Let’s Have a Coffee Date: Vacation Plans, Pregnancy, and Residency (Vol. 7)

Hello, friends! I have several little things I want to share with y’all, so I thought we’re due for another coffee date. I’ve mentioned before that May and June have been super busy for us this year (in a good way), so I’m excited to have the chance to sit down and write about life.

I would start off and share the news that we found out we’re having a baby boy! Other than the reveal on this blog, I haven’t really shared on social media since I figured it would spread through word of mouth. Plus, it’s been more fun to tell people in person! I’d also probably joke around and ask if you had any name ideas. Funny enough, when I say “we” can’t decide on a boy name or “we” can’t come up with anything, what I really mean is Chris. I have a list of about ten boys names I love, but he hasn’t liked any of them. I also went through a list of 600 names with him a few days ago, and he wasn’t impressed. He hasn’t told me any names he actually does like, though, so I’m going to just give him some time before I start pressuring him for an actual opinion.

Speaking of Chris, he was finally able to feel the baby move on Monday, and he was so excited! Our little one has been super active lately, so I knew it was a matter of time before I could time it correctly. I finally did, and I was so glad Chris was able to join in on the fun!

Also, now that we know we are having a boy, we went to Babies R’ Us for the first time, and I must say it was both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I had done quite a bit of research before we went, but the magnitude of the options available is just crazy to see. We’ve asked several friends for their opinions as well, but everyone has a different opinion on everything, and who knows what will actually work for baby once you’re in the thick of things! I’m glad we went, though, because the sales people are super knowledgeable and were able to answer questions we didn’t know we had until we looked!

We finally decided on a destination for our birthday/anniversary/babymoon trip! I know I’ve said a few times we were having trouble making a decision, and I think it’s because I was feeling a lot of pressure because it’s our last trip before baby! (We obviously canceled our Yellowstone trip because we were worried about me being far from a hospital at 35 weeks pregnant!). Chris also had a really short window of when he could take vacation time, so we were a bit limited on flights and destinations. We finally decided on flying into Boston and taking a road trip to Maine! We loved our short time in Maine on our fall color cruise a few years ago, so I am excited to see more of such a gorgeous state. We’re thinking of stopping in a few places in Massachusetts and New Hampshire before exploring a bunch of small towns in Maine. I haven’t nailed down an itinerary because there are so many places I want to see in the area. All I know is there will be plenty of lobster (a return to the Clam Shack is a must!) and fresh blueberries.

Speaking of road trips, Blogging for Books sent me a copy of Road Food (10th Edition) by Jane and Michael Stern, and I am pretty much obsessed with it. One of our favorite parts of a vacation is deciding where to eat, so you better believe I quickly flipped over to the Maine section to see if any of the spots were on the way for us. I was excited to see that Clam Shack was on their list because it’s just so good! I love that the reviews are short and to the point, and the book showcases a great variety of food. We will definitely be using it for our latest road trip and others in the future.

On Friday, Chris and I are headed to a residency graduation dinner. It’s obviously not for him, but it’s crazy to me that this year has flown by so quickly. In just a few days, it will be a year since we moved from Chicago. I’m a little bummed this year is almost over because Chris’s call is going to be insane next year, but it’s also exciting to be closer to the end! I know these next three years are just going to fly by, and soon we will be going to his graduation dinner!

I promise I wouldn’t just talk about myself if we met for coffee, so tell me about you! What has been going on in your life lately?