For the first time in three years I had Thanksgiving off, so we were naturally thrilled when we learned that we could take a few days and fly back home to Chicago to see the family. It was important to us for them to see us pregnant, but any more time and I would be too far along to fly so…quick trip. We flew home on Thanksgiving Day, and Munchkin did great except the landing was a little rough so you could tell the baby wasn’t too stoked. Other than that I couldn’t help but watch all the traveling families and trying to assess whether we will need a car seat, stroller and pack and play when we fly next time, ha ha! We had a little bit of time before Steve’s sister Jen, Mike and the three girls would come over for the big dinner. Mom outdid herself as dinner was amazing and reminded Steve and I what we had been missing all these years. The girls were so excited to see us and it was just so refreshing to be home with family.
Friday would be filled with more time with family but specifically Grandma McMahon. It was a joyous afternoon spent at her home, having lunch, the whole family but then we were surprised with a baby shower. It was so fun! The girls helped us open the gifts, and they each picked out their favorite book for the baby. We got so many thoughtful gifts for Munchkin and it finally felt real that this is soon to be future (diapers, wipes, books) etc. We are though really looking forward to going to one of our favorite stores, Build A Bear Workshop to design one of our gifts once we know if Munchkin is a boy or a girl!
Throughout the trip we got to see a number of great friends, although never long enough it was still just so nice to catch up as we all have busy lives and they grow in different ways, it never fails that the minute we are together it was as if the year never happened!
Our three nieces were such dolls, they are at the perfect ages that know us, love us and want to play with us every second they can, which of course the feeling is mutual. The twins think we are having a girl and when we asked what we should name her then, they said “Barbie.” How cute is that? If not Barbie, they said “Kiekie.”
One of Munchkin's new gifts (photo) 
The family was of course was very supportive of my obsessions, hard to call them cravings, more like obessions, if it is not pumpkin it is bananas, so when my brother in law Mike told me about the Banana Bread French Toast at a restaurant near their house. The challenge was that now it is all I would think about, and it was late at night so the only way to taste this magical recipe would be if Steve’s parents would drive 30 minutes out of the way back to his sister’s for breakfast to then go the opposite way to take us to the airport. I can’t speak for anyone but I know for me it was 100% worth the drive, the Banana Bread French Toast was literally the best breakfast I have ever had!
The family was of course was very supportive of my obsessions, hard to call them cravings, more like obessions, if it is not pumpkin it is bananas, so when my brother in law Mike told me about the Banana Bread French Toast at a restaurant near their house. The challenge was that now it is all I would think about, and it was late at night so the only way to taste this magical recipe would be if Steve’s parents would drive 30 minutes out of the way back to his sister’s for breakfast to then go the opposite way to take us to the airport. I can’t speak for anyone but I know for me it was 100% worth the drive, the Banana Bread French Toast was literally the best breakfast I have ever had! I never realized that not drinking, I would get SO excited about food!
