Priority Check.

There are events in life; brief circumstances, certain occasions, or forever life-altering moments, that shake us from our daily routine and remind us how blessed we are and how much we have to be thankful for. 

These are the moments that justify our priority list.  And easily explain why the things that are most important to us are the highest on the list.

Having a baby is one of those forever life-changing events.  One of those moments that either justify what's important in life or makes us realign our list of priorities.  And so when little bean announced her arrival many months ago, we were immediately reminded of how blessed we are and we were so very thankful that we havebeen given the chance to be parents. 

But I knew our current Schamberger routine wasn't going to work anymore.  The commute and the hours would just be too much.  So after much debate, weighing pros against cons, we agreed it was time for a career change for me.  It was a difficult and risky decision, but I knew it was going to be worth it.  Luckily, I found another great job that happens to be much closer to home. 

More time with my husband.  More time with bean.  More time as a family - some of the important things at the top of that list.

Witnessing the your brother get married; another one of those moments in life that remind you that you are lucky.  Lucky to have found your perfect match.  Blessed to have family and friends that travel miles on end to celebrate with you.  And watching my brother get married a couple weeks ago, I couldn't help but remember my wedding.  How excited I was and how absolutely blessed I felt.  I could tell, even without them saying, Marcus and Anna felt the same way.  Weddings just have a way of doing that.  Reminding you how important family and friends are.

A close call at an intersection that jolts us from our normal routine.  A part of a plan, much bigger than our own.  Although it ends with a sigh of relief, it's another one of those moments in life that cause us to reflect on what's really important.  And an instant reminder that nothing, no one, not even a second is a given.  Yes, I believe that old cliche phrase that "things happen for a reason."  But sometimes we are lucky.  Blessed.  Given a hard and fast reminder to enjoy every moment.  There is beauty in life and a reason to be thankful everywhere.  Just stay focused on what's really important.

Sometimes in the midst of the everyday routine and hustle, we get caught planning for the next big thing.  We forget to enjoy all of the small moments in between.  It's something I've vowed to get better at.  Enjoying the moment that is.  This one.  The now.  But I've struggled with this.  And with bean just months away from making her debut, I know it's more important than ever, to really soak in every minute of life. 

But as much as I try to get better at living in the moment, I still catch myself.  Wondering, worrying, planning and getting excited for her future.  What she'll be when she grows up.  Who she will go to prom with.  Who will break her heart and consequently, who will daddy will chase down as a result of his daughter's heart getting broken.  What will her friends be like.  Will she have blond hair or will she get that Schamberger gene for red hair.  Will she be a dancer, a cheerleader, a basketball player, student body president.  Will she be good at math like her dad or will she be an artist like...oh wait, neither her mom or dad can draw.  Will she go to K-State or heaven-forbid that other Kansas college.  The list goes on...

But in the midst of my dreaming and wondering, I feel something. 

A kick.  Right square in my tummy.  It's her.  Reminding me to enjoy this moment.  Stop wondering and planning for five, ten or even fifteen years down the road. She's not 16 yet.  Not going to prom yet.  Not dating yet.  Not going to school yet.  Not trying out for the dance team.  Nope.  None of the above.  Right now, she's content.  And happy.  Just how she is.  And this mama, well, now, in this moment, I'm enjoying every kick and squirm and movement.  Some days she's more active than others, and some days, I think she's just plain showing off, especially for her dad.  She seems to know his voice and proves it by kicking harder and moving faster.

And all of this kicking and stretching out, must be her way of expanding her living quarters.  At least that's what it's starting to look like...

Here we are week 26...

And here we are week 28. 

                        

 And after 28 weeks, we finally are so close to having her nursery finished.  I'm pretty excited - it turned out just how I imagined.  And as soon as we get the curtains and picture frames hung, I'll have to tell you (and show you) all about it...

The Name Game.

We should have known.

I think it was a sign.

Literally the day after we found out about bean, we started discussing and debating and dreaming of names.

Boy names.  Girl names.

I tried to predict every possible nickname that may come of each of the names discussed and whether or not in 10 years, bean would get teased because of his or her initials or a shortened version of their first or middle name or a combination of all of these.

But just seconds later, we had one.  A girls name that is.  Wow.  There are some days we can't agree on what to have for dinner in such a short period of time.

We should have known.

Boy names were such a different story.  We couldn't agree.  Kevin would suggest one.  I'd wrinkle my nose. 

"I don't think so." I'd simply say.

And so I'd give it a shot and suggest a name.

"Do you want him to get beat up in 4th grade?"  Kevin would laugh and say.

And back and forth this little debacle went.  An athlete would come on TV, and Kevin would suggest that name.  Almost as if he was trying to name a Dallas Cowboys quarterback in the making...and giving bean an "athletic" sounding name gave him better odds of getting those good quarterback genes.

Well, we should have known that being able to agree on a girls name so easily was a sign.  The fact that we couldn't agree on boys names was a given.

A given that bean had to be a girl.  And indeed, bean is a girl. 

No Dallas Cowboys quarterback, but maybe a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

Wait - on second thought.  No.  Scratch that.  No Dallas Cowboys cheerleader either.  I've seen those outfits those cheerleaders wear and there's no way she'd be allowed to leave the house in that.  But rest assured, she'll grow up to love the Cowboys just like her dad.  Or at least be able to tolerate watching them on TV each Sunday, just like her mom.

And so, within minutes of leaving the doctors office, after just finding out bean was a girl, we easily agreed on what her name should be.  Something that would be timeless.  Something that would fit her as a baby and through all the years of her life until she had her own grandbabies some day.

At first I thought we may keep her name a surprise.  But we decided against it.  It was just too hard to keep a secret... and we were just too excited to not share it.

So, in a matter of minutes, and one doctor's appointment later, we found out we are having a daughter.  A baby girl.

And her name, Olivia.

Olivia Kay Schamberger.

But we still call her bean sometimes, because that lil' nickname seems to have stuck.  For now at least.

Here we are.  Me and bean.  22 weeks.

And here we are this week...24 weeks.  The start of month number six.

It's hard to believe we're five months through...Each day gets more and more real and one day closer to her arrival.

We are still furiously working on the nursery...I think, for now anyways, the major projects are done.  Or I should say everything that was on the list has been built and/or painted or both :)  We still have lots to finish...rug, curtains, bedding, accessories...but in comparison to what we've done thus far, those things seem less daunting.  We'll see if my theory proves to be true...

Speaking of daunting, we are still looking for daycare.  I could probably write an entire post on this topic alone, but I won't bore you.  Let's just say it is proving to be a bit more difficult than I imagined... proximity to our jobs, proximity to home, hours, experience, cost, food programs, the list of things to consider when selecting the perfect daycare is endless.  Of course, not to mention at the very top of this list and most important, is someplace where you feel completely comfortable with leaving your baby all day.  Like I said, daunting.  But I know, it will all work out.  Somehow.  We'll find the perfect place for little bean.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves...for now, her perfect place is right where she's at.

The Wait is Over...Almost

There's something about being pregnant.

Something that is incredibly magical.  I mean, after all, inside of me, there's a baby.

And while there are times I'm convinced I'm no longer living in my own body, something else has taken over all control, I am just reminded, it's all about the little bean inside. 

Growing.  Sleeping.  Kicking.  Moving. 

And as each day passes, and bean grows bigger, we are one day closer to finally meeting.

We can't wait.  Bean has already stolen our hearts and we are head over heels.

And tomorrow, it's a big day in bean's world.

Tomorrow we find out.  The wait is over.  Boy or Girl.

Sometimes I think it's a girl.  Then other times I'm convinced bean has to be a boy. 

For some reasons I want a girl.  I want bows and poofy skirts and headbands with flowers.  Curly hair and braids.  Barbies and dolls. Pink and coral and turquoise.  Someone to take shopping and teach how to cook.  And daddy's little girl.

But for other reasons I hope it's a boy.  I want bow ties and hats.  I want our daughter (that we'll have some day later down the road) to have an "older brother".  Navy and orange.  Stripes and fish.  Someone to watch football with dad on Sundays.  And mommy's little boy.

Obviously, I can't decide.

But soon enough, the wait will be over.

Either way, one thing's for sure.  Girl or Boy.  Boy or Girl.  Bean, we couldn't love you more.

Week 20...Bean+Me...

Fit for a King...(Or Queen)

Even before the bean, I had this "can't breathe, we're outta space" feeling about our house. 

Don't get me wrong, I do love our lil' casa, but if Kevin's heard it once from me, he's heard it a thousand times... "We've outgrown our house.  We're bursting at the seams." 

Technically, no.  We are not bursting at the seams. I suppose I was being a bit over-dramatic :)  We've got plenty of space in empty bedrooms, office closets and an entire storage room for stuff. 

So my little tirade of outgrowing our house, is more my attempt to motivate myself to do a serious deep clean, sort through things, donate, trash, and just get stuff organized.   

What better motivation than a little bean?  And the need for a nursery and an empty closet and more empty space for everything that comes with a baby.

Very soon after we found out we were having a little bambino, I kicked it into high gear.  The guest bedroom upstairs, which never had a comfortable bed, rarely got used, and frankly, I ran out of juice when it came to decorating it, was renamed the bean's room.  But with this change meant clearing out a closet full of my clothes, moving shelves full of shoes, relocating current furniture and redecorating and repainting to make the room fit for the bean.

Finally, after several weekends of reorganizing and resituating every other closet in our house, and one big garage sale, we finally had an empty room and a blank slate.

This was the only "before" picture I managed to take...excuse the paint mess.

 

I spent hours scouring pinterest and project nursery for inspiration on paint...colors and patterns.  I wanted something different than just paint on the walls.  But I also know we aren't going to stay in this house forever, so it wouldn't be wise to spend a fortune either.

So, we settled on something in the middle.

I've always had a thing for stripes...even though I had a rough experience with painting a red striped bedroom in college, I was ready to tackle it again.

But this time, not red.  Something a bit more subtle, but still enough contrast for the stripes to pop.

And one weekend at Sherwin Williams, we found the perfect colors.

It was the perfect mix between grey and beige...properly named Perfect Greige.  And then a lighter shade to compliment it.

Testing out the paint colors to make sure there was enough contrast...

Kevin's masterpiece before the stripe-maddness took over the wall...

After the red-striped fiasco circa 2004, I knew if we were going to get these Perfect Greige stripes perfect, we were going to need lots of patience...and lots of time.

Originally I wanted to do horizontal stripes all the way around the room, on all four walls.

But then I realized, two large windows, one closet and one door combined with an attempt to make the lines super straight and still match up after going all the way around the room, was going to be nearly impossible.

So in an effort to maintain my own level of sanity and keep my husband happy, I settled on one wall of stripes and the other three walls painted solid. 

The first task was to paint the lighter color on the entire soon-to-be striped wall.  Next, we painted the other three walls the solid darker color.  I had sketched out the dimensions of wall and the thickness of the stripes and determined we needed five dark stripes. 

After several days of waiting for paint to dry, literally, we taped off and conquered the first stripe.

And after another week of waiting and rebuilding up our patience, we conquered the second stripe.

 And finally, many days later, all five stripes were completed.

And I pretty much loved it from a distance, but up close, there were some places, if you looked hard enough that the paint bled through the tape a bit. 

And anyone that knows me and my crazy-type A personality, knows that I wasn't going to be content until it was fixed.

So, I found these super-tiny paintbrushes at Home Depot.  And using that brush, little by little, I touched up all of the spots where the dark paint was and it wasn't suppose to be.

Now, I loved it.  Our Perfect Greige stripes.. perfectly fit for the bean...king or queen. 

Speaking of, bean's room isn't the only project that is making progress... bean is continuing to grow and his (or her) development is progressing nicely... and now, 17 weeks along, he (or she) is apparently 5 ounces big, which is just shy of 1/2 a pound.  Still just a little bean, but the bump has officially made it's debut...sorta. 

This was 13 weeks...

And now 17 (almost 18) weeks...

I can't believe we're almost halfway done with this pregnancy thing. 

The first three months were a bit rough, but it seems the afternoons and evenings of morning sickness have slowly become fewer and far between and I'm even starting to gain my appetite back (but don't tell Kevin because I've still convinced him to do most of the cooking!)

Fruits and raw veggies are still my favorites, but the bean gets pretty upset if he (or she) doesn't get an occasional scoop of ice cream.  So, I willingly comply.  That's how the story goes right?...bean wants, bean gets. :)

We've still got lots to do in the nursery... but I'm holding out as much as possible since we'll find out if bean's a boy or girl in about three weeks. 

I'm getting anxious to pick out colors, rugs, curtains, bedding, clothes, but I'm trying to keep it together...

In the meantime, we did pick out the most comfy chair and ottoman imaginable... so comfy, I think you just be able to sleep in it.  I'm sure bean will give us the opportunity to test that theory out soon enough. 

And we're in the process of sprucing up a couple of old dressers by adding legs, some paint and some fancy knobs.  I've also got a couple of other non-gender specific projects up my sleeve to keep us busy until we find out. 

What can I say, my husband is one lucky guy.  He's got a pregnant wife with a to-do list a mile long.  Unfortunate for him (fortunate for me), it's probably not a good idea for me to be sanding down or spray painting dressers or operating heavy machinery like saws, drills, or even vacuum cleaners :) so most of the to-do list has been assigned to him. 

But I'm pretty good at giving directions, observing, and retrieving cold beverages.  What more could he want?  Just kidding.  I'm not too much of a slave-driver.  Not really...

But I must say, I count my own lucky stars that he's so wonderful and patient and understanding and handy when it comes to my crazy projects and ideas. 

And I can already tell, bean's lucky too... he (or she) is going to have the best dad ever.

Spilling the Beans

We're having a baby.

Sometimes I still can't believe it. 

We are having a baby.

Randomly, I'll say that to myself.  Sometimes quietly.  Sometimes outloud.  And randomly I'll blurt it out to Kevin...as if he needs a reminder that there's a little bambino on the way.

It's exciting and surreal.

I'll never forget the day we found out the big news.  It was a Wednesday.  And for several weeks, it was just our little secret.

There was an occasion or two where I almost slipped up.  And well, as for Kevin, each time he was about to head out the door to meet the guys for a Saturday of golf, or for his usual Thursday night softball outings, I'd remind him..."whatever you do, don't spill the beans."

And from that point on, the little babe got nicknamed the bean.  And that name has pretty much stuck...at least for now.

Finally, after a couple of doctor's appointments, hearing the bean's heartbeat and seeing the little bambino on the sonogram, we finally did it.  We spilled the beans.

And oh my goodness.  Telling people you are pregnant is so fun and exciting.

Few were suspicious, but lots of others were completely caught off guard. Everyone's reactions and fun comments have been the best.  We feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family to share in this new chapter of our lives.

One of my favorite comments (from one of our friends who shall remain nameless/Strickley)...

"I'm at a bar.  I can't really hear you that well and this sounds like big news.  We need to talk about this tomorrow."

The bean is scheduled to make his/her appearance on November 27th, just shortly after Thanksgiving. And I have to admit, I'm pretty excited to have a baby that time of the year.  What better time to be off from work, snuggled up with a new little baby than the holidays?! 

And so this week marks week 13.  I really can't complain..too much.  The first 12 weeks have been relatively easy...with the exception of morning sickness which has decided to make his appearance in the evenings.  Needless to say, nothing ever sounds good for dinner and I've left most of the cooking up to my husband, because well, I just get nauseous. 

He's been a good sport.  No complaints there.   

Fruits, veggies and cereal seem to make the bean the happiest and well, he/she doesn't mind the occasional scoop of ice cream either. 

I've always liked fruit and veggies, but it seems the little bean has turned this fruit/veggie like into a full blown obsession. 

One Sunday night, not too long ago, I ate a whole seedless watermelon. 

A whole box of clementines in a matter of days. 

Entire cucumbers and whole green peppers for dinner.

But it can't go without saying, I miss my wine.  Something about watching Grey's or unwinding from a stressful day at the office, just isn't the same without a glass of wine.  But, I know it's totally worth it and it's only temporary.  After hearing the little bean's heartbeat, I'm completely smitten and would do absolutely anything to ensure he/she is healthy, even if it means giving up wine.  And sushi.  And deli meat.  And coffee.  And feta cheese.  And shark.  And swordfish... just kidding about those last two.  I mean if I ate shark or swordfish, I'd give them up, but I don't. 

It's amazing the things you can and can't do or can and can't eat while pregnant.

It truly is a whole new world.  Babies.  Baby stuff.  Baby gadgets.  Toys.  Accessories.  There's a long list.  We've got a lot to learn in the next 6 months, and I'm sure while November seems an eternity away, it will go fast.  I'm trying to enjoy every moment we have before the little bean comes, because, well, I have a feeling life as we know it will change just a bit ;)

We've already started/I've already begged to get started on the little bean's room.  And if I must say, it's coming along quite nicely...more on that later.  I'm starting to get impatient though and since we agreed we would find out whether the bean is a boy or a girl, I'm desperate to know.  Of course, I want to know, now.  Unfortunately, I've still got many weeks to go and patience, pregnancy or no pregnancy, is still not a strong suit for me. 

Officially I don't think the bump has made it's appearance yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.   And I'm not promising these "bump" shots will come religiously each week, but for the purposes of watching the bean grow, I'll do my best.  I feel quite silly, but I suppose some day I'll look back and be glad I documented the moment. 

Ready or not world, there is another Schamberger about to make his/her way.

We're having a baby!

Hiatus no more.

It's funny. I've got more blog entries started sitting in my "drafts" box than I do actually posted. Well maybe not quite, but still. 

And each time I start a post, I get distracted, interrupted, or have writers block. (not that I write enough to know what writers block actually is, but sometimes the blog thing is just not working for me.) And so I click the little "SAVE NOW" button and tell myself I'll finish it later".

Later turns into days.

Days turn into weeks.

And then after weeks go by, the time references in the posts  (next week, last weekend, Monday, etc.) that I've started weeks ago don't make sense anymore and instead of going back and rewriting or editing them, I start over.

It's funny. And it's true. That's just how life gets in the way.

Over the last couple months, I've been reflecting, dreaming, planning, plotting and making mental lists. "Things I want to do before..." type of lists. Before I turn 30.  Before we retire.  Before we have a baby. Before Sunday. Before we move.  Before summer comes. Before tomorrow morning. Before, before before. 

You know the feeling you get when you read a really good book and you can't put it down. Then you get to the end and it's bittersweet because you read it so fast, but now it's over? I'm guilty of this. I find a good book and there you have it, I'm reading every chance I get, skipping over the "boring " paragraphs, the ones that seem uneventful, and similar to other pharagraphs in other books. I just have to know how it ends. 

And sometimes, this is how I feel about life. We breeze through the everyday "boring", anxious for the next big thing. Monday comes and we're looking forward to Friday. Life truly is about enjoying the little things. Savoring every word, in every sentence, in every paragraph on every page of the book. Not to be in such a hurry for what's coming next.

It's hard though.

But I'm trying.

And with the help of my husband, I'm learning to be more spontaneous and free-spirited. And do I dare say, take a step or two closer to the edge. And by steps, I mean baby steps.

This little blogging hiatus has left me with lots to fill you in on. House projects for one- namely, new appliances, stainless steel ones that make our kitchen look modern and 1000 times better; a newly renovated master bath and a serious deep clean of every closet, nook and cranny in our house.  A new job for my husband and his/our latest investment project on a duplex.  We've got a busy summer planned with each of our ten year class reunions, weddings, and hopefully even one or two mini-vacays.  And oh yeah, a little bambino on the way.

And so for now, for once in the last several months, I'll click Publish instead of saving to my drafts.  But don't you worry, I've got another little post simmering in the Drafts folder...stay tuned friends.  You won't want to miss it!

A Christmas Blog

Today is the first day of January.

Which can only mean one thing.  Cue post-holiday meltdown.

Christmas week is over.  Yes, I said week.  That's because for the first time since I graduated from K-State, the week between December 25th and January 2nd, was actually considered "Christmas Vacation". 

No work.  No meetings.  No emails.  No video conferences.


11 days of bliss.  Sleeping in.  Cups of coffee in my pjs with the company of the Today Show.  I went to the grocery store on Tuesday at 10AM.  I checked twice with the clerks in the aisles to make sure they were actually open.  I swear I was the only one there.  It was lovely.  Now I know that grocery shopping on Sunday afternoons is extremely overrated, not to mention overcrowded.  I actually cooked dinner for my husband, an area I'm pretty sure I've been slacking in for the past 8 months.  I cleaned out cabinets.  Organized closets.  Stayed up late without feeling guilty.  Watched movies. Did a little shopping.  Even caught up on my favorite soap.  It was refreshing.  Relaxing. 

There's only one thing left to do.  Cue the sad face.

Take down the Christmas decorations. 

Since I was at home all week, I decided I'd leave them up.  Enjoy one more week of Christmas bliss.   Each morning, I'd plug in the tree and garland on the piano.  One day I even found Christmas music still on one of the channels on the TV.  I turned the volume way up and sang along.

There's just about nothing better than Christmas time.

This year we had five glorious days with our family.  First with Kevin's family in Hays, and then my family in Oakley. 

Time with family always goes too quickly.  So we made sure to soak up every last drop this holiday season.

We stayed up late.  Telling stories.  Playing games.  Reminiscing about the past.  Laughing, sometimes so hard we had tears in our eyes.  Looking through pictures of our childhood, our parents, grandparents, our heritage.  The people who have made us who we are today.

We ate too much.  Everything from homemade carmels dipped in dark chocolate (which were amazing...my mouth still waters thinking about them) to homemade cookies, peppermint bark (a new recipe I tried this year), to my mom's infamous Christmas Eve spread, to the traditional Christmas Day meal.  It was all way too good as usual.  And don't forget the birthday pie for my Dad.

We also celebrated the birth of Jesus at mass on Christmas Day.  We sang Christmas carols, listened to the Christmas story and were reminded of the true meaning of Christmas and of all reasons we have to be thankful and feel blessed.

We took our traditional family pictures.  And yes, we had to take more than one in order to get at least one that turned out ok.  "Ok" defined by 6 different people's opinions.

Santa found us and brought with him some rockin' good stuff. 

We enjoyed all the little things about Christmas and the week that followed.  Like I said, there's just about nothing better than the holiday season.  Which is why you can imagine the post-holiday blues I'll be treading through tomorrow as I'm packing up the lights, the tree, the garland and the glitter.  It's okay though.  This is what makes the holiday season so fabulous.  It comes once a year.  And even in the other months, the non-holiday months, there's opportunity.  Uncharted territory, new experiences, "Christmas-morning" experiences sewn into the fabric of our "normal" every day lives. 

Cheers to Christmas 2011.  I hope your Christmas and holiday season was blissful. Happy. Blessed. And left you fulfilled.