weekend recap...

We had a nice weekend visiting friends and family in Central Illinois and the St. Louis area. Friday night we visited our great friends Jeremy and Kim Darnell who live in Urbana, Illinois for the time being. Jeremy just accepted a principal job about a half hour NW of Champaign-Urbana so they will be moving this summer. They cooked us up a gourmet dinner leaving our bellies very full for the rest of our trip to St. Louis....I slept and Sean drove, struggling all the while. As you may have caught on by now but we occasional refer to Baby Merrick as "Baby Love", is this little gift bag just fitting or what??? This is from the Darnell's and I will add that I will be accessorizing the nursery with this adorable bag! Now, hold tight....I am not as thrilled as Sean is to share with you what was inside the bag...Grandma and Grandpa Einck prepare yourselves...Einck Uncles...just close your eyes....

The cutest little gift bag for our Baby Love

ahhhhhhh.....what the heck! I guess we have to support "daddy's team" too

(at least it is not red and gold!)

Thank you Darnell's!

We arrived at Sean's brothers pretty late Friday night, just in time for bed! Saturday morning the guys went golfing and I bonded with my little nephew, Connor Jackson Merrick! He is such a good boy and really enjoyed lounging with me all morning. Saturday evening we had a nice dinner with all of Sean's extended family and Danielle's family that came into town for the baptism.

What a little cutie...Connor Jackson Merrick

At the baptism, Godmother Brittany (Danielle's sister), Danielle, Connor, Kevin and Godfather Sean

Welcome back Monday....today it rained all day long, but my day was brightened to see my great friend Molly and her little sweetheart Nora. I was working in Ann Arbor this morning, so Molly and Nora met me for lunch and little shopping. We had such nice lunch catching up and Nora was such a good little girl while we visited. Molly helped me pick out a few maternity necessities, which I am so thankful for! I didn't get a picture of Nora so I took one off Molly's blog (sorry Mol), but for those of you who have never seen this little doll face, I just had to show her off!! She has the biggest baby blues that I am totally in love with...such a sweetheart!

Nora Yates...what a little sweetheart! Is she not just precious?!?! How can her daddy ever say "no" to those baby blues?

Nothing really new and exciting to report on the pregnancy front other than a midsection expansion. I am almost 18 weeks and feeling a little more fluttering here and there, nothing too crazy...altough I am impatiently waiting. Next week I am scheduled for another ultrasound and it feels so weird to think we actually could find out if our Baby Love is a boy or girl!!! I broke down today and finally bought a couple pairs of maternity capri's. After trying those suckers on, I don't know why we don't leave out the zipper and buttons and make all ladies pants "secret belly fit"...man are they comfortable! Sean took my bump picture before church on Sunday, sparing you the belly shot this week!

Bump tracker: 17 weeks 4 days