by Rachel | Family Life
Home stretch, baby! And it’s a good thing, because I am getting restless. On one hand, I want to get out of the house and do things, but on the other, I’m so exhausted that I can barely keep my eyes open half the time.
Despite the exhaustion, I managed to have a pretty eventful and productive week. It started with my third and final baby shower, hosted by my wonderful sister-in-laws Rebecca and Shannon. The theme was “nautical” (shocking, right!?) and everything about it — the decorations, games, gifts, guests — was delightful. Click here for more of the photos my father-in-law took.
Rebecca and Shannon went all out, not only with hosting the shower but also their awesome DIY gifts. The boat-shaped bookcase (pictured below) is something I’ve been on the hunt for since I came up with the nursery theme, so I was super excited to see it on display when I arrived!
Zach arrived at the end of the shower to help load up all the gifts and pose for a few photos.
Baby Rambach must have known he was the guest of honor, because he didn’t stop kicking and wriggling around until after the shower was over. He is quite active on a regular basis even though he’s starting to run out of room in there!
Speaking of the little guy, we had an appointment this week and found out that he’s growing right on track…actually, he’s in the 63rd percentile at 5 pounds, 11 ounces. My doctor was surprised, since my belly has been measuring smaller than it should at this point. He’s also head-down, which is awesome news for delivery. At this point, there’s less than a 5% chance that he will change positions.
In other baby news, we bought the rest of the stuff we need off our registry and are pretty much set as far as the nursery goes. Once we get the pictures hung and a few other finishing touches, I will post photos. Also coming soon are photos of our newly painted playroom. Yay for progress!
by Rachel | Family Life
Week 33 was another eventful one. My best friend Katie flew home from NYC to host a baby shower for me, and it was so beautiful and perfect! Everything — from the food to the decorations to the gifts — were nautical themed; I was so impressed with her attention to detail.
I couldn’t get over how cute the table was decorated. And how adorable are the napkins and silverware, with the lifesaver ties? Katie also ordered napkins with the baby’s name and little anchors, and there are tons leftover…I think we’ll have a nautical themed first birthday party :)
The clothesline full of nautical baby clothes was thanks to Annette, Katie’s stepmom who did most of the actual decorating (since she lives here in town, as opposed to a plane ride away). And since both Katie and my mom ordered cookies — from the same person — we had tons of these cute sailboat and anchor treats for dessert.
My lovely neighbor Wendy was kind enough to take photos of me with most of the guests; here I am with my mom and with Katie. I was so grateful to her for the shower, and also to all the guests for the huge pile of amazing gifts I brought home.
I feel so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family who are showering us with baby items and love. I had so much fun going through everything this week, especially sorting all the cute, tiny clothes! One thing is for sure: washing them and organizing the dresser is making this all feel very, very real!
by Rachel | Family Life
Our sweet baby turned 4 this week! Sadie is still very much a puppy in many ways, but over the years, she has matured from a hyper bundle of energy to a snuggly, cuddly and playful sweetheart. She loves to have 100% of our attention, and though she will have to share it with Baby Rambach pretty soon, we think Sadie will be a pretty darn good big sister. Isn’t she SO cute?!
by Rachel | Professional Development
Every February, many of my students participate in the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs’ Junior Festival. This will be my fourth year as a member of the federation, and it’s no less nerve-racking than it was when I first started!
At the end of October, I help my students choose their two pieces (one required, one choice) that they will learn, memorize and then perform at Festival. It’s a long few months, and by the end of January, we’re all ready for the big day so that we can move on to some new repertoire.
But all their hard work pays off in the end: last year, two of my students received their first gold cups, meaning they received a “superior” score three years in a row. This year, I have 5 students hoping to receive their first gold cups.
I like participating in Festival for many reasons, both for my benefit and the benefit of my students. Here are just a few of them:
- It makes me a better teacher. My job is to help those kiddos get ready to perform not only for an audience, but for judges who will score their playing. No room for slacking!
- My students are held accountable for their practicing. If they don’t do the work, they don’t get that superior score. It’s funny how motivation levels skyrocket between October and February :)
- It’s an opportunity to learn from other teachers and students. I really enjoy being amongst a group of teachers, all of whom have different teaching styles, and my students can learn from the other participants.
- Performing in Festival builds self-confidence. There’s nothing better than the smile on a student’s face after he or she has played well and received a great score.
It’s going to be a busy weekend for all of us, as they perform both on Saturday and Sunday while I’m busy serving as a room chairman (of two rooms, this year!). I have a feeling we’ll all be much more relaxed come Monday…but until then, wish us all luck!
by Rachel | Family Life
Someone turned 30 yesterday, and his initials are Z.R.R. It’s hard to believe that Zach’s twenties are really and truly over, especially since I’m not too far behind him!
When Zach and I got together, we were both 21 years old –almost an entire decade younger than we are now. We definitely lived it up over the past (almost) nine years, and I think we’re just where we should be in life at 29 and 30.
We celebrated the big birthday with a family dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Maldaners. That was followed by the standard fudge nut and mint chocolate chip ice cream cake along with that big ol’ caramel ice cream sundae. Too much ice cream for Zach? No such thing.
Zach is going to celebrate again on Saturday with a boys’ night out, which I am more than happy to miss out on since I’ll be playing a gig. I won’t have any wild and crazy birthday celebrations this year, considering I will be 9 months pregnant on June 5! But that’s just fine with me…I’m more than willing to wait an extra week or so for the best 30th birthday gift ever.
