Those Summer Days - May 14

This weekend was the first great weekend of the Summer for the Cosme Family. Sure it's still pretty chilly out, but the college kids have gone home for the Summer which means Iowa City has transformed into the magical family friendly wonderland it becomes from mid-May to August. No drunken stumbly messes peppering the sidewalk on the way to the farmer's market, no beer runs clogging up the checkout aisles at HyVee, and best of all SO MUCH parking downtown!!

Saturday we hosted a game night and before people came over we decided we should really deep clean the house because it has been a while. However, when I woke up I looked around and thought "I want to move ALL the furniture somewhere new." So I told Devin and after he shot down all my ideas for a new layout he promised he would move everything himself after he got back from the store. So I patiently waited for him to head out and then went into beast mode so I wouldn't have to compromise about where the furniture went later on (yeah man...I play dirty). Also I felt SO accomplished when it was done because I know Devin didn't think I had the strength to do it, which was obvious when he arrived home because he just looked around and said "What happened? Did you hulk out?!"

Yes. I did.

The best part of the new layout is Rosalind has her very own corner in the living room which she totally digs!

So when you have a daughter that you have lovingly nicknamed Rosie, you are kind of obligated to have at least a few Rosie the Riveter pieces in your home. Here Rosie is looking over Rosie's corner and reminding her "We Can Do It".  

She finds the weirdest things interesting. 

And right now she is in this great stage where she is curious about everything but still not that coordinated so she can't really cause too much chaos. I give this stage another month before interest in the toilet paper turns into an entire roll of toilet paper uncoiled in the corner of the living room.

Oh and Rosie's school pictures came. That smirk is killing me!

By the way this is what Devin found when he came back from shopping and saw the entire living room was rearranged. Totally strategic on my part. You can't be angry at anyone in this image! Also whenever Rosie falls asleep in my lap for a nap it is pretty much the highlight of my day. She's just so squishy!

I am so obsessed with watching this little girl learn about the world around her. I don't even know what I am going to do when she really starts to accomplish things. Right now I am like "You picked up a ball from the slot?! You know what a ball is?? You know how to use your hands?! MY DAUGHTER IS A GENIUS!!!" Poor second kid, we will probably be so jaded by then.  "Oh you're 3 and doing algebra? That's nice..."

Saturday evening was spent with great friends chatting, and playing games and eating some phenomenal snacks. I think that's one of the best things about being an adult actually. Now whenever there is a potluck, people come prepared! There was a fancy as all heck cheese plate, some delicious spinach bites, brownies, a vegetable tray, crackers and meat, watermelon skewers with mozzarella and mint, pizza quinoa bites, banana split bites, and SO MANY SAUSAGES (from Devin's sausage guy up in Cedar Rapids. My sister lives in California and they have a pool guy. We live in Iowa so we have a sausage guy...)

Then Sunday was the best kind of Sunday. The morning was so incredibly lazy. Rosie woke up and hung out in bed with us for a while, then she got sleepy so we put her back in her crib for a nap, and we continued to lay in bed and relax. Then when we finally got the motivation to get going it was noon and we had consumed no food yet so we decided to hit up and Indian buffet in town that we have yet to visit.

Rosie has to eat when other people are eating or she gets pissed off, so I brought some yogurt and was able to capture her little yogurt shiver on camera. I hope to get a better video of it another day because it is just so damn cute.

She also LOVED the Indian food. 

Then we hit the local thrift store because we have been looking for a kitchen table and chairs FOREVER and still have had no luck. Gah. We did see some cool stuff at the thrift store though (which is appropriately named Stuff).

Then I convinced Devin to take me for ice cream (and by convinced him I mean I suggested ice cream and he sped off towards the ice cream shop without a second thought). I got a cookie dough yogurt concoction and Devin got espresso oreo. It was our first time at this particular ice cream shop, which is just a town away, and it was delicious!! I immediately texted my mom and informed her that we needed to go there the next time her and my dad are in town. Also I feel obligated to go back because there are so many flavors, it's really not fair that I had to pick just one. 

I am so excited for all the adventures the next few months are bound to bring, and can't wait for Rosie to experience her first Summer! Swimming pools, picnics, zoos, floppy sun hats, outdoor concerts, baseball games. It's all on the bucket list. Now if the weather would just cooperate we'll be in business. 

Summertime Sweetness: A day with my Dad!

In preparation for baby Devin and I decided not to take a Summer vacation this year, but instead have been taking a lot of little weekend trips to try and get the most out of Summer. Last weekend just happened to be our baby shower (which I will devote an entire post to because it was absolutely amazing!) so I left Devin behind in Iowa for a few days and ventured to the Chicagoland area on Wednesday afternoon.

My sister flew in to town on Wednesday evening, so after doing some chatting with the parents, eating dinner, and running to Michaels and Target with my mom it was time to go pick her up! I was feeling pretty tired though after driving from Iowa so luckily my dad offered to drive to Ohare to get her even though he had to work in the morning and I played the role of copilot. It was so great to finally see her after almost 9 months, so of course us girls stayed up till nearly 3 am talking and gossiping before we called it a night. Plus she brought a GIANT suitcase with her that was filled with baby clothes so we had fun going through everything and commenting on how crazy cute all the little pants and shirts were. Just wait till little Baby Cosme gets here, she is going to be quite the fashionista which is awesome because I dress like a hobo - for real though, this week I put on a shirt, realized it had stains all over the belly, and wore it anyways because it fit and my maternity wardrobe is only so big.

Thursday morning we admittedly got a late start to all the baby shower crafting that was supposed to get done because we spent the whole morning chatting again! Around 1:00 though we finally cracked down and started some projects that needed to be completed. It was a wonderful evening at home with the 5 of us, and since it was the first time we had all been together in a while it was really a treat to get some quality family time.

Then Friday my dad and I vacated craft central and went on an EPIC adventure downtown. We started with a White Sox game and before we even got into the park our luck was going strong because there was an Olive Garden truck parked outside that was giving away free samples of their new breadstick sandwiches and they were delicious! I got the chicken parm and my dad got the meatball and of course we shared.

Then they gave us free t-shirts! I don't care what it says, I can totally be won over by a free t-shirt!

Then we went to get our tickets and decided to sit in the Shark Cage which meant we got a free hat and a shark fin to wave whenever there was a strike out. Then upon entry into the park we got a free blanket. So much swag we didn't know what to do! 

It happened to be a very hot and sunny day, which I actually really enjoyed because it has been such a mild Summer and I have hardly spent anytime outdoors. So it was nice to actually feel the heat of Summer on my day off. We drank plenty of water and were smart enough to bring a towel with us so we could wipe off when the sweat became oppressive.

Then about halfway through the game we found ourselves in need of some food so we walked around the concourse and even though they have an amazing selection of food I just couldn't bring myself to eat anything hot because I was already slightly melting from the inside out. So instead we decided on this awesome Turkey Club sandwich. Not only was it delicious but I asked the waitress if she could bring an extra pickle and she brought two big pickles and a baby pickle...super cute right?

We finished up the game in some seats we found in the shade (hey if they don't check my ticket I am going to take advantage of the shaded areas!). Then it was off to Navy Pier for an architectural cruise I had purchased for Father's Day. The timing all worked out really perfectly and by the time we parked and got our tickets it was time to get on the water.

We trailed down the Chicago River and heard all kinds of excellent historical tales. Then because this particular cruise boat is a speed boat they took us out onto the lake and gave us a high speed ride for a while. This was especially awesome because as I mentioned it was balls hot and the intense breeze from the boat ride was particularly refreshing.

 After our boat ride we decided to stop for an ice cream cone before heading home. And of course I demanded we take an ice cream selfie. 

Then it was time to head home, where I was met with some delicious frozen pizzas for dinner and a Devin who had driven in from Iowa to join me for the baby shower.

It was an absolutely phenomenal day in my favorite city with one of my favorite people. It was also really special to spend a whole day with my dad since we probably won't get as many chances to go on epic Dad and Cate adventures once baby arrives (we'll still have to fit in a couple though!). As much fun as it is to do things as a whole family, sometimes it is nice to get some one-on-one time with the people who are closest to you. A chance to talk about everything under the sun, to discuss the future and reminisce on your favorite memories from the past, and a time to reinvigorate relationships that you've always held near to your heart. This Summer may not involve a formal vacation but I have to admit the days I've spent with the people I love have been days I won't soon forget, days I plan to reflect on for years to come, and the kind of days that truly remind you how lucky you are to be part of a family built on unconditional love.

We Used to Be Friends: A scale betrayal

When one of my good friends and co-workers told me she was pregnant this past Fall my very first response was "Ooo you're going to get so big!" 

WTF?! What kind of response is that? This part of pregnancy is, I'm pretty sure, one component that women dread the most. Now that I am on the other end of this pregnancy business I am even more mortified by my previous slip of the tongue.

Mostly because I am both eagerly awaiting a baby belly that will actually look like there's a baby in there, and miserably watching the scale tick higher. They say pregnant women should gain between 25-35 pounds but since I started a bit overweight I was told to shoot for between 15-25 pounds. They also remind you that the last 12 weeks you can expect to gain a pound a week.

(Current baby bump. Admittedly I am trying my best to create a better bump photo with posture and positioning, in person it looks even more like I just came from the China buffet.)

So doing the math that means over the first 28 weeks I could really only gain about 13 pounds. I am just a bit over that 13 pound mark and am still 4 weeks away from the 28 week mark. As much as I can rationally tell myself that I am gaining weight because there is literally another human growing inside of me, that doesn't help ease the disappointment when I step on the scale.

I think part of the trouble comes from the fact that after losing 125 pounds with diet and exercise, each pound I see appear on my frame feels more like I have done something wrong than a quantitative measurement of the miracle of reproduction. And this ingrained set of emotions isn't something that is easily transformable over night, so I am trying deliberately to give myself permission to enjoy this pregnancy. Easier said than done. Also hormones are ruthless. 

I am trying to look at each pound and envision our sweet baby girl getting a bit bigger, a bit more squishy and chubby, and my uterus expanding more than the day before to give her room to explore. I am trying to remind myself that the weight came off once before, and there will be time for it to come off again (and this time the goals will be even smaller and more attainable). Even if it takes longer than I want...a lot longer, I have the tools to make the transformations I want to see. I also remind myself that one of the major motivating reasons for losing weight in the first place was someday having a low risk healthy pregnancy. So many early morning workouts were sponsored by my running monologue reminding me that my future children deserved a healthy mommy who could chase after them and climb trees with them and make healthy snacks that would nourish their little bodies. 

But more than anything I tell myself that this little girl doesn't care what the scale says when I wake up in the morning. She needs a safe place to grow and develop and get ready to enter this crazy world we live in, and right now that is exactly what I am giving her. And I rest assured that no matter what size pants I am in one, two, or 6 months after she is born, the only thing that she will care about is having me there. Being together. 

And when all that falls short I have the greatest husband in the world giving me pep talks to get me through the day. Recently when I told Devin not to bring home dessert I was craving because I was gaining weight and he reminded me gently. "That's ok. You are pregnant, and while society thinks it's normal for celebrities to be a size 10 right after they give birth (bless his heart for thinking size 10 is an acceptable Hollywood size) I don't. I always think you're beautiful - and you should have a treat." Yeah. I got one of the good ones. 

So for the next 16 weeks I am going to try and enjoy this pregnancy, because I don't know if or when I'll be lucky enough to experience this again. I am going to forgive myself for my weakness towards Devin's french fries, and I am going to continue abiding by my "At least one ice cream cone a week" rule. I pull up my maternity pants with pride, and enjoy all the little kicks and punches that are sometimes more uncomfortable than adorable. And at night when I wake up with back pain, I'll enjoy the quiet of the night knowing that in not so many months I'll have a companion during those 4:00 am wake up calls. 

And if any of you other soon-to-be Mommy's are experiencing guilt, disappointment, or fear over your changing body watch the video below and prepare to cry your eyes out. Sometimes change isn't just a good thing - it's the best thing. 

Mother's Day Weekend

This whole week has been pretty fantastic! On Monday we had a visitor from Rosalind Franklin University so our whole lab got to spend an hour with her chatting about science, and work life balance, and being a female in science. And even though these types of meetings can sometimes be a bit on the awkward side this one was wonderfully natural and very engaging!

Then Tuesday rolled around which was Cinco de Mayo, and during the day Devin asked if I wanted to do dinner and a movie and recreate our second date (which featured Mexican food and a movie). It was such a sweet gesture that I said "Of Course!" even though I had a 45 minute talk to give to the department the next day. Only then, during the day me and the lab ladies got to talking about how fun an after work happy hour sounded so before Devin came to get me for date night my fellow pregnant co-worker and I went to a local restaurant for happy hour. If you are curious as to what a pregnant happy hour entail it involves virgin bloody marys and food. Mostly the food because if you can't drink you have to splurge somewhere. So nachos and hot wings it was. And I know I shouldn't have indulged in such snackage before dinner but I couldn't help it! Did I mention NACHOS!? Then Devin picked me up and it was off to our Mexican dinner, only of course the place we wanted food from was packed (I know, on Cinco de Mayo...shocking) so instead we ate at Cheddar's because neither of us had ever been. After I ate about half my dinner we left for the movie: Avengers! Only, when we got to the theater Devin wanted ice cream...and I wasn't going to watch him eat ice cream. So of course after he twisted my arm and publicly berated me I conceded and ordered a cone of yummy chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. So the moral of the story is the baby and I are eating well (I promise the next day I had spinach and homemade soup for dinner).

We got home so late I felt like such a wild child! I mean it was like past 10:00. So the next day I got up early to prepare for my talk, which went really well. Lots of friendly and familiar faces came to watch it and I got some good questions afterwards which made me think people were actually paying attention and following along.

Then on Thursday my parents surprised me with these lovely flowers for Mother's Day! I have never had flowers delivered to work before so it was really special. The note instructed me to enjoy my last peaceful mother's day - which you'll find is exactly what I did.

Friday Night was our end of the semester lab BBQ and I made my mom's amazing potato salad. It was pretty close but not 100% the same, I have some ideas of where I can improve though. I am very particular about potato salad and really hers is the only one I'll eat. In preparing to become a mother I am trying to perfect as many of my mother's own recipes as I can - but we all know Devin does the real cooking in our house. It's ok, he said our kids will love his dinners and look forward to my desserts (which is where I am actually an asset in the kitchen). We are a real team like that.

Saturday started with a zumba class which I haven't done since very early on in this pregnancy, but it went so much better than I thought it would! Then the goal of the day was to find more maternity pants. We checked the outlets but even at the Motherhood Maternity outlet capris were $40. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I am not paying $40 for pants I will wear for a few months. So instead we hit the resale shops and I got one pair for $7 and another pair for $2.40. Now those are prices I can get on board with. When I cam back from trying on my maternity pants this is what I found:

Bless his heart. Too cute! He had picked out a really adorable pink frilly dress, but it was $9 (I know I am such a cheap ass, $4 is my limit for resale baby shopping) and also we don't necessarily have somewhere fancy to go with our baby - so I didn't want to end up wasting $9. Then we decided to get dinner where disaster struck because I ordered a chicken salad wrap that was disgusting. I didn't want to say anything because it was my own fault for ordering it, but Devin did not want to pay for a meal I was not going to eat so we sent it back and I got a grilled chicken salad instead. Simple and innocuous.

Sunday brought Mother's Day! Devin took me out to a rocking breakfast and then we spent the day in bed watching movies and I sent him out 3 more times to do my bidding. Once for groceries, once because I wanted a drink and olives for the frozen pizza we planned to make, and once to return the movies. Overall on the day I had 1600 steps...which should tell you what an awesome and relaxing day it was. Also I always tell people I have the absolute best parents but seriously it's fact. On top of the surprise flowers they sent me these sweet cards and a mother's day crib sheet (It is Mother's Day themed because there is a big mama elephant and a tiny baby elephant...get it?) 

So all in all it was an excellent week. Oh and Devin got me some surprise Ben and Jerry's for Mother's Day dessert which I can't say no to. Ice cream twice in one week!? Yes Please!