The Crib

Throughout the pregnancy I've realized that those who manufacture baby products (be it bottles, rattles, nursing wraps, or cribs) have quite the corner on the market. Something that should be relatively easy to buy or find - like a crib - is not always the case. My parents graciously offered to buy us our crib and after much research and frustration we decided on a nice one that will last a long time. We had to drive to New Hampshire to pick it up and so we borrowed our friends' Blazer to bring it home. When they pulled it out from the back Derrick and I looked at each other and started laughing! The thing was the size of a small house - literally! There was no way it was going to fit in the Blazer - a semi, maybe! We tried to find a UHaul place and begged Home Depot but, alas, we had no luck and had to return the thing and drive back to Mass empty handed.
After ordering it again to a closer store and coaxing one of the Chick-fila workers who owns a truck to help us bring it home (not my idea but Derrick's crazy ideas usually turn out to be great ones!), it finally arrived! While we are both convinced that's it's too nice for "our station in life" I am thrilled to own it and am so grateful for it! Now all it lacks is a little cute baby to support and keep warm.








3 weeks left!

Summer, Showers, and Life so Far

We apologize for the tardy update! A lot has happened in this month and a half.

Well...in the middle of June, while Derrick was slaving away in a summer school class (actually 2 classes), I flew back down to Dixie to visit my family. While I was home our home church threw us a baby shower. Everyone was so generous and thoughtful as they helped welcome baby Smith into the world.




Needless to say, 'lil Smith did quite well for himself! Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that we were having our bridal shower! But I guess the lingerie showers usually lead to the baby showers. :) It was wonderful being at home relaxing and enjoying mi familia.

I then flew down to Panama City, Florida to meet up with my 5 college roommates. We affectionately call ourselves "The Jungle Bungalow." 5 of us lived on the same hall our freshman year and we've been together ever since. It's so comforting to know that God is behind everything - even 'potluck' roommate selections. We hadn't all been together since our wedding, so our 2 year reunion was very sweet. My sister in law taught me to dig a hole in the sand for my bell so that I could lay on my front. It was heavenly!

We spent the days laying in the sun (getting burnt to a crisp!), sleeping in, vegging by the pool, and enjoying each other's company. "Harry" (as my friends call the baby) loved floating in the ocean, despite the jellyfish, seaweed, and sting rays!




We had a wonderful time but after 11 days a part from my hubby I was ready to come home! Derrick spent his weeks translating Hebrew and 'gettin' her done,' as he would say. :) I was so proud of him and all that he accomplished and learned as I was busy getting a tan. He had been training to run in a 5 mile race and ran with our friends Ian and Sally Wilson. All 3 did a phenomenal job! Up next...a marathon! Just joking!



We then moved apartments into a bigger two bedroom apartment so that 'lil Smith will have more room - really, so that we'll have more room. There was an apartment open in the building right next door. My brother, Matthew, kindly came up and let us boss him around as he helped us move. I wasn't much use - so we needed an extra pair of hands. Our friends were wonderful and everything was in the new place in an hour and a half. We miss our community in the old building but hopefully we'll be feeling at home pretty soon. Below is a video of our new place - mainly for our parents who are anxious to see it. Our address has changed - so if you would like the new one let us know and we can give it to you.



Derrick and Matthew then took the Lucky Star bus down to NYC for 2 days to go to 2 Yankees games. They offered for me to go but a 5 hour bus ride and a night in the hostel didn't sound too appealing. But they had good brother bonding time and enjoyed the city and the Yankees together. The second day they met an important CEO guy who offered them his box seats for the game that he wasn't going to use. Reluctantly, they agreed to take the tickets. :)




All is going well with the pregnancy. We started our birthing classes today. We're using 'Hypnobirthing' - which sounds a lot scarier and wacky than it really is. For those of you who have never heard about it, the premise is that birthing is a natural process that should not be feared or treated like a medical condition. We have been taught that birthing is a painful scary thing that requires medical managing. Hollywood has showed screaming women hyperventilating on a bed demanding an epidural. So these classes, through relaxation techniques, teach that birth can be a joyful and 'pain free' experience. When we expect pain, we get pain. Hypnobirthing teaches you to work with, not against, your bodies natural process. We enjoyed the first class and think that it will help!

So we're 5 weeks out before the baby is due. Derrick is about to start his 3 class for the summer and I'm tutoring some, kinda working on a class, and piddling - a lot! I definitely feel the need to 'nest' so things are slowly getting done.

Meghan's Birthday Bonanza

I (Meghan) celebrated my 24th birthday on June 1st. Derrick did a wonderful job at organizing a great day full of surprises. I really wanted to go to my favorite flea market so we headed out in search of finding treasure in another man's trash. And boy did we find it! I have always loved/coveted my parent's German nativity which is a 3-tiered hand carved wooden nativity that has a place for candles and when the heat from the candles rise, it turns a windmill type thing on the top. Anyway...new ones go for around $200 but we found the identical one for only $25. (Derrick said that he only had $17 but he was secretly hiding a birthday stash of cash). I bought it right as another guy was going to get his wife to come look at it. Sneaky.....

We ate hotdogs and doritos (my own pregnancy craving) in our car and then went to my favorite ice cream place to buy raspberry sorbet. Yummy....
Our next stop was the little town of Rockport. We walked on the beach, found hermit crabs, discovered a secret garden, window shopped, and got sunburned. Derrick enjoyed acting like a kid by sliding down the slide and I had fun looking at things I could never afford.





When we returned home Derrick locked himself in the bedroom with tape, scissors, and magazines in order to make me a birthday masterpiece. By this time of the day I could tell that something was fishy but I hadn't realized that he had planned a surprise party. I thought that the girls of the building were getting together to hang out at my neighbor's house. When I knocked on the door the Olympic theme song began to blare over the stereo and I walked in to find all my friends hiding in the kitchen wearing medals around their neck. I have always loved the Olympics and one of my life goals is to go to the games - so Derrick organized an olympic themed party even with a cake in the shape of the rings! As a gift he gave me the beginnings of a savings account for us to plan on going to the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver (which is where we went for our honeymoon). Hooray to my honey for the best day! I have the best husband ever!






(The card reads "Meghan, what's better than just 24 $1 bills, a monkey card, and an olympic birthday celebration today?" The inside then had money taped in the shape of the olympic rings!)

Behind Enemy Lines - Fenway Park

One thing Derrick and I have wanted to do before we leave New England is attend a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. However, for those of you who know the Blanton family well, know that we are die-hard Yankee fans. Our blood is pin strips. But when my dear friend Merry Beth called with tickets for a Red Sox game, even I couldn't resist. Fenway is the oldest ballpark and is famous for the "green monster." The park had such personality and the fans (ie - members of Red Sox nation) make the park come alive. It was a great day for baseball - hotdogs, candy, interesting people to watch, great offensive playing, 2 sets of back to back homeruns, and the Sox won. So even though I had to cross over into enemy territory, I must say that it was well worth it.

The Windy City

This past week Derrick and I flew over to Chicago to visit Derrick's sister, bro-in-law and their 4 precious kids. Derrick's parents came in from SC and his other sister flew up from VA. It was a mini family reunion with 13 of us total (soon to be 14). But before we met up with everyone, Derrick and I drove to Indianapolis to meet up with our favorite ladies that we met last summer in Ukraine. For those of you who haven't heard the whole story - these women practically saved our summer. We showed up with nothing to do - they thankfully took us in. None of our money transferred until 3 weeks into the trip - these women generously left us with some money when they went back to the States. We didn't bring many snacks - these women left us with enough granola bars to last a lifetime. They adopted us as their own and we love them!

It was wonderful to catch up with everyone and see what everyone looks like when they're not 'roughing' it on a mission trip. :) Indianapolis is a beautiful city and Derrick was super impressed by the soon-to-be-finished Colts stadium with retractable roof and sides. Before we drove back to Wheaton we ate at the Red Robin, who even graced us with his presence. Turns out he's a gamecock fan too!

Then it was off to Wheaton. I don't think I've ever driven through land flatter than the road between Indianapolis and Chicago. I kept expecting to hear a voice call out through the cornfields... "If you build it, they will come." But that was Iowa - not Indiana or Illinois. We went into Chicago for a day and went to the zoo and Navy Pier where we ate at world's worst restaurant. It claimed to be a "Mexican" restaurant but as I hunched over my beans and rice fighting back tears of disappointment's, I blurted out, "this place sucks! I HATE it here!" If you have to buy your salsa, you know you're at the wrong place. Chicago was lovely and I guess I get to visit it for a day every 4 years when one of my in-laws moves there.



The boys went fishing on the lake and caught our dinner. Derrick caught the biggest of them all!

The girls did what we do best - shopping. *Note to all women who have feet sizes 8.5 and smaller* When you want to buy more expensive shoes - check the kids versions first. Almost all of us bought kids sized Keens for $50 which would have been $90 if we bought the adult size. :) I must admit, we have the cutest nieces and nephews in the world. And although I have a hard time believing it, Derrick's sisters assure me that I will think our baby is even cuter than theirs.

Which one is more pregnant?

We are having a contest to see who can be fatter by August. I think I am winning. Meghan has gained a few pounds of tummy weight (isn't she adorable??), but I think I can still take her in a pie eating contest or a black hole look alike contest. You see, that's funny because black holes have so much mass that not even light can escape their gravitational pull. I'm like that, only fatter. That's actually extra funny because since you can't see a black hole, a look alike contest would be impossible.



P.S. Have you seen the late night ads for those bags that shrink stuff? They are awesome and really work!!! Check out the before and after.




Here is my cutie's most recent picture. What a cook she is too!