OY!

Things have been a little crazy, folks! Now I remember why almost every bride reaches the feeling a few days before her wedding: "Is this over yet?" We've been kicking butt and taking names for the most part, but it's been a lot of work! You could say, if you were inclined and it doesn't offend you, that we've been busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest ;)

I planned a killer bachelorette party for this recent New Year's Eve. It was about as wild a bachelorette party plan as you can have when 1) all the guests are sweet, little, innocent Christian girls, 2) none of them are 21, and 3) those of us who are 21 are pregnant or recently gave birth. So, really, "wild" doesn't describe it at all. It was more like cute fun. Unfortunately, Whitney, the bride, has been fighting a lingering stomach bug since her lingerie shower and was feeling miserably sick all night. We wound up ending the party by toasting the New Year at 9:35. Then, Whit proceeded to barf all night. Poor Little-bit.

The other craziness has just been last minute head-counting for the fancy, sit down dinner reception, coming up with a new cake topper, developing centerpieces for extra dinner tables, improving the other centerpieces, finding and scanning pictures for the slide show, and entertaining various sporadic out-of-town guests. It's all been really fun, though... well, except for Whitney being sick. That's been pretty unnerving.

Meanwhile, Brendan is an amazingly helpful little trooper, and Spud feels like a million bucks. I've been really tired, but that is to be expected. My only other problem is my allergies. I've had several attacks thanks to cat people. I hate cats. I even had to take some Benadryl a few times. I know it's OK to take when you're pregnant, but I don't like it. I imagine Spud in there getting all groggy.

I'm starting to actually show. I keep having these weird moments of looking down at my belly and thinking, "Man, I'm getting fat" only to quickly recall that there is somebody in there. When we get home, I'll post pictures from the trip and wedding, but here are my first belly pictures. I look like a mess in them, but you can see Spud really well.