sitting here

I'm sitting here at my dining room table. We've recently placed it by the sliding glass doors so I now enjoy throwing open the curtains every morning and letting the light in. I'm still in my pajamas, face unwashed, and breakfast dishes are by my elbow. The house is quiet. Baby boy is sleeping upstairs. (Little man, we get the biggest kick out of how like your mother you are. How you like to snooze until 9 a.m. and how difficult you find waking up to be.) The Christmas tree lights are on and I've got a candle burning. I'm about to get another cup of coffee. Ordinary things, ordinary morning. But what is so wonderful to me right now is how I'm feeling. Content.

Oh, contentment. You've been elusive for so long. But now here you are again. It's funny how you show up at the oddest times. When the facets of my life are a bit in shambles or sort of up in the air or just plain crazy. Strangely, you show up. And I take a deep breath, drop my shoulders, and say a little prayer of thanks.

I'm sitting here looking at the frozen outside, wearing wools socks, and waiting for a little boy to wake up so I can kiss his cheeks. And I'm content. How 'bout that?

life lately (in pictures)









two months / hangin' out with some fall flowers

In true new mommy fashion I'm a day late on this post. C is now a whoppin' two months old. Every day he gets a little bigger. Every day he is discovering new things. Seeing him change and develop before my eyes is amazing. And a little heart wrenching. Already we have a pile of baby clothes that no longer fit. Already it is all going too fast.

Baby C, your newfound smiles bring me the greatest joy. I laugh when I see you realize that you can grab your firefly toy and then proceed to punch the heck out of it. Nothing is sweeter than the sound of your little baby coos. I am obsessed with your little hands. You've recently started holding on to my shirt while you nurse and my mama heart almost can't handle it. I love you.

well this just blows my mind

I guess Jean Claude Van Damme still got it! Great ad.

a sleeping baby

 

A sleeping baby. One of the most peaceful sights to be seen. My child thinks naps during the day are for punks. But sometimes he gives a girl a break and takes a little snooze, which you think would mean peace of mind for me. However, it usually leads to some sort of internal dialogue that goes like this, "Should I eat? What do I have time to make? How long is he going to sleep? Do we even have food in the house? Crap, maybe I should shower instead. But wait, what if he wakes up while I'm in the shower? Will I hear him? How long do I have until he wakes up? Gosh, I really stink and should probably shower. But I'm so hungry. Maybe I'll just sit down and have a cup of coffee. It's been weeks since I've managed to drink an entire cup while it's hot. Dammit! I hear him, I think he just woke up. No, he settled back down. Argh I should probably pump while he's asleep. I hate pumping. Man, I'm really hungry. I really need a shower. Oh! Maybe I have time to throw a load of laundry in. Is he still sleeping? Is he breathing?! Oh ok he's fine. Screw it, I'm going to sit down and rest for a few minutes. Maybe I'll watch another episode of The Vampire Diaries. Shit, he just woke up. Hold on while I shove some pretzels in my mouth..."

Please tell me I'm not alone in this.

happy halloween!

Happy Halloween, ya'll! I've talked about my love for this holiday before. This year I was extra excited because I knew I'd have a little one to dress up. And, if I may say so myself, baby C's costume was a success. Even though he looks less than thrilled, I think he made one cute caterpillar. Yesterday, when I had yet to even start pulling it together, I was slightly cursing my snobbery about Halloween costumes. Handmade only around here, no store bought. My mother is responsible for this. She made our costumes every year, thus the snobbery. Somewhat similar to my Christmas tree snobbery. I take Halloween pretty seriously. And apparently so does my new neighborhood. These people commit! Houses were all decked out and the trick-or-treaters came out in droves. Everyone sits outside their doors, hanging out and chit chatting. We drastically underestimated how much candy we would need, but it was great. Our little Jack-o-Lantern family made me smile. I am so happy to be starting traditions with C. I suppose if I do my job right he'll also be a costume snob.

you can always go home

We spent this past weekend at my parents' place. Husband had a bike race on Saturday (1st place and a cash prize- woo hoo!) and my mom and I had a baby shower to attend. It was just easier to pack up baby C's stuff and head on over there. However, truth be told, I had to lay out all the baby stuff in a manner I usually save for packing for long vacations in order to ensure that I didn't forget anything. And I think my mom and dad thought we were moving in permanently when they took a look at the number of bags we stumbled in with. Crikey, if that was just two days worth of packing for a baby then I'm scared to see what a week's worth is like. I thought we were going to have to strap the baby to the roof of the car. This must be why people cave and buy minivans.

While visits to their apartment isn't like going to my childhood home - thinking about the sale of that house still makes me sad - there is something comforting about hanging out with good ol' mom and dad for the weekend. Maybe it is because when I am at my own home I feel like any precious down time should be spent doing something productive. Maybe it is because my parents' apartment is cozy while I feel like we haven't finished moving into our house even after 3 months. Maybe it is because my mom cooks us dinner. Or maybe it is because they have cable. Every time we go over there we get excited to watch TV. Sad, I know. Whatever it is, I like it. I sort of didn't want to leave yesterday. It didn't hurt that my mom was taking her role as grandma pretty seriously. I had all sorts of help with the baby. I actually showered and put makeup on two days in a row. A small miracle these days.

Weekends like this make me glad we moved here. My time with my grandparents was limited due to distance and their passing while I was still young, so it makes me happy that my mom and dad are a big part of C's life. Just a little something to be thankful for on a Monday.

one month / just chillin' with my pumpkin

Somehow a whole month has passed by. My baby boy is one month old today. I'd say so far so good. Yes, there have been a couple of meltdowns. Some him, some me. For the record, I'm pretty sure my meltdowns were worse. Sleep deprivation will do that to a person. Especially if that person is me. But nothing beats this. Having a baby and being a mama is the best hardest thing I've ever done.

I love you, baby C. You make your mama pretty darn happy.

hello, lover

found here

 

 

 

 

 

It's boot season (cue me singing It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year)

day by day

Tired, but happy. That's the name of the game around here. My days are so drastically different than they were just a few short weeks ago. My days are now measured in the number of diapers changed, hours slept, the time between feedings. I've come to realize is that I'm not going to do much during the day besides care for my little man. Some days come to an end and I realize I haven't showered. It's a rarity that I change out of sweatpants. The only reason my bathroom is clean is because my dad came over and cleaned it. And it's a banner day when I manage to eat all three meals.

But caring for my son is a big thing. A big, wonderful thing. The other day he looked me in the eye for the first time and all the tired seemed to fall away.


P.S. This picture is what we call baby C's E.T. look

happy, happy fall

I decided that we needed to usher in fall this weekend even if the temperature felt more like summer. Plus, I desperately needed to get out of the house and join the land of the living. So off to Linvilla Orchards we went. Pumpkins and apples galore! I even managed to snag an apple cider donut which made me a happy camper. C slept the whole time - kind of a miracle, really - so there were no meltdowns, making our first real family outing a success (I'm not counting the trip out for diapers the other night).

Happy fall, ya'll.

sometimes this happens...

But I still think he is the most precious little guy.

Sleep is minimal (and so are showers) here in my world, but my baby brings me joy and on a good day I think I can get the hang of this mommy thing. Here's to taking it a day at a time.

sept. 22

September 22 is a day that forever changed my life. It's the day we welcomed baby C into this world. Words fail to describe the experience so I'm not even going to try. All I can say is that my heart is fuller and I have more love in my life than I ever thought possible.

We love you, little man. You are amazing. P.S. Thanks for not beating us up too much during your first week.

a little update / yes, i'm still pregnant

I'm still pregnant.

I guess this baby is nice and cozy in there. I tried to shake him/her up by putting an insane amount of red pepper flakes in our dinner last night. Reenie, you would have died. All I succeeded in doing was pissing this baby off. I had to deal with crazy gymnastics for a good hour or so while trying to fall asleep.

I've been getting a lot of questions lately. So here goes. This is all I know.

Baby will be born sometime between right now and next Friday. It will be a human. Caucasian. If not, then I have some serious explaining to do, don't I? LennyKravitzILoveYou. Either a boy or girl. We do not have names picked out. C'mon, did you think we would? We have a running list. Frankly, even if we did have names picked out we wouldn't be telling anyone. As an aside, whenever I ask husband about names he responds that we will name the baby, "Jerome". This is regardless if baby is a boy or girl. Not sure what to do with that.

Alright, my loved ones. If it seems like I am ignoring you a bit this week, well, I am. And I'm about to ignore you even more. While I do very much appreciate all of you who have checked in, husband and I are going to take these next days (week?) to focus on us and prepare (ha, ha) for the little one about to come into our lives. I'm signing off until this baby is born. Unless you paid my college tuition or had college tuition paid by the same people as me then you won't be hearing from me in any format. You can try to bug husband, but under normal circumstances he only answers texts, emails and messages via the Facebook about 30% of the time. So good luck with that.

See you on the flip side. xoxo.

emails from mom

Some people receive emails from their mom about coming over for pot roast on Sunday or discussing what Aunt Betty is up to. I receive emails entitled "celebrity update" and they contain sentences such as these:

Liam and Miley split. Thank goodness. I kept telling him she's trashy and he could do much better. 

 

And have you ever seen a photo of Tom Ford? Wow. He's smokin'. And gay. Oh well.

Mom, why "oh well"? And since when is "smokin'" part of your vernacular?

hey, you in there. time's up.

Hey. The eviction notice is coming soon, little ornery baby. I've determined that I'm never going to feel completely ready for your arrival so you might as well come out. Plus, I'm afraid I'm going to topple over if my belly gets any bigger. So, it's time to turn the right way (enough of this breech nonsense) and pick your birthday. Ok?

pregnancy friends

While pregnancy is a wonderful, wonderful experience there are moments when it is hard. Make that damn hard. Just the act of putting on my shoes has almost done me in once or twice. The belly sure can get in the way. And I most definitely got stuck on the couch the other night. Every pregnant lady has her own life savers. The things that make getting through the day a little easier. I'd like to give a shout out to:

• Trips to The Main Freeze (fondly referred to by husband and me as The Main Squeeze) in Lansdale. Soft serve ice cream to the rescue.
• Polar brand seltzer water. You're not wine, but you'll do.
• The Walking Dead. I've never enjoyed zombie guts so much. I find myself strangely attracted to Daryl the redneck. Is there something wrong with me? There's something wrong with me, isn't there? Can I blame it on the pregnancy hormones? Oh, and we're only just starting season 3. Please don't tell me he bites the dust.
• Smoothies from Red Mango. I think I went every day for 2 weeks straight before I had an intervention for myself.
• Maxi dresses. Thank you for hiding my cankles.
• Husband's foot rubs. Honey, thank you for never mentioning my fat feet. I love you. 

hello, lover

from here

'bout ready

Happy September! Where did the summer go? Husband woke me up on Sunday and said, "This month is our baby's birthday month!" It is t-minus 9 days until this baby's due date. Which really means that he or she could decide that any day now would be a good day for a birthday. Cue me mildly freaking out. I'm beginning to consider the idea of wearing a diaper to work every day for fear of my water breaking while I'm in the office.

Husband and I are in the midst of trying to get all the last minute baby things done, as well as squeeze in some quality time together. We had a date at Distrito this weekend-- we called it "the last supper" - and even made it to a movie on rainy Labor Day. (Two thumbs up for The Butler and Oprah's performance. Obviously, watching Lenny Kravitz was my favorite part. Obviously.)

Hope everyone's September is off to a great start. I'll be spending the upcoming days trying to convince this baby to make an appearance at a convenient time for mom and dad. Think it will work?

dear philadelphia

Dear Philly,

You sure are a funny city. I get the biggest kick out of you. 

Yesterday I waited in line for a smoothie with a transvestite in American flag hot pants and knee high black boots. It was all kinds of awesome. She had way better legs than me. 

Sometimes strangers on the street ask me, "What are you having?" as I walk past. I always smile and say, "I don't know. It's a surprise!" Bonus points to the young man this morning for calling me "miss". Even though I'm about to be a mom, "ma'am" makes me feel old. 

I was waddling to the train station last week and stopped at an intersection blocked by cars. I tend to be cautious at intersections because a) these days I can't move as fast as I normally do and b) Philly drivers can be crazy. However, a very nice man in a pimped out purple shirt, tie and hat combo leaned out of his very shiny BMW and told me I was safe to cross. Put a smile on my face at the end of a very long day.

Philly, a lot of times you smell like pee. And too many people smoke. And I think I am becoming desensitized to all the homeless people (which makes me sad). 

But you are a funny city that continues to surprise me. I love you.

xo,

Julia

yes, please.

Really looking forward to wearing clothes with a waistline again. One that is actually at my waist and not clear up to my boobs. I'll just go ahead and start praying right now for my body to bounce back. You can pray for me too. It wouldn't hurt. Think there's a patron saint of post-pregnancy bodies?

No? Didn't think so.

And, yes, in case you were wondering I am also really looking forward to a big glass of wine. And a giant cup of caffeinated coffee. And a steak cooked medium-rare. And sleeping on my stomach. And living without the fear of cankles. I'm going to stop now.


image via Boden

a little update / good things lately

Life has been a whirlwind lately, but full of good things. I've reached the point where I'm pretty sure I waddle instead of walk. The belly gets quite the stares from strangers on the street these days (perhaps I look like I'm about to burst right then and there?!). I'm picking out paint colors, washing tiny baby clothes, sterilizing bottles, loving the chances I get to ride the train with husband, enjoying my new and glorious short commute, becoming increasingly addicted to Red Mango, and finally getting around to watching The Walking Dead.

All in all, life is pretty darn good. Hope everything is grand in all of your corners of the world.

dear baby

Dear baby,

I wish so much for you. But more than anything I want your daddy and I to be able to provide you with the experiences that make up the precious, precious gift that is a happy childhood. I want you to have:

• A big, goofy dog to love. One that is a part of the family and that you'll miss long into adulthood.
• The excitement that holidays bring. I want you to know that Halloween means pumpkins on the porch and homemade costumes. Christmas will mean dedicating a day to decorating the house and another one to making cookies.
• Family movie nights on the couch. 
• The thrill of catching fireflies.
• Vacations that require long car rides. At least one to Disney World. Because a childhood isn't complete without the ordeal of a family road trip. 
• Curiosity. The kind that results in muddy knees.
• The best kinds of afternoons that are made up of nothing more than a trip to McDonald's for lunch, a visit to the library for new books, and a stop at the YMCA pool.
• A little brother or sister to pester. And to pester you.
• Forts made out of couch cushions.
• Special nights where you are allowed to eat dinner on trays in front of the TV.
• Sledding in the winter snow followed by hot chocolate made on the stove. Barbecue chicken and drippy popsicles eaten on the deck or patio in the summertime.

This is a short list. There are many more things to add. We probably won't be the family that has the giant trampoline in the back yard. And you might not get the Barbie dream house (mommy didn't get one either). But you will be loved. So, so much.

Love,

Mommy

happy friday

Happy Friday, ya'll. My weekend plans include unpacking, unpacking and unpacking. As of Wednesday we started life in our new place. The floors are wood (yahoo!), the commute to work is short (double yahoo!) and we have plenty of storage space (triple yahoo!). A big, pregnant lady thanks to husband for doing all of the moving by his lonesome. I merely sat at work keeping tabs on his hourly Facebook updates as to how it was going. He's my hero.

My nesting instincts have recently kicked in and I'm anxious to get settled and make the place feel like home. Know what always annoys me about moving to a new place? How it takes awhile to smell like your own. Know what I mean? I already have a giant shopping list started. I am predicting many trips to Target and Ikea in our future.

So here's to the weekend! If you don't hear from me on Monday it's because I got lost in a giant pile of cardboard boxes.

when your egg-o is preggo

So I feel like I should write some things down about being pregnant because I heard a) you block everything out after the whole thing is done and b) mommy brain is way worse than pregnancy brain and I won't remember any of the details. Let me start off by saying that pregnancy is different for everyone because every woman's body is different and every baby is different. Some people love being pregnant and others not so much. 

Here are some things I'd like any ladies planning to be mamas someday to know about being pregnant:

• Hormones are a bitch. Crying will occur.
• There will be days that you will want to eat everything in sight. Other days you will have no interest in food. But there will most likely be one food that always tastes good. Too bad that ice cream has no nutritional value.
• You will have at least one experience where you tear everything out of your closet in a mad panic trying to get dressed in the morning before work because your pre-preggo clothes no longer fit. You might contemplate wearing one of your husband's dress shirts. Don't do it. But do put a hair tie around the button of your regular jeans to make them fit.
• Some days you will feel beautiful and womanly and other days you will just feel plain ol' fat.
• Cankles happen. They suck. A little crying may occur
• Yes, you will have to pee a lot. And in your third trimester you'll often haul yourself to the bathroom, get back to your desk/seat/couch and realize almost immediately that you have to go again.
• When your body really starts to change you might have a mini breakdown in the dressing room at Destination Maternity or in the maternity section of Target. Give that maxi dress the finger and move on. Tomorrow you will feel better.
• At some point you will feel like you are not going to be a good mother. Yes, crying will occur.
• People will stare at you.
• Shaving your bikini line will become nothing short of a gymnastic feat.
• At times you will think there is an alien living inside of you. Especially when your kid is throwing elbows at you. 
• Warn your husband. Even the most mild mannered of women will grow horns and breathe fire a few times during the nine months. He'll say something stupid. Or he'll look at you funny. Or he won't look at you. Or he'll breathe too loud. Or, really, he'll just happen to be sitting in the same room as you. It won't be pretty. All you can do is apologize afterwards.
• Your to-do list will seem infinite. More crying could occur.
• Towards the end, getting up out of bed will make you feel like a beetle stuck on its back.
• You might not get beautiful pregnant lady hair and glowing skin. You will feel gipped.

Now, with all that said you probably think I am one of those people who does not like being pregnant. In fact, the opposite is true. I happen to love it. I like having a little friend with me all the time. I am in awe of the fact that my body is capable of doing this; so much so that sometimes it seems like a little miracle. Nothing beats feeling your baby move inside of you. Really, I think this whole pregnancy thing is pretty damn cool. It is not always a walk in the park, but it is pretty damn cool.

My advice? Make sure you are going on this journey with a good man (or partner). It makes all the difference. Just when you think you can't love your person more than you already do, he will read Goodnight Moon to the baby in your belly and you will almost keel over with love and joy.

Just watch out for that crying.

the big jump

These days it feels like I'm going a million miles a minute and playing a waiting game all at once.

Rushing around to pack, to plan, to move. My to-do list never seems to get shorter. Once I've crossed one thing off another one appears. I have to set reminders on my iPhone or everything or else I'm afraid that all the tasks that need to get done will be forgotten, a victim of pregnancy brain.

On the other hand I'm waiting for our baby. I'm waiting for our baby. There's a lot that comes with that statement. I'm not ready in the least bit, but still there's this sense of waiting to see how it all plays out. Questions running through my mind ranging in subjects from what kind of diapers to how the heck do I breast feed to what happens if my water breaks at work to how do we find a day care to dearGodamIgoingtobeagoodmother. You see what I mean? I'm waiting to find out the answers to these questions. Although not sure if that last one will ever really get answered. Guess I just gotta hope I raise a kid smart enough not to get a tattoo of a shamrock or a Chinese symbol.

The big jump comes soon. Wish me luck. I'm going to be a mom. Holy shit.

just the two of us

Yesterday marked 6 years married to husband. We had the greatest day simply hanging out together. While I've been getting increasingly excited to welcome this baby and make us a family of 3, there's something a little bittersweet to me about this change. It has been just the two of us for quite some time and I'm going to miss that. (In fact, this little one is due 12 years to the day that we met.) We are pals, we are a team, we are each other's favorite person. And we've had a blast just the two of us. I wouldn't give up the past 6 years for anything in the whole wide world.

I love you, husband. Everything is better with you.

just to be next to your bones

Stumbled across a beautiful poem the other day thanks to a blog I'm fond of. The end just slays me. A big hit to the heart.

But one kiss levitates above all the others.
The intersection of function and desire.
The I do kiss.
The I'll love you through a brick wall kiss.
Even when I'm dead, I'll swim through the Earth,
like a mermaid of the soil, just to be next to your bones.       

-from The Archipelago of Kisses by Jeffrey McDaniel



* P.S. Archipelago just so happens to be one of my favorite words. Isn't it the coolest?

summertime

While we didn't go away on a real vacation this week (and I was in a foul mood for part of it), we did manage to get in some beach time, some fireworks and some bike races. Here are some pics from the week. Not pictured is the copious amounts of ice cream I consumed. We're both a bit sunburned but well rested. Not too shabby. 

 



oh, life. you are such a kidder sometimes. and a jerk.

Oh well hello there. I guess I took an unplanned blogging break there, didn't I? Sometimes the words don't flow and it's best not to force them. Also, I've been pretty boring lately and haven't picked up my camera in awhile. It's been giving me the stink eye so I guess I should remedy that soon.

June was pretty uneventful. My belly got fatter, husband finished up his first school year in PA, we debated on where to move at the end of the month, and - oh yea - my belly got even more fatter. All in all, a pretty uninspiring month. Sometimes that happens. However, I guess July has another thing in store for me.

Ever have one of those weeks where you just feel like giving your life the big ol' finger? That's this week for me. Nothing catastrophic has happened, but nothing has really gone right either. I took this week off from work but mostly I've been thinking I should have just saved my vacation days. However, you get to the point where you just have to laugh.

Because you'll have a day where you try to rally. You will be in a good mood and you will have a good day. You decide go to a pool. You're going to throw caution to the wind and dress your big pregnant belly in your pre-pregnancy bikini and say screw anyone who looks at me funny. And it will be a disaster from the get-go. It will be unbelievably crowded with some real stand-up looking citizens (on the plus side you will feel amazingly good looking and thin) and the line will be a million people long and you have no idea what you were thinking of when you decided to go to a public pool on the 4th of July. Pregnancy hormones will have clouded your brain. And obviously your husband is too scared of you these days to object.

And then? Then? The moment you have paid your way and made it inside they will close the pool for "fecal contamination". That's right, someone's kid will have pooped in the pool. And all you can do is laugh. Because, really, what else can you do?

So Happy 4th of July, everyone. We're going to attempt to see some fireworks tonight so cross your fingers for me. Anything could happen.

time

Time is a funny thing lately. Well, more like a scary thing. It has been on my mind a lot-- how quick it goes, how it sneaks up on you, how time can change many things over the course of a year even when it seems like you are standing still.

I remember the very first time I had the whisper of an anxiety attack. It stemmed from feeling like I didn't have enough hours to get everything done and packed before a weekend trip out of town. Since that point I've learned to deal with that feeling (pretty well I might add) but now and again it rears its ugly head. Lately it's not so much this feeling as a marveling at how time flew and how I got to be where I am right now in my life. I know this feeling will be ever more prevalent once we welcome this baby into the world. My dad always says that he blinked and suddenly I was graduating high school.

I can hardly believe that I have been working in Philly for two years now. It seems like just last week (cliché I know) that husband and I were talking over this decision. A major life move decided while on vacation in Santa Fe. Would we have made it knowing all the stress and frustration that came out of it? Sometimes I don't know. However, when I'm at my best I like to think that the hardest things bring the most wonderful things. As they say, no pain no gain.

Time flies which can feel scary (really, really scary). I often want to yell, "stop, stop you are going too fast!" But when I look over the past decade or so, I not only see the tears shed but making best friends, seeing beautiful places, reaching goals, having celebrations and, most of all, the love I have to show for it all. Time brings all of this so I guess it ain't so bad. But, seriously, can you please not go too fast over the next few months? We really need to get a lot done before this baby comes. Seriously. Not joking. Thanks.

happy memorial day

 

Happy Memorial Day! We spent our holiday weekend visiting husband's family in Athens, OH. I always love visiting Athens because it is home to my alma mater, Ohio University. Go Bobcats! My four years at OU are some of my fondest memories.

The weekend was jam-packed as our visits out there always are. It involved a quick trip to Columbus to see some of our dearest friends and their two little ones (complete with a stop at Graeter's ice cream. Seriously. The best.), lunch with mom and dad at our favorite restaurant ever, and dinner with a whole bunch of family. Basically, we ate a lot. This pregnant lady was one happy camper. We did manage to squeeze in a walk around campus to show our baby Bobcat  around. The students are gone for the summer so it was blissfully quiet and I enjoyed strolling around the paths I used to take.

 I hope everyone had a great - and long - weekend. Here's to the start of summer!

thanks for the reminder, ernest

Write hard and clear about what hurts.

- Ernest Hemingway




And thanks to Kendi Everyday for such an open and truthful post

fragments of thoughts right now

Not quite sure why we are watching Encino Man. Even more unsure as to why husband owns a copy.

Cannot. Stop. Registering for baby stuff.

Belly button, I fear you are about to pop out.

Thank the sweet baby Jesus that husband has started walking again. Ready to milk this whole being pregnant thing.

On my own
Do you hear the people sing?
I dreamed a dream

dear baby

Dear baby,

Today was Mother's Day. And I was so happy to celebrate it. While I don't quite feel like a mother yet, I certainly feel like your mommy. You are still somewhat abstract to us (this whole pregnancy thing is a bit surreal) but we sure do love you already.

Your daddy and I talk to you all the time. Daddy gives you kisses and asks how your day was. He even has a bike all picked out for you. We joke that you are going to come out wanting ice cream instead of milk. And maybe saying a certain bad word that starts with an "f" that mommy says far too much. I hope you don't hear actually hear me saying that.

You started moving around a lot these past couple weeks. It is like magic knowing you are swimming around in there. You kicked me so hard in a meeting the other day that I jumped. I think you were telling me that you liked the pizza I just had for lunch.

Baby, I love you and can't wait to meet you.

Love,
Your Mommy

goats + beer = fun



So apparently goats are fast. Real fast. Combine some goats racing (yes, racing) with a beer festival and there is all kinds of fun to be had. Today we chose to enjoy the sunshine at the Sly Fox Brewery's annual Bock Fest and Goat Races. This year's winner, Simon, only sports three legs. Not to be confused with Three Leg Peggy who won the previous two years. It was quite entertaining even if I couldn't partake in the beer drinking portion of the day. I look forward to going again next year, but with baby in the Baby Bjorn and a beer in my hand.

I've already asked husband if we can buy a little pygmy goat. He says no.

 

halfway there

We had a little picnic lunch in Valley Forge today and stopped to snap some pictures. I feel we've failed miserably in documenting my growing belly. And, boy oh boy, is it growing. This week marks the halfway point (eek!).

Most days I'm feeling pretty darn good. My biggest challenge is ignoring that this baby wants to eat ice cream every single day. A small victory is when I find a piece of non-maternity clothing in my closet that works with the bump. And every night I'm anxiously at the ready for the flutters in my belly that mean the little peanut (well, mango is more like it) is moving.



P.S. That cabin I'm standing in front of housed some of Washington's troops during the Winter of 1777. Pretty cool, huh?

hello, lover

found at Garnet Hill

dear baby

Dear Baby,

Today I went to work with just one earring on.

I realized I bought the wrong kind of oatmeal. And then exploded it in the microwave. Twice.

Spring went into hiding and I didn't dress warm enough so I was cold all day.

I think I had my first occurrence of pregnancy brain and messed up some dates on a work assignment.

But all of this didn't matter because I felt you kick for the first time today. You either like the train or you hate the train. Or maybe you are just dancing in there. What do these little kicks mean? Your daddy even felt you too when I laid down next to him after getting home from work. We have your 20 week ultrasound next week and we can't wait to see you.

Love,
Mommy

baby animals for our sweet babe



This week I'll hit 19 weeks. Almost half way. Excuse me, but how did that happen? The more days that go by and the bigger my belly gets means I'm thinking of things like birth plans and breastfeeding and oh dear lord what do we name this child. So sometimes I like to look at not-so-scary things like tiny baby clothes and cute nurseries.

Never mind that we are not even living where we'll be bringing this baby home. That's besides the point, eh? I am in love with the above photos by photographer Sharon Montrose and I'd love to hang them above our sweet babe's future crib. That little piglet kills me, just kills me.

happy weekend

Hello friends. I hope everything is grand in your corner of the world. And I hope spring has arrived to your town. It is a beautiful, sunny Sunday here in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately the weekend has flown. In fact, all of last week flew by. Not quite sure how all of the things that happened last week happened in just a week. By yesterday evening I was one tired lady.

Last week started off with a bang. Well, really, a crash. A bike crash that resulted in husband hobbling around on crutches. Not fun, not fun at all. Poor guy can't get around too well which means I'm doing a lot of running up and down the steps. We're crossing fingers that he doesn't need surgery.

The bright point of the week was my OB appointment. Though stepping on the scale was a bit terrifying. But then again, who really loves stepping on the scale at any time? Nothing puts such a goofy smile on my face than hearing baby's heartbeat. Turns out I'm about a week further along than I thought. Um, whoops. My sub-par math skills fail me again. I'm going into my 18th week. Almost half way! How did that happen? I guess that would explain the hunger. You don't want me to get too hungry these days. I might turn on you. Watch your back.

Happy spring, everyone. And happy weekend. Time to rev up for Monday. Ugh.

the result of getting dressed for work when 16 weeks pregnant

Husband: "Were you injured?"

Me: "Huh?"

Husband: "Were you injured?"

Me: "Injured? What are you talking about?"

Husband: "When the bomb went off in our bedroom this morning"



Update: Guess I should amend the title of this post to "17 weeks" after my last OB appointment. 18 weeks here I come.

these days

It's April, ya'll. Finally. Spring is starting to creep in. And with it, I say so long first trimester and welcome back to my energy and appetite. Also, hello to my expanding belly. At 15 weeks I'm now starting to feel pregnant. I am hungry, hungry, hungry (just ask husband) and had to break down and buy some maternity pants over the weekend (terrifying).

These days we are feeling quite content. We are talking a lot to this little person inside my belly. We're looking forward to moving out of Lansdale this summer. We're checking the weather to see if warmer temperatures are coming. And we're enjoying the start of this new adventure. Overall, life isn't too shabby.

A whole lotta of change is coming our way. But for now we're going to rub my belly and tell this little peanut how much we love him or her already. And count our blessings. I'll let you know as soon as I have a meltdown over what kind of onesies to buy. It's bound to happen.

xo.

guess what?!

 

That's not a burrito in that belly.