2.19.2011

ghost of a chance with no place to go {or week twenty-three}

23 weeks_14

23 weeks_15

23 weeks_16

have you ever been to a wedding
where you saw the bride for 30 seconds... and 30 seconds only?


remember i said i had a baby shower and a wedding to attend today?
yes, that's right... both in one day.
any normal person would have realized this is pretty near impossible...
to attend both, when each starts within one hour of each other,
and each is about an hour and a half from one another.


but in case you haven't noticed, i'm not always quite normal.
and rather unwisely, i chose to attempt to attend both.


and the one that started first {which i attended first}
was an hour and a half from where i live.
that started at one o'clock... one of my sweetest and dearest friend's baby shower.
{she's due in a month!}


well... since the wedding started at two o'clock,
i knew full well i would not make it to the ceremony.
but i still thought i could make it to the reception,
which was to last from three o'clock until four-thirty.


but i did not get to leave the shower until about two-thirty.
and since i had to stop and get gas on the way home,
making it to the church in time to see the bride {another sweet friend}
was just about impossible to do.
and let me just say, pregnant people have no right
driving sixty-five miles per hour down country roads
just to make it to a wedding reception.


the more i feverishly drove,
the more i figured i did not stand a ghost of chance to make it.
but then with b's help navigating me through country back roads on the phone,
i realized i just might make it to see the bride
before she and her new hubby had to bolt for the more private family reception.


at about fourteen minutes after four,
just as i was about to pull into the church parking lot,
i had this strange and sinking feeling that i was going to pull in
and see the bride and groom running through the receiving line outside the church doors
with rice flying everywhere or bubbles floating throughout the air.


and i was not even as lucky as all that.
literally, as i was pulling in to wind around toward a parking spot,
my car pulled right smack dab in front of my friend's car.
she was in the passenger seat.
her hubby was driving.
we gave each other a look {looks that spoke volumes},
both stopped our cars right where we were,
and each got out to say hello and get a hug in before she had to rush off.


though i was so terribly disappointed,
i was so happy i got to see the beautiful bride in her dress...
oh, she was like an angel.
and the professional wedding photographer happened to be only steps away.
so she got it all on camera... the cars, the screeching halt, the hugs, the words exchanged.
then we got to turn and pose for a shot looking at the camera.
i can't wait to get a copy of that!
what a memory it will hold!


oh, my goodness, i will never forget this day!
it was so unfortunate,
and i could just kick myself for trying to fit both in.
it would have been far better to choose one or the other and attend only that event.
then i could have fully enjoyed one,
rather than only partially enjoying two... and just barely the second.


i literally got back in my car immediately and headed for home.
i called b. crying... "i can't even believe this!"
i truly was sad...
sad that i could not spend more time with the glowing bride.
and i would have seen a lot of people i had not seen in years, too.
and i would have gotten a chance to get to know her hubby a little more,
as i have only met him twice before today.


disappointed does not even begin to express how i felt.
after all that driving and rushing...
i felt sooooo deflated.


and here i was... all decked out with no place to go!
i mean, i guess my dress and up-do was for the shower, too.
but i was definitely over-dressed for that occasion.
everyone there knew why i was looking so fancy for a shower,
so it was not very strange to be the only one all dressed up.
but i still felt like it was all for nothing.
and what's worse, i had to leave the shower early...
and that WAS all for nought!


ughhh...
another note to self:
DON'T ever try to do two events in one day
when they are more than an hour apart in driving distance
and less than a few hours apart in start time...
especially not while pregnant
and hormonal
and on the brink of running out of gas
and constantly needing to pee
and on little sleep.


don't EVER do this again!


but DO spend time with cherished friends.
and that, i DID do.
so that made it all worth it.


{*sigh*}


at least i can say, the shower was so very lovely.
there were FOUR... count 'em... four pregnant women there.
it was crazy that almost half of the women there were with child!
and it was such a blessing to share this time with my sweet friend.
{i call her "ese"}.


we got a photo together of our bellies,
and i can honestly say,
i never ever dreamed that this would be a photo we could take...
both of us pregnant at the same time.
this is her third kiddo,
so it's not unfathomable to think of her pregnant.
but it's unfathomable to think of me that way,
so getting this photo with her is even more beyond my wildest dream.


in fact, getting that photo was one of the deciding factors
in my decision to go to that shower for sure.
i knew {since she will be having her little squirt in a month or less}
that i might never have the chance for that photo again.


so i went.
and i am so very glad i did.


well, i have to say,
though it was a long day that ended on a disappointing note,
i called my friend dierdre on my fifteen minute drive home
from the church where the wedding was.
i had to tell her how bummed i was,
as i had seen her this morning over coffee and hot cocoa
and told her all about my plans for the day.


i joked about meeting up with her again tonight,
since i was all dressed up and hated to waste a cute dress
and the time it took me to do my hair
{which i rarely ever do}
and make-up
{which i rarely ever wear}.


she offered to meet me at a restaurant a block from my house...
a nice restaurant with a great little front bar area.
she bought me a little glass of wine
{don't freak out... it's the only one this entire pregnancy}
and a delicious spinach/artichoke dip appetizer.


we had such a nice time chatting... one of those unexpected, unplanned visits
that life sometimes throws our way.
it really did make up for an anti-climactic ending to what started out a beautiful day.


then i came home and listened to herb alpert with b.
among many other great musicians.
we had a tasty pizza with greek fixin's
and then we listened to more music.
and we had some good talks thrown in there, too.


all in all, it was still a very good day.
and since tomorrow is my twenty-three mark in this pregnancy,
i decided to take more self-portraits.
why not?
i'm all dressed up anyway!


to go with my "ghost of a chance" theme,
i put the three more ghostly {oops} shots first.
below are the rest.
{the last one was taken by b., though.}


twenty-three down.
seventeen to go.

23 weeks_7

23 weeks_5

23 weeks_10

23 weeks_12

23 weeks_6

23 weeks_13


23 weeks_2

19 comments:

stacey said...

So happy you were able to spend some time with some precious friends, even though not as much time as you hoped with the second.

You look ADORABLE!!

Anonymous said...

Oh. what a fun dress! I would so wear that if I were a decade or perhaps two decades younger. It's ruffly and caaute!

Di

nacherluver said...

3 words
Beautiful
Baby
Bump
!!!!

georgia b. said...

thanks, you two.
=)

beth said...

what a day.....but one you will never forget and sometimes that's all that really matters :)

Marcie said...

You made me laugh - your juggling two events in one day. And - I love the dreamy images. Very creative!

Hi Kooky said...

Wow - what a beautiful, fashionable mama! Okay, so I have to admit I was smiling as I pictured driving like a maniac across country roads...

Ashley Sisk said...

2 events in a day is rather ambitious, but you looked beautiful. I love love love the first couple of shots. Very cool!

Colleen said...

It's hard not to want to do everything, especially two such wonderful things. Sorry it didn't work out for you, but the pictures are wonderful and you look gorgeous!

georgia b. said...

thanks, ladies!

it was a lot of fun to get all dolled up... after wearing sweats around the house for five months!
=)

mrs mediocrity said...

you are so beautiful. i LOVE the ghost images. it sounds like a crazy day but you were trying to be a good friend, and that counts for something.

Lisa said...

Oh my gosh! Cutest dress ever! You look sooo pretty. And this sounds like it was a really hectic day. I definitely know how that feels. But at least you did still have fun, right? :P And you got to dress up for a day! Sometimes dressing up is just enough to lift our spirits... <3 OH and all of these photos are amazing, but the first two are soooo cool. Even if they were "oops" photos, they turned out really rad. I love how ghostly they look! And they kind of remind me of really old, eerie photos. Just sooo cool.

georgia b. said...

thanks, kelly and lisa!

Rochelle said...

wow, friend, what a day!!! i'm sorry to hear about all of that, but i'm also glad you did have some sweet time with each of them even if it wasn't all you wanted. i remember having 2 showers to get to with a 40 min driving time between each with them lasting the same time frame. that was the day of michele's shower. i had another one that as that day went on, i realized i was not going to make it to. i was even just thinking about that today and how i kinda wished i could have been at the other one, but then i never would have gotten to share the sweet, sweet time i had with all of you and the spontaneously sweet time together that evening with you! {and oh my gosh, sorting through my purse the other day i found that napkin that you wrote on, lol!!! wow, still so meaningful, you are the best!!}. anyway, i understand the desire to be at two things at once and not sure how to handle it. i think either way we go sometimes have regrets. thank you for sharing your experience so we can all think of that the next time we try to do too many things at once. ;)

you know though, you do have quite a neat story to tell! it sounds like the viewing of the bride was a pretty cool experience - and i gasped when i heard you say the photographer got it all in pics! how neat!!!

so... it didn't go the way you'd hoped, but it was a full day, and def a day to remember. you have some neat memories now. :) no regrets. just remember it for next time.

you are gorgeous G. i'm so happy for you & all that you are going through right now!! i'm praying for you lots and hope to see you soon. :) love & hugs to ya friend!!

Dagmar said...

Gosh your story made me smile today. And your little belly looks adorible in that dress. Tell baby b I sais hi and give him/her a little cuddle from the lady at the other end of the ocean.

Hugs my friend.
D.

margie said...

i can only say "GREAT DRESS".

georgia b. said...

awwww... shucks!
thanks, ya'll.
=)

Anonymous said...

just found your blog via beth at more doors - beautiful photography!! and this pregnancy self-portrait is wonderful & radiant. plus that dress is fantastic! :)

georgia b. said...

thank you, sperlygirl!