Dana Burland

I remember our wedding day two years ago so vividly. How fun and loved and in love and celebrated/rallied around we felt. Man, everyone should get that more often. But it’s been more like five years of being a pair in love doing each other’s laundry, tagging along on shopping excursions where someone is after a specific button up shirt that doesn’t exist on the planet, kindly putting up with someone else’s mustard hoarding tendencies even when it takes over the fridge and in general riding through all life’s little and big adventures with. I’m thrilled every day, not just on May 30, that Ben is my person. Happy, happy anniversary to us. I have a feeling the next one is going to be even wilder.

This past weekend I spent up north getting in some short but fun family time. Saturday was the annual 50 mile bike race (http://dbur023.blogspot.com/2016/05/zdm-6.html) I typically take part in. This year I happily left the riding to my dad and brother while my mom and I caught up, went out for lunch and walked around the bay. I love being up north. Even though we’ve gone for just the weekend several times this trip felt even sadly shorter.

What a weekend we had over here. Not only was my brother in town for the Riverbank Run and for partnering in general mischief, and not only did Ben finish up the last project for Bub’s room, but I celebrated my first Mother’s Day too. We had phenom weather in West Michigan this weekend. It was awesome for spectating—and for E to run—the Riverbank 10K on Saturday morning. It stayed perfect later in the day for some sunny naps, walks outside, grilling out and for visiting one too many ice cream shops. Sunday was beautiful too and we made good use of it touring Tulip Time and Lake Michigan in Holland. And Bub’s room! It’s finally, pretty much, mostly 100% complete. We’re missing very few small must-have items for his arrival, but all the furniture and decorations are in place. It’s such a peaceful corner of the house, my favorite spot for sure. All bedding, bath towels and tiny outfits still need to be washed, but we’ll get to that. Doesn’t that look like the perf...

Sometimes the Monday after a vacation seems extra cruel. Today, though, I’m relaxed and ready to get back at it. We spent this past weekend in Traverse City as our last “hurrah” before baby comes. We’ll still travel a few more times for family time before Bub arrives, but this was our last family-of-two, do-as-we-please, quiet little get away trip. We stayed at the Grand Traverse Resort, which, for a multitude of reasons I would not recommend. I was thinking “resort”—swanky, relaxing, treat-yo-self, with working toilets and functioning elevators—but yeah, expectations sadly did not meet reality. But, we still had a great time. We left our computers, work, and things-we-feel-like-we-should-be-doing lists at home. We got massages and got ice cream at a dairy farm/ice cream parlor where I threw down unreasonable amounts of chocolate chip cookie dough bliss. We shopped for a bit before I got too tired, then went back to the room and napped. We watched the sunset like a little old cou...

Reading anything good these days? My dad asked the other day. I do have an ignored novel on my iPad, but the stack of pregnancy books on my nightstand is getting much more attention (and sticky notes, much to Ben’s dismay). This is life around here these days. Often I come home from work to boxes on our doorstep full of must-have-items for Bub I saw online on sale. During a lunch conversation about work clothes I was reminded how slim my wardrobe is these days--and by “slim” I do not mean how I feel stretching maternity pants over my belly. Even when the conversation moved to shoes I thought about my beloved flats recently retired for a sized-up, extra wide pair from Target that are the only shoes that fit me comfortably now. This first pregnancy is a pretty all consuming thing. I don’t want it or need it to become my sole topic of conversation. I do love going to work where I can bask in the wild world of office furniture--only with urgent bathroom breaks every 20 minutes ...