Baby Shower for Baby January

Don't be thrown by the photo...could be Mr. January too!

With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I haven't been able to keep up with our news!

On Sunday, December 12, Jon and I woke up giddy as two kids on Christmas morning (two weeks early) and found our very own winter wonderland right outside our window.  Inches of snow covered the quiet streets and icicles hung from the bare tree branches.  It was a BIG day for us - one we had been anticipating for a long time.  We would be celebrating Baby January's upcoming arrival with our best family and friends at a baby shower hosted by our moms later in the afternoon. 

As we made our way out of the city, it seemed like we couldn't see 10 feet in front of the car, but the further and further we got away from the lake, the better the weather (seemed) to be.  By the time we reached Mokena, we only had to deal with a few large gusts of wind that blew the powdery snow across our windshield.  We arrived at Joni's house to find the party in full swing - with all of our mom's little helpers scurrying about the kitchen getting food and drink ready as guests slowly started to trickle in.

We know that a lot of work went into putting that day together and everything was perfect.  Ron's "man cave" transformed was the perfect intimate setting we were hoping for.  And all the little details - decoration, the pointsettas decorating each table, the baby photos of Jon and me, and the little "Joy" angels that went home with each guest - it was all so perfect.  The food was delicious - I have to say my personal favorites (big surprise - SWEETS) were Auntie Ellen's little baby cupcakes (complete with little peanut heads) and Auntie Linda's kolachki!  Why, oh why, did I ever schedule a doctor's appointment for just a few days following (I did not appreciate the weigh-in). 

We were so grateful for all of our guests that braved the (sometimes) nasty weather to celebrate our day with us.   Really, there aren't words to express how thankful we are for everyone's generosity and we were truly touched by ever sentiment we read in every card we opened.
If you would like to re-live (or feel like you were there if you weren't), see photos from Baby January's

Shower HERE and more HERE

Baby January's Nursery (is almost done)...

Waaaaay back in October, I started getting the nesting bug.  Jonny and I took our house off the market and began thinking about how to turn our guest room into a beautiful haven for our little addition.  We did not want to find out if Baby January is a boy or girl just to have a blue or pink room (would we want that anyway?), so we put our brains together, and pencil to paper and came up with a plan. 


Before

Jonny started work on the room right away.  Over the course of this project, he must have made 20 trips to Home Depot, or if really necessary, the dinky Ace Hardware near our home.  I can't count the number of hours he put in painting - wood, walls, nail holes - everything is perfect.  I would venture to guess, he never wants to paint again, but there was no limit of how much work he would put in for baby!  He spent days, and I do mean full days, painting roughly 60 pieces of wainscoting (with a little help from some friends, thank you Grandpa-to-be Joe and Grandma-to-be Joni), countless pieces of trim and baseboards.  I have never seen so much white paint!  His lovely assistant Libby was constantly at his side, despite our efforts to keep her away from the paint and the brushes and whatever else she could find and pick up.  We finally had to keep her out by using her gate, the poor girl just sat outside the gate whimpering for her best friend.    

At an event for preggo ladies I attended at a small baby store in the city in August and I won a "custom" bedding set from designer Annette Tatum.  I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I know who that is, or what makes her and her products fabulous, but I do know a set of her bedding costs several hundred dollars more than I would be willing to spend.  Jonny and I went in October to look at fabric swatches (one of his favorite days in the process - he loves looking at fabrics and other textiles, ha!) and selected bedding for baby.  Based on the bedding we selected, we moved on to paint colors.  Who know what a headache that could be?  Thank you for nothing paint people at Home Depot.  The commercial you see with someone helping you choose exactly what you need is a lie.  But, in the end, and many 5 dollar paint samples later, I think we did just fine and decided to do yellow and green-blue (or is it blue-green).  To be frank, its Glacier Mist and you can decide what color that is.  More painting for Jon, more crying for Libby.  My wonderful husband bought me some paint masks that I walked around the house in for weeks so I wouldn't inhale all those pain fumes - isn't he the best?



Construction Crew



Just as the weather started to turn, Jon assembled his cadre of carpenters (thank you to Grandpas-to-be, and Uncle Frankie) and his assortment of tools (thanks to Steve Sansone and Brad Call for lending out some key pieces of machinery), and they went to work.  Libby was not a fan of the air nailer, but it did its job quickly, and efficiently.  After the wainscoting went up, we were really starting to see our vision come together.




Wainscoting work


From there, Jon reorganized the closet and installed a new fan.  Cutting shelves and designing everything to match exactly what I drew up on a piece of construction paper (am I that scary with these hormones?).  And Grandma-to-be Lois painted the closet to give it a fresh look.  We can't wait to fill it up with lots of precious baby things.  Jon, who does not love working with electric, put in a dual switch fan (more of my specifications) and did a perfect job.  The room was coming together more and more each day!

Lastly, we added the furniture and set up the bedding.  We're almost there with a few details left to take care of before baby comes, like finding the right shade for the window (I don't think baby wants to look at a brick wall all the time), and we'll add artwork and a rug after baby is born (pink or blue?). 

Baby January's Nursery Today

Please take a full look at the project here

I'm so proud of Jonny and how much work he put into the nursery!  It may have been our vision, but he has done all the work to make it perfect for baby!

Anne's Baptism

This past Sunday, the Rimkus family celebrated Anne Cecilia's Baptism.  It was a very cold day for those seven little babies (all girls!), but a nice service at a beautiful church in La Grange.  Jess' brother Nick and I were proud to stand as Annie's Godparents.  All of the babies quietly received their blessings - okay, Annie gave a little whimper, but I'm sure that water was freezing.  She's a beautiful baby girl and I can't believe how much she grows each time I see her.

  

The big question of the day was spurred at the after celebration by Aunt Judy's card to Annie.  What is the difference between a Christening and a Baptism?  Please let us know your answer (I wish Nana had the Internet). 

Photos from Annie's Baptism