24 weeks down...

baby is 24 weeks cooked! you know, i look at myself everyday in the mirror, but somehow fail to see the emerging ball on the front-side of me... until i see it in pictures! holy crap! it's a completely surreal experience that i am not sure that i will get used to. and what amazes me even more is when everyone tells me that with time and some work, the body eventually looks recognizable again. i think they all might be nuts.

big week this last week:

* the registries were started(more on that later)

* the room was cleared out and the paint process has begun

* gabe's new job is in full swing

* my grandparents came out from oregon

* we got registered at the hospital!

* signed up for the labor and delivery class-yikes!

so, i didn't really expect to be completely overwhelmed by the registering process. i mean, i've registered before and everyone knows that i can shop, so this should be easy, right? WRONG!!! there is so much crap out there, who knows what you need. needless to say, i was a little overwhelmed. between the bottles, pacifiers, crib bedding, swings, bouncers, pack-n-plays, etc...this is a real science. i even went prepared with lists from books and websites and notes from girlfriends about what worked for them and what to stay away from. after, a few hours of what felt like aimless wandering, we finally returned our "gun" and went home to take a nap! my mom, sister and grandma came down while we were there just to get a good laugh in, i am sure, and what an experience that turned in to. gabe and alexi were off and scanning anything in sight...needless to say i had some editing to do once i got online! all are started and will need to be added to i'm sure. if anyone wants to check them out, they are at goores.com, babiesrus.com, and potterybarnbaby.com. feel free to let me know if there is something that you feel we won't be able to live without that isn't on there.

22 weeks and Molly graduates!

Gabe and I on #2 Rodeo in Beverly Hills
Full on belly bikini shot! hee hee!
Molly's graduation from UCLA
Waiting around for the festivities to begin.

So, week 22 has come and is almost gone. I could have gotten these up sooner, but Gabe had a major update to post before I could do that. Gabe and I got to get out of town last weekend, which was needed. His little sister, Molly, graduated from UCLA with an econ degree(yuck to the rest of the human race)! We are very proud of her. She is the only person that I know that was still stressing out about her last set of finals. I mean, the girl already has a job for crying out loud! She will start at the accounting firm of Deloitte and Touche(sorry Molls, I might not have spelled that right) in August. So, this is her last summer on her parents payroll and then she is off on her own and will do great!

Tim and Karen were kind enough to put us up in The Beverly Hilton for the weekend and it was a great hotel. Right in the heart of Beverly Hills and close to everything. I got some shopping and pool time in. Although I may have scarred my father-in-law for life by wearing a bikini and not covering up my belly. Oh well, he'll get over it. I wish you all could have seen his face though...it was priceless!

MAJOR UPDATE!

As most of you know by now, Mandy and I have recently been informed by the doctor of our offsprings gender. We know that some of you don't want to know yet and prefer to be surprised in October. No problem...in the final sentence of this posting, we will reveal what we know (gender and name), and we will give fair warning. Here are a few other updates before we release the info. I (Gabe) finally started my new career at WM (Waste Management). I am now "connected" so if you need anyone "whacked" please let me know at gmichael@sappronos.com and I will be sure to have "Vinny" take care of it... CAPECHE!!! Just kidding...but I do have a new phone number 9162050272 if anyone needs it. Mandy is doing great. Mandy is growing before my eyes. She is the cutest pregnant woman I've ever seen. She tells me the baby is moving all the time. When I'm in the same room she will put my hand on her tummy and let me feel (WARNING!!!! I AM GOING TO RELEASE THE GENDER INFO, PLEASE LOG OFF NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW)...my son Cooper "Coop" Michael. That's right y'all...we are going to have a boy and we are frickin' thrilled. I will now start accepting all bouncy balls. That's all for now. Take care!!!!!!

gabe's world

sorry, i forgot to put this in the other post. most of you are probably wondering what i meant with that comment about gabe and his world changing. well...he got a new J-O-B! and most of you know that this couldn't have come at a better time...he was definitely getting bored. so, he will be working for waste management. yep, that's right...trash ;) he will be doing account management and sales for them. he starts his new position on june 16th. i will have him chime in here and tell you more of the details. he is very excited and i know he will do great things for this company, as he does for anyone; i am so proud of him.

Pics that I promised

this was me as the pirate hooker for our fashion show at The Park. (not yet in full costume) i will put up more of those pics when we get them from the professional photog. me, with mom and larissa who came to represent! look at all of that ridiculous hair!!! 42 bobbi pins, 8 strands of extensions...yowza!gabe and i this last weekend, 5/31, at his aunt theresa's wedding. gabe's birthday dinner with his favorite cookies and cream ice cream cake.

the group at teppan-yaki, karen's taking the pic. smaller group than usual, everyone else was sick...yuck! and here's the belly! i told you all it was there...

we are at the half way point, 20 weeks! and only 14 more days until we find out what it is. gabe and i went out to dinner last night for his birthday. we went to hawk's in granite bay, the patio was beautiful, the food was okay, but the company was great! as most of you have either read or heard from me, i have started to feel the baby moving around in there. well, last night, it must have known it was daddy's birthday, because it decided to kick, or elbow hard enough that gabe could feel it too! it was pretty neat to watch his eyes light up and this look of shock come over his face.