Girls Day in Chicago

Becca, Annie, Kristina and moi

This past Saturday my dad had a meeting in downtown Chicago so four of us girls hitched a ride for a quick girls afternoon in Chicago. Sorry, I don't think your computer monitor is bullet-point-proof because that is how we are recapping this weekend. Let's get to the points.

• We were walking down Michigan Ave only to be greeted by a Hostess truck handing out free Twinkies. Now, I am more of an Oatmeal Cream Pie girl, but none of us said no. Okay, Kristina was good and didn't eat hers. It was the start to a fantastic afternoon.
• Our midday hunger was only mildly soothed by that rush of sucrose, but all four of us aren't exactly the most decisive people. We didn't want to get something that we could get back home, but we didn't really want to venture into the neighborhoods (or else I would have pulled the pregnant craving card and gone to Delux) since we only had the afternoon. India House was a delicious restaurant that Chris and I went to a couple times, and it was close so we started to walk in that direction until I remembered that Graham Elliott from MasterChef has two restaurants in Chicago. Obviously we weren't going to go to the two Michelin stars one, but Grahamwich seemed perfect for lunch, and it was close enough that our empty stomachs approved. It was very casual with counter seating and then one long communal table. I ordered the reuben, Kristina and Becca ordered the roast beef and Annie got the turkey, but on a pretzel roll. All were delicious! We also ordered salt and vinegar chips, which were not too salty and not too vinegary. My reuben was definitely the best reuben that I had ever had, but would I pay $9 to have it again? Probably not. 
• We didn't finish all of the chips and since part of my day of stroller-freedom emptying any Ryan luggage from my purse, I became the keeper of the chips. Which is to say that I became the eater of the chips. 
• Gelato also was on our list for the day. We didn't trek out to Black Dog Gelato (try their goat cheese cashew caramel - sounds gross, tastes like cheesecake), but we found L'Appetito. The Frutti de Bosco hit the spot for me, but the cashier lady definitely gave my sister the wrong flavor (chocolate chip rather than mint chocolate chip) when Kristina definitely asked for the correct one. 
• Okay, this is turning into just a post about food.
• The rest of the day was spent shopping ... mostly window shopping, but it was fun. I loved getting to hang out with my sister since we never get to spend time together when she isn't the aunt and I'm not the mom. I was/am the shy one of the pair so I always used to make her ask where someone bought something. And she came through this weekend! Coral maxi skirt from Marshall's...I'm coming for you. Love you, sistah. 
• Chicago is the land of wondering, "Where in the world did that girl get her maxi dress?!" Last weekend when Annie and I were walking around Chicago, we asked each other that every other girl we passed in Lincoln Park, and this weekend was no different. Please share your favorite maxi dress because most of my maternity clothes are for fall and winter, and we don't use our A/C.
• Our drive back may have been extended by an hour because I was the navigator who never told the pilot (my dad) when to watch for the highway splitting/appropriate exits. Oops. 

26 Weeks!

A bump at The Bean. This baby is growing! I am starting to notice that the bump likes to make its presence known especially when I crouch on the floor changing the millionth diaper of berry season. This week I have loved peaches, nectarines and plums.

Blurry Excited Baby at a Wedding

Last Saturday, we had the honor of attending a wedding of Chris' best friend's sister. The bride was absolutely beautiful and radiant, the groom was dashing, and the church was oh-my-goodness so breathtaking.

St. Mary of the Angels in Bucktown, Chicago

Last fall, we made it to the 7:15pm Mass on Sunday quite a bit after many Sunday mornings when we were too sad from an ND loss to roll out of bed to make it to the church that was a five minute walk from out doorstep. I'm happy that we haven't experienced that sad feeling this year...and yet we still find ourselves at the Sunday evening Masses. Thank goodness that both Chicago and South Bend have about a million Masses each weekend.

Anyway, remember how Ryan is thankful for silent churches? Well, imagine how thankful he is for HUGE silent churches. If I can hear his screeches and ooohs all the way from your mind and through the computer screen, then you are imagining his feelings correctly. This kid's pipes were giving the organ pipes a run for their money. Since I was 99% sure that the bride didn't want Ryan's musical talents over the ones that she actually chose and paid for, Chris and I were going to keep Ryan in the lobby of the church during the ceremony. Picture it now: the priest begins to ask, "Will you accept children lovingly from God..." only to be cut off by my son's desire to be heard all around the world with an emphatic shriek. Hmmm, Ryan, I don't think the Rite of Marriage includes a footnote requesting real-time examples so off to the lobby we went!

We went to the lobby for a bit, but the hitching did not go off without a hitch since was a bit of a straight-from-a-movie moment when the priest didn't show up on time! The bridesmaids had already processed down the aisle, and the groom was waiting when a man stepped up to the podium and started with, "Unfortunately..." and thankfully finished with, "the priest hasn't arrived yet." The bride and groom took it all in stride, and this waiting period allowed Ryan to come back into the church for a short amount of time during which an old Cheerio from the floor found a way into his mouth. We can only hope it had been absolved of its germs.

Canon in D began again, and thus so did our time in the lobby. Ryan was excited. How excited? Blurry, blurry excited. The kid could not stand still, sit still, or anything still.

So I huddled near the heater and let him slip and slide everywhere while praying for a nap. When the priest started his homily, Ryan started clearing his throat repeatedly as if he wanted to interrupt and give his two cents about the Sacrament of Matrimony. Sorry, honey, I think we will let the priest do that.

All of this commotion, throat clearing and shrieking led to a hungry and tired baby who was signing for milk and food. I didn't wear a nursing friendly dress at all because I figured that Ryan was almost eleven months and would be able to handle the two hours that I wouldn't have access to privacy. Plus, I packed grapes! Grapes solve all. Except that the grapes were in the car, it was coooold, my coat was in the pew in the quiet and loving church, and there was a long line for the one bathroom in the church. And that is how I found myself perched on the stairs under my scarf that was stretched out to its limits (thank you, pashminas for being in style and for being wide) with my dress pulled up, and praying that the little man with tiny feet peaking out from under the scarf didn't yank it off as a stream of parishioners passed by.

That was my first wedding as a mother.

Does anyone have any good wedding stories to share? 

Please send in your advent wreaths! For Advent, I will be featuring Advent wreaths from my readers on the blog. If you would like to submit yours, please send a photo (or photos!) and a little bit about your family's Advent traditions to cedarsandtinyflowers {at} gmail.com. I hope to post one every day starting on December 2 (the first Sunday of Advent) in addition to my regular posts. Can't wait to read about your wreaths!