blows my mind but I'm a sucker for a musical, huh mom?)

I also bought a New York City Pass. It's a lot like to Chicago Go Card that we bought last year for our 1st year anniversary trip. I highly recommend these things if you are going to any major metropolitan area. It gets us into all the stuff we want to do for one low price. In this case: Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty tour, Empire State Building observation deck, Museum of Natural History, Central Park Zoo, Museum of the City of New York, Skyline cruise and a lot of other museums and tours. We WILL NOT have time to see it all but we can go to as many as we have time for in 3 days. It really pays for itself.

It's supposed to be in the 40's and rainy while we are there, but we won't let that slow us down. I'll be sure and post pictures when we get back (assuming my camera doesn't get jacked in Harlem...jk).

Enjoy your week!

P.S. Shout out to the little Bro! He just bought his first house (here in Austin) and I'll be excited to help him decorate and do some yard work (if Mom leaves any for me to help with) when I get back. ;)

And 'Baby G' Makes Three (humans...not dogs)

First I want to say that Stuart and Renee had a gorgeous wedding on September 26th in Irving, TX. We were honored to be a part of it. I didn't get many pictures but here are a few of the guys getting into the limo from the hotel and one of Mark and Melissa walking into the reception. I'm really sorry I didn't get a picture of the bride (she looked gorgeous) and groom (Stu cleans up real nice, too) but I'm sure I can steal some from Renee's facebook when she gets them loaded. Mark and I had a lot of fun at their celebration

The Friday before the wedding, Mark and I found out we were going to be parents! That's right...God had chosen to trust us with the giant task of raising another human being! We are grateful. It has been a long road and we continue to pray that things will go smoothly and have faith that it will.

I went to the doctor on Friday, October 1 for my first appointment. It was all talking and a little a blood work. I was glad the nurse confirmed that I know how to read a pregnancy test. We go back on the October 20 (our 2 year anniversary) for our first ultrasound and to hear the baby's heart!

Mark and I drove to Houston later that Friday to tell my parents and brother. I'm pretty sure they had no idea. We had sold our tickets to ACL and told my mom that it was because we needed the money for our trip to New York next week. Then I casually told my mom that since I already had the time off (from ACL) that we would just come to Houston to enjoy their pool one last time before it gets too cold. She bought it! (Thanks Mom, for taking me to get the baby book and for passing the receiving blankets on to me!)

We drove back on Sunday to tell Mark's parents, brother and sister. Over all, I think everyone is excited.

I'm feeling so many emotions since I found out about this. Mostly, it's joy. However, it varies from second to second. At the moment that I'm writing this...all I can think about is everything I've been putting off for another day. I feel an overwhelming sense of urgency to go complete these random tasks. An example: I need to get Mark's Christmas stocking completed so I can start on Baby G's. Even though he/she won't be around until December 2010. Geez.

So on that note, I'm going to go sew Mark's stocking. I'll try and keep you all updated.

Sorry for any randomness. My mind is going 1 million thoughts a minute.