Bump Progression/Exercise in Narcissism

So because I am a human woman with a Pinterest account, I am familiar with the trend of weekly photos of ones growing belly during pregnancy. Despite the fact that I feel like an ego maniac taking and editing multiple photos of myself every week, here we are...

Imma give Kim Kardashian a run for her money selfie-wise it seems...

This is happening...

{June 30th's discovery}

 Yep. Come early March, we'll be adding a Cusimini to the team!

I took a pregnancy test one Monday morning on a whim, not really thinking much of it since we hadn't technically been "trying." What we'd expected to take six months or more had taken more like six weeks, so my heart did a somersault when I saw that I officially had a passenger on board... I blame Full House for what happened next.

Remember that one episode where Aunt Becky tries to tell Uncle Jesse that she's pregnant by cooking him an elaborate themed meal? No? Well, refresh your memory. Had I rewatched that particular YouTube clip before deciding that I wanted to tell Tom in some clever way, I may have reconsidered since things didn't quite work out the way Aunt Becky wanted them to... (foreshadowing).  Anyway, this was big news, and I didn't want to just unceremoniously throw the pregnancy test at Tom (spoiler alert: also foreshadowing). I wanted a moment.

After double checking that this was, in fact, happening with a second pregnancy test (in the bathroom at Costco, as it happens), I decided that I would order the book Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad and have it gift wrapped and mailed to Tom with same day delivery. So, I ordered the book and waited. While I waited, I googled all the potential ways I had damaged my unborn child with wine and oysters and Advil before I knew I was pregnant. [Pro tip: don't do that.] I don't think I got any actual work done that day as I tried to wrap my mind around the fact that I was really and truly pregnant.

The package was supposed to arrive by 8 o'clock, so when 9:30 rolled around with no delivery, I pretended to go to the bathroom and called Amazon. They said the package was marked as delivered, so it must have been left at the wrong address...blah, blah, blah. At this point, I had been sitting on this knowledge for 12 hours, and I couldn't wait another minute to tell Tom the news, so I grabbed the pregnancy test from where I'd hidden it in my purse, and - you guessed it - tossed it in the general direction of where Tom lay watching TV. It was the definition of unceremonious, and not at all what I envisioned, but good news is good news regardless of the presentation, right?

After spending the next couple of hours talking about all the ways in which our lives were about to change, we had finally started to fall asleep just before midnight when the buzzer for our front gate rang. In a turn of events that I still don't quite understand, it was the delivery guy dropping off the package that had supposedly been delivered hours earlier...

He's been studying up ever since.

More soon, but for now, your first glimpse at Baby Cusimano...

And then there was Finn!

{Welcome to Earth, Finnian!}

On June 20, my brother's wife delivered the most perfect nephew I could have imagined. At five pounds, eight ounces, Finnian Oakes Shackford was a teeny, tiny bundle of pure love. Crushingly, it would be almost a month before the West Coast contingent could make Finn's acquaintance, but it was well worth the wait.

{Ah, Breakwaters... Where I once threw back Alabama Slammers, I now cuddle my brother's kid. Crazy doesn't cover it.}

Tom and I came a bit earlier than the rest of my family to hang out with his grandparents.

Finn got in a little pool time too.

Ok, let's see... How about some gratuitous pictures of Sir Finnian sleeping like the little tiny angel he is?

Obviously this kid is beyond cute when he's asleep, but when he opens his eyes? Forget about it...

{It's like his hand is reached out in benediction, "I bless you with my adorableness."}

Sidenote, while Finn was obviously the main attraction, Vermont in July is also pretty outstanding.

 

We stayed at a camp right on the lake and spent more than a little bit of time soaking up the Vermontyness of it all.

{I love this picture so much.}

{The view from my room/magical forest lair}

Where was I?  When my parents and Midgey arrived, we all met up at an amazing place in South Hero, and I was able to take a few quick pictures of Mike, Erin, and Finn before dinner.

{Go here. Fine dining in the middle of (practically) no where - the best kind of surprise.}

 This is one hell of a good looking family....

I always suspected that my brother would be a great dad, but seeing him in action was...beyond. He is so patient and so loving; my heart practically exploded watching him cuddle his son. 

{This picture is everything.}

A couple of weeks after he was born, my brother and Erin asked me and Tom to be Finn's godparents. After momentarily questioning their judgment, we happily agreed. In all seriousness, it was a huge honor, and we were thrilled to take on the role.

And now, my favorite picture from Finn's baptism, in which he gives Tom the judgiest eyes I've ever seen.

 
After the baptism, Erin's parents, Vickie and Ernie, hosted a lovely brunch at their home. There was plenty of delicious food, but everyone was mostly interested in devouring Finn.

 

 

{Well, hello there, Deedee!}

What else? This has gone on long enough already, so I'm just going to dump the rest of the photos here...

Mo brought supplies and we all decorated onesies for Finn - here's my contribution.

 

 

 

 

 

Annnnd, here's the fam, plus a Golden Doodle named Amador.

So, to sum up - Finn is perfect and amazing and I can't wait until December 26th when I get to cuddle him again.