I'M AN AUNT!

I interrupt your regularly scheduled programming of wedding recap posts to bring you a very important message...I'M AN AUNT!

Scarlett Elizabeth was born on Monday, April 25 at 9:59 PM, weighing in at seven pounds, eight ounces and measuring 20.5 inches. I'm not allowed to post pictures of her just yet, but you can take my word for it - she's absolutely perfect. I admit I'm biased, but she somehow skipped the creepy alien-like phase that most newborns go through shortly after birth and instantly became this precious little doll baby. Insert heart eyes emoji here.

As I was leaving for work on Monday morning, I noticed I had missed a call from my brother. He knows to never call me at 8:00 AM, so I knew this must be the big news. Sure enough, Elizabeth had been in the hospital for several hours and it was confirmed that the baby would be coming later that day. I went to work, which was hilariously pointless due to my lack of focus, and waited anxiously for 2:00 when I could take Wheat to the airport and head to Ohio (my car was in the shop).

When I got home, the general consensus was that the baby would be coming around 2:00 AM, so I unpacked and my dad went to pick up some carryout for dinner. Suddenly, the phone rang. It was LP and he informed my mom that Elizabeth had gone from 5 cm dilated to full-blown ready to push in just one hour. Nervous and excited, we hopped in the car and left when my dad returned.

We met Elizabeth's parents in the hospital waiting room. They told us that the baby was in position and Elizabeth was starting to push. The next hour was filled with excited conversation, lots of nervous jitters, and some Chinese food takeout. Elizabeth's brother and his wife arrived. Then another hour passed. Then another. Then another. At this point, calling us worried was an understatement. Every time the door opened, all of us jerked to see who was walking through it. With no news, no texts, and no help from the nurses (who weren't actually allowed to tell us what was going on), the room became silent with the exception of a quiet NBA playoff game on the waiting room TV.

Finally, at 11:26 PM, more than four hours after we arrived, Elizabeth's mom got a text from LP. Everyone was healthy and everything was fine. Relief flooded over the entire room. 20 minutes later, my brother came to get us and we instantly burst into tears at the sight of our new niece/granddaughter. It kind of defies explanation, but it was such a beautiful moment to see the incredible love and pride in my brother's eyes as he held his daughter and introduced her to us. For the next hour, we took turns hugging Elizabeth and holding Scarlett and I was amazed by how quickly you can fall in love with a person.

I'm so unbelievably happy to have this little ray of light in my life...and don't you worry. As soon as I get word, this place is quickly going to become a Scarlett photo album.

Omaha! Blue 42! Hike!

I'll be totally honest. From here on out, my emotional stability decided to check itself at the door. I went from laughing hysterically one moment to sobbing uncontrollably the next. Wedding day jitters, coupled with generally being a crybaby anyway, made for some pretty unpredictable mood swings. After all the finishing touches were completed, my photographer ushered me out onto the balcony at the Oscar for our first look.

I stood there thinking about how excited I was to see my handsome groom, then suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and instantly burst into tears. Face-to-face with the love of my life, I felt so calm, so happy, and so excited. My mom couldn't help but share the moment with us, too.

Once I'd somewhat composed myself, we joined our bridal party downstairs for transportation to Winton Woods, a nearby park where we took our outdoor photos. In hindsight, the van we hired for transportation was one of my biggest regrets of the day. In an effort to save money, we opted with a small passenger van over a comfortable limo or bus...and I assure you, it made a difference. Somehow, we all crammed into the bus and made our way to Parky's Farm, a beautiful educational farm within Winton Woods.

Wheat gave those personalized Louisville Slugger bats to his groomsmen as gifts.

As can often be expected in Ohio in late October, it was a bit chilly that day. It also started to sprinkle rain on us during the outdoor shoot, so our photographer decided to close up shop a little early. I know the bridal party was relieved, but these are honestly my favorite shots of the entire day.

I especially love these pictures with the white picket fence in the background. I'm not country by any means, but I did grow up in rural Ohio, so these pictures really remind me of home. Plus, that type of posing (in the picture below) reminds me of a Kardashian Christmas card, which I count as a major victory.

With time ticking away and rain starting to fall, the photographers decided to head back to the Oscar early to start our bridal portraits. This would have been absolutely fine had the van driver not abandoned us. Cue my first real panic of the day. Wheat and I hopped in our photographers' car while the rest of the bridal party waited in the cold rain for our MIA van driver. I. Felt. Awful. As I tried my hardest not to cry, we set up shop in Jungle Jim's gorgeous, private wine cellar for photos.

Thoughts: Don't touch anything. How does a bottle of wine cost $3,000?

Once those pictures were done, the bridal party arrived at the Oscar and since we have amazing, supportive friends, they even acted as though that wasn't the most annoying inconvenience in the history of weddings. Relief. For good measure, we took some more group shots on the staircase and in the bar before heading in for formal pictures. Yes, my face was beginning to hurt.

Next Up: Family Photos and Portraits

We Ready, We Ready, We Ready for Y'all

The morning of our wedding, I remember waking up and feeling so excited for the day's events. I also remember feeling surprisingly calm - surprising because I'm always expecting some kind of catastrophe. It didn't take long for my anxiety to build, but I do vividly recall the feeling of excitement that washed over me when I imagined seeing Wheat in his tux.

All of my wonderful bridesmaids met at my hotel room to begin getting ready. Elizabeth, my brother's girlfriend and a professional hairdresser, also came early to do my hair. I sat in the chair for about an hour as she clipped in my extensions (not to make my hair longer, but fuller), curled, and braided like a boss.

At some point, my mom called to see how we were doing. She was well on her way to the venue by then, so I jokingly asked my sister to ask her if she remembered my dress. She hadn't. See what I mean about anxiety building? My mom instantly exploded into guilty tears and turned back around for the dress. My dear friend Eric drove a group of us to the venue as I tried my best to relax.

The bathroom at the Oscar Event Center, where we continued getting ready, was absolutely incredible. The staff stocked it with drinks (champagne, beer, water, soda) and light snacks (fruit, cheese, and crackers) and an attendant periodically checked in on us to see if we needed anything. We had an absolute blast listening to music, talking, and finishing our hair and makeup. Once my hair was finished, Elizabeth bounced around doing some of the other bridesmaids' hair. This was honestly one of my favorite moments of the day.

As Jamie put the finishing touches on my "makeup" (which is code for hardly any at all), my mom showed up with the dress and we all heaved a collective sigh of relief. It's insane how tightly packed our photo schedule was and our photographers were definitely keeping the trains running on time.

Wheat and I were scheduled to have our first look shortly thereafter, so before I knew it, it was time to put on my dress. My mom and sister helped with the closing, zipping, buttoning, and tucking before I turned the corner and surprised my bridesmaids.

To complete the look, my mom bought me a bright pink pair of socks that said 'bride.' Oh, and of course I wore my reliable Chucks.

Meanwhile, the guys were getting ready and hanging out in the awesome bar at the Oscar. Their space was also fully stocked, so I have a sneaking suspicion more time was spent on refreshments than their tuxes. Just a guess, though...

Next Up: First Look and Bridal Party Photos

A Presidential Weekend.

This weekend, Wheat and I jetted down to Dallas to visit his family and celebrate his mom's birthday. It was a blitz trip that ended before it even really began, but it was wonderful to spend some quality time with his parents and his beloved family dog, Cooper. Seriously, is there anything cuter than watching a grown man who is head-over-heels in love with his dog? I imagine the answer is yes - watching a grown man who is head-over-heels in love with his child.

Upon arrival on Friday night, my in-laws picked us up from the airport and took us straight to dinner at Uncle Julio's. When in Texas, you eat Tex-Mex and barbecue, right? We loaded up on chips, salsa, and tacos while catching up with each other. Wheat's brother and his girlfriend also joined us for dinner, but we called it an early night due to exhaustion and the tell-tale signs of a sore throat coming on.

By the next morning, the slight discomfort in my throat had transformed into a full-fledged issue. My left ear was hurting, the entire left side of my neck was inflamed and sore to the touch, and I could barely swallow. When I asked Wheat to inspect the back of my throat, he informed me that he saw several white patches near my tonsils. So, we made our way to the little clinic at a nearby Walmart, where it was confirmed that I did, indeed, have strep throat.

Refusing to let my zombie-like appearance and feelings ruin our trip, I bucked up and decided to continue with the weekend as planned. That afternoon, Wheat's parents took us to see All The Way, a play about the 11 months between LBJ's unexpected swearing in as president following Kennedy's assassination and the 1964 presidential election, at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. The political nerd in me loved it. Between voting and civil rights issues, war in Vietnam, concerns about poverty, and campaigning, it really made you sympathize with LBJ, who was forced into an awful position during such a turbulent time in American history. Less than 20 actors played over 40 different roles and it was amazing to see them work on such a simple set. I'm anxious to see the HBO film version, which stars Bryan Cranston as LBJ and Anthony Mackie as MLK, in May.

After the play, we headed to Addison for my mother-in-law's birthday dinner at Table 13, a vintage, upscale steakhouse. I loved the decor, which was all '60s inspired and included pin-up girls on every wall, and the live crooner music was the perfect touch. The food was great (I had chicken cordon bleu and loaded fingerling potatoes), the dessert was even better (bread pudding for the win!), and I couldn't get over the precious mermaid that came in my mother-in-law's cosmopolitan. Plus, how do you beat a place that lights your dessert on fire?

We woke up early for church on Sunday morning and I was finally able to hear my father-in-law deliver a sermon. As expected, he didn't disappoint with his quick wit and comforting tone. After church, we grabbed lunch at Rusty Taco because you can never have enough Mexican food. The bright, casual atmosphere was perfect and I loved devouring my fried chicken and barbecue brisket tacos with the breeze blowing in on a 75º day. Note to self: Never visit Texas in August again.

After lunch, Wheat and I decided to make the most of our day and visit the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on SMU's campus. The expansive building, complete with a replica of the White House's Rose Garden and an outdoor dining area for Cafe 43, was absolutely gorgeous. We spent the bulk of our time exploring the permanent exhibit, which chronicles the life and presidency of George W. Bush. It was fascinating to see artifacts related to so many events that I actually remember in my lifetime - 9/11, the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, No Child Left Behind, etc. Highlights for me included the recreation of the Oval Office and Bush's impressive signed baseball collection. I also really enjoyed the Decision Points theater, an interactive room where you were faced with one of the crises that Bush encountered during his presidency. You listened to advice from different advisors, weighed your options, and ultimately chose what action you would take as president. We did it twice (Hurricane Katrina and the surge into Iraq) and it was fascinating to compare my viewpoints to Bush's.

The temporary exhibit, Path to the Presidency, detailed life on the campaign trail, what it takes to run for president, and interesting details about elections of the past. We posed for a campaign poster, shared what we think makes a good president, watched iconic campaign ads from the past, and read acceptance speeches from a teleprompter. Although we finished it pretty quickly, it was a fun addition to the museum.

The rest of the evening was filled with a delicious steak dinner at home and lots of anguish over The Walking Dead season finale. Are they kidding me? How am I expected to wait until October for its return?

Practice? We're talking about practice, man.

From this point on, my wedding weekend became an absolute whirlwind of smiles, hugs, tears (of both the happy and sad variety), and dancing. Seriously, if there is one piece of advice I can give to soon-to-be-married folks, it would be to slow down and take careful note of what is going on around you. One second you're practicing your walk down the aisle and the next second you're back home, eating leftover cake and opening a pile of gifts and cards from loved ones. It will blow your mind and if you aren't careful, it will feel like you weren't really there to experience it. But more to come on that later...

From the nail salon, we headed straight to the Oscar Event Center, our venue, for the rehearsal. Because the Oscar had an event that night, we weren't able to practice in the actual room where we were holding the ceremony. So, we did our run-through in the gorgeous lobby and tried our best to remember what Dianna (our wedding coordinator) and Wheat's dad (our minister) told us. Thanks to both of our drunk rowdy brothers, the rehearsal was a bit like herding cats, but we left feeling pretty confident that the crew would hit their marks the next day. I also left with the sudden, jarring realization that, by that time the next day, I would actually be married to the love of my life.

Our rehearsal dinner was held at Rick's Tavern, a laid-back sports bar near the wedding venue. Since we were having a sports-themed wedding, Wheat's Mom and Aunt Nancy decorated our private room to look like an arena and called it 'Hotchkiss Stadium.' They put sports centerpieces on the tables (crates filled with pennants, streamers, and little balls), displayed sports-related pictures of us on the welcome table, and set out postcards of old ballparks that guests were instructed to send to us at some point during our first year of marriage. It always brings a massive smile to my face when I open our mailbox and find one inside.

My favorite decoration was a large print of a baseball stadium that was gradually filled with guests' fingerprints and signatures throughout the night. To me, their multi-colored fingerprints, which look like people filling the crowd at a game, represent all the support and love we're getting from our biggest fans. It's a really special keepsake - I just need to find a place to hang it in our apartment.

Fitting with the theme, dinner was a buffet of hamburgers, hot dogs, and other ballpark snacks. My mom ordered an Orioles groom's cake for Wheat, but it got smashed in transit, so she improvised with some cute baseball sugar cookies. I can't speak to how the food tasted because I was too busy greeting (and meeting) our out-of-town guests. Wheat's parents invited our entire extended families and many of our out-of-town guests to the dinner, so I spent the bulk of the night being introduced to them. We gave our parents their gifts (large canvas photos of our engagement pictures) and watched a sweet slideshow that Wheat's brother put together. Mostly, I tried to compose myself because I was already feeling overwhelmed by all of the attention.

As the night went on, the public space at Rick's slowly transitioned from a sports bar to a Halloween party and the clientele followed suit. People dressed in costumes filled the dance floor as the Naked Karate Girls, a popular Cincinnati cover band, took the stage. After weeks of begging, I finally convinced Wheat to dress up with me for the occasion as Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Get it? A few of my bridesmaids also dressed up and we indulged in a little Halloween fun since the actual holiday would be spent in formal wedding attire.

I knew we needed to get some sleep, so we called it an early night and headed back to our hotel, the Hampton Inn. Wheat stayed in his own room while I stayed in our "honeymoon suite" with my two maids of honor. Unable to fall asleep (and hungry from not really eating earlier), the three of us headed to Steak 'n Shake for some late night burgers, shakes, and crying talking. As we ate and discussed love and life, memories with the two of them began to flood over me - late nights spent with them at Steak 'n Shake, Backstreet Boys concerts, story-telling on the trampoline, choreographing dances in our living room. It was truly the perfect way to spend my last night as a single woman - surrounded by my two best friends and face-deep in some Steak 'n Shake fries.

Next Up: Getting Ready!