GDI Reunited (Minus Eri and B)

There is just something about your best friends from college. You know, they are the ones I did my craziest, strangest, funniest, stupidest things with over the years. I still feel like we do or say stupid stuff when we are back together even though we all turn 30 this year. (THIRTY!!! AHHHHH!!!) I was so happy to get to go up to the suburbs of Chicago and meet up with them for the night.

Charlotte had her first over night slumber party without Momma at Gigi and Papa's house. She was with Aunt Bare and Gigi all day then Aunt Bare babysat her Friday night. On Saturday she was with Gigi, Papa, and Bare until I got back to the house. 

Friday, April 20, 2012, I got up and got ready and headed up to Naperville to see Amy and meet her new little bundle of joy, Matthew, He was born at the beginning of March (a few weeks early) and I had yet to meet him. And since I had given up Facebook, I hadn't seen any recent pictures of him. I do have to say, he is a BEAUTIFUL baby... and such a mixture of his mom and dad. The funny thing is that I always try to picture my friend's babies in my head when they are preggo. I tried to picture what a mixture of Amy and Brad would be and I couldn't quite picture it. But Matthew really is a great mixture of them. He is really beautiful. He is a good baby that loves to eat :) I also got to bond with Charlie, Amy's dog. LOVE LOVE LOVE HIM. If I wasn't so allergic to dogs, I would steal him. I love him. He was the most hilarious dog. 

So when I got to Amy's, my pregnant self was starving (I mean, it had been at least 3 hours since I had eaten last) so we went to Chili's and completely pigged out. It was perfection. Then we went back to her house and just sat around and talked. It was perfect. Jennifer came and met up with us for a few hours before dinner. I hadn't seen her since October maybe???? She looks beautiful as always. It was hilarious watching her hold Matthew and feed him a bottle... out of the 7 of us GDI's, Jennifer is one of the only 2 to not have a baby yet. She was funny.

Even though I was with him all day, I forgot to take pictures of him. So here is the one I took. Little Matthew Huffman :) So adorable and perfect.

We decided we needed a night away from family life... no babies and no hubbies. Brianne was in the St. Louis area celebrating her 30th birthday and having a FABULOUS weekend while doing it. Erica had her 2 babies for the weekend while her hubby was out of town. She wanted to come so bad but she didn't have an option for child care. So minus a few of the bunch, we still went out to dinner for a few hours without babies or hubbies...just the girls.

We went to Cooper's Hawk Winery in Burr Ridge which was delicious. All of the girls got wine (except me) and delicious meals. 

The two with the youngest babies... Amy (left) and Tammy (right). Matthew is 6 wks old and Nicholas is almost 6 months old. Love these girls. They both came to visit me pregnant back in August in SC. It was hotter than the hubs of hell. We didn't do the beach or anything. It was WAY too hot.

Ashley (left) and Jennifer (right). Ash has a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old. Jennifer is our most recent to wed (a year and a half ago).

Jennifer and I have been friends for half of our lives :) Since we were 15-ish.... crazy, right?

All of the girls got to have wine and such, but my only excitement for my taste buds was dessert. I wasn't going to get one but they told me they'd help me eat it. Delicious looking, right???

Here is my crew... minus 2...

We had an amazing time. We go to dinner at 8 pm and didn't leave until almost 11:30. It was a wonderful night filled with tons of funny stories and memories. Love these girls so very much and miss them more than I could ever express.

After dinner, I followed Jennifer into the city (Chicago) to her place. It's beautiful. I should post pictures.... well, if I had them I would post pictures. It looks like something out of a magazine. It's really really gorgeous. I was able to park my dad's camero into this VERY TIGHT garage spot that she normally parks in down the street from her place. We got back to her place after midnight and talked for awhile. I slept terrible being away from Charlotte. I thought I would sleep amazing... not so much. It was the longest 7 hours of sleep I have ever had. 

Saturday morning we got up and got ready and Jennifer, David (her husband) and I went to get breakfast. We went to this delicious diner in Boystown. I got pancakes... with ice cream on them. I've never seen this as an option and David convinced me that I needed to get the ice cream. Here he is not eating any carbs at all bc he is on a diet and here I am eating ALL carbs and a GINORMOUS scoop of ice cream on top. It was so delicious though. Looooved it. Jennifer tried it...and loved it. After breakfast they drove me around their favorite neighborhoods then it was time for me to get on the road back to mom and dad's.

I got to Mom and Dad's house a bit after lunch time. Charlotte was sleeping but her little face when she woke up and saw me was so priceless. I missed her more than I could ever express. But I totally needed a night away with my girls. It really was perfection.