2015 Already?!

After tossing around a few ideas, Colt suggested this scripture for our 2015 family motto. I liked it, and I also liked that C picked it out so I didn't have to make a decision. I just got to sketch it out in my beautiful new sketchbook (thanks, babe!). So, Proverbs 3:5-6 it is! No matter what we may deal with, I know that when we trust the Lord, everything will work out as it should.

I can't believe it's 2015...or that I'm supposed to have a baby this month. Sometime within the next three and a half weeks, I'm going to be a mama (hopefully sooner rather than later). Blows my mind.

One of my two resolutions for this year is to give my husband and son the undivided attention they deserve. This means making significant cutbacks in time spent on the computer, phone, and on Facebook. Those things are serious time-sucks for me, and I want to be more present. 

My other resolution is to run a half-marathon...because obviously I'm crazy. Given the amount of running I've done recently (i.e. none), this one is definitely ambitious; I'm also not used to having to work around a baby's schedule, so we will see how it goes. Wish me luck!

2015 is going to be full of changes. Life will never be the same, but in a good way! New babies, brother-in-laws being added to our family left and right...I can't wait to see how it all unfolds! And, lucky me, I get to experience it all with this gent by my side.

Sweet Week

Tuesday was my birthday. Colt leaves very early for work, so I woke up to ^ that  awesome, self-esteem boosting message, a funny card and very sweet letter, a clean kitchen, and 20 bucks to take myself to a fancy lunch (since we couldn't hang out during the day). I went into work, then came home to beautiful flowers and a big hug from Colt before going in to have my hair all did. I'm dark blonde now! It's a fun change-and low maintenance, for when baby gets here. Then Colt and I went to dinner, and we came home and opened presents and watched a movie. Colt also made me a kick-a birthday dessert...which we have eaten pretty much every day this week. YUM. Thanks so much, babe! You made my birthday so great.

 Sorry if you find this picture creepy (it's ok, I sometimes secretly found other people's ultrasounds quite unsettling), but honestly, if you had seen the front view of his face a few months ago, you would agree that he is looking pretty adorable these days! The day after my birthday, we had our 35 week ultrasound to see how big the baby is and make sure all is well in there. We will be in Oregon for Christmas, and my doctor just wanted to take a peek and make sure we were good to go! It was so cool to see how big our little peanut has become-he currently weights 5 lbs 7 oz, and is on track to be about 7.5 lbs if he comes on time. According to the doctor, baby is in the correct position for delivery, or, as he put it, "ready for take-off." That was good to hear. We could also see that our little guy has hair! A little bit of peach fuzz, just like his daddy had when he was a baby, as well as his mama's EXTRA chubby cheeks. That big white bulge is his chipmunk cheek; looks like he's been enjoying all the hot chocolate I've been drinking ;)
I love Christmas lights. Tonight, Colt and I drove over to the Fir Grove neighborhood to check out the festivities. Not every house was decorated (but tons were!), and they weren't all professionally done or anything, but I think that makes it more fun. It reminds me of when I was a kid and we'd just cruise around the neighborhood and count how many decorated homes we saw. This particular neighborhood has been putting on a light display for over 25 years, and we were pretty impressed. I love starting our own family traditions.

Baby, It's Cold Outside: 34½ Weeks

How Far Along? 34 and a half weeks. Only five weeks left (hopefully)! Baby's Size Equivalent? A pineapple. Mmm...pineapple is yummy. Maternity Clothes? Same old story. Some of my regular clothes still fit, some don't. I tried to put on the shirt I wore for our engagement photos, and that was a little bit hilarious. How Are You Sleeping? I'm doing ok. My belly has gotten heavy enough that it pulls on my ligaments when I lay on my side, so Colt bought me a fluffy pillow to support it when I go to sleep. It's sort of sad when your belly requires it's own pillow. Pretty soon it will need it's own apartment. Best moment this week? We were able to go to an Infant Basics class offered through our hospital. I learned how to swaddle! Colt is better at it, though. Swaddling is too much like oragami for me to be especially adept. And, if you want to get real honest, the other best moment was when someone shoved a menu for a local Chinese restaurant through the slit in our front door advertising a "buy one entree, get one free" special. Oh, sesame chicken. It's been too long. Weird pregnancy moment? I think I'm a little more emotional than usual. Colt made me a sandwich for lunch in the morning before he left for work, and when I found it in the fridge, I almost cried. Also, I keep finding mysterious little spots and stains on the bellies of my shirts. I don't know how they get there, and I only notice them after the fact, when I go to put the shirt on again a few days later. Waaaah! Any Movement: Yes, but he's gotten bigger, so movements happen a little less often, and they feel more like nudges and waves than sharp jabs and somersaults. He's running out of room in there! Anything making you queasy? No, but small amounts of food continue to fill me up super quickly. Thanksgiving dinner was a crisis. How About Cravings? Biscuits with peanut butter and honey have become delicious unto me. And raw veggies with sour cream ranch dip. That's pretty much the only way I will eat vegetables these days. What I'm Looking Forward To: Our doctor is going to do an ultrasound next week to see how big baby is measuring. I hope he can tell us if little man has any hair! 

I Am Thankful For:

 My Savior and the Atonement. I can't adequately express how grateful I am for the changes and the miracles in my life that have been made possible through Christ. Because of Him, I do not have to live life afraid. I know we are being looked after, and I am so thankful.

Colton. I hope I can raise our son to be half the man his daddy is. I'll have to ask Terri for tips :) I don't know how I made it 23 years without him in my life, but I'm so glad I have him for the rest of my years and beyond. He is my best friend, my partner-in-crime, and my sweetheart. I love you, babe.

Our little boy. I can't believe we are only 7 and a half weeks away from meeting him and snuggling his little face. I'm so grateful and excited to be starting our own little family.

Our families. Not only do I have the best parents and sisters, and the most wonderful in-laws, we also have such loving, thoughtful extended family. I'm stoked that we live so much closer to relatives on both sides this year. 

My health. That's me at 32 weeks! Thus far, my pregnancy has been healthy and the pregnancy symptoms have been relatively tame. I know that many pregnant women really struggle throughout their pregnancies, and there are so many complications that can occur...I'm just thankful to be doing ok. Our bodies are pretty miraculous.

The holiday season. Oh my gosh, I love this time of year. It makes my heart so happy. We put up our tree at the beginning of November and it wasn't even my idea! Colt just knew I would like it, and I do. Don't worry, we held off decorating it until this week...so that makes it better, right? I'm so happy we are having a little January babe. It's like getting an extra three weeks of Christmas with the best present at the end.

Sorry that some of the pictures are kind of grainy. And poorly lit. And involve me holding a cell phone in front of my face at a funny angle in a somewhat messy bedroom. But, hey,  my life is sometimes grainy and messy and rarely involves perfect lighting, so it's a pretty fair representation, I think. It's still a very good life.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 

P.S. Things I Find Thoroughly Unimpressive:

 Michael Bublé. 

 People making all kinds of food with brussel sprouts on Instagram.

The idea of me giving birth without an epidural.

Whoa, Mama!: 30 Weeks

 How Far Along? 30 weeks! Time is flying. Even though it's unlikely, baby could technically be here in just eight weeks! Wouldn't that be nice (also, scary)? Baby's Size Equivalent? Everyone's favorite gourd: the butternut squash. Maternity Clothes? Still mixing and matching. Can I just say, thank goodness for low-rise jeans. How Are You Sleeping? Pretty well; Colt has graciously allowed me to use him as my body pillow. Ah, young love. Best moment this week? Lots of great things! We've started shopping for baby a little at a time, and it's been so fun getting his things together. My parents came down for a weekend visit, and we knocked a few more things off the list-thanks, Mimi and Papa-Todd! Seeing his room come together and washing his tiny clothes makes me so antsy for him to arrive. Also, it's been fun to see Colt getting excited. He's so pumped for his little buddy to get here :) Weird pregnancy moment? Little boy has started to move differently. He still kicks, pushes, and jabs, but sometimes I feel what can only be described as a wave from one area of my belly to the other. I think it happens when he rolls over. It's a weird cross between cool and creepy. Any Movement: Yep! He still moves a lot, although I tend to feel him more at certain times of day. I think he's getting on a little sleep schedule in there. Also, we play a game when he's moving a lot; I'll push a spot on my belly, and he'll kick in that direction. I push in a different spot, and he'll push back. And if I rest anything on my belly (like my hand, or a book), he kicks at it. Anything making you queasy? No, but I'm still riding the indigestion train. I hate this train. How About Cravings? I wanted Red Robin's Honey Mustard dressing real bad, so I walked into one of their locations a couple days ago and asked if they would give me some. They did-fo' free! No shame.  What I'm Looking Forward To: Deciding on a name. We have a couple favorites, but they change every few weeks or so. I think we need to see what he looks like before we nail it down.

Where There Is Love, There Is Life

Pregnancy Tales: Halloween Edition

I have a spooky little story for you, just in time for Halloween! Here's what went down, as far as I remember:

This morning, I woke up early to ride the bike before I had to get ready for work. Colt leaves around six, so I was alone. I walked into the living room to pull up Nanny911 on Netflix (because nothing says "I'm preparing for parenthood!" like binge-watching shows about families struggling with outrageous behavioral issues. So instructional!). It was still dark outside, so I shut the blinds on our sliding glass door so that when I turned on the lights, people wouldn't be able to stare at the sweaty pregnant lady pedaling away in her at-home workout attire (which isn't exactly long and loose-fitting these days, if you know what I mean. It isn't neighborly to subject the innocent to such a spectacle that early in the morning).

After I finished, I put the bike back in the spare room and proceeded to hit the shower. When I came back out into the kitchen, I looked across the living room and noticed that the blinds were wide open. 

"I didn't open the blinds..." I thought to myself. 

Even now, I have zero recollection of pulling the shades back. 

A prickle of fear shivered up my spine. I stared around our tiny apartment, then turned to head back to our room to finish getting ready. However, as I passed the spare room (I don't think I can call it "baby's room" until his crib is in there), I noticed that the door was almost completely shut.

"Did I shut the door?" 

No, Sam. NO YOU DID NOT!

The prickle of fear became more like a surge. I gently pushed the door back and peeked inside...and this is the creepiest part, you guys. When I stuck my head in there, it smelled like cig smoke. We have neighbors who smoke *even though they aren't supposed to,* but it was 7:30 a.m. and the spare room window faces a side yard; not an especially convenient place for someone to light up. Of course, after assessing the situation, I knew immediately that a murderous smoker had scaled three balconies, picked the lock on our patio door, pushed back my blinds, and was now hiding in the baby's closet stinking up the bedroom, just waiting for me to find him so that he could proceed to do pretty much everything I've ever seen on Law and Order: SVU. 

"What do I do?! This situation isn't 911 warranted, right? Do I call the police? Do I leave the apartment? But I have to be at work! And I'm in my bathrobe! And underneath that, I'm naked! Maybe he's just a friendly bum and if I offer to make him some breakfast, we'll be able to talk it out and he'll just leave..." 

I was obviously in a completely rational state of mind. I don't know if you've heard, but pregnancy hormones cause women to behave in completely logical, sensible ways. Really hones your common sense, that pregnancy does.

You see everyone, at this point, I was about 92% convinced someone was in our house. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, I recommend that you take everything that I did/did not do, and just do the opposite. Mmk? Use the following information as a cautionary tale; a "What Not To Do," if you will.

 I decided the best course of action would be to pretend like I didn't know there  was someone in the closet, and hope that maybe he would just keep hiding. So I walked to the kitchen and grabbed the kitchen scissors, put them in my pocket, and went back to my bathroom. After a few minutes, it occurred to me that maybe I should shut and lock the door. So I did. 

I locked myself in a tiny bathroom with a feeble lock and no windows, with a pair of scissors to defend myself. 

Keep in mind, friends, we have three guns. And ammo. 

 I don't even want to think about how long I'd last if I were chosen for the Hunger Games.

 I texted Colt to tell him I was a little bit creeped out. He graciously asked if I would like him to come back home to check things out. It hadn't occurred to me to ask him to do so, but I promptly took him up on the offer. Yes, I made my sweet, patient, long-suffering husband come all the way back home to check the closet for bad guys. I felt bad. But I didn't ask him to, he volunteered! 

Can you guess how this story ends? 

Yeah, you're darn right there was no bad guy in the spare room. Or in any other closet, corner, or crevice of our apartment, for that matter. We checked. It's quite likely that I did, in fact, re-open the blinds and half-close the door behind me before I got in the shower this morning. Colt stayed with me while I finished getting ready, then we left together so I could give him a ride back to work (it was raining, and he was on his motorcycle. It was the least I could do).

Pregnancy brain is real guys. It makes you forget things, creating paranoia and mass chaos.  Either that, or we have a little Halloween ghosty occupying our apartment. Both concepts are equally terrifying.

Happy Halloween!