Thursday, February 23, 2017

Mini Babymoon Getaway

Although Mr Geek and I have taken trips away from Miss Chief individually (me for business, him for a funeral), we've never gone away together and left her with someone else.  Now that my sister lives so close- about an hour away- and now that our baby girl is three years old (and therefore not a baby anymore), we thought maybe we would risk a night away to relax and enjoy some grown up time before Peanut (my unofficial nickname for Baby Boy) arrives and all thoughts of relaxation go out the window.

Of course, we spent literally the entire time talking about our big girl, wondering if she was enjoying her "spend-the-night" (not a sleepover, a spend-the-night) with her aunt and uncle, hoping she wasn't giving them too much grief about bedtime, planning what we would spend the rest of the weekend doing with her...but still, it was nice to have some time away during which we could have theoretically discussed things other than Elmo.  (Somehow, while waiting for our fancy grownup entrees to arrive at dinner, we found ourselves discussing our favorite Sesame Street  episodes.  I think maybe we need therapy.)

I did not receive a single panicked phone call or desperate text from my amazing sister, and everyone enjoyed the special Friday night.  We were back by 10 am the next morning- turns out there is literally nothing to do in Fredericksburg on a Saturday morning- so we were only apart for just over 12 hours, but still, this was a big step for us.


We stayed at Kenmore Inn on Princess Anne St in Fredericksburg.  I had always considered staying at a bed and breakfast to be something that fancy grownups did, so I figured the weekend after St. Valentine's Day was the perfect time to pretend to be fancy grownups.  Although the Inn is but a mere 15 miles from my sister's house in Stafford, it took nearly 45 minutes to drive there on a Friday night.  We arrived after 7, giving us just enough time to check in and make ourselves look nice before our 8:00 dinner reservations at the on-site restaurant.  The food was delicious, the wine sure smelled good (I'm not gonna lie, I really miss wine, but I don't force Mr Geek to be a tea-totaler while I'm pregnant), and the ambiance was cozy- the perfect place to discuss the logistics of taking the Metro to see Disney on Ice later that weekend.  (Yes, that was another topic of conversation at our fancy grownup dinner.)  Because the restaurant is in the cellar of the b&b, guests can use the back staircase to get back to their rooms- meaning dinner was just far enough away from our room for me to regret trying to balance my big ol' preggo belly in heels.  There was a full-service breakfast the next morning in a quaint little dining room that would be perfect for hosting a small rehearsal dinner for a wedding, and then checkout was simply dropping off the key with the front desk.  (There's something so charming about actual keys, rather than key cards.)  We had planned to walk around and take in the sights, but the only things open that morning were antique stores (which Mr Geek kind of hates) and coffee shops (but we'd already had breakfast), plus we really did miss our little girl, so we made our way back to pick her up.


The Kenmore Inn sits on property originally owned by George Washington's sister's father-in-law.  (How's that for history!)  It sustained damage during the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 but stood strong.  Throughout the years it's been a family home, a tavern, a boarding house, a coffee shop, and finally the bed and breakfast it is today.  It's really quite a charming house, and is decorated with period antiques.  We stayed in the Regal Kenmore room, with a king-sized bed and wood burning fireplace (though we opted not to have it lit as it wasn't really that cold that night).  The Inn also has a family-sized suite, so it could be a lovely alternative to a regular hotel if you find yourself needing a place to stay in Fredericksburg- it's not just for romantic getaways!

So tell me- when you're away from your kids, do you spend the whole time talking about them?  How old were your little ones before you left them with someone else overnight?  Have you ever stayed in a bed and breakfast (and did you feel like a fancy grownup)?

Much love,
The Geeks

Friday, February 17, 2017

Oh, Internet... {92}

So obviously I've been away from blogging for a few months and, I'm sad to say, I've been away from reading blogs, too.  (Pregnant-Me mostly just wants to watch The Grand Tour on Amazon, shop online for baby clothes, and sleep.)  But this week I opened up my good ol' RSS feed again (how old school!) and followed my favorite bloggers this week and boy did I find some good stuff!

If you read nothing else from this list, definitely read this post from A Gentle Mother.  "...[T]here’s a big problem, for me, when it comes to balance. Namely, that’s it unachievable."  I needed this post.

Alison at Reconciled to You makes a very good point as she urges us, "Please Don't Give Up Social Media this Lent."  If digital witnesses to Christ all abandon ship during the most important season of the year, could we be missing out on opportunities to evangelize?

Katie at The Catholic Wife provided a wonderful reflection on the Fifty Shades trilogy- what are women really seeking when they read and watch these stories?

What awesome things happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

My Bloody Valentine


Although his name is one of the most well-known of all saints in the western world (other than that guy Patrick), the actual details of the life of Valentine the man are pretty hazy.  There are many different stories of why, exactly, he drew the ire of the Romans and ended up in prison- probably had something to do with converting people to Christianity (frowned upon at the time), probably had something to do with marrying couples in the Christian rite (also frowned upon, and explains the romantic love angle of his patronage).

One thing all the stories have in common?

He was martyred for the faith.  Specifically, he was beheaded.

How romantic!  Let's share a box of chocolates.


Gives a whole new meaning to "Be my Valentine," doesn't it?  "Be the guy who gets his head chopped off for me."

But you know, maybe it is kind of appropriate.  I mean, that's marriage, isn't it?

Not decapitation- our life is not that similar to Game of Thrones.

But being married means dying to one's self- putting aside all thoughts of I want and even I need and devoting time instead to what we need and what we want for our family.  Mr Geek dies to himself every day by waking up before 3am some days or not coming home until after midnight on other days working at a job that will mean good things for our family in the future.  He dies to himself by crawling on the floor and playing dolls with our daughter on evenings when he'd much rather put his feet up.  He dies to himself by running out in the middle of the night to find whatever very specific food my big pregnant self is craving.

I die to myself by...occasionally doing the dishes.  If he begs me to.  (I hate doing dishes.)

Okay so maybe I need to try a little harder at being his Valentine, since he's so good at being mine.

So tell me about your Valentine!  What sacrifices do they make for you?

Much love,
The Geeks

*These are two of my favorite engagement photos, taken FIVE YEARS AGO by the illustrious Emile Frey

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

And the baby is a...

BOY!

We're having a boy!  Our little princess is getting herself a baby brother and she couldn't be happier.  She came with us to watch the ultrasound and was blown away by the idea that the weird little wand rolling through the yucky gel on Mommy's belly could actually look inside and see her baby brother.  And my was he active!  He kept rolling from side to side, making it hard for the tech to capture a picture of his head that was good enough to measure his big ol' brain.  And his little profile looks just like Chief's did, with the same little button nose.

Mr Geek and I are beyond excited about our healthy, beautiful, BIG baby boy- he's measuring a week farther a long than our due date estimation, which is not enough to actually adjust the due date but leads me to believe that he's going to be larger than his sister was.

So, moms of boys- any advice?  Moms of both- how are baby boys and baby girls different?  (Or is it more that babies are people and therefore they're all different?)  Any advice for preparing the big sister for life with a little brother?


Much love,
The Geeks

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Throwback Thursday: In Summer


Here's a little throwback to when the weather was warmer and my baby girl was, well, a baby girl.

Now this big girl is excited to find out whether she's having a brother or sister- and she'll find out next Tuesday!  We're so excited :)

Much love,
The Geeks