The Final Countdown: Do's, Don'ts, and Myths

Goooood morning! 

Coming to you live from between weeks 31 and 32, we're talking today about all the things people tell you not to do during pregnancy, how much those things are based in fact, and the insane myths that somehow are still perpetuated (like "Don't sleep on your back," or "Any amount of alcohol is going to give your baby FAS."). Also discussing all the things I'm ready to do again post-pregnancy (spoiler alert: club. SAMMICH). 

Please ignore my knife skills in this video, as they are horrible and upon watching this back, I'm realizing I need to go to culinary school. Yikes. 

Music used: Rockabye Baby! 
Songs: Don't Stop Believin'
Here Comes the Sun
Can't Stop the Feelin' 
I do not own this music - just purchased it on iTunes! 

Baby Shower in Birmingham!

I feel like I am getting so spoiled during the month of October. Jordan is transitioning from one practice to another, and in between, he took three weeks off. We've been to Tulsa, to Santa Fe, have gotten to spend TONS of time together (beginning each morning with him waking up before me and bringing me coffee - #winning!), and last weekend, we got to see so many friends and family members in Birmingham. 

Most of my family still lives in Alabama, so when it came time for a baby shower, Birmingham made the most sense as a host city. My sweet Aunt Dana, Mom's youngest sister, volunteered to host! She'd just re-done her beautiful kitchen in Homewood, and it was the perfect location to have a little party. The theme was "Mary's Little Lamb" - how cute is that?! 

I wanted to keep the guest list small because I like the idea that the people in attendance will really be a part of this baby's life in a meaningful way. Despite the nasty hurricane weather, I was touched that friends and family gathered to celebrate the arrival of this baby. Moments like these make me want to fall on my knees in gratitude for the love, encouragement, and support I always receive from the people closest to me. 

Every gift I received was SO generous, but a couple of highlights stood out from my two grandmothers: my dad's mom, who I call "Nonnie," gave me a pair of baby booties that my dad wore when he was an infant. So special!! My mom's mom, who I call "Gee Mommy" (I know, I made it up as a child, it works for us), gave me the Christening gown that all my cousins on my mom's side have been Christened in, beginning with me. I was the first grandchild on both sides, just like this baby will be, and so it was a really neat moment to think about the legacy of this beautiful gown. 

Another really unique thing about this time in life is that one of my best friends on earth, Ginny Tyler, is pregnant and is only THREE WEEKS behind me. How insane is that?! Totally by accident, we're pregnant together. What makes this even more significant is that Ginny and I have photos of us together as little babies, and now OUR babies will be friends! It makes me cry. I can't. 

Jordan saw that baby picture of us and asked if my hair had been burned in a fire. Um, NO THAT'S JUST HOW I LOOKED AS A BABY, thank you, Jord. 

Extra great was that my grandfathers came to pick up my grandmothers, so I got to see and love on the important men in my life, too! I'm missing one sweet grandfather, Hank, but he was there in spirit! 

Thank you so much to everyone who made this day memorable for us - I already count it as one of the sweetest parts of pregnancy to be able to spend time with such an incredible group of women. 

The Final Countdown

Jordan and I (okay, just I) saw this great web series that Whitney Port (of The Hills fame) did during her pregnancy called "I Love My Baby But I Hate My Pregnancy." Each week, she did an update about kind of a "real girl's pregnancy," with all the yucky stuff no one likes to talk about but everyone experiences. 

I haven't had as rough a time as Whitney Port, but I did love the idea of documenting a little bit of this process in an honest way because it's so special and once-in-a-lifetime. I love looking back on old photos and video, so more for Jord and me than for anything, I thought it would be fun to have some tape of these last 10 weeks. 

Here's installment one, where he and I talk about The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of this process. If you've ever had kids, I'm sure you can relate to lots of this - because, let's be honest, pregnancy is all of those things.

Also, somehow we end up talking about comic books. And the time I tooted on Jordan's foot. 

Hope you enjoy this early morning, no-makeup look! (The lighting gets better, I promise.) 

Yellow, The Space Between, and Landslide are copyrighted by Rockabye Baby! and are not my property. 

Santa Fe, Part II! (And MORE maternity clothes!)

Start with Part I here - 

And away

we

GO! 

(Billy on the Street? Anyone? Anyone?) 

Wednesday - Sommelier Throwdown and Geronimo

What a fun and, if I'm being honest, bougie day. I mean let's be real folks, Jordan and I are doing fine and all, but we're a quarter of a million dollars in debt and don't often get to do things where the word "sommelier" features prominently in the title. 

This was actually a really cool setup - the week we were there was the Wine and Chile Festival, so all over Santa Fe were sommeliers and wine masters. If you haven't seen Somm on Netflix (which is a mistake you should remedy RIGHT NOW because it's so amazing and will suck you in even if you hate wine), which is where all my knowledge of sommeliers comes from, the highest title in the game is Master Sommelier. To earn this title, you basically have to be a Rainman-level genius who knows pretty much everything (not an exaggeration) that there is to know about wine. There are only 100 in the United States, so it was EXTREMELY cool that we got to meet four of them (!!) that week. 

The structure of the event was: two wines are poured - one having been chosen by the Master Somms to go specifically with the dish; the other, a similar, decoy wine. Audience tastes wines. Audience is served a course of food to accompany said wines. Master Somms introduce both wines. Audience votes as to which is their favorite. And then the "game" is: did the audience favor the wine the Somm chose? Meaning, did we have good taste? 

Most of the time, the answer was yes! 

That was probs way more than you wanted to know, but it was so cool that I had to write it down (mostly so I'd remember it in a year). 

Here are some photos of the gorgeous food!

Okay but the most exciting part was yet to come. Emily and Parker immediately figured out that Fred Dame, the biggest deal in the somm world in the US, was one of the Master Somms at the event. On the way out, we happened to run into him. Here's a transcript of the conversation: 

Me: Thank you so much, Mr. Dame! This was really fun. 
Frank: Did you drink?? 
Me: (pointing to my belly) I sipped! 
Frank: Ahhh, I see. How did that happen?? (Also points to my belly.) 
Me: Too much wine! 
Frank! (laughs, we high five) I know all about that. That's why I have an 11-year-old and I'm 64. 

Aaaaaand scene, kill me, it made me so freakin' happy. 

Fred's Dames - Emily and me! 

Then it was time to walk around! 

Sweater is from ASOS, runs a bit small and is available here. Maternity jeans from Target and are so comfortable! And the booties are Old Navy and are ALSO super comfortable. 

Dinner that night was at a famous SF restaurant and was probably my favorite meal of the trip. Geronimo is so beautiful, so elegant, and so CRAZY FREAKING DELICIOUS. There were 4 desserts split among 6 of us at the end of the night. I say "split" as though it was even. 

...it was not. 

Then we all died of joy and fell asleep with our mouths open. 

Thursday - Cafe Pasqual's and Meow Wolf

Okay, simple part first: we had breakfast, it was fantastic, Emily and I match. 

Red stripe-y maternity shirt is from ASOS, available here! 

NOW for Meow Wolf. 

What the hell is Meow Wolf, you might be wondering? 

I can't even explain it to you. I don't even know, still, and I was there for almost five hours. 

Mom and Dad would only tell us that Thursday afternoon was a surprise. We knew absolutely nothing. I've never pulled into a parking lot, looked at a building, and STILL not been sure what it is. 

This is us being unsure. Even after we were inside. 

All I can do is upload my Snapchat story to you and let you see what this was. You're going to ask me questions like, "WHAT?!" And I have no answer. The best thing I can say is that it's an experiential, experimental art exhibit that spans an entire house and is basically like being inside someone's acid trip. Beyond that...well, just see for yourself. 

Enter through the refrigerator: 

I know. 

I know. 

I don't know. 

I'm not kidding when I say we were there for almost five hours. I didn't even feel it go by. Could've stayed for another five. If you're in Santa Fe, Meow Wolf is a must. MUST. 

Friday - Riesling Seminar and Lunch with Rick Bayless

And by "with," I of course mean that he cooked it. He didn't like, hang out. Which would've been the best ever. 

So in continuation with the wine and chile festivities, we got to sit in on a REALLY cool riesling seminar in which some somms gave us three flights of three wines each, described them, and then let us taste them in a particular order. It's the coolest to get to taste different wines, all under the same umbrella of general name, and see how wildly they can vary. I sipped and spit (mostly, but I mean a couple were really good so I just sipped) because there were fancy spit buckets. BECAUSE I'M A PROFESSIONAL WINE TASTER NOW, Y'ALL. 

After we (they) got good and sauced up, we ran off to our lunch plans with our old buddy Rick! Rick Bayless' restaurant Topolobampo in Chicago just won the James Beard award for Outstanding Restaurant, so we were in for a HUGE treat to have tickets to a special meal (paired with wines, naturally!) cooked by the man himself. 

We also had some seriously charming company - Glenn and his wife Allison, the couple at the end of the table! Glenn, fun fact, was a writer for a bunch of awesome cartoons like Doug, Scooby Doo, Adventure Time, The Smurfs, and a couple others. Cool, right? He actually was nominated for an Emmy for Doug! Obvi I loved talking to my boyf Glenn. 

The blue and white striped top is an Old Navy tunic button up in a large. Black maternity jeans are from GAP with stretch paneling in the sides so they fit any belly! Shoes are those Vince Camuto loafer mules that I'm now realizing are sold out, but you get the picture. Slides = the best. 

That last photo is Mom and Rick! How awesome is that?! 

After lunch, we drove around a bit per some recommendations and stopped by Tesuque Village Market for some pastry and to tour the sculpture gardens. Here's Parker making himself into an "F" so that he could spell the word 'fart!' Because we're CLASSY! 

(It was my idea.) 

And just like that, the week had flown by. We capped off the night by celebrating my dad's birthday a day early with the tres leches cake from our first day, hot tubbed, got takeout pizza, and soaked up the last rooftop experience by lighting a fire and enjoying each other's company. 

Thanks, SF!! We love you so! 

Free Fallin'

In light of a LOT of events that made my heart ache yesterday, I wanted to share this. In the midst of cleaning our basement, I found an old iPod of mine that, when I hooked up to power for the first time in years, played this cover that I'd done in 2011 as the first song on shuffle. 

My dear friend Andrew and I are a couple of amateurs, but I remember this being such a wonderful show and a simpler time in my life, as a 22-year-old college grad with a certainty that the other 22-year-olds and I could bring about change in the world. Life's a bit more complicated now, as an adult. Things like the Las Vegas shooting give us grown-ups lots of moral issues with which to wrestle; lots of realizations that people aren't always good. 

I guess that makes it all the more important to try as hard as we can all the time.

Sitting in the melancholy of these gorgeous chords today and thinking thoughts of hope. Click the link below to listen. Thanks, Tom Petty. 

Santa Fe, Part I! (Also, maternity clothes that aren't awful!)

WOW. So it turns out Santa Fe is freaking incredible. 

Each year, my family takes a "big trip." We kicked off this tradition last year with Charleston and Kiawah Island (which you can read about by clicking those respective links) and had an incredible time.

We are a group that enjoys each other's company for long stretches, so the opportunity to all be under one roof for a week is heavenly - especially since my brother and his girlfriend, Emily, are in Nashville, we're in Asheville, and my parents are in Tulsa. This is pretty much the only time all year that we have a guaranteed chunk of time together, and we really live it up! 

This year, we all headed out west for an adventure like none other. Jordan, Parker, Emily and I were all newcomers to this part of the country and were gobsmacked immediately with the beauty of the landscape. I'm gonna run it down day by day, since we packed so much in that glossing over feels like cheating. 

I also wanted to highlight some maternity clothes that I've found! If you've ever been pregnant, you know that shopping for maternity clothes is often a huge drag because you end up looking like a blimp or some kind of sugary cake topper. ASOS, GAP, Old Navy, Target and (believe it or not) Forever 21 have really helped me out in this department, so I wanted to pass along my finds in case they were helpful to any other mamas-to-be! I'm not making money off of this, PS. Just thought I'd share the wealth 'cause the best things in life are plagiarized. That rule accounts for half my  Amiright, girls? 

Saturday: Baby Shower in Tulsa

Before we went to Santa Fe, Jordan and I flew out to Tulsa for a precious baby shower hosted by parents' wonderful friends, Frank and Mary Quinn Cooper. The love and friendship these folks have shown mine is beyond compare, so I wanted to include a few photos from that incredible night! 

I also have to tell you about the most precious thing Mary Quinn did for us. You'll see a photo below of a binder labeled "Raising Baby Scott." Weeks before the shower, Mary sent sheets out to all our dearest friends and family members asking them to write back with advice for Jordan and me as parents. We thought the contributions in the binder were from the guests who were physically at the party, so you can imagine the tears that started flowing from both our eyes (sorry, Jord, but it's just true!) when we recognized the handwriting of our grandparents, parents, and best friends. It was one of the most touching gifts I've ever received and is, of course, chock full of incredible advice from those whose opinions we love and respect the most. Cue the tears! 

Outfit details: The blue dress is the most comfortable thing I've ever put on. Available here. I'm wearing a 4 - runs true to size. The shoes are old J Crew Factory Vans that I'd also recommend if you're pregnant - slides are way easier than laces and buckles! 

Monday: Travel to Santa Fe! 

My brilliant mother orchestrated the trip so that Jordan, my parents and I (who were all already together from our weekend in Tulsa) would meet up with Parker and Emily at the airport in Dallas, then we'd all travel together to SF. It was the greatest feeling to get off a place, walk a few gates down, and see their smiling faces! YEAH! 

After a few hours of flying, renting a car, and driving from Albuquerque (haaaaay, Breaking Bad!), we stopped for lunch at Tune Up Cafe, where I had the MOST INCREDIBLE tres leches cake of my life. Stupid good. Two forks good. 

This pair of overalls, which you can't see very well in these photos, is so comfortable it'll make your eyes bleed. Basically an adult onesie. Buy it here. 

We then arrived at what would be our new digs for the week. 

Y'all. Welcome to Casa de Musica (no, but really, that's what it's called). 

Since we'd had a big day of travel, we decided to stay in for dinner, which turned out to be a great choice as the weather was a little dicey the rest of the week. Tequila shots (except me, obviously) on the roof and watched the sun turn into millions of stars. It was pretty magical. 

Tuesday - Hike and Wilco

After a night in the world's most comfortable bed (you know the kind where you lay down and it just kind of of pillows up all around your body? Mmmhmm.), we had breakfast at the house, then ventured out to hike at one of our host's recommended spots: Bandelier National Monument. The drive there was almost worth the experience by itself just to get more of a taste of the landscape, which is SO wildly different from what we're used to in the Southeast. It blows my mind that all of this exists within the same country. 

The hike was along mountain paths that wound through the homes of ancient Pueblo People, so if you wandered off-trail, chances of finding pottery shards were good. There were a few elevation changes that took place by ladder (which made me feel like Indiana Jones), and around every corner was a new, breathtaking view. 

After the hike, we were drained and also starving, so we may or may not have stopped at McDonald's. Don't judge it. We had our orders taken by a touch screen robot, so apparently that's a thing that's happening. Strap in, children - it's the end of register service as we know it. 

Back to the house for a quick change, then to downtown SF for dinner at Sazon, where we enjoyed a mole tasting and the literal best soup I've ever had in my life. (PS - Mine is a mocktail, nobody panic.) 

The top I'm wearing is another magical piece that actually doubles as a nursing top. It runs a tiny bit small, so I'd recommend sizing up. You can look at that here. I've also got some maternity jeans on from Target, which I highly recommend, and easy black mules from Vince Camuto that are a pregnant girl's dream. I walked around in them all day Friday without the slightest bit of discomfort. 

To our total delight, a family-favorite happened to be touring in SF that night: Wilco! We've been listening to them at Chez McAnnally since Parker and I were in middle and high school, respectively, so it was an insane treat not only to get to see them together, but to get to see them at The Opera, which is a gorgeous indoor/outdoor venue. It was kind of a dream. Jordan, Emily, and I had never seen them live! 

A next-level show and two encores later, we piled back in the car with all our blankets (it gets super cold at night!) and skittled on back to the house to rest up for Wednesday. 

Check back in tomorrow for Part II!