Boston, you're my home.

Today I had the intention of posting my 17 week 'Bump'date, but all I can do right now when I touch my belly is praise God that my sweet baby is still safe and sound inside of me. Some mama's don't get to say that tonight. 

On September 11, 2001, I was in high school and I remember watching the news and trying to grasp how much my world was changing. I live a relatively short distance from New York and knowing that some of the planes left from Boston took away some of the only security I knew. Though I was too young to truly understand the impact of the situation at the time, like most Americans, the images of that day are forever burned in my mind. 

On December 14, 2012, my world changed again as I sat glued to the news and watched teachers and children run in fear from an elementary school. My heart broke for those affected, which seemed to be just about everyone. Not only was the event just horrific in nature, but as a teacher, in New England, it hit too close to home. I cried and prayed and went back to school and hugged my students, assuring them that there were far too many good people in this world to protect them to be worrying about the bad people, and that we would all be okay. Weeks later, as I practiced lockdown procedures huddled with students in the back of my classroom, I prayed that what I told my students was true and that it would never come closer to home. 

On April 15, 2013, I watched as my greatest fears became a reality. Heartless acts of terrorism in my own city. Marathon Monday is one of the most celebrated days in Boston and that celebration came to an abrupt halt yesterday. I had already been watching most of the marathon but after a sudden change of events, I could not move from my TV, then from my cellphone, and my computer, waiting to hear that everyone I knew who was there, was safe. And praise God, they all are. My heart aches for those who weren't so lucky. For the innocent children and families who waited to cheer on their loved ones at the finish line. My heart breaks each time they show the precious faces of the victims, who lived only minutes from where I grew up. My heart especially aches for those who live in and love this city and woke up in fear this morning that it will never be the same again. My heart hurts for Boston.

Some of my best memories include singing Sweet Caroline at countless Red Sox games, cheering on the Bruins with my family, and losing my voice at several New Kids on the Block concerts. I've spent many nights in the city dancing and laughing with friends, running through cobblestone streets with no shoes on hoping to make it in time for a slice of pizza from my favorite pizza place in the North End before they closed. I loved being able to share my love of the city with my suburban hubby on dates that included riding our bikes countless times around the Charles River, skating on Frog Pond, and yelling at him when he rocked our canoe on the River, fearful of that I would end up with that dirty water in my hair. And of course, one of my all-time greatest memories, when Jeff proposed to me in the middle of the Boston Common on a cold, December night filled with twinkling city and Christmas lights.

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While yesterday was a sad day for Boston, it was also a day full of heroism and community. Like most turbulent American tragedies, it was still so full of light. I am so proud to be from Boston and I love this city with my whole heart. I am so proud of the way that my city has reacted to this horrific tragedy. How we pulled together to make it better, making more light. Like most Bostonians, I will not let yesterday's darkness change the way I live my life. I am so blessed that I still get to enjoy everything I love about Boston and I look forward to the days when I can watch my babies enjoy the same sweet things that I enjoyed growing up. My heart will still swell with pride at Red Sox/Yankees games just as it swelled with love when Sweet Caroline played at Yankee Stadium tonight. An act full of light, showing us that even through years of playful rivalry they stand united with Boston, as do countless people and organizations around the world. As President Obama said yesterday, “Boston is a tough and resilient town; so are its people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other and move forward as one proud city”. That is exactly what we will do.

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Pray for Boston.

Tonight, I still can't pull myself away from the news. I can't stop checking my phone & Facebook for updates from loved ones. My heart is broken. Today, my deepest fears became reality. Today, my beloved city of Boston endured a terror attack that will forever change us. 

The Boston Marathon has always been a kick-off to April school vacation week, a great celebration of Patriots Day, as thousands head into the city to watch the race, celebrate with the runners, soak up the sunshine, and enjoy our city. I'm having trouble putting my thoughts into words because my heart is so broken, but today that was taken from us. Boston was changed today. Though, as President Barack Obama said,  “Boston is a tough and resilient town; so are its people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other and move forward as one proud city”.

Pray for the city. Pray for the families, the spectators, the runners, the victims. Pray for our first responders and the medical personnel caring for the wounded. Pray for those who waited and waited for news from family & friends. Pray for those who are still waiting. Please pray for Boston.

Wicked Single. WTF?!

Ok, so this is a totally random post, but I am just watching "Wicked Single" on VH1 for the first time and I. can't. believe. my. eyes. Or my ears. Apparently, according to VH1's website, it's a show about "six Boston locals attempting to navigate adulthood while managing a constant hangover". Is that how one navigates adulthood? I know I'm married now and live in the suburbs but this is not what people my age are doing every night around here. I feel like Phoebe from Friends in the episode where she sees Monica and Chandler getting busy and she screams, "My eyes! MY EYES!!!!!" My eyes hurt. So does my stomach.

In addition to the obnoxious, disgraceful to the city of Boston belligerence, I have a few serious problems with this show...

• Most of these people do not appear to be from Boston, nor do they actually live in Boston.
• I grew up 10 minutes from Boston, so I know exactly where they are in these episodes and they're not exactly hotspots for their age. 
• Some of their accents are TERRIBLE, which from a local, means they are FAKE. This one girl can't seem to decide if she's a valley girl or a Boston girl and it is bad.
• This show is sloppier than the Jersey Shore cast on a Real World/Road Rules Challenge. Within the first half hour, one girl fell on to a cab, wiped out on the bar floor, and then broke her wrist. Meanwhile, one of the guys was licking girls' faces at the bar. What?!?
• The girls claim they want to be married by 30, yet they're face planting on cabs at 29.
• They party in Chelsea. Need I say more?

One of the girls loves Derek Jeter, and as a Boston girl, you would think that would be a problem, but I get it girl. 

I get it. 

I wanted to like this but I just can't. Wicked pathetic. Have you seen it? What do you think?





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The right stuff

Warning: This post is full of teeny-bopper nonsense coming from every angle, brace yourself. Oh, and don't judge the grainy pics. We were super far away and I desperately need a new camera.

All that I needed was you, in my life, you're so right. And all that I wanted was you, you made all.. every one of my dreams come true. For real, the New Kids STILL got the right stuff.

This weekend, the hometown boys were back in the bean with the Backstreet Boys, teaming up for what is probably the next best combo after Joey and I getting married NKOTB & N'SYNC. The boys were as glorious as ever. The girls, still swooning.

While my sore throat indicates my active engagement with the show, my cousin & I had some pretty weird seats. We were literally behind the people in the last row balcony, which I thought were the furthest back you could go, but we were higher up in our own kind of loft. With a counter, a real folding chair that wasn't attached to the ground and this lovely USB cable, you know, in case we brought our lap tops instead of our original mega-pins from the late 80's (which we totally did).

There was a hot dog stand that sold beer and our own bathroom, but it was totally odd. I thought for sure, Donnie would surprise us and upgrade our seats but no dice. For a New Kid lover, it was fine by me if it meant we had space to do the New Kids dance without hitting anyone around us. Still, we were most definitely hangin' tough.

Flashback to 1989.. I was in Kindergarten, rocking a side pony-tail, for sure, LOVING the New Kids on the Block. When I say loving, I mean, my Barbies ALWAYS married one of the New Kid dolls, preferrably Joey. I always slept on the side of the pillow case that had Joey's face on it, even if it wasn't the cold side. My mother made curtains for my bedroom out of the sheet. So I had the sheets, comforter, dolls, bracelets, and CURTAINS. What was wrong with my 5 year old self?!? At least I didn't make this gem, like my cousin did.

I was wicked jealous.

I know there were plenty of girls crazier than that, but I was in Kindergarten for crying out loud.

Flashforward to 2011.. The concert was seriously insane. In true Bostonian fashion, it was wicked awesome. I went to their reunion concert a year or two back but this does not compare. Maybe it was that I got to listen to Nick Carter and Joey McIntyre on the same stage. Let me wipe the drool from my keyboard.

I'm a Boston girl all the way and I love how genuine their hometown pride is and it shined through in everything they did. Donnie was really killin' it on the stage, he had all the right stuff. It's so weird that I was a Joey girl my whole life but Donnie is really working his magic on me now. Especially when he held his hand over his heart and said "This heart will always be yours" (the fans, but I know he was totally talking to me). He actually had a serious moment with tears in his eyes because the crowd WOULD NOT stop screaming for him. The Boston Globe said the screams lasted two minutes while he just stood there beaming. That's a long time to just stand at a concert, but I was too busy screaming to notice.

Joey had my heart going when he belted out "Please Don't Go Girl".
I nearly died.

Then, they just appeared in the audience. I was so stinkin' jealous, I almost jumped right over my counter to get in on that action. My heart seriously hurt. Jordan and Danny never really did much for me but they were definitely lighting up that stage in their sleeveless leather jackets.

By the end, Jonathan looked like he wasn't having the best time, but he is getting older, I'll give him that. It was hard enough for me to stay up during the whole thing after a long work week.

The concert was a two and a half hour love fest, but the best part? The finale. All the boys, in Bruins jerseys singing "Hangin' Tough". Which was supposedly written with the intention of being the song that the Celtics came out to. Last year, the boys came out in Celtics jerseys with Paul freaking Pierce holding the NBA Championship Trophy. This year, the Bruins are in the Stanley Cup, enter NKOTBSB in Bruins jerseys. Either their timing is impecccable or they just plain rock.

So SO jealous that I will not be seeing them at Fenway this weekend.

Be still my beating heart.. Until we meet again.

Sidenote: I'm now aware of how many times I used the word "totally" and "for sure". It must have been the late 80's, early 90's talking.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Is it already Wednesday? Here's what I'm loving today..

I'm loving that the Bruins are in the Stanley Cup Finals. I love being a Bostonian all the time, but these are the times that I love it the most.

I'm loving Chipotle burritos.. 'nuff said.

I'm loving that my baby brother has his senior prom and high school graduation this week.

I'm loving that we are 2/3 of the way through our wedding photographer appointments. Can't wait to get this checked off the list!

I'm up way too late! Happy almost Thursday!