life in the ha

Last Blog Post (Here) - We've Moved!

2010-05-07T13:35:00.000-05:00

Since we're moving to a new home next weekend, I figured now would be a good time to "move" blogs as well - starting today, you'll find Liam over at http://www.lifeintheha.com/.

This blog will still exist, but I won't be updating it anymore after this post. Here's what you need to do to make sure you don't miss a single post going forward:

Subscribe to the RSS feed for our new blog,
Add http://www.lifeintheha.com/ to your blogroll, or
Bookmark http://www.lifeintheha.com/ so you can access it on your sidebar.

It's been real, Blogger - but we're moving on to the greener pastures of Wordpress.

10 Months Old Today!

2010-05-03T19:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from after Dave's softball game last night and from today - Liam's 10 month birthday! Enjoy!

Finally! Website Launch and eBook Release!

2010-04-28T20:42:00.005-05:00

As many of you know, I recently created a website called Practical Cancer Guide. It provides information, inspiration and resources to people diagnosed with cancer and to the family and friends that form their support networks - because there are some questions your doctor can't answer.

And along with the site, I released my first eBook today called "Cancer Crash Course: What to Expect When You've Got Cancer". It's been a lot of work, but definitely worth it - I think both the site and the eBook will help many people in the weeks, months and years to come.

All of this started back in 2006 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. At the time of my diagnosis, I was terrified. The anxiety I had about getting a port, going in for chemotherapy and radiation, and all of the side effects from cancer treatments kept me up at night – and if I had been able to read first-hand accounts about others’ experiences with cancer, I think the whole ordeal would have been less overwhelming. That's where the idea for my website and eBook came from - I decided I wanted to do something to help people who have been recently diagnosed with cancer.

Here's what you can do to support my website and spread the word to others that may benefit from visiting the site:

Visit the Practical Cancer Guide website and read some of the blog posts
Buy the eBook, "Cancer Crash Course: What to Expect When You've Got Cancer"

The first 25 people that buy the eBook will receive a $5 e-gift card to Amazon.com (use the code "liamrocks" at checkout - without the quotation marks)
The first 100 people that buy the eBook will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 e-gift card to Amazon.com (use the same code, "liamrocks", without the quotation marks)

Subscribe to the newsletter on the website
Subscribe to the RSS feed for the website
Follow me on Twitter
Become a "fan" or "like" the Practical Cancer Guide page on Facebook
Pass the website link onto others that may benefit from visiting the site
Forward this blog post on to your friends and family (anyone that wants to can use the codes noted above)

I know that's a lot of stuff - but I wanted to give you options!

Also, know that every dollar from the sale of the eBook goes toward improving the website:

More articles loaded with practical cancer information.

More stories from cancer survivors.

More tools, like chat rooms where people can connect with others who have cancer.

Finally, I welcome any feedback about the eBook or the website - positive or constructive. My goal is to make the site an invaluable tool for people with cancer. Thanks so much for your help! Cheers!

I'm Taking You Back...

2010-04-21T21:29:00.001-05:00

...retro-style! Here's a sneak peek of the awesomeness that is the new house we bought. If you click on the collage, it will come up bigger on your screen so you can see the shots better.

And, yes, the room that Liam is sitting in is pink - but we'll be painting it before we make him sleep in it.

Our move date has been changed to May 14 - so we have lots of packing to do over the next few weeks!

Big News!

2010-04-13T20:27:00.001-05:00

Now, be honest - how many of you thought I was going to announce that I'm pregnant? If that's what you guessed, well, you're wrong. Don't count on Liam being a big brother for another couple of years. But we DO have really big news - we're moving!

We found an awesome house with a big yard and a lot of...redecorating needs. These digs are straight out of the 1960s, including glitter walls in the basement, brown shag carpet (I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff that my parents used to have in their family room), a teal sink and bathtub in the guest bath and - wait, wait, wait - a stainless steel ashtray attached to one of the glitter walls in the basement. I'm telling you, this place is straight up COOL. (Not that smoking is cool or that we even smoke - it's just that the finishes in this house are too cool for school.)

So, we'll be sad to leave our current neighborhood, but there are lots of things this new house has that we want - and the price was too good to resist. So if anyone is interested in helping us move in mid June...oh wait, did I just hear a cricket chirp?

Liam the Buddy, who is also too cool for school.

Liam's Easter Torture Sequence

2010-04-04T21:02:00.000-05:00

The poor guy...he didn't have a chance...

Where Did This 9 Month Old Come From?

2010-04-03T11:00:00.001-05:00

Apparently I have been living in some sort of strange time-warp since Liam was born because now he's 9 months old - and I have no clue how that happened.

This also means that I have exactly three months to plan the coolest "monkey and crab" themed (don't ask - it has everything to do with a cake decorating class my mom and sister recently took) birthday party for our little buddy. I'd better get rockin' and rollin' because if the next three months go by as quickly as the last nine have, then I should have started planning this party about two years ago.

Spring in the Ha

2010-03-31T15:29:00.000-05:00

Well, Spring has finally found its way to Omaha, so I took the afternoon off work today, and Liam and I took a long walk to Memorial Park.

It's gorgeous outside! And Liam loved being outside and taking it all in...

Chokey-chokey!

2010-03-21T14:09:00.001-05:00

Liam was slightly miffed when his beloved Jayhawks lost to Northern Iowa last night in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. His poor Jayhawk buddy took quite the beating:

March Madness is here!

2010-03-18T22:23:00.002-05:00

Even though, he can't read or write yet (among other things), Liam insisted on filling out an NCAA bracket this week. Unfortunately, a lot of the teams he picked to win in the first round didn't make the cut, so he got mad and crumpled up his bracket. Oh well - at least he still has Josh the Jayhawk to hang with while watching the games this weekend.

Did You Know?

2010-03-12T18:02:00.001-06:00

Check out this video that Sony played at a conference last year - some (if not all!) of the statistics in it will make your head spin!

Really makes you stop and think!

Shopping Carts

2010-03-08T22:06:00.000-06:00

Picture this: me stopping in the middle of a Hy-Vee (our local grocery store chain) and snapping at least a dozen pictures of Liam's first experience sitting front and center in a shopping cart. How mundane. And cute (or at least I'd like to think so)! Seriously, the kid is going to be scarred when he sees all of the ridiculous pictures I have on file:

For the record, our first trip in the front of a grocery cart involved a lot of effort on my part to keep the kid from licking things. My purse, the handlebar, anything in tongue's reach. Afterwards, I promptly ordered a super cute shopping cart cover on Etsy for future trips.

Omaha Young Professionals Summit

2010-03-05T11:15:00.001-06:00

Dave and I attended the Omaha Young Professionals Summit yesterday at the Qwest Center in Omaha - what an inspiring event! It was very well-organized, and the keynote speakers were energetic and motivating.

Our favorite was Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes - if you haven't heard of him, I highly encourage you to check out his company's website. His business model is genius because it incorporates giving back at its core - for every pair of shoes he sells, he gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. Single-handedly, this company has started a grass-roots movement to encourage other for-profit businesses to give back. I love it!

Spending the day with other young professionals at the Omaha YP Summit made me proud to call this city home.

8 Months Old!

2010-03-03T20:45:00.000-06:00

Our little hunky monkey turned 8 months old today! He is now sitting up really well on his own (finally!), but he still hasn't decided whether or not he likes eating solid foods (i.e., pureed baby food). Oh well! He'll get it eventually - I have never heard of an adult that subsists solely on baby formula. ;)

Florida: Green Grass and Sunshine

2010-03-02T20:57:00.000-06:00

It was awesome to get away from the snow and cold for a full week - and even more awesome to see our friends from Ohio, Lindsay, Geoff and little Ryan! We had a great week relaxing and soaking up the sun. Here are some pictures from our winter escape:

And for the record, my worst fears about flying with a baby came true: Liam had blowouts on both flights. Sigh. Well, as is true with many things, the fear of Liam having a blowout on the plane was actually worse than the actual occurrence; however, I will note that traveling with a baby is a character-building experience...that I would repeat over and over if we could go on vacation every week!

Facial = Heaven

2010-02-19T13:34:00.000-06:00

My wonderful godchild, Grace, gave me a gift certificate to Faces Day Spa for Christmas, and I used it today to get my very first facial. Oh my goodness - why did I wait until the age of 31 to start getting facials?! Amazing!

It was definitely as relaxing as getting a massage, and the best part is that my face is as soft as a baby's and smells yummy, too. An added bonus: the esthetician (Zhannon, but pronounced "Shannon") gave me a foot massage as part of the experience - and I LOVE foot massages! You can bet I'll be visiting Zhannon at Faces again at some point in the near future.

We're off to Florida tomorrow morning, so be sure to check back in a week or so for pictures from our trip! (And please cross your fingers that Liam refrains from pooping in flight - I really don't want to have to change a poopy diaper in one of those tiny airplane bathrooms.)

Liam and Kate Gosselin

2010-02-10T20:52:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I've had more than one friend comment on the fact that Liam's hair resembles that of the infamous Kate Gosselin. Sadly, I can definitely see the resemblance:

Image of Kate Gosselin courtesy of http://www.exposay.com/

Note to self: consider using gel on my 7-month old's hair when going out in public.

Our Little Sock Monkey

2010-02-07T12:42:00.000-06:00

Seriously, you should try this at home if you have a little one - put socks on their hands and watch them try to figure out what the heck is going on. It's a riot, and good for at least 15 minutes of fun.

Oh, and a quote I found on the underside of my Honest Tea lid that I wanted to share because it rocks:

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

- John Wooden

7 Months Old Today!

2010-02-03T11:25:00.000-06:00

Liam is seven months old today, and he gets to spend it at home with me because the poor little guy was diagnosed with RSV on Monday. He's doing better, but we are having to give him a breathing treatment through a nebulizer every four hours. You wouldn't know he was sick, though, looking at these pictures!

Liam is all ready to go for our trip to Florida with Lindsay, Geoff and Ryan in a few weeks! Check out his new stroller!

Best. Pictures. Ever.

2010-01-20T10:35:00.000-06:00

We had Jess of jaybee images take Liam's 6-month pictures earlier this month, and holy canoli - she is amazing! Of course, it helps that Liam is absolutely adorable and loves to smile. Here are three of my favorites:

Creative Outlet: Check

2010-01-18T09:59:00.002-06:00

As some of you may know, I bought a sewing machine after Christmas. I know, I know, you're probably thinking "WTH? Ali is going to try to sew???"

Yep, I am. I desperately need a creative outlet because my day job just ain't cuttin' it. My friend Andrea made some really cute gifts for Liam when he was born, and that got me thinking...I can do that!

So, my first attempt at being crafty was to make this bib (based on the bibs Andrea made for Liam):

It actually turned out okay, considering my complete lack of previous sewing experience! Now, I do have to give credit where credit is due: my mom came over on Saturday, I told her what I wanted to do, and I watched her make one. Then I replicated her bib. Hers had slightly straighter stitching, but, hey, she has been sewing for years. I'll get there.

I know all you really want is to see a picture of Liam, so here is one taken late last week. It's impossible to get a picture of the kid without his hands being in his mouth - that's his current "thing".

The Giggle Monster

2010-01-03T20:40:00.002-06:00

6 Months Old!

2010-01-03T20:25:00.000-06:00

Our little buddy is 6 months old today! He is such a happy little guy...always smiling and laughing.

Liam on New Year's Day (apparently he partied too hard on the Eve...)

And the 6 month pictures we took today:

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T21:10:00.004-06:00

Instead of writing a long post about our Christmas, I made a word collage on http://www.wordle.net/ - so much fun!

For the Love of All Things Snowy...

2009-12-26T09:04:00.000-06:00

...STOP SNOWING!!! That is all.

Oh, and a few pictures from the Christmas festivities this week taken before this monster of a storm hit.

Here Comes Santa Claus!

2009-12-20T21:58:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Christmas this weekend with our families since we are going out of town for the Christmas holiday this year. Lots of fun was had by all! Liam is now the proud owner of a small army of new toys and books and will also be the best-dressed kid at day care for at least the next three months!

5 Months!

2009-12-04T22:14:00.000-06:00

Liam hit the 5 month mark this week - he's growing so fast! Where does time go?!

Okay, when I pulled this out of his bag after picking him up from day care earlier this week, I immediately understood - for the first time - why mothers have such a hard time throwing away their childrens' artwork. Behold, Liam's first Monet:

No, Liam didn't color it (the older kids in one of the other day care rooms colored it for him). But the body of the turkey IS from a tracing of his foot, and as such, I melted when I saw it. Absolutely. Melted. I plan to be buried with this turkey.

'Tis the Season

2009-11-30T21:52:00.002-06:00

We took pictures for our Christmas card this weekend - and to save money, we did it ourselves at home using a red tablecloth and some Christmas decorations. Liam was a good sport, considering he was only wearing a Santa hat and a diaper! Here are some of the outtakes for your viewing pleasure:

Liam's Jumperoo and First Tailgate

2009-11-17T21:31:00.000-06:00

Liam love, love, LOVES his new jumperoo - as in obsessively loves it. It is so funny to watch him in it; he looks like a river dancer when he really gets going!

The three of us travelled to Lawrence this past weekend for Turduckenfest at the Bateman's as well as the KU v. Nebraska game. As such, Liam got to hang out at his first tailgate! Liam's friend Anderson is in the background of this picture:

4 Months Old Today!

2009-11-03T19:58:00.000-06:00

And Liam's first taste of rice cereal...

Boo! I'm a Football!

2009-11-01T07:43:00.000-06:00

Liam dressed as a football for his first Halloween - and as you can see, he had his fair share of Halloween festivities this past week - carving pumpkins, posing with the CEO at mom's work, and trick-or-treating with Aunt Betsy!

Meeting the Cousins

2009-10-16T14:13:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Liam got to meet his two cousins that live in North Carolina for the first time! We got a great picture of all five of the Maloy cousins together:

Anyone interested in a 1915 Craftsman Style Bungalow???

2009-10-15T08:22:00.002-05:00

So Dave and I put our house on the market a little over two weeks ago. We absolutely love our house, but

it turns out that babies take up a lot more room than we originally thought (and Liam hasn’t even really started playing with toys yet),
we figured we might as well put it up for sale while we’re not in a position where we HAVE to move (which gives us some bargaining power),
there are a lot of first time home buyers out there scrambling to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit before the December 1 expiration date, which may help us sell the house, and
Dave is a realtor, so it’s relatively easy for us to put it on the market.

Our house

We’ve had a lot of people come through and several interested parties, but no offers on it yet. As such, I have ordered a St. Joseph statue to bury in our front yard. Never heard of this? Click here to read about the theory behind St. Joseph and selling a home. If nothing else, it’s fun to bury things in one’s yard.

Liam's Baptism and Bonfire

2009-10-11T09:19:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Liam attended his first bonfire and was baptised! It was a great weekend, and it was wonderful to see so many family and friends.

This first picture is hilarious because Liam is being held just feet away from a very large bonfire by a man drinking a beer. LOL!

Pastor Carlos Schneider baptised Liam at the 11:00 AM service on Sunday, October 4, 2009. Liam wore his Great Grandpa Gil's christening gown, which has also been worn by every one of Gil's direct descendants - so it's a pretty special gown!

My sister and her husband, Betsy and Mark, are Liam's godparents.

Three Months Old Today!

2009-10-03T14:56:00.001-05:00

It's a big weekend for Mr. Liam Maloy! Yesterday, he had his first professional photo shoot in honor of his three-month birthday, tonight he will attend his first bonfire, and tomorrow he will be baptized at Kountze Memorial Church in Omaha!

Here are the pictures I took today (note the festive Halloween shirt he is wearing with his super cute jeans):

Purple Lips

2009-09-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

Liam got his mouth and lips painted purple earlier this week when he came down with a mild case of thrush - he wasn't bothered by it, but he came home from the doctor looking like The Joker!

In other news, I've been back to work for two weeks now, and I think the three of us are finally starting to get into something that resembles a routine. I miss my little guy during the work day, but I am fortunate enough to be able to work an alternative schedule so that I can have Fridays off at home - that helps a lot.

Here are a couple more recent pictures of Liam, including a shot of the infamous pouty lip:

Good Times in Denver

2009-09-11T13:22:00.001-05:00

Dave and I travelled to Denver last weekend for our friend Jamie's wedding. It was a busy, whirlwind weekend, which was good since it was also the first time we were leaving Liam overnight (which was really hard for me to do). We dropped Liam off at my parents' house on Friday morning, and then we were off to Colorado!

We stopped in Paxton, Nebraska, on our way so Dave could experience the glory that is Ole's Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge. Here is a picture of Dave sitting at our table near the moose and jack-a-lope:

We had dinner at a great Moroccan restaurant on Friday night with our friends Darcie and Josh (House of Marrakesh at 1530 Blake Street in Lodo) - I highly their 5-course dinner for two. On Saturday morning, we met our friends Leah and Blake (and their adorable son, Noah) for breakfast before heading to Boulder to spend the afternoon with Dave's cousin, Heidi, her husband Chris, and their newborn baby Kaia. Kaia was born just 8 days after Liam, so it was fun to see another baby close to the same age as our little guy!

Here are some pictures of Chris, Heidi and Kaia:

Jamie and Kendall's wedding was at the Grant-Humphrey's Mansion in Denver. It was a gorgeous affair and a good time was had by all! After the reception, there were after-hours at a nearby pub, and the next morning, we were all invited to a crepe brunch to send-off Jamie and Kendall.

Two Months Old Today!

2009-09-03T17:46:00.000-05:00

It's September...my maternity leave ends this month, and I'll return to work on Monday, September 14. :( I can't believe how fast time has flown by since Liam was born; they say once you have kids, it never slows down!

Liam had his two-month check-up and shots yesterday. He's growing like a weed! He tipped the scale at 10 pounds 8 ounces (up almost 3 pounds from his one-month appointment) and measured 23 inches long. He did well getting the shots - it was probably harder for me to watch them stick him three times than it was for him - I'm sure he's forgotten it all by now.

Here are his two-month photos; the most marked difference from the one-month pictures are that he's smiling a lot now!

Wasted

2009-09-01T20:37:00.001-05:00

A Perfect Nebraska Weekend

2009-08-30T16:59:00.000-05:00

We had a busy weekend! Hanging with Dad on the couch at home, our last sand volleyball game for the season (see you next year, O'Leaver's!), a family get-together at my parents' house, and a surprise 60th birthday party for our friend Laura's mother.

Yea for late summer fun!

Dave Takes on Mt. Fuji...

2009-08-24T19:06:00.000-05:00

...or at least he attempted to tackle some of the colorful drinks at Omaha's Mt. Fuji Inn on Friday night. A new baby requires letting loose sometimes, right?! Our friends, Matt and Taylor, joined us for the night out (and Liam slept peacefully in his car seat next to the table).

I had to throw this picture into this post - SO precious!

First Trip to KU

2009-08-19T17:05:00.000-05:00

Liam made his first trip out of the state of Nebraska this past weekend! We decided that it would be in everyone's best interest if his first road trip was on the shorter side, so the 3.5 hours it takes to get to Lawrence, Kansas, from Omaha sounded perfect.

We stayed with our good friends Tim and Kyly; they have an adorable little boy named Anderson that was born in late November 2008 - I'm sure he and Liam will be partners in crime down the road! We also got to have lunch on Saturday at Free State with friends from Kansas City - Aaron, Megan and their cute little guy, Danny (born in February 2009). After lunch, we all walked down Jayhawk Boulevard with our strollers and took advantage of some photo ops:

We also attended the retirement Mass and BBQ for Monsignor Vince Krische at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center - it was nice to be able to participate in the festivities to celebrate Krische's achievements and wish him well in his retirement.

One Month Old Today!

2009-08-03T18:22:00.000-05:00

Happy one month, Liam! At the suggestion of a friend, we'll be taking a picture of Liam on the 3rd of each month leading up to his one-year birthday along with a sign noting how many months old he is. Here's the first month montage!

A "wink" and some drool

Just chillin'

Yes, he fell over and woke up immediately after this one was snapped.

Four Weeks Old

2009-07-31T00:57:00.000-05:00

Four weeks have flown by since Liam was born...my little baby is going to be one month old on Monday!

Liam was weighed on Tuesday of this week, and he is up to 7 pounds 10 ounces - more than one pound bigger than he was at birth. It's funny to think that he is still smaller than a lot of our friends' babies at their birth!

Some pictures from the past week:

Meeting Great Grandma Dot

Mike holding Liam at Bunco

Sleeping in his new swing (aka one of God's greatest inventions)

Liam's First Bath

2009-07-21T22:06:00.000-05:00

Liam's umbilical cord stump finally fell off this past weekend, so we went ahead and gave him a full-fledged bath last night. Fun times! I'm not sure if Liam was too crazy about the whole thing, but he didn't really cry...mostly just looked shocked and confused about what we were doing to him.

Our little guy makes us laugh all of the time - it's so much fun to see him explore and make sense of his new world!

Two Weeks Old!

2009-07-20T10:01:00.001-05:00

Liam turned 2 weeks old on Friday - hard to believe he's already been with us for that long!

We took him to his two week appointment with the doctor, and not only did he pee all over the table while we were there (again - this also happened at the first appointment on July 8), but he surpassed his birth weight! Liam was up to 6 pounds 13 ounces on Friday, which was great news!

Here are some updated pictures of our little man:

Liam is here!

2009-07-16T18:07:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it has taken me almost two weeks to post Liam's birth announcement on here - time flies with a newborn!

We were blessed with a perfect baby boy, William Ralph, at 8:15 AM on Friday, July 3, 2009. He weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. We're calling him Liam, which is the Irish nickname for William.

The c-section went well. The worst part about it was getting the spinal tap beforehand, but that was just uncomfortable, not painful. I was shaking uncontrollably in the operating room before they gave me the spinal tap - probably from nerves and because they keep those operating rooms so cold. My doctor held my hand while they did it, and that helped me calm down a bit so they could get the needle in. As soon as they did it, I could feel the lower half of my body go numb. When the screen went up, they brought Dave into the room, and he sat by my head the whole time.

The procedure itself was very quick, and all I could really feel was pressure. I could hear the doctors and nurses calling out times: 8:03 AM was the start of the procedure; at 8:07 the incision was made; and at 8:15 our sweet baby boy was born. Dave and I both started crying when we heard Liam cry for the first time, and then Dave went with Liam and the nurse. I can't even describe the feeling I had when Dave brought my little guy to me a couple of minutes later - it brings tears to my eyes just to write about it. It was the best feeling in the world, and I knew from that point on that life would never be the same.

We were released from the hospital on Monday, July 6. The hardest part about being home with him has been nursing him - definitely a lot more challenging than I had anticipated! But we're getting it figured out, and each day, we make a little more progress in that arena.

Dave and I are so in love with our little man - he's such a doll! I promise I'll post updates and pictures more frequently going forward - these first two weeks have just flown by in a blur!

Last Belly Picture!

2009-07-01T21:09:00.000-05:00

I figured I should take one more belly picture before we have this kid on Friday, so here I am at 38 weeks and 4 days:

Mojo, The Little Stinker

2009-06-26T18:12:00.001-05:00

Our kid is already being difficult...we found out at a growth ultrasound on Monday that Mojo is breech! The purpose of the ultrasound was to make sure he / she isn't too big due to my gestational diabetes - and Mojo was measuring just fine at 6 pounds 3 ounces - but to everyone's surprise, Mojo's head is where his / her bottom should be!

For weeks, my doctor and I both thought that it was Mojo's little bottom that frequently sticks out from the upper right side of my belly, but we were wrong - it's Mojo's little head. I've been doing all sorts of exercises and following the advice of old wives' tales this week in an effort to get Mojo to turn, but so far, no luck. At this point (37 weeks 6 days), there is little chance that the kid is going to turn, so the doctor has scheduled a c-section for next Friday, July 3 at 7:30 AM...and just like that, Mojo has a birthday! Crazy! July 3 is also my cousin Drew's birthday (hope you don't mind, Drew!), which I am proud to have our little one share because Drew is a cool guy - he has the same travel bug instilled in him that I do and has no fears when it comes to exploring our big, beautiful world - and I would love for Mojo to inherit the same passion for travel Drew and I share.

So, at this time next week, Dave and I will be parents…what a strange thing to say! Obviously, we’ve known Mojo was coming for quite a while now, but to actually know when this huge change is going to happen is surreal.

We’re planning to spend our last weekend sans child sleeping in, cleaning the house and going out for a couple of nice dinners. Hopefully, I’ll make one more post before our big day next Friday, but if I don’t, stay tuned for the birth announcement!

How Nina has been spending her time anticipating Mojo's arrival

37 Weeks - Full Term!

2009-06-20T19:45:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe we're at 37 weeks...as of today, I'm considered "full term", meaning that if I went into labor at this point, my doctor would go ahead and deliver Mojo (and not try to stop labor). We have an ultrasound on Monday to see how big Mojo is (apparently, I measured a bit small at the last appointment). In any event, the reality is that Mojo could be here any day! We're ready for you!

Dave and I went downtown this afternoon to walk across the pedestrian bridge, get ice cream at Ted & Wally's and walk through a couple of condo models in Omaha's "Little Italy" neighborhood (just for the fun of it - we were curious). It was a really nice afternoon...it's strange to think it may have been the last leisurely afternoon we'll share together as just the two of us.

Gil's Gang and the Search for My Ankles

2009-06-15T21:15:00.000-05:00

I can't seem to find my ankles. Has anyone seen them? They were last seen on Saturday morning sometime...perhaps Nina took them while I was sleeping - that little cat is so mischevious!

Seriously, though - my feet look like big fat sausages. They are so bad I won't even post a picture of them here. Suffice it to say that it hurts to walk down stairs because that causes my cankles to bend over onto themselves.

In happier news, Dave and I participated in the Relay for Life this past Saturday evening at Millard West High School. It was so much fun! My Uncle George put together a family team in memory of my Grandpa Gil that passed away from cancer last June. Here's a picture of our team, Gil's Gang:

The Relay technically went from 5:00 PM on Saturday until 6:00 AM on Sunday morning, but we only stayed until about 9:00 PM. Maybe next year we'll do it right and pitch tents to stay for the long haul!

We all wore duct tape hats because Grandpa Gil was famous for his ability to "fix" anything with duct tape. George and I got purple shirts instead of the white because we are both cancer survivors - woot, woot!

29 Days to Go...

2009-06-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's been quite a while since our last post...to be honest, Dave and I feel like we're kind of in this "waiting" mode, and as such, we just haven't been doing too much of anything worth writing about.

Two things we did do over this past month:

Finished our child birth / baby care class at UNMC (during which I found out, to my surprise, that my husband has never changed a baby's diaper before...I guess I had assumed since he has two nieces and two nephews that he had changed at least one diaper...boy, is he in for some surprises once Mojo gets here...)
Completed new member orientation at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church in Omaha

We had been "church shopping" for some time, and after attending several services at Kountze, we decided we felt at home there and enrolled in the new member orientation program. Here's a picture of our beautiful church:

I am Catholic, and Dave is Lutheran. We had been attending services at various churches around Omaha since we got married, but we really wanted to find one where we both felt "at home". Kountze fit the bill, so although I will always remain Catholic, this is where we've decided to attend church as a family. Mojo will be baptized here later this year.

I don't feel like my belly has gotten much bigger since the last picture was taken at 31 weeks, but now that I see it, I guess maybe it has:

36 weeks

I promise I do own maternity shirts other than the above green one I've sported in countless other belly pictures - I just happen to wear this one the most frequently. :)

And a shot of my feet at 36 weeks:

There's definitely some swelling going on - and I've got the sandal indentation lines to prove it. Here's to hoping the next four weeks go by quickly!

A Baby Shower for Mojo

2009-05-16T09:17:00.000-05:00

My awesome sister, Betsy, threw me a fabulous baby shower here in Omaha last Saturday. I couldn’t believe how many people came to support me and Mojo! It was a great afternoon of chatting with family and friends, and it was so much fun to open all of the cute baby gifts that we’ll be putting to good use in just a few weeks!

Here are a few pictures from the shower:

Betsy putting the finishing touches on everything!

On the deck enjoying the nice weather

Me with Grandma Dot and Grandma Marie

Mojo's Grandmas and me!

The Spider in the Shower

2009-05-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

I will post about the wonderful shower my sister threw me this weekend after I get the pictures from my mom's camera, but I wanted to post today about the hilarity that ensued this morning when I was getting ready for work.

Dave was still sleeping, and I was in the shower. I noticed a spider on the ceiling above me. I hate spiders. The spider began to shimmy down towards me on a strand of its web, which caused me to shriek and yell, “Oh my God, here it comes, oh my God!”

In a panicked voice from the bedroom, I hear Dave yell back, “Here WHAT comes?!” The poor guy thought I was having Mojo! LOL!!!

Reflections at 65 Days to Go

2009-05-07T13:14:00.000-05:00

My due date is in 65 days. I’ve decided that at this point, I have experienced enough of this thing called pregnancy to make some statements about what is good about being pregnant …and what sucks. I’m not holding myself out as an expert on the subject by any means, but who doesn’t like a good top ten list every now and then?

Top 10 Reasons Why I Like Being Pregnant

10. People feel inclined to compliment me, ask me about the baby or hold the door for me when they see me. I’m not ashamed to admit I enjoy the attention!

9. We have saved a small fortune due to my lack of wine consumption.

8. It is completely acceptable for me to be tired, cranky and demanding one minute and full of cheerfulness and energy the next.

7. I can justify buying all of those cute little baby things you see in the stores.

6. I can go to McDonald’s and eat a double quarter pounder with cheese without feeling too guilty.

5. I have never been more organized in my entire life. The “nesting” instinct came over me pretty early on, and as a result, I have taken our household organization to a new level. (I am fully aware that this will completely fall apart within about a month of Mojo’s arrival.)

4. If I eat too much and my belly sticks out, no one knows it’s because I ate too much – to everyone else, I simply look more pregnant.

3. Dave has started doing a lot of things around the house to help out – WITHOUT BEING ASKED. As such, being pregnant is akin to pigs flying.

2. There’s nothing like feeling your baby kick and move around in your belly. It’s an indescribable feeling. I love it (except when the kicking involves a rib or my bladder).

1. The anticipation! I can’t wait to meet Mojo, and I love daydreaming about being a mom.

Top 10 Reasons Why I’d Be Okay with Mojo Making His/Her Debut A Little Early

10. I have not had a beer since October 31, 2008. Enough said.

9. No amount of fresh fruit, prunes or fiber seems to do the trick. Ever.

8. I have always been very attentive towards my feet (i.e., maintaining “sandal-ready” feet). Now that even touching my toes has become next to impossible, my feet only look good for about the first 24 hours after my monthly pedicure.

7. This gestational diabetes thing sucks. I miss sugar and bread.

6. I am more than ready to take 10 weeks off from work. I understand that these 10 weeks will not be a vacation; however, it is 10 weeks I will not have to sit in a cubicle.

5. Sometimes I feel like I have seriously lost my mind. There are many days when I am downright ditzy.

4. I miss sleeping on my back and without being surrounded by a fortress of pillows.

3. I have not had a margarita since sometime last summer. I smelled Betsy’s the other day, and it smelled like heaven.

2. My back hurts, which is causing me to walk around like I’m 80 years old (no offense, Grandma Dot and Grandma Marie).

1. Especially now that it’s warm out, I miss playing golf, tennis and sand volleyball. I know that I could play golf, but let’s be honest – what is golf without a nice cold beer?

29 Weeks and Mojo's Digs

2009-04-26T17:37:00.000-05:00

When we left last weekend for our trip to Chicago, I knew that my mom and sister were going to be painting Mojo’s room while we were gone – but what we came home to was better than I could have ever imagined!

Not only was the room painted a gorgeous light blue that matches the bedding I picked out, but they had put up some cute white bubble wall decals that coordinate with the bubbles on the bedding; the valance that my mom had been hemming was up; the recovered cushions for the glider ottoman were in place; the changing table me and Lyndsay had painted Easter weekend had been moved up to Mojo’s room, and the new knobs had been installed on it; and – get ready for this – the crib was there and assembled! The room looks so perfect! I love, love, love it – they did such a great job.

My parents bought the crib for us (very generous!), and I was under the impression that it was going to be ready to pick up at Nebraska Furniture Mart at the beginning of May. Apparently, it came in early, but they decided to keep that a secret from us so they could surprise us when we returned from Chicago. My dad and Mark, my brother-in-law, put it together for us, which is so awesome (except that from what I understand, many beers were consumed while it was being assembled…so I told Dave that he needs to check the crib’s stablity before we put Mojo in it).

Thanks, Mom, Dad, Betsy and Mark! Here are some pictures of Mojo’s digs:

And here is my 29 week belly picture:

Dave and I went to our first wedding of the year this weekend - congrats, Laurel and Bob! Gorgeous spring wedding at Saint Philip Neri in Omaha, and the reception was at the 1316 Jones building downtown - LOVED the venue they chose for the reception and the decorations were fabulous.

A Whirlwind Weekend

2009-04-23T17:17:00.000-05:00

Dave and I went to Chicago this past weekend – our last trip before we become parents. It seems strange to me that the next time we go somewhere – whether it is a relatively close destination like Chicago or Kansas City or somewhere farther away like Baltimore – it will involve significantly more planning and preparation…because we’ll either be hauling a little one with us or leaving said little one with the grandparents.

We had a wonderful time in Chicago and got to catch up with a lot of good friends. We arrived on Friday evening and had a nice quiet evening at Sandee and Nick’s place – and we finally got to meet their baby (now almost 9 months old), Charlie! What a cutie!

Here are the 28 week belly pictures that Sandee took at her house:

On Saturday, we dropped Dave off at a bar around lunch time so he could hang out with his friend Curtiss all afternoon; then Nick dropped me and Sandee off at my first baby shower!

Angie, Aly and Sandee had organized a shower for me at The Drake Hotel. My dear friend John and his friend Ryan joined the four of us for high tea in the gorgeous Palm Court. Let me tell you – if you’re ever in charge of planning a small wedding or baby shower for a friend, consider doing something like this – it was SO much fun and such a special experience. Here are some pictures from the shower:

After the shower, Angie, Aly and I wandered down Michigan Avenue and eventually made it to Angie’s apartment just over the river at the south end of the Magnificent Mile. We enjoyed happy hour there before heading to Café Ba Ba Reeba to meet up with Dave, Curtiss, Sandee, Nick, and Reid (Aly’s boyfriend) for tapas. I think I had more bacon-wrapped dates than anyone else at the table, but no one was counting since they were all busy drinking sangria! Oh, how I look forward to drinking sangria and margaritas this summer after Mojo arrives…

We moved the party to Glascott’s (a Lincoln Park pub) after dinner, and John and Ryan met back up with us there. This is about the time that it became obvious to me that it may not have been the wisest decision to drop my husband off at a bar so early in the day…by this point, he was having a jolly good time, to say the least!

The next morning, we all reconvened for brunch at Uncommon Ground, and afterwards, I bought a happy new yellow purse at the M2 Boutique on Southport. (My justification for this purchase was that my husband had probably spent a small fortune at the pubs the day before – it was only fair that I get to spend a little money while on vacation, too!)

We left Sandee and Nick’s house at 3:00 PM on Sunday to go to the airport for our return trip to Omaha. We supposed to have landed in Omaha at 6:35 PM…instead we landed at 5:30 PM on Monday. Yes, you read that correctly: Monday. It took us a total of 27 hours to get home from Chicago. Here’s a quick run-down of the events that led to this remarkable travel experience:

Sunday, April 19
3:00 PM - Leave Sandee and Nick's house to go to the airport
(NOTE: A small hole in the back pocket of Dave’s jeans had ripped on Sunday morning, but he was too tired / forgot to change them before leaving for the airport - little did he know that he would be forced to wear these same jeans for the next 27 hours! LOL!)

5:30 PM - Board our DIRECT flight to Omaha at O'Hare

6:00 PM - Plane begins to take off, and right before the nose lifted off the ground, the pilot slams on the brakes. This is highly unnerving to all passengers, especially those sleeping like my hungover husband. :) The pilot announces a system failure and heads back to the gate.

6:30 PM - Pilot announces that the plane is fixed but now has to be refueled.

7:00 PM - Plane is refueled. Pilot turns plane back on and system fails again.

7:30 PM - Pilot announces that we are not taking this plane to Omaha, so we all get off.

8:30 PM - Gate agent announces cancellation of our flight.

9:00 PM - We are rebooked for the following: leave O'Hare Monday at noon on a flight to Dallas, followed by a 3:45 PM flight from Dallas to Omaha. They also book us a room at a strange little hotel called the Jameson Suites in Arlington Heights and give us $30 of food vouchers to use the next day.

9:30 PM - Shuttle picks us up at O'Hare. We convince the driver to take us to a grocery store to get some toiletries since American Airlines hadn’t allowed us to get the suitcase we had checked before leaving the airport.

10:30 PM - Dave and I dig in to turkey and ham Lunchables after having checked in at the Jameson Suites. Dave surveys the damage to his jeans; the hole is definitely bigger. He curses American Airlines for not letting us get our luggage while I laugh hysterically.

Monday, April 20
10:30 AM - We return to O'Hare after a leisurely morning spent over coffee and rice (yep, rice for breakfast) at the Jameson.

5:30 PM - I'll speed this up a little; our flights to Dallas and then to Omaha were on time, and my mother picked us up at the airport. We were happy to see our suitcase that had been waiting patiently for us to arrive. The hole in Dave's jeans is now close to 8 inches long.

6:00 PM - We get home. Nina is happy to see us but had torn into the bag of bagels I had left sitting on the counter. The garlic bread that had been sitting next to it was nowhere to be found. Apparently, she was mad that we hadn't returned home when we said we would.

10:00 PM - We go to bed after unpacking, eating dinner, and unwinding. Dave finds the loaf of garlic bread in his closet upstairs in our bedroom. We decide that instead of killing the cat, we would just go to sleep.

And that, my friends, is why we are driving the next time we visit Chicago.

Since this is already such a long post, I’m going to create a new one that details the progress that was made on the nursery over the weekend while we were gone – after all, it looks so awesome that it deserves its own post! Stay tuned!

The Verdict Is In

2009-04-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

And the verdict is in – I have gestational diabetes (GD). Oh well – in the grand scheme of things, it isn’t a big deal and will just take some discipline on my part to eat a low-carb diet for the rest of this pregnancy. It hasn’t been very difficult so far, actually; it’s kind of like not drinking alcohol when you’re pregnant – when you know something is in the best interest of your baby, it’s easy to go along with it. In all honesty, the diet that I’m following is probably closer to how each one of us should be eating in our everyday lives – carbs in moderation.

We are now the proud owners of a Baby Bjorn. Here is a picture of Nina helping Dave test it out:

Last week, a friend of ours lost her husband of only 20 months to brain cancer. It’s an understatement to say that my heart is broken for her. And I’m angry. I’m angry that cancer took away Joey and Seth’s dreams of growing old together, buying a house, having a family…all of those things that many of us tend to take for granted.

Every day, progress is made in the fight against cancer, but we’re obviously still a long way from the end of this war. If you’re not already actively involved in a cancer fundraising or awareness movement, I encourage you to find one that speaks to you – whether it is the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, or one of the many other worthy organizations out there that have made it their mission to fight cancer head-on. If you need ideas, there’s a lot of great information on my Cancer Roadmap website. And please send up some prayers for Joey during this very difficult time.

A Well-Deserved Break from the Nebraska Winter

2009-04-07T20:29:00.000-05:00

Dave has been working his butt off in real estate since the local market started picking up in January, and this past weekend, he finally got a well-deserved break – we travelled to the Greensboro, North Carolina area to visit his brother’s family. Sunshine and 65 degree weather has never felt so good!

Dave’s brother, Todd, his wife Nicole, and their two adorable children (Kaitlyn just turned four and Ethan is well on his way to three) live in a grassy, tree-lined suburb of Winston-Salem. We spent a relaxing weekend catching up and playing outside with the kids. Dave even got to play a round of golf for the first time this year!

Dave and Ethan

The highlights of the weekend included the neighborhood Easter egg hunt on Saturday morning and dinner at The Filling Station on Saturday night (great food and atmosphere if you ever find yourself in the area). A cute story I have to share from Saturday evening: when the baby-sitter arrived to watch the kids, Todd introduced her to me and Dave. Having watched his father make the introductions, Ethan piped in and remarked, “There’s a baby in the belly!” as if to scold his father for not introducing his soon-to-be cousin, Mojo! What a riot! Kaitlyn and Ethan are at such a fun age, and it was wonderful to be able to spend so much time playing with them this weekend.

Ethan, Dave and Kaitlyn

On the pregnancy front, I’m starting to freak out a little. On Friday, I’ll start the third trimester. Holy cow. Today, my pregnancy ticker at the bottom of the page says 95 days until my due date…and for some reason, that makes me want to hyper-ventilate. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very excited to meet Mojo…there’s just so much to do at work and at home before he / she gets here! It seems like just yesterday, I was somewhere around the 180 day mark! Where did the time go?!

I took the one-hour glucose test yesterday (that’s the test that all pregnant women have to take to see if they have developed gestational diabetes, or “GD”), and sure enough, I failed it miserably. Sigh. The next step is the three-hour glucose test, which I’m scheduled to take on Thursday. I’m not keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll pass it, but, hey, there’s always hope. It’s not the end of the world if I have developed GD, it just means that I have to watch my blood sugar closely throughout the rest of my pregnancy – more of an inconvenience than anything.

Oh, and Dave finally felt Mojo move for the first time! He was so excited to feel that little thump – you should have seen how his face lit up!

Rock Chalk Jayhawks!

2009-03-22T20:19:00.001-05:00

I ventured down to see friends in Kansas City and Lawrence this weekend (sans Dave because he had a lot of real estate things going on). It was a whirlwind weekend, but I had a lot of fun catching up with my KU friends.

On Saturday, I met Andrea for lunch at this fabulous organic restaurant in Kansas City called Blue Bird Bistro. I used to go there for lunch every once in a while when I lived in Kansas City, and I always got this yummy tomato sandwich. Their menu has changed since I frequented the restaurant, but the food is still wonderful - I highly recommend trying it out if you're every in the downtown Kansas City area and looking for a one-of-a-kind place to eat.

After lunch, I headed to Lawrence. I always enjoy driving into Lawrence...I'm quickly transported back to my KU days as I drive into town on 27th Street. I love, love, love Lawrence; it's the quintessential college town, full of tradition and spirit. And although some store fronts and buildings have changed since I graduated in 2002, much is still the same.

Tim and Kyly, two college friends of mine, live in Lawrence, and they just had their first baby in November - a sweet baby boy named Anderson. This was my first time meeting their new addition, and holy cow - he is a spitting image of his father. He has the same eyes and easy smile, and at four months, he's already a flirt. Here's a picture of me holding Anderson:

Two more college friends, Ali and Josh, joined us for dinner at Free State, the restaurant / brewery on Mass St. that nearly every KU grad touts as their favorite. Their beer rocks, and their food is even better. There's almost always a wait for a table at Free State, but not to worry - there's plenty of room to wait by the bar while enjoying one of their many seasonal beers. Of course, I drank water this time around instead of my usual Wheat State Golden...I figure I'll make up for that the next time I find myself in Lawrence.

On Sunday morning, I drove back to Kansas City to have brunch with Ryan and Christy - and it was Christy's birthday! Glad I could be a part of it! We had a lovely time catching up over eggs and pancakes at First Watch.

I missed watching my KU Jayhawks beat the Dayton Flyers in the NCAA tournament since I was driving back to Omaha during the game, but the weekend seeing friends made it all worth it. Crazy to think that the next time I set foot in Kansas, I will be a mom!!!

And to wrap up this post, here's my 24 week belly picture:

Ali's Trip to Florida

2009-03-05T18:05:00.000-06:00

I'll be honest...I've never been a huge fan of Florida, but my good friend, Darcie, and her husband, Josh, live in Jacksonville. Josh is going to law school down there and will be done this summer - then they are promptly moving to Denver. In any event, when an opportunity to go to a training class for work at Disney World in Orlando came up, I took it so I could visit Darcie (not so I could get my picture taken with Mickey Mouse).

I was in Disney World for five full days (February 22 - 27), and I'm going to come off sounding like Scrooge saying this, but Disney World is not my cup of tea. There are many reasons, but let it suffice to say that I just don't understand why one would go to Disney World for vacation when there are so many wonderful real cities and vacation destinations out there to discover...places with culture, real people, and restaurants that do not serve butter in the shape of Mickey's head. Yes, it's fun to take children there for a day or two, but as expensive as Disney World is, you could take a family of four to Europe for a week for the same price as it costs to spend a week in Disney World, a completely fabricated place.

I escaped the confines of the "happiest place on earth" on that fifth day and drove north to Jacksonville to spend the weekend with Darcie, Josh, and our friend, Aly, that flew down from Chicago for the weekend. Aly and I were loving the warm weather (being the Midwestern dwellers that we are), and I think my favorite part of the whole weekend was Saturday morning: Aly, Darcie, and I put on sun dresses, got coffee, and walked barefoot along the beach. Pure bliss after a long, cold winter.

Here's a picture of Aly and I in St. Augustine - and, yes, I'm also posing in it for my 21 week belly picture:

I returned from Florida on March 1 and was happy to hear that I missed 4 inches of snow in Omaha while I was gone (maybe spending 5 days in Disney World had its merits after all). And now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that spring makes an early arrival this year and that Nebraska is done with snow until December - here's to hoping!

Mojo is Half-Baked Today!

2009-02-21T11:50:00.001-06:00

I can't believe that we're already half-way done with this journey; Mojo is exactly 20 weeks today. We had our big ultrasound on Thursday, and it was such a cool experience - we got to see Mojo for almost an entire hour! The ultrasound tech took measurements of everything: the brain, heart, bladder, arms, legs, neck, etc. Everything was measuring perfectly! This was a big relief to us because although good measurements don't rule out all birth defects, it does greatly increase our chances of having a healthy baby.

Here are some pictures from the 19 weeks 5 days ultrasound:

A sideways view of Mojo's head with arms holding head

A shot of Mojo's foot (toes are on the left)

And here's an updated belly pic of me at 19 weeks 5 days:

The day I've been looking forward to since Christmas finally got here - the first day of the Lenten fish fries! Lent doesn't officially start until this coming Wednesday, but Holy Name always has their first fish fry the Friday before Ash Wednesday. And you'd better believe that Dave and I were out there in line last night! Our friends Lyndsay, Nate, and Damon joined us for the occasion. I will say the whole fish fry experience is much different for me this year since I can't drink beer with everyone else, but it was still a really good time, and we're looking forward to hitting more of them in the weeks to come.

18 Weeks and Nina's New Ride

2009-02-09T15:44:00.001-06:00

Nina, our darling and mischievous little cat, is obviously unaware at this point that her life is going to change completely in a few months when Mojo arrives...but she has enjoyed being a part of the preparations thus far. Here is a picture of her sitting in the stroller we got:

And here's my 18 week belly picture:

First Belly Picture!

2009-02-02T16:55:00.001-06:00

Somehow, over the course of the weekend, I went from looking fat to actually looking pregnant. Yay! That means I will be making Dave take weekly belly pictures of me starting now! Here's the one from this morning at 17 weeks:

In other news, it is Groundhog Day, and that darn little rodent has predicted another 6 weeks of winter. Groundhogs suck.

And so it begins...

2009-01-26T16:25:00.000-06:00

Dave and I are blessed with family and friends all over the world, and with so much going on in everyone's lives, we decided to start a blog to simplify communication on our end. So on this cold winter day in January 2009 (when I apparently have nothing more pressing to do), it begins.

As many of you know, we're expecting our first child in July! We are over-the-moon excited and can't wait to meet Mojo in a few months! (Mojo is the "name" we've given to our little baby while he/she is in the womb.) I've already started planning the nursery, and to Dave's dismay, spending money on things for Mojo. It's so fun to shop for babies! :)

Here are a couple of Mojo's first pictures:

Mojo swimming around at 8 weeks 4 days
(taken on December 3, 2008)

Mojo showing off his/her backside at 15 weeks 6 days
(taken on January 23, 2009)

Our next appointment is scheduled for February 19 when I'll be 19 weeks 5 days - and it will be our "big" ultrasound where they do the anatomy scan and we *could* find out if it's a boy or a girl if we wanted to...but we don't. ;) We'll be keeping that a surprise from everyone, including ourselves, until the day Mojo comes into this world!

We have picked out both a boy and a girl name:

Boy: William Ralph
This name is after both of our fathers. We'll call him "Liam", which is an Irish nickname for William.

Girl: Gillian Bella
This is after my dear Grandpa Gil that passed away in June 2008. It's pronounced just like its alternative spelling, Jillian. Bella is a tribute to my deep-seeded love for all things Italian (it means "beautiful" in Italian).