Trip to Vermont/Baby Shower

Repeat post on Need for Speed Blog.

Thursday
This past Thursday Sean and I flew to Vermont to visit my family and friends and for my Baby Shower that my mom had planned for me.

I was really excited to escape the 100+ Virginia weather, and loved flying into 65 degree weather on Thursday.

My mom picked us up at the airport since we rented a car from a place close to her home (it was half the price of the airport car rental). This was her first time seeing me since I was pregnant, ok since I told her I was pregnant. (I was home in February for a funeral and was pregnant but hadn't shared the news since I hadn't been to the doctor to confirm pregnancy).

We decided to spend Thursday with my Dad, so we drove down to Leicester, VT and enjoyed being out on the lake.

Dad and I

Even though it was a bit cool outside we decided to take advantage of the Kayaks my dad has and went on a small lake tour. Of course as soon as we got on the water it started raining. It didn't last though and the sun peaked few a few times.

I forgot how nice it was to be out on the water, and quickly wished I had a lake in my backyard.

Friday
Friday was Mom and Stacy day. We decided to all meet for breakfast at Dunkin Donuts. Stacy had to work half a day so we met her and two of the boys she nannies for and than she met back up with us in the afternoon.

Mom, Sean and I walked around Church Street in Burlington and just enjoyed each others company. It was really great to be in Burlington again. I was telling mom about how the night before I had been feeling something different with the baby and maybe it was hiccups, since it was rhythmic movement. She put her hand on my belly and as soon as she did that the baby kicked her. She was the first to feel the baby!

We went back to the house and napped on the couches since we did a lot of walking and I'm tiring easier these days. Stacy joined us early afternoon and I told her how I had read that you may be able to hear the baby's heart beat if you put your ear to the belly. She wanted to test it out, so she put her head on my belly and the baby kicked her ear. She jumped pretty quick and didn't think that was very nice. It did make her laugh though.

Friday night we all went and saw the third Twilight movie. It was pretty good but I was checking my watch a few times, probably because I was ready for bed.

Saturday
Saturday was Baby Shower day! My two college friends Kerry and Maria both made the trip to Vermont! I hadn't seen Kerry since my wedding last May and although I saw Maria earlier this year it was before I had told her I was pregnant.

Before the girls arrive Sean and I take a walk outside and enjoy the beautiful Vermont landscape

Once the girls (and Kevin) arrived, we had a few hours before we had to be at the shower so we went to Dakin Farms for the free samples, and than Magic Hat for the free beer samples. I miss Magic Hat beer. I got to be the pregnant girl smelling all the free samples and not able to taste them.

Kerry, me and Maria at the Magic Hat Brewery

My mom held the shower at UVM since she had access to a large room. It worked out perfect.

We were spoiled so much stuff for Baby Murphy

My mom had this sign outside the building. I love this picture more because of Stacy's face, it makes me laugh every time I see it.

The delicious cake! The booties is actually a Christmas ornament that you can write the weight, height and date of birth of the baby.

Stacy knit this blanket...I love it!

She also got her niece/nephew some super cute clothes. This was a crab sweatshirt, because she knows we love our Maryland Crabs!

I shouldn't have been surprised that Kerry got Baby Murphy something Cookie Monster related.

Grammy (my mom) got her grandchild it's first Orioles outfit. She also got him/her an Orioles board book with lots of facts so the baby can be prepared to be an Orioles fan.

Homemade sweater made by my mom. I couldn't believe she made this. I didn't know she could knit anything besides a blanket. I think this was her first project.

We got a ton of frog stuff. I hope the baby likes frogs as much as I do. This is the cutest frog bathrobe ever!

While I opened presents Kerry collected the ribbons and we were able to make my belly stand out even more than normal!

Baby time! All of these babies belong to my childhood neighbors. I can't believe everyone is growing up and having babies.

Cake time!

This was my first time meeting my cousin Laura's daughter Michaela. She was too cute. She kept coming up to me and asking "Are you Tricia? Are you having 4 babies?" I had to keep telling her, Yes I'm Tricia, and no I'm only having one baby.

Crosby cousins. We're missing Mindy and Melinda, they couldn't make it. Hopefully I get to see both of them soon.

Delibac family

Sean gets a turn holding Nyham. He was our youngest baby attending the shower at 3 weeks.
Sean did pretty well, he didn't make the baby cry at all.

The shower was so much fun and I think we probably had 20+ in attendance. I don't get to see family and friends enough so it was so much fun seeing everyone. We ended up getting so much great stuff for our little baby and we literally got enough books to fill a rolling suitcase (great idea by mom and Stacy to request books in place of a card). Good thing we could carry-on the suitcase because it would have been over the weight limit.

The rest of Saturday was spent walking around Burlington with Kerry, Maria and Kevin and than watching the Burlington fireworks.

The SMC Cow (Cows Come Home art show throughout the city)

There were thousands of people down at the waterfront to watch the fireworks and since we hadn't gotten there early enough we were in standing room only. I did pretty well standing for awhile, but my legs and back started bothering me so I sat down in the middle of everyone. It wasn't really a place to sit, but I was "protected" by my friends and I could still enjoy the fireworks.

Sunday
Sunday morning we went back to Church Street with the gang. It was hot and I was sick of walking but I enjoyed hanging with my friends. We eventually stopped walking around and sat down at a restaurant to enjoy some drinks and just chat.

I treated myself to a "virgin" Strawberry Daiquiri!

Kerry, Kevin and Maria all took off around 1:30 or so and Sean and I headed back to my mom's house to relax and visit with her and Stacy.

You know how I mentioned loving the cool VT weather earlier in this post, well it changed to hot temps like Virginia, so Stacy and Jacques decided to treat themselves to A/C. This isn't standard in Vermont. So we got to relax with the cool air blowing on us.

Stacy and Jacques left to visit a friend and Mom and Vern left to get groceries. This gave Sean and I time for a nice nap! I am finding that I need a nap everyday to function, is this bad? We took about a 45 minute nap and than it was time to head to Aunt Valerie's for a 4th of July BBQ.

We had a great time visiting with family at the BBQ and it was so nice catching up with everyone. Most of them I hadn't seen since my wedding over a year ago!

Sean and I lasted until about 10:30 and I especially was crashing so we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel to get some sleep.

Back at the hotel Sean FINALLY felt the baby kick. Ever since my mom and Stacy felt the baby move (2 days earlier) Sean has been trying to feel some movement, but every time he put his hand on my belly the baby would go still. Sean was convinced he has a calming effect on the baby. I think he was thrilled to finally feel the baby move, either that or thrilled that I stopped making him keep trying to feel.

Monday
Monday we didn't have a ton of time before we caught our 1:40 pm flight. We made sure to get up early since we hadn't packed ahead of time and we had to figure out how we were getting all of Baby Murphy's gifts home. We had packed fairly light on the way down so we ended up getting the majority of our gifts in our luggage.

We then decided to skip the free continental breakfast and had a nice delicious breakfast at a local bagel shop, dropped off our rental car and than back to Mom and Stacy's to do some last minute visiting. We only had a few hours before it was time to be dropped off at the airport and back home to Virginia.

It was hard saying goodbye to everyone. Next time I see everyone I'll be a mom with a little baby!

I still can't believe in less than 15 weeks I'll be a mom!