Helloooo Yamz! Mom-style.

We just got your baby bath in the mail today. I always enjoyed bathing my toys in the sink when I was little so I'm pretty excited to try it with you in a few months. Don't worry, I was always very gentle.

A lot has happened since we found out you were on your way...

In April we celebrated my 32nd birthday at the Cherry Festival. This was the first year I can remember when the cherry blossoms were at their peak on the 10th.

I think the blossoms were delayed because this spring was really cold. I was still wearing my winter coat when we went to Philly for a day trip in May. We visited a cool candy store (your dad got gummy candy and I got lemon drops), ate at a restaurant called Farmicia, and visited Reading Terminal Market. It was funny how many other pregnant ladies were having brunch at Farmicia that day too. We must have been in the right place.

It got really warm a few weeks later when your Dad and I visited Artifact in Baltimore and then went to Ladew Gardens close to where Grandma and Grandpa live. It was great to walk around in the sun and see all the flowers. We went down a nature trail that promised that there would be snakes but we didn't see any.

Your Dad and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in December but we still went out to Sweet Frog to celebrate the first anniversary of the wedding we had at La Scala last year. If you look closely at the first picture, you will see that Jessica is pregnant with Ryan! I can't wait for you two to meet!

Shortly after our La Scala wedding, your Dad and I became members of the National Aquarium. We'd never been to the one in DC, so a few weeks ago we made a special visit. When we were parking, I saw a helicopter land on the mall. I didn't get a picture of the helicopter (sorry) but Dad got some great pictures of cute fish. 

The week before last, Dad and I went to Anastasia's for her summer solstice party. I made a delicious strawberry shortcake (the secret is to add a little lemon zest to the whipped cream) and we walked through the woods thinking about the summer and seasons and, of course, I thought a lot about you and all the things you will experience for the first time next summer. 

It's so nice to be alive and to feel the grass on your feet and the sunshine and to see fun things like cute fish and beautiful flowers. Maybe the year after next you will get to taste candy and strawberry shortcake. By then you will probably have outgrown your new bath tub. I'm probably still going to try to give you a wash in the sink though.