It's snowing outside, but here's our wedding highlights video to keep you warm inside!!!

The snow is building up outside Baby A's window, but here's a little treat from our videographer, Ronnie Aldrich with Cam Video Productions...click the link below!

Danny's First Birthday!!

I'm 5 days late, but I promise I wanted to post this last week!!!!  Daniel celebrated his first birthday last Thursday...such a big boy!!!  My best friend, his mommy, had a fun birthday party for him on Saturday--and if only we lived closer, we would have been there!

Daniel lights up Lauren's world and she is such an amazing mommy--she's a great example to me and I can't wait to share my own mommy stories with her!!  Daniel is a year older than our little one, but I hope that our kids will enjoy each other's company!  Really, they won't have a choice...but it will help if they get along :)

So to Danny--HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISTER 1-YEAR-OLD!!


Getting closer!!!

37 weeks and 6 days!!
We have a few more weekly appointments and it's crazy to think that Baby A could still arrive before we make it through all of them!!  How am I feeling?

37 weeks and still snug as a bug!

Yesterday was 37 weeks for me!  I was super anxious at the beginning of this week, anticipating what my doctor may say at my Monday appointment.  Not sure what I expected, because it was really just a check-up.  I'll be returning next week and hopefully I'll be a little more relaxed, but I guess this is pretty normal to be READY!!

A "Shower of Love" for Baby Alevy!!



This weekend, a group of my friends honored me before delivering Baby A!  They did a fantabulous job...and I continue to feel blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family supporting me.

Christmas with the Orloff clan

From Bethesda, we flew to Boston to join the Orloff's and Nana and Lito for the holiday celebrations.

Just as I enjoyed seeing David interacting with Daniel, I loved seeing him with our nephews, Noah and Gavin.
As always, Noah brings out the silly-ness in his Tio.  
Gavin is developing his own personality that includes lots of curiosity.  I loved capturing this moment of siblings bonding side by side, David and Joelle & Noah and Gavin, with Nana smiling in the background

Joelle found matching pajamas for the boys to wear on Xmas day
Can't leave the girls out!!  Too fun :)  These pj's will make a great outfit to add to my hospital bag for baby A's arrival.  Thanks Tia Joelle <3


We had a great xmas morning and later in the day, we had more guests!  David and Carol, Howie's parents, joined us--as well as one of Carol's siblings and her daughter.  Samantha hopped into this picture as well.  Another great Alevy holiday photo :)

Can't forget that David and I LOVE getting dim sum whenever the opportunity arises.  We returned to the same restaurant we visited 2 years ago when we were in Boston.  It was delicious!!
Baby A seemed to like it too :)

We fit in a quick walk around Boston...but when it began to snow, we headed back to Hopkinton!  I could have stayed out longer, but it was definitely warmer in the Orloff household.

Couldn't pass up on some bowling since it's become a tradition.  I loved sharing some Baby A kicks with Joelle, too.

And an adult's only dinner was in order for all of us.  Another yummy meal on our vacation!

It was a wonderful xmas break.  We missed seeing the Ryan and Bohn families this year, but I know they had a terrific time in sunny Tampa!  Down the road, I know we'll all fit in another get together <3

May the traveling begin!

For our final Alevy trip before baby A arrives, we started by visiting the Abel clan in Bethesda, MD.

Their 10-month old Daniel is so wonderful to be around and we loved getting some baby practice time in.  I especially enjoyed seeing David interact with the little ones.  I'm so looking forward to seeing what a wonderful father he will play to our own.
Daniel's so happy playing with Uncle David :)

And of course I can never give too many kisses!!

Grandma Linda kept Daniel for an evening so the four adults could go out like good old times.  We had a delicious dinner and absolutely loved catching up with Lauren and Jarred.  I so miss how easy it was for us to see them when they lived in Birmingham.  It's not the same, but I treasure any opportunity we get to celebrate our friendship.

Along with seeing MY best friend, one of David's friends from Venezuela happened to be visiting the DC area at the same time as we were!  Anthony and his wife recently celebrated their marriage and unfortunately, we were unable to attend the festivities.  Seeing them during this vacation gave us a chance to catch up more intimately and....Even though I wanted all of this vacation time to be spent with my Lala, I'm glad that we all had a chance to meet Anthony, his wife, his sister and her baby girl for a delicious Venezuelan lunch.  
Since Anthony is living in London these days, I'm hopeful that we may be able to see them again when we head over one day to catch up with my British family :)

Great start to a great holiday season!

35 weeks and getting excited!

35 weeks here we are!  Feeling good and getting excited!
My grandmother told me recently that when she was pregnant, her doctor instructed her to walk at least a mile a day.  I'm taking her doctor's suggestion seriously for the rest of my pregnancy.  While I fell off the bandwagon during the holiday break, I'm back on and enjoying it.  
It's been really cold this week, so I met friends, on both Tuesday and Wednesday, to walk at Brookwood Mall.  It reminds me of when I was a kid and how funny I thought it looked to see people 'mall-walking' at Eastwood Mall.  I'm officially an adult...and thankful for it!  I only feel bad when I leave my Azaria behind and promise her that it will get warmer out and we will walk again.

We had an ultrasound last week.  After my friend Emily C mentioned that she requested a 4D shot of her baby boy, I thought I'd try the same thing :)  While the tech was kind to move us to another room for that option, our baby A has let us know that he/she is a stubborn little one!
Irena, the tech, kept saying in her thick Russian accent, "come on baby, move your hand!"  While we may not have seen some shots that other parents see, I was just excited to catch this glimpse.  How cute is that nose?!  Anyone want to take a stab at who baby A looks like??

We're getting close to the big day, so I'm researching how I can prepare in case we have an early delivery.  I'll be packing our hospital bags in the next week and finalizing my birth plan as well.  While I realize everything will not go as planned, with a natural birth on the horizon--it's better for me to think through what I hope for.  Only time will tell, and I can't wait to share my birth story when all is said and done.