Babymoon!

Andrew and I decided that before the arrival of Baby K we wanted to get away before our world changes next month! Can you believe it's next month! Anyways, we enjoyed a weekend Annapolis.  It is a place that is very special to us.  Our blind date was in Annapolis and we got engaged in Annapolis so we decided it would be a great place to visit and reminisce.  

Friday night we went to the Lebanese Taverna where our blind data was 3 1/2 years ago.  We had kafta sandwiches, hummus, tabbouleh, baklava, and mamoul cookies! Saturday morning we relaxed and then went to the PA Dutch Farmers Market at the Annapolis Harbor Center.  We went just to walk around but we ended up finding our crib! We had been searching for the right crib for a long time and this one was perfect! 

Later that afternoon we went to Downtown Annapolis where we got engaged and we went to an early dinner at Pussers Caribbean Grille (this is the restaurant where Andrew had our engagement surprise party).  We had a great dinner on the waterfront and walked around for awhile.  

Then we went to the movies to see "August: Osage County" and went out for late night dessert a Gordon Biersch! 

 

It was a wonderful weekend with the man of my dreams!! It was so nice to be away and get to spend some quality time together.  Now we are in preparation mode as Baby K is only a month away.  

Extreme Home Makeover Baby K Edition Phase III - February

Andrew and I have been working hard to continue to get everything ready for Baby K.  On our many snow days this past month we completed a bunch of home projects.  Andrew hung a new curtain rod in our master bedroom, a new shower curtain rod in our master bath, and patched all the walls in the nursery.  We then painted the nursery!  And Andrew put together our rocking chair!  So we are moving in the right direction; although I feel like we have been working on house projects for an entire century.  I'm ready for everything to be in its place; although we don't have everything yet so that's still a process.

Here is the nursery so far: 

  

Date Night!!

 Life around the Kassouf household has been quite crazy over the last month and will be this way for awhile.  Andrew and I are both in grad school right now so every weekend one or both of us have had class.  So last weekend after I finished my second class we went out for Date Night! Andrew who is mister creative, decided that he was going to develop a "Choose Your Own Adventure" date.  He got the idea from the children's books where you get to choose which the outcome.

At the beginning of the date I got an envelop that said I was going to "Choose My Own Date Night".  Andrew told me that I would have to make 3 decisions during our date and that I got one flip ahead where I could get all the details of the choice; the rest of the decisions would be based on clues.  My first choice was to choose dinner; I needed to choose between Mexican or Italian food.  And my choice would effect the rest of the evening.  I choose Italian; although this was a very tough decision because Andrew does not normally like to eat Mexican food out so I almost choose Mexican just because it was a rare opportunity.  But, I was in a pasta mood so Italian it was!  After I choose Italian I got a second envelop.  On the outside it told me we would be going to Italian Sensations a local chain and at the end of dinner I could open the envelop for my next destination.

After dinner finished I opened the envelop and it told me that dessert was our next stop.  (Dessert is my favorite so I was very excited!)  My choices were to choose "Red, Green, and White" or "Pink, Green, and White".  This was very difficult because dessert is a very serious matter and I did not want to make the wrong choice!  I had a feeling that "Pink, Green, and White" was code for Sweet Frog.  "Red, Green, and White" was harder to figure out but I had an inkling that it was for the Italian flag; which meant that it was for Vaccaro's, an Italian pastry shop based in little Italy known for their desserts.  A few years ago they opened a cafe version in Bel Air so I was hoping that "Red, Green, and White" was for Vaccaro's.  So I took a chance and picked "Red, Green, and White" without using my flip ahead.  I got my 3rd envelop and the front said .... Vaccaro's!  I was RIGHT!! Dessert was amazing! Although, I ate way too much; I had a Nutella latte (which was absolutely wonderful, for coffee lovers out there it was the best!) then got a few different Italian cookies to try, and I had a chocolate iced cream puff and Andrew had Amaretto Tiramisu. Needless to say we waddled out of Vaccaro's but I waddle a lot now so it's all good.

After we ordered dessert I got to open up the 3rd envelop which said we were off to our final destination and I had to choose Men, Women, or Children. I had a feeling that they were referring to movies but I was not sure so I used my flip ahead.  Which meant I got to see all 3 options of the envelop 4.  The Men option was to go see "Lone Survivor", the Women option was "Labor Day", and the Children option was "The Nut Job".  I choose "Labor Day" so off to the movies we went!

It was such a nice evening and I loved every minute that I got to spend with the love of my life! He is so good to me and so creative, I love him!!  As he would say he "Kassouf'ed" our data night to make it spectacular! 

Extreme Home Makeover Baby Kassouf Edition Phase II - January

Our house is beginning to looking very different.  My Mom and Kyle came to help us with Phase II of Extreme Home Makeover - Baby Kassouf Edition; early in January.  They helped moved all of our office items down to our basement so the office could now become a nursery!  They helped Andrew moved three full bookshelves, two file cabinets, and basic office supplies all down to our basement.  And then moved a full kids bookshelf back upstairs to the nursery.  

After Mom and Kyle came our house got turned into a construction zone for the last four weeks.  We hired a handyman to complete all types of odd jobs around the house to help us to prepare for Baby K!  I think he did some work in every room of our house except the living room and bathrooms.  He installed a fan in our dinning room, he painted the ceiling in our kitchen and installed a new light.  He painted the stairwell going upstairs along with the upstairs hallway.  In the nursery he painted the ceiling, and in our guest room he fixed the closet doors.  Then in the master bedroom he fixed our window which had leaked a long time ago and needed major drywall work and he painted our ceiling.  Finally downstairs in our basement he installed a new handrail, new lights, rewired all of our electric and put in four new switches.  Now our basement is on multiple circuits! He also installed shelving units over our washer and dryer.  He even did some work outside installing a new front light fixture and extending the downspout past our garden.So the house is coming together but there is still more to be done.  I know we can, I know we can, I know we can ...  

Here are a few pictures: 

Family Christmas/New Years Letter

Here is a copy of our Christmas/New Years letter that went out, if you did not get to see it enjoy! 

Dear Family and Friends of my parents,

My existence has been short so far and I have only heard Mommy and Daddy talking for a few weeks so I know there is still a lot to learn.  I want to share with you what I know so far in this Christmas letter. 

At Daddy’s birthday dinner in New York City Mommy told him it was time to have children which caught him off guard because he had planned on waiting a few years and they had not even been married for one year yet.  He said give me time to pray about this and we will revisit it later.  It took him a week to tell Mommy that they could stop preventing and pray for God to send me to them in His timing.  Within two months God began His work on me, one of His latest projects!  They didn’t find out about my arrival until they were preparing for the new year of students they were going to teach this year.  I think the timing was perfect since I am going to be one of their students soon.

The Lord has been working diligently knitting me together in Mommy’s belly (Ps 139:13-18) and He is awesome.  I have learned that He is love (1 John 4:8).  I can tell that my parents know His love by the way that they love me already.  They have been talking about me to everyone.  Mommy even started writing a blog that has been mostly about me so far (http://ourjourneythroughgrace.blogspot.com/).  I think she is planning on having it printed each year in a book.  It will be her digital scrap book.  Daddy has been writing me letters almost every day that he will give me when I am older.  The main purpose of these letters is to remind me of the Lord’s love and how it is radiated through our family. 

Mommy and Daddy have been searching for a church home where they could serve the Lord in His kingdom together since before they were married.  Recently they heard the Lord speak to them separately through a sermon series and small group study called Greater at the church they had been attending.  He called them to join LINC Baltimore in planting Missional Communities.  This is something outside of their comfort zone but they are certain that God has been preparing the way for them.  I am excited to see how I can be a part of this ministry one day.  Mommy shares more of the details in her blog.

I am told that my new home wrote the annual letter last year.  It is doing just fine but is going through some changes.  Extreme Home Makeover – Baby Kassouf Edition has begun.  My nursery is going to be their old office and I can’t wait to see the Winnie the Pooh space they are planning.  This process has been moving slower than they would have liked because of the graduate studies.  Last February Daddy began his master’s degree in education through Gratz College.  He will have nine classes finished before I am born in April and will finish his program next summer.  Mommy just stared a graduate certificate in autism studies through John’s Hopkins University.  I am looking forward to a lot of Daddy time once I am born as Mommy finishes her program.

I am sure Mommy and Daddy have other things to share but as far as I am concerned I am the only thing that really matters.  I have already begun changing their world and am anticipating the great changes I will make once I am born. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Andrew and Erin Kassouf’s child

Ps. I look forward to meeting all of you soon.

Race Into the New Year

Andrew and I participated in a 5K while we were in Myrtle Beach! It is a fundraiser for Risen Christ Lutheran School where Mom Kassouf works.  Last year, we did the race for the first time and this summer Andrew made me learn how to jog and he began jogging and running.  We had been working out multiple times a week over the summer because Andrew wanted to beat his little brother this year at the Race Into the New Year 5K.  This fall we did not exercise the way we wanted but on Saturday we did the race.  Andrew did a great job! He took 10 minutes off his time from last year and he ran an 11:50 mile average! I am so proud of him!!  His baby brother was out of town so I'm not sure who would of won but Andrew did a great job and he has already set a new goal for next year.  I did not jog because I am 23 weeks pregnant but I walked with Mom and Dad and we had fun!

Christmas Fun!

Christmas began early this year!  This is a picture of us in front of our tree before leaving for our trip.

Our Christmas extravaganza began on Saturday December 21st at my Dad's house.  We enjoyed a great ham dinner and had fun visiting.  We also ended our trip on December 30th there so we could visit with my Mommom and Poppy.

We then continued on to Calvert County to see my mom and extended family.  Grandma and Grandpa came to Mom's house for dinner Sunday night.  Mom made lasagna, one of my favorites!  Then, Monday morning we baked cookies with my cousins and had lunch with Aunt Debbie's family.  This is the first Christmas I can remember where I would not spend Christmas Eve at Grandma's house with all of the extended family.  It was really nice to get to see all my family separately because we got to spend quality time with each of them!  It was a nice bonus.  We then celebrated Christmas with my Mom and brothers Monday night!  

Tuesday morning we got up early to hit to road for Myrtle Beach!  Andrew's parents thought that we were coming on December 26th but for the last 2 years Andrew and Tim have been planning a surprise Christmas Eve trip for Mom this year.  So we set out for Myrtle Beach.  The timing ending up being perfect.  We arrived at church 10 minutes before service was scheduled to start.  We walked into church and found Mom.  Andrew tapped her on the shoulder and casually asked if the seats around her were taken.  She was absolutely shocked, confused, and beyond excited to see us there 2 days early.  This was extra special for her because she was not alone for church on Christmas.    

On Christmas Eve after church we ended up swapping gifts as couples. My big gift was a new cushion for my papasan chair! It is so fuzzy and warm.  I also got the complete collection of Matilda; the book, DVD, and Broadway CD.  Andrew and I went to see the Broadway show in October and I was so excited because it was a movie that I had watched with my Mommom a million times growing up!  I can't wait to share it with our child.

Andrew's big gift was tickets to a Kennedy Center Show in March to see Brian D'arcy James.  He played Shrek in "Shrek the Musical" when it was on Broadway.  My mom got him the DVD copy of the show for Christmas! It was a perfect pair.  

Baby Kassouf also did very well this Christmas.  He/She got a "Nana and Me" picture frame, monkey onesies, and a Winnie the Pooh blanket from Nana.  Grandma and Grandpa gave him/her a new diaper bag, socks, book, and picture book, which were all Vera Bradley! Aunt Erin and Uncle Tim supplied bibs for all of their first holiday outfits.  He/She got a sleeping sheep white noise maker from Poppy and Noni, and a stuff animal from Great Mommom and Poppy!

On Christmas Day Mark and Ashley joined us for Christmas! Mom and Dad Kassouf got to see all 3 of their boys on Christmas Day! That has not happened in a very long time and they were super excited!

We had a great Christmas Break and are not ready for the hustle and bustle of regular life but I guess it's time.