Charleston

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This year for our Hendo Girls’ Trip we had two pregnant chicks:  Siri and myself.  Siri is due two weeks before me.  Out of consideration for us “knocked-ups” they decided to do an earlier excursion.  We usually go in November when the boys are hunting, but since Siri will already have a newborn by then [she is having an induction date scheduled sometime soon], we planned it for September.  Last year we went to Chicago and we loved it so much we decided to go somewhere new again!  Charleston, South Carolina was the lucky host city.

It is a special place to Zach’s sister Lori – two of her birth mothers [Lola’s birth mom and Will’s birth mom] were from Charleston.  None of us had ever been and we were elated to explore a new place!

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Traveling while pregnant is sexy, no?  I’ve never felt more egg-shaped in my life!

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We arrived around 4:00 local time.  The street on which we were staying was closed down to regular traffic for a little shopping and dining event.  It was so much fun to see all the people out and about.

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We shopped for a bit before heading out for our dinner reservation.  It was my first time experiencing southern food.  Shrimp and grits – definitely worth trying!

Our first full day we went on a walking history tour of Charleston.  Our darling tour guide, Palmer, showed us around.  We learned a little bit about the Civil War, saw a lot of historic architecture, and even spotted some familiar landmarks [and when I say landmarks, I mean movie scenery and set locations].

Side Note:  Charleston is humid.  Hot and humid.  The first day was so much so that we all basically wore work-out attire.  I brought one of the only dri-fit shirts that actually fits these days – which happens to be a peachy color.  I deemed myself “Katie and the Giant Peach”.

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If you’re a fan of the movie The Notebook [let’s be honest – what female isn’t?!] then you might recognize this mansion…

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That night we dined at another local spot called SNOB, where I tried Carolina gold rice.  Later we stopped for treats on our way back to our hotel.  Milkshakes, fudge, and for me – pumpkin ice cream!  It was my favorite dessert of the trip, to be honest.  We took our spoils back to our room to watch The Notebook.  The hotel we were staying at had Apple TV.  I hope the rest of the world catches on to this trend…

That night Lori got a call from the adoption agency she has been working with for the process of getting her fourth baby.  The birth mom that had picked her and her family had gone into labor early.  It was after midnight when she got the call and the Charleston Airport was already closed.  The sweet little baby boy was born less than an hour later.  Lori caught the first flight home in the wee hours the morning.  We were so sad she had to leave early, but so excited for her!

The next day we took a plantation tour.  We explored Middleton Place [the Patriot was filmed there] and spent the majority of the day on the property.  We had lunch – the homemade cornbread was my favorite, took a carriage ride, toured the house, and explored the gardens.

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When we returned back to the city we all got changed for dinner at Hall’s Chophouse.  It was only six blocks away from our hotel so we decided to walk.  The light drizzle we were in soon turned to pouring rain.  I’ve never been caught in a storm like that before.  It wasn’t so much rain as it was sheets of water coming down.  We were all drenched within minutes!

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The next day was unscheduled.  We had a lunch date at Cru Cafe – my favorite lunch of the entire trip.

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I then made all the girls walk over a mile to Sugar Bakeshop for some delicious cupcakes.  The blueberry lemon and almond were my favorite.  I hope they were as pleased as I was to try them.  PS – If you’re wondering why my hair is in a scraggly knot on my head in every single picture and also why we all have a slight sheen to our bodies, it would be due to the high humidity.  I’ve never experienced humid air like in the south before.  I have mad respect for ladies that curl and style their hair each day in Charleston, you are all my idols!

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We shopped for a bit together before all going our separate ways.  My favorite buys were some killer deal items purchased at Madewell and a Christmas outfit for baby girl at a shop called Kids on King.  Shopping for myself these days is not as much fun…being egg-shaped and all.

That night we had dinner at HUSK – where we all tried crispy fried chicken skins and deep fried catfish.

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The weather decided to turn rainy again so we spent our last night in Charleston at a very unique movie theater.  Cinebar – where you could order brownie sundaes, chocolate cake, milkshakes, and popcorn and have it brought to your theater seat.  Which we did, obviously.  We stayed cool and dry that night and enjoyed the 100 Foot Journey.  It made me ache for Paris already.

It was such a fantastic long weekend.  I can’t describe how much I love being with my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws.  We know how to have a good time, no doubt about it.

As for southern food, I have made my ratings.

Shrimp and Grits: B / southern Cornbread: A+ / Carolina gold rice: A / southern Buscuits: A / Fried Chicken Skin: C+ / Fried Catfish: D

Sadly, we found out the birth mom had decided to parent the baby on her own that Lori and her family had been involved with.  It was devestating news and my heart is broken for Lori and Travis.  Hoping heaven sends another sweet baby [and a willing birth mother] to the Waylands very, very soon.  In the meantime, we are all sending prayers and positive thoughts their way.

I officially turned 31 weeks pregnant while in Charleston and am thanking my lucky stars that I am pregnant in Utah and not in South Carolina.  Dry heat is the way I wanna live, that’s for sure!

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