Sand Dollars & Sunflowers

Our Love Story

2012-02-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

In all honesty, I kind of forgot that Valentine's Day was coming up. I've never been much of a celebrate-r of this day (with the exception of a box of chocolates and/or a heart shaped Papa Murphy's pizza). But, when I saw that Shannon at From Match to Marriage posted this questionnaire, I thought it would be a good way to honor the awesome relationship that I am so happy to be a part of.

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

January marked 4 years.

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

We "met" in late December of 2007. I had just gotten out of a relationship and was anxious to get back into the dating scene. So, I did what any independent girl of the 21st century would do... I posted a personal ad on Craigslist. =) Among all of the creepers that responded, was one "normal" guy.... Jacob. =) We sent a couple of e-mails back and forth for about a week, and then go together for our first official date at the beginning of January 2008.

3. If married, how long have you been married?

Valentine's Day will mark our 1.5 year "anniversary". We were married in the sand on the Oregon coast on August 14, 2010.

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?

We were married at Governor Patterson Memorial State Park on the Oregon coast outside of Waldport. We had roughly 80 people celebrating with us. I think the size was just right!

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another?

Yes.... but they aren't appropriate for publication. lol (Has anyone seen the movie "Away We Go"? We really enjoyed the airplane scene....;) ) Though, in recent months Jacob has been calling me "Spaghetti Sauce" (get it? Prego?)

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

I don't know if I can separate it down into three things... he is just generally a great man. He's kind and thoughtful. He has goals and is good at making things happen for himself and our family. He doesn't question things NEARLY has much as I do... he keeps me in check in that way. =) He's easy going and not afraid to try a new experience (just don't feed him tomatoes).

7. Tell us how he proposed?

In July of 2009 I was living in Vancouver, BC finishing up my coursework for my Master's program. Jacob had returned to Oregon for the summer. Things were rough. I was feeling very lonely and questioning how our relationship would survive the summer months with such a great distance between us. For the 4th of July weekend I returned to Oregon to go to the coast for the holiday with Jacob. We stayed in his parent's beach house and headed down to the sand to watch the fireworks. It was a little cold and misty out... not at all uncommon for Oregon, but not the most comfortable either. After the show was over we returned to the beach house. I was freezing so Jacob ran some hot water in the bathtub and I sat on the edge of the tub and warmed my feet in the water. All of a sudden, Jacob was down on the ground next to me, with a ring box. He opened the box and asked me to marry him. At first I couldn't help but thing that he was joking. I mean, we were in the BATHROOM after all... he was pretty much kneeling in front of the toilet. lol But, after several minutes of my staring at the ring, asking if he was serious, he finally convinced me that he was and I said "yes". =)

On the beach, prior to his proposal

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

Neither... like myself, he doesn't really see the need to celebrate Valentine's Day... at least, any more than a kiss and acknowledgement. =) As far as gifts in general, he's more of a chocolate kind of guy... which I am a-okay with!

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

For a special occasion, definitely the dinner on the beach. I LOVE the beach... and dinner. lol But, for any random Saturday night, I am usually up for cuddling on the couch with a movie.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

Travel, travel, travel. I LOVE to travel! We spent our honeymoon roaming around the south island of New Zealand. It was AWESOME and I would love to be able to do some more trips like that in the future. I think our next "big" trip will be somewhere like Ireland...

Gunn Lake on the way to Milford Sound

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

I have an OB appointment, and then Jacob and I will probably have dinner together before he works (his at-home second job) and I catch up on some computer stuff for work that I missed since I had to leave early for my Dr. appointment... we're a couple of wild ones over here. ;)

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Nope. But he did give a nice necklace a couple of weeks back. No special occasion... just 'cause. =) And it matches my wedding/engagement rings.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Make time for the relationship. It's important to have your own interests and activities, but make SURE that you also set aside time to spend/communicate/experience life with your partner.

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

I have two that represent what love means to me.... laughter.

30 Weeks

2012-02-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of my 31st week... meaning that I have 30 weeks behind me in this pregnancy... meaning that this bun is 3/4 baked! OMG! lol Only 10 weeks(ish) left until there's another little one in this world. =)

Size of baby: According to Babyzone she's about the size of a red cabbage!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am currently +28... only 1 lbs up for last week. Yay!

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity stuff now... my regular shirts are start to be a bit short over my belly.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Not feeling a whole lot of acute movement these days... except when I'm trying to fall asleep. =P I'm mostly feeling what I think is the baby rolling over or significantly changing positions... on my bladder.

What I miss: Not being in pain. My back, my legs... ick.

Sleep: After our babymoon Jacob decided that we needed a king sized bed... so, not only did he buy one, but he bought a tempurpedic. lol I'm hoping this will help with my sleep a bit. =)

Symptoms: Really tight leg muscles, swollen ankles and yesterday had really bad pain in my shins... I think my legs are finally mad at me for the extra weight that they are having to carry around.

Cravings:I want sweets... I don't know if it's a "craving" or just my norm. But I'm really digging that. And milk... which is odd because I don't usually drink much milk, but now I'm eating cereal as a late night snack for the creamy goodness of the milk. lol

Best Moment this week: I had a photo gig this weekend taking maternity photos. It was great! I really enjoyed the new challenge (I've never done maternity shots before) and got some good ideas for my own shoot in a couple of weeks.

What I am looking forward to: Two weeks until my baby shower and our maternity photo shoot! Aside from being able to sleep in a bit this weekend, that's what I'm looking forward to! =)

Our Last "Babymoon"

2012-02-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

Back in November you may remember that Jacob and I went on a "babymoon" to a snowy, lakeside cabin. I love to travel/vacation and that one trip before the baby comes just wasn't enough. So, this last weekend Jacob and I drove up to Long Beach, Washington for a weekend in a condo on the beach. It was WONDERFUL! The sun was shining. I felt so calm and relaxed. It was great. We even went horseback riding! Yes! Pregnant lady on a horse! lol Here's some photos from our trip.

My GIANT horse! I'm 5'10" for comparison purposes

While on vacation I also forced Jacob into some tripod-self-timed maternity shots. =)

Is It Over Yet?

2012-02-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

When my mom would talk about being pregnant she always said how much she enjoyed it (I guess she must have... she did it FOUR time!). I believe it was because of these statements that made me think that pregnancy was going to be a cake walk. I mean, I knew that SOME things were going to be unpleasant (morning sickness and labor mostly) but I don't feel that I was well prepared for what it's really like.

I don't like being pregnant... at all. I'm so over it. I'm sore, tired and winded all of the time. I can't get comfortable ANYWHERE and, thus, I can't get enough sleep because I either can't fall asleep in the first place because a) I can't find a comfortable position or b) the baby is kicking... again, I roll over and can't get comfortable again, or I have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee. I can't bend over. I can't pet my cat when he greets me at the door. I can't get up off of our couch/futon/bed without pushing on something, pulling on something, or getting a shove on the ass from Jacob. lol I can't do the physical/outdoorsy stuff that I want to do because I can't exert myself that much without getting uber tired and winded. I can't eat sushi! I can't drink alcohol. I'm just not overly happy. I just want to have the baby in my arms and skip all of the in-between steps.

I feel bad for feeling this way... but I do. I LOVE the life growing inside of me, and am thankful every day that it came so easy for us and that there have been no complications. But I still don't like being pregnant.

Am I alone?

(P.S. I'm currently reading Jenny McCarthy's "Belly Laughs"... I feel like I should have read this before I got pregnant and just forgot everything my mother told me about the wonders of pregnancy! lol)

29 Weeks

2012-01-31T20:27:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to Babyzone she's about the size of a butternut squash!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am currently +27 lbs. Not happy.

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity stuff now... my regular shirts are start to be a bit short over my belly.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Jogging, jumping jacks, dancing... not really sure what she's doing in there, but it's a lot!

What I miss: Sleep and comfort.... being able to bend over.

Sleep: Last night was no good... I just could NOT get into a position that felt good. But over the weekend, when we were staying in a condo with a King sized bed, I slept like a baby! (no pun intended!). I don't know what the deal is.

Symptoms: I feel fat. lol That pretty much sums it up.

Cravings: Sweets.... but that's normal. Right now I really want a blizzard. I blame my to-be-sister-in-law for her delicious FB status update. =P

Best Moment this week: We took a little "babymoon" to the coast. I hope to share more about ti later. But I was SOO relaxed it was fantastic!

What I am looking forward to: I have a maternity shoot this weekend. Not mine, but I'm photographing one. I'm pretty excited about this! It will be my first time and I'm excited to try something new! =)

To Doula or Not to Doula?

2012-01-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

I never thought that I'd be considering having a doula. I don't have anything against the practice, it's just not something that I pictured for myself. I always associated doula with "non-traditional" types of birth practices (in the water, at home, etc., etc.), and I'm very much a traditional, in a hospital with a doctor kind of girl. But then I started talked to other pregnant ladies... one of which pointed me toward a doula certification school where the student doulas actually work pro bono. Then I started to think about it. Free is always good... especially if I'm not sure if I'm not sure about the whole thing. So, I sent an e-mail to the school, and one of the students responded. Jacob and I met with her today.

I was kind of surprised by her.. but in a good way. =) Again, my stereotypes and preconceived notions were thrown to the wayside when she showed up with wearing a classy ponytail, an argyle cardigan and a pencil skirt. She kind of looked like I do when I go to work. lol She was very nice, and seems like she may be a good fit, personality wise, but she did encourage us to interview other doulas so that we could be sure to pick the best match for us.

Jacob says that he likes the idea of having a doula there... to help and keep him calm when he starts to freak out. lol But, I'm still not sure. I really don't know what's holding me up. Maybe it's the thought of having a "stranger" in the room with us... or just another body in general. I always pictured it as just Jacob and myself in there (with doctor of course). I don't know. I ~~am such a control freak~~ like being in control of my situation and perhaps I'm concerned that having someone else there may impede upon my ability to advocate for myself. But, at the same time, I may just NEED someone to advocate for me or tell me what to do to make things more comfortable/run smoothly. I'm starting to realize that I have soo many questions/concerns that I don't feel like I have (an un-biased) someone who can answer (neither Jacob nor I have been through this before after all!)

I don't know. Thoughts?? Comments?? Anyone out there use a doula??

28 Weeks

2012-01-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to Babyzone she's about the size of a napa cabbage!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am currently +25 lbs. I'm not ok with this. Five pounds in 2 weeks does not make me feel good about things. But, not much that I can do, so I just have to live with it. My doctor says that I'm doing fine, so I'm trying not to worry too much. But I KNOW that I'm going to go above the 30 "recommended" pounds in the end.

Maternity Clothes: Just ordered some more stuff from Old Navy (I LOVE Old Navy). Just waiting for them to get here in the mail. =)

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Still movin'! Sometimes I wish I could see what she was doing in there...

What I miss: I had a really good answer for this one the other day... now I can't remember what it was! lol I pretty much am just missing being mobile and being able to use my own body as I'd like to use it (without aches, pains and large "bumps" getting in the way of that mobility).

Sleep:Difficult. It takes a long time to get comfortable, and then I just PRAY that I won't have to pee again before I fall asleep! lol

Symptoms:Aches. Especially in my back and stomach.

Cravings: Still not having any weird pregnancy cravings... just my usual sweet and salty desires.

Best Moment this week: We got the crib put together! And, thus, were able to "arrange" the nursery. now I get the focus on the fun part... decorating. =)

What I am looking forward to: Jacob and I are taking another little "babymoon" this weekend. We're headed up to Long Beach, Washington to hang out in a beach-side condo for the weekend. I'm excited!

Oh! We also start our Childbirth Prep classes this week. I'm looking forward to these, too, as I hope it will help with some of the questions I have about the whole process (and questions that I don't even know that I have yet! lol)

The Name Game

2012-01-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

Jacob and I have a name picked out... we've had one picked out from the very beginning. In fact, I have had a list of baby names for YEARS that I couldn't wait to pick from. lol Thankfully, Jacob is not overly picky/opinionated on the subject and liked my suggestions. We had a name picked out for a boy, and one for a girl. Now that we know we're having a girl, I'm happy to be able to think about her name in relation to her... rather than just a "future possibility". (Jacob has a hard time remembering what it's going to be though.... lol... I told him that he better figure out a way to remember before we get to the hospital!)

Here's the thing though... we're not telling anyone the name. Why? No, I'm not worried that someone's going to "steal" it, but, rather, I don't want any feedback on it. I don't want people telling me, "I know someone named ..., she was...". I don't want to associate the name that I love with other people's preconceived notions on personality... I already get that enough with the due date. (It's kind of amazing to me how many people around here actually know something about astronomy... I never even thought about it). I also don't want to hear people's opinions on the name or get other "suggestions" as to what might sound better. Once she is here, and the name is on the birth certificate, I believe that other people will be less likely to throw in their two cents (I kind of wish sometimes that I would have taken this approach to wedding planning, too, and just not told anyone anything about it until it was planned and done! lol)

Another reason that I'm a little leery about telling the name ahead of time is because I don't want one of these things to happen. (P.S. HUGE Friends fan.... I can relate a Friends scene/episode to pretty much ANY life situation. lol)

Before I was born my mother was certain that my name was going to be Krista... and she told everyone. Well, guess what? I'm not a "Krista", and I don't want to run the risk of getting baby gear with our chosen name all over it only to decide at the last minute to go with something else! lol

So, the name is staying a secret. But don't worry... there's only 12 more weeks to wait!

OMG!

Cribbage*

2012-01-22T17:41:00.000-08:00

*Jacob came up with the name for this post. lol

Our nursery is coming along nicely.... today we put the crib together! The crib was a hand-me-down from Jacob's brother, who has two kids of his own. Once we got all of the pieces to our place (thanks to J's mom) we made a run to the hardware store and set to work!

Scout trying to be helpful

Taking a break for a little lovin' =)

Kitty in a cage

Jacob getting some "practice"

I was a little worried about the whole construction process.... since it didn't come with any instructions and I didn't know what we were doing. But Jacob had it down... I really need to learn to trust his ability to do some stuff. ;)

Now that we have the crib, we were able to arrange the furniture (which we are pretty much done accumulating) and now I can focus on the fun stuff... decorating!

(P.S. It's REALLY weird having a crib in our house... lol)

The B-Hive

2012-01-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

I got an invitation to my baby shower today!!

(Soo excited!)

I'm thinking that maybe "Brittney" was a popular name roughly 20-30 years ago. ;)

(My dad has coined us the "B-Hive")

Brittney = me and my brother's girlfriend

Brittany = my other brother's wife

Poor Jennifer, my third brother's fiance, is left out in the cold. lol

What Can I Eat?

2012-01-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

I have my gestational diabetes blood test on Tuesday and I need some advice. My OB told me to steer clear of sugars and carbs the day of the test, and that lots of proteins were good. I need some menu ideas for breakfast/snacks/lunch... her advice (particularly the lack of carbs) is really outside of my usual diet for those particular meals... Suggestions?

27 Weeks

2012-01-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to Babyzone she's about the size of an eggplant!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm not feeling particularly good about the weight that I've gained over the last week, so, since this IS my blog, I'm choosing to stay silent. ;) (Just know that it is WELL above the "pound a week" that I'm supposed to be gaining).

Maternity Clothes: Starting to outgrow my pre-maternity tops... but I REALLY don't want to spend more money on clothes that I'm only going to wear for the next three months (even though I do love a good clothing shopping trip...)

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Moving a lot these days... I find myself putting a hand on my belly willing her to settle down from time to time. lol

What I miss: Wearing a belt. I'm tired of my pants constantly falling down.

Sleep:It's better than last week... I think I've figured out how to successfully use my body pillow. =)

Symptoms:My belly moves... it's SOO weird! Oh, and TMI, the gas has started. Who has some home remedies for easing this?

Cravings: Still not having any weird pregnancy cravings... just my usual sweet and salty desires.

Best Moment this week: My three day weekend ROCKED. =) We registered for baby stuff, I went grocery shopping, and then I just sat around the house and did next to nothing. It was great. (until I got bored. lol)

What I am looking forward to: Putting the crib together this weekend and starting with the "decorating" part of the nursery... now that we have all of the key furniture elements.

Baby's First Home Video

2012-01-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

So, this at-home baby heart beat thing sucks for it's intended purpose, but it's pretty trippy to watch it move as the baby kicks it! lol

The Registry

2012-01-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I started a Target baby registry online. I added a few things here and there but I wanted to do the bulk of it in-store so that I could see/touch/compare things, and also so I knew that SOME of the stuff I wanted would be available in store for shopping purposes.

So, since my shower is about a month away, Jacob and I headed over to Target today to bulk up our list. The first thing out of Jacob's mouth when we got into the store, "Is this going to take 4 hours?" Apparently he was still having some PTSD from our wedding registry experience. ;)

We got our little scanner gun and set out in a systematic way through the baby section. To be honest, I have NO IDEA what I'm looking for or what we're going to want/need. So, if it looked good, we scanned it. But there are SOOO many choices for things like bottles and play pens (apparently now called "Pack-n-Plays"). When it came to car seats, we had no idea... so we have three on our registry. lol We figure we would be happen with any of them, so we'll give people different price point options. If we get two, great! One for each car! If we get three, we can return one and buy some other stuff that we didn't get. I think we'll be ok. =)

What did you all get for our babies that you are SOO grateful for? Or what did you NOT get that you ended up really wanting/needing? Help a girl out here. =)

Third Trimester?

2012-01-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

I have heard/read multiple different opinions on when the third trimester starts... 27 weeks, 28 weeks, even 30 weeks! I am choosing to believe that my third trimester starts at the end of this week.

Why? Because today marks the end of the 6 month of my pregnancy.

AND

A "trimester" means one-third. One third of 40 weeks is 13.33... so, about 13 weeks and 2 days. So, at the end of my second/beginning of my third trimester I should be 26 weeks and 4 days in (with 13 weeks and roughly 2 days to go). I currently have 13 weeks and 5 days to go meaning Sunday will mark that magical day of 13-2. =)

It's kind of weird to think of myself as being in my third trimester. I don't feel THAT pregnant... and I don't feel like I've been pregnant for that long! But, with the realization that the third trimester is pretty much HERE I am also faced with the fact that I have a lot of really tough/weird/challenging things that are going to be coming about in my life and decisions that I have to make.

We have to find a pediatrician. We are taking some child birth prep classes starting in a couple of weeks. We have to register for baby gifts. We have to get the crib from my brother-in-law's place. My baby shower is happening. Our maternity photos are happening. I have to figure out my maternity leave. I'm going to go into labor. I'm going to have a frickin' BABY! lol And I'm going to have to bring it home and wake up several times a night and not know what the hell I'm doing and be freaked out at everything like thing that happens.

I remember my mom telling me that my dad freaked when I got the hiccups for the first time.

That is SOO gonna be me. lol

Invasion of the Body Snatchers!

2012-01-10T22:39:00.001-08:00

Weirdest thing I've ever seen JUST happened...

I saw my stomach move. From the INSIDE out! lol

Creepy! Like something is trying to bust out of there!

26 Weeks

2012-01-10T20:46:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to Babyzone she's about the size of a head/crown/whatever of brocolli!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm still +20, so no change from last week... which is probably good since I gained two pounds the week before. =)

Maternity Clothes: Wearing a lot of dresses and leggings these days. =) I think I've figured out one reason why pregnant women waddle... their maternity pants fall down. =P For some reason they just have a hard time staying "up" on me. I feel like a need a belt...

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: She is definitely do well in this area. The other morning I was laying in bed and she was kicking up a storm. I finally reached over and grabbed Jacob's hand and put it on my belly. His response was, "What? Do you need her to settle down?" lol I told him that either way I'd be happy (her settling down or him finally feeling some good movement). Well, Jacob felt the kicks... and a lot of them! There was another instance later in the week where we were watching TV and Jacob was laying with his head on my lap/belly... well, his little girl kicked him in the face several times. lol

What I miss: Being able to get comfortable in a stationary/relaxing situation.

Sleep:I'm having a hard time getting comfortable, which is working into having a hard time sleeping. Once I fall asleep I'm ok (until I have to get up to pee), but it's the getting cozy part that's a problem. Also, I'm not getting to bed early enough... I think I need to change my bedtime so that I'm getting more than 7-7.5 hours a night. Did you other previously pregnant ladies have regular 8 hour + nights of "sleep"?

Symptoms:My back aches and I can definitely feel the extra weight that I'm lugging around out front. It's weird.

Cravings: I have a craving for Chinese food tonight (after watching yesterday's episode of Castle), but it's not overly intense.

Best Moment this week: Had a prenatal massage this weekend. It was good (MUCH better than my last one!) but I definitely miss being able to relax on my stomach while being massaged. Also, a good moment this week was Jacob finally getting to feel some real movement. OH! And we got a TON of hand-me-down baby clothes from one of Jacob's coworkers (3 large totes!) that we have to sort through and figure out what we'd like to keep.

What I am looking forward to: My baby shower is in the planning stages... as are my maternity photos. Both aren't happening for about a month, but I'm still excited and looking forward to them! =)

Blahs

2012-01-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

I have not been feeling up to snuff the last couple of days. I haven't felt "good" physically... I am always uncomfortable: in bed, sitting at work, on the train, even just watching TV. My stomach is tight and feels like my muscles are getting pulled in all kinds of directions, and my back hurts. It's been effecting my sleep and just my general mood. Today I literally hit a wall at work. I felt so physically drained that I left at lunch time to come home and try to relax and get some work done remotely (I'm thankful that this is something that I can do from time to time).

I know that it's really only going to get worse for the next few months until the baby is born, and that doesn't make me feel any better. I'm already having a hard time bending over, and I'm starting to regret the open kitchen layout with all of our food product cupboards at ground level (it makes it really difficult to find the peanut butter when I'm trying to make my lunch! lol). Jacob has been really good about giving me a hand when I need to get up off of the couch or if I need something picked up or moved, but I'm still just so uncomfortable. =(

I know I'm whining now, but I just needed to vent a little bit.

Anyone have any suggestions for elevating my mood and/or increasing my comfort level?

(I really just want a cocktail. lol)

25 Weeks

2012-01-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to Babyzone she's about the size of a loaf of bread!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I was smart this week and weighed myself first thing in the morning! lol I'm at about the 20 lbs mark, which is 2 lbs up from last week. I should only be going about one a week, but I've chosen to forgive myself. =)

Maternity Clothes: Went to a recommended consignment store today and purchased several maternity tops/dresses. I realized this weekend that my "hope" to not have to buy tops was short sighted as my current tops are starting to leave a gap of belly poking out at the bottom... leaving me kind of cold in this winter weather!

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Yup... she moves. =) Still being difficult whenever Jacob tries to feel her kick though... she tends to just stop.

What I miss: Not much more than the things that I've mentioned in previous updates...

Sleep: I didn't sleep well at all last night... I think I'm lucky if I got more than about 2 hours in a row. I had a hard time getting comfortable in bed with my pillows, and then I was too hot (had to open a window and turn on a fan), and then I had to pee several times, and then I had some really weird dreams (this happened the night before last, too... is that pregnancy related??). My dream last night was the first that actually concerned my pregnancy... and it wasn't a good one. =( I'm kind of surprised that I've gone this long without having a pregnancy/baby dream!

Symptoms: Lots of stretching and pulling that I don't like. I was lying in bed last night watch a sitcom and every time I laughed it hurt my tummy. No more laughing while lying down. =P

Cravings:Nothing really... at least, nothing out of the ordinary.

Best Moment this week: Got the nursery painted and curtains made/up and found ourselves a glider on Craigslist! Those two things kind of made my week. =)

What I am looking forward to: Wearing some of my cute new clothes! lol

Craigslist + Christmas $$ = Happy Me!

2012-01-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Now that we have the nursery painted, I can start decorating and adding furniture... Here's the first addition! Thanks to Christmas money, after scouring Craigslist for the last week I finally found a glider that I liked that wasn't super spendy AND that I was the first one to (it's amazing how quickly people respond to CL posts up here!).

I'm VERY happy with it. It's comfy and matches our colors nicely. Plus, it gives Jacob a little more of his favorite color combination. lol

Go Ducks!

Ringing in 2012

2012-01-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

I have never had much of a "party-er" type of personality, but this year our low-key New Year's Eve celebration hit an all time low... as far as social activity/celebration goes. We rang in the new year with a game of Scrabble... which I lost. lol We couldn't even watch the ball drop in Time Square because our TV was being cranky and refused to let us get any channel in that televised the events (we are one of the few households in the country, I think, that still don't have cable).

(Dec. 31st also marked our one year anniversary of actually moving into our new home! We've done SOO much in the last year, it's kind of hard to believe!)

While the evening was pretty mellow, our day was productive... we started work on the nursery!

Jacob and I have had the paint color picked out for awhile now, and I purchased the fabric for the curtains several weeks ago. Jacob also go some help moving all of the office furniture out of the room and into our guest room (so now we have a combo office/guest room), but we were waiting for a "free" weekend to start the painting. Friday night I asked Jacob if he thought this weekend would be a good one to paint. Surprisingly, he said sure and even called in his "helpers" (parents and aunt) who had mentioned that they wanted to help out with the project. So, yesterday morning we went to Home Depot, used some of your Christmas gift card balance and bought some paint. Jacob, his parents and his aunt painted the nursery (here's what it looked like before) while I worked on sewing the curtains. By the end of the day, we had our "finished"* product!

Prepping

And there goes some color!

And the paint is up!

And now for my curtain creations!

Curtain patter close up

Finishing touches (c/o xmas gift exchange!)

I'm really happy with the way the color turned out. It's a little more "sea foam-y" than the green that we were going for, but it looks nice and it goes will with our curtain fabric, so I'm happy. Now I'm just antsy to start getting some baby furniture in there so I can start decorating!

*I say "final" product because the curtains weren't really done until this morning. After doing all of the sewing and ironing last night, we hung the curtains and I saw that there was a big spot on the center panel. I looked like a wet spot, but wasn't wet... maybe a grease/oil spot of some sort? So, I threw the panel in the laundry to try to get the spot out... and it shrunk! I know that I should have washed the fabric before I sewed the curtains, but I gave myself extra length/width as a "just in case" measure... but I didn't know that the muslin would shrink almost 6 inches in length!! I was NOT happy. And, to top it all off, the spot didn't even come out! =P So, this morning I took some pre-washed fabric left over from my Christmas table cloth sewing project and made a replacement panel. It is now hang up over the window and looking fabulous. =)

Face Lift

2011-12-29T22:48:00.000-08:00

My blog was in need of a cheery face lift.

It's kind of amazing what an uploaded background photo and a new color scheme can do! =)

(One of these days I'll sit down and actually created a banner/header for myself... for now, the text will just have to do).

Christmas Recap

2011-12-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

So, after our fun-filled Christmas Eve evening, Jacob and I got a few hours of sleep and then got up to drive down to my parent's place outside of Eugene for Christmas Day festivities. It was really nice not to have to be there until about noon when my brother was picking up my nephew from his mom's house. It meant that we didn't have to leave the house until about 9 AM to get there in time to open presents. I didn't get up until just before 8... I think that's the latest I've slept in on Christmas in a LONG time!

Jacob and I picked up some warm beverages and breakfast sandwiches at Starbucks and then made the 2.5 hour drive down. Traffic was actually pretty non-existent... which REALLY surprised me! I was expected a lot of holiday travelers. I guess that we must have beat the rush.

We got down to my parents' place, visited for awhile and waiting for my brothers, sisters (in-law, to-be, and might-as-well-be) and nephew to get there and then we opened gifts. We kids did a secret Santa gift exchange with the catch being that everything had to be homemade... for the most part we did pretty good! lol

Jenn made Brittney a crocheted headband.


Scott got a wood carved "Legend of Scott" Nintendo game from Rob.

Jacob made Jenn a hanging photo mount/mobile thing

Scott printed up a Pendleton Roundup poster for Dustin

I made Rob a photo/document board for his office*

Brittney** made me these decoupaged switch plates. I'm really excited to put the "Awake/Asleep" one in the nursery!

Dustin drew Jacob's name... he made him a sandwich. =) I wasn't able to get a photo before Jacob ate it for lunch. =)

Our unofficial "goal" on Christmas is to see who can make Mom cry with our gifts. There were some doozies this year. In addition to the traditional yearly photo calendar that we give her, Jenn and Brittney got super crafty:

Jenn's masterpiece

Brittney's

My nephew also got to experience the joys of homemade goodness with his Pokemon Trainer shirt c/o Jenn:

After opening presents, we played some Yahtzee, ate some Christmas goodies and then headed over to my Grandma's house for more presents, dinner and games. My brother Scott and his fiance, Jenn, got the game HeadBanz for Christmas, so we played a little of that. You've probably seen similar things in drinking game and/or group ice breaker format. Someone gets a card with a word on it and that have to ask questions to figure out who/what they are. It was pretty much hilarious:

Much later than anticipated, Jacob and I finally climbed back into the car and headed home to sleep before our last day of our mini vacation... a day of REST! Finally! lol We had a great time with our families, but definitely appreciated a day of nothing afterward!

*Rob sent me a photo today of my gift in use... it actually looks pretty good! lol

** No, you're not reading that wrong. Her name is Brittney, as is mine, and as is my other brother's wife (though she spells it with an "a"). It gets complicated sometimes... but we manage. =)

24 Weeks

2011-12-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to Babyzone she's about the size of a papaya!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I need to start remembering to weigh myself at the beginning of the day, I know that my weight fluctuates about 2 lbs from beginning to end. Right now I'm weighing in at about +21, but between the extra holiday weight and my dinner that I just consumed, I'm guessing that I'm closer to +19. Still more than a pound from last week, but considering I consumed a LOT of crap over the Christmas weekend, I think I'm doing ok. I'm also interested in starting to get some more exercise... anyone have any prego-friendly suggestions for me?

**Update: Weighed myself this morning (12/28) and weighed only + 18... which is in line with my expected pound a week gain. See! I told you! I'm not nuts or trying to rationalize my weight. ;)

Maternity Clothes: Maternity bottoms, regular clothes tops.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Still moving... more at the end of the day than the beginning. And, when she kicks in a staff meeting at work I have a hard time not laughing at the idea that she's just as bored as I am. ;)

What I miss: Fish. Random thought I know, but I miss eating whatever seafood I want!

Sleep: The last few nights have been really rough. I started using a body pillow and another for back support last night. I don't know that it helped much. Between not sleeping well and having to get up about twice to use the bathroom I was pretty tired this morning.

Symptoms: Having a hard time with these ligament pains... I keep moving in a way that didn't used to be a problem before and now I get a sharp muscle-pull like pain. It's getting really annoying.

Cravings:Nothing really... at least, nothing out of the ordinary.

Best Moment this week: The holiday weekend. I love the Christmas season and enjoyed spending the time with friends and family

What I am looking forward to: Starting to think about/plan the nursery. Jacob and I plan to start painting in a couple of weeks, and I've been doing some Craigslist shopping for a rocker/glider to buy with my Christmas money. =)

8 Weeks

24 Weeks

Christmas Eve Recap

2011-12-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

This was not technically our first Christmas in our new house. Last year we closed and got our keys on Dec. 23rd and had a small Christmas celebration with the following evening with Jacob's folks, brother and niece and nephew, but this WAS our first full on Christmas... and we were asked to host Christmas Eve dinner for his extended family!

I LOVE hosting. I enjoy the planning, organizing, decorating, etc. that goes along with it. And, with the beautiful house that I am fortunate to have, hosting large parties in an option.

(Room for dinner parties/etc. was one of the requirements that I had when we were house hunting).

Several weekends ago, in preparation for the holiday, we went out to Sandy, Oregon to a Christmas tree farm to find our perfect tree (this is something that I haven't been able to do in YEARS! I haven't had a big enough living space to have a tree in quite some time. I was more than a little excited to finally be able to get one!)

Then it was time to hang our ornaments! I had a BIG tote of Christmas stuff that has been sitting untouched for years, and Jacob's folks passed along his ornaments a couple of years back. We decided to steer clear of the traditional colored "filler" ornament balls and leave our tree completely decorated in "memories".

I also set up my Christmas "village" and some lights. The village is still pretty small... only a couple of buildings. But, like I said, I haven't had the opportunity to really decorate for the holiday in quite some time. And, to be able to have MY piano to put it on was an even greater gift.

As the hosts for Christmas Eve dinner, we expected about 24 guests, which meant we needed to move some furniture and arrange our "great room"/formal living room for dinner seating for two dozen. With the big "L" shape that we have in our living/dining room we can totally do it! lol I LOVE that!

When the majority of our guests had shown up for the potluck style event (Jacob's family does a waffle/breakfast bar for Christmas Eve dinner with everyone bringing an item) the cooking started... family style! (Meaning: I didn't have to cook solo for 24! Woo!) =)

After a filling dinner of waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage and a variety of different appetizers and desserts, it was time to clean up, relax, socialize and open some white elephant gifts... in our OTHER big room (I'm so lucky!)

The evening went off without a hitch. Jacob and I both enjoyed spending some time with the family and playing hosts for the big event. We were also happy for all of the yummy breakfast left-overs that we were left with!. ;) Our guests were all gone by about 10:30, and we had some time to rest and relax before our Christmas Day festivities... which I'll cover in another post! =)

Christmas Baking Recap

2011-12-26T12:01:00.000-08:00

This holiday season I set out to actually do some baking! I love to bake, but rarely do anything in "bulk" and don't usually branch out from a few tried and true favorites. THIS year though, I made the mistake of following the cooking blog Lulu the Baker and found myself drooling over some of her sweets recipes.

So, I made myself a list, headed to the grocery store and attempted to find all of the correct ingredients. =) For someone who doesn't do a lot of seasonal baking, this was a bit of a task. I must say though, the recipes were super easy to follow, the ingredients weren't too hard to track down, and the end products were FANTASTIC. Our families, friends and I were all quite pleased with the results. =)

First off, not via Lulu, but rather "in a jar" from my Secret Work Santa: Mini Chocolate cupcakes:

Next up, c/o Lulu, Chocolate Mint Cookies! I couldn't find mint chips to save my life, so I replaced with some crushed up Andes Candies and Candy Cane... they tasted awesome!

Then I experimented with some Peppermint Oreo Pops. I thought there would be a lot more cussing involved as I figured out how to do these. lol But, it actually turned out to be quite easy!

And, finally, the HIT of the weekend, Carmelitas! Our families LOVED these and several people asked me to pass the recipe along.

I am VERY happy with the way everything turned out, and plan to save all of these new recipes for the future! Thank you Lulu! =)

23 Weeks

2011-12-21T22:07:00.000-08:00

I'm a day late... sorry. =( Been working on a lot of projects around the house recently. More to come on that later! =)

Size of baby: According to Babyzone she's about the size of a mango!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Approximately the same as last week: 17ish lbs... depending on what I'm wearing and what time of the day it is. =)

Maternity Clothes: Maternity bottoms, regular clothes tops.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Not as much movement recently... it's a little unsettling after getting SO much last week!

What I miss: Having a drink with friends at Happy Hour. Twice this week I went to "Happy Hour" and drank a diet Coke. lol

Sleep: I've been sleeping really good the last couple of nights. Jacob and I have been taking nightly walks through our neighborhood and I think the fresh air and movement before bed has helped.

Symptoms: Still getting round ligament pains and my legs are starting to swell throughout the day (back to normal the next day, but sometimes a little larger in the evening), so that's kinda weird. =)

Cravings: I"m kind of disappointed that I'm almost in my 3rd trimester and haven't had any weird pregnancy cravings yet! lol I want to be able to tell my kid stories about the weird shit I wanted to eat when I was pregnant. =)

Best Moment this week: I was getting ready for work the other morning and Jacob came into the bedroom, saw me and got this huge grin on his face. He came over, hugged me, rubbed my belly and said that I looked pregnant. lol While I was not particularly fond of the fact that he was commenting on my size, the joy in his face was pretty great.

What I am looking forward to: I have the next five days off of work... I couldn't be happier! Even if they are going to be full of Christmas prep related stuff!

22 Weeks

2011-12-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: Babyzone didn't send me an e-mail this week with my stats. =( But the website says that she's about 11 inches from head to heel.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm going to say 16-17 lbs... I just weighed myself, but I JUST ate dinner, so, I'm figuring some of that will digest by the morning. =)

Maternity Clothes: Maternity pants and leggings... so comfortable! I even bought a couple of cute dresses/tunics, too.

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: A lot more than last week. But I only really notice it when I'm "resting" (at home or sitting down somewhere--it makes work meetings a bit more interesting! lol)

What I miss: Being able to bend at the waist.

Sleep: Getting a little harder to get comfortable at night. I definitely need my "cuddle pillow" to support my front half.

Symptoms: I'm doing ok. Nothing much to report. =)

Cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary. I'm eating a lot of carbs these days (which isn't REALLY unusual for me) and I feel like I need to get some more fruits and veggies into my diet.

Best Moment this week: Jacob felt her kick! I've been feeling kind of guilty that I was experiencing everything and he wasn't.... so I was REALLY happy last night when he felt the "thumping" in my tummy. =)

What I am looking forward to: Starting work on the nursery... though I don't see that happening until after the holidays. I'm feeling busy enough these days!

21 Weeks

2011-12-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the length of a leek.

Total Weight Gain/Loss:About 15 lbs... I either lost a pound from last week or I'm fluctuating in pregnancy just like I did pre-prego.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity pants and leggings... so comfortable!

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Off and on. Some days there's a lot, some days I don't know if I realize any at all.

What I miss: Not thinking in terms of how old my baby will be when... lol

Sleep: Pretty much the same as pre-pregnancy.

Symptoms: I'm feeling good. Having a harder time bending at the waist though!

Cravings: Right now I really want chocolate... but that's nothing unusual.

Best Moment this week: Picked out some paint samples for the nursery... I think we decided. I'm excited to get going on that!

What I am looking forward to: Shopping for curtain fabrics this weekend with my mom, while Jacob and his folks move furniture around so that we will have a "nursery" to start work on.

Today's the Day

2011-12-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is it. Today's the day that I'm pushing myself out of my comfort zone and making my most recent project public!

For several years I've been in love with my camera. I've taken a variety of senior photos and engagement shots for friends and family. On Thanksgiving, in fact, I took my little brother's engagement photos... and it was then, after I received so many compliments and positive feedback about them that I decided I need to give photography a try from a professional level. So, for the past week I've spent many hours thinking about it, stressing about it, finally deciding to do it... designing the website and Facebook page for my new photography and design endeavor: Pure and Simple: Photography and Design. I've designed and ordered business cards, purchased my own domain name, worked out a "business" phone number and even invested a nice, new SLR camera... now I just need to see if I can get any business! =)

I'm a little scared, to be perfectly honest. I thought about doing this several years ago, and even booked one appointment, but it just didn't go anywhere from there and I kind of gave up. I have some confidence issues with my work... they always say that you are your own worst critic: it is SOO true! Thankfully I have an awesome husband and friends/family who have been really encouraging and helpful. So, it's with their support, that I've put my anxiety on hold and have decided to finally go for it!

I'm excited. I LOVE photography and really enjoy the opportunity to photograph new people and places. And, to think that I can actually turn my passion into a way to earn a few extra bucks for my growing family... even better!

In order to help move things along a bit, I have decided to start things off with a couple of specials. You'll see these along the top of the web page: 25% off all photo sessions scheduled to take place by the end of February, and $15 in cash (or $20 photo/project credit) for every friends that any of you refer who purchases a photo session or design project. I'm not sure how long the referral reward will go on... I guess we'll just have to see how many people take advantage of it and help me out! =)

Please, take a look around this website, contact me if you have any questions or want to book a session/project, "like" the Facebook page, and pass the links around to your friends. My family and I would really appreciate it!

(Here's a few of my favorite photos from my photo sesh with my baby brother and his fiance, Jenn, last weekend... P.S. Jenn has started her own wedding planning blog... I'm sure she would love some more followers/advice/ideas!)

Not the best quality on this one... but i think it's adorable. lol

Week 20

2011-11-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

Today I hit the end of my 20th week.... halfway there! =)

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the length of a carrot.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Roughly 16 lbs. I'm trying not to read too much into this. I'm a "big" girl, that amount of weight looks/carries a lot differently on me than on a woman of "average" height.

Maternity Clothes: Wearing primarily maternity pants now, with the occasional pair of sweats/workout pants. Not feeling the need for maternity tops, and I'm starting to wonder if I will. Since I'm so tall, I don't know if I'll get a very big "bump" out front (I measured what 40 cms would be the other day... it's not that much).

Gender: Sugar and spice and everything nice! =)

Movement: Feeling a fair share of movement this week. It's been weird... but cool. It's nice to know that something is actually in there and functioning. =)

What I miss: Not having to plan my work meetings around whether or not I may have to pee in the middle of them. lol

Sleep: Pretty much the same as pre-pregnancy.

Symptoms: I'm feeling ok. Feeling back to "normal".

Cravings: Nothing weird... just the norms.

Best Moment this week: This is a toss up between finding out the sex at my ultrasound yesterday and finally feeling identifiable movements. She was poking me so much on the train on the way home today that I almost started to giggle. It just feels so WEIRD! lol

What I am looking forward to: Starting to plan the nursery. Now that I know the gender I feel more comfortable planning/thinking about it... even though we are sticking to neutrals. I picked up a bunch of paint samples yesterday.

"The" Ultrasound

2011-11-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

OK, before I get to the BIG NEWS and tell you all what "kind" we're having, I feel the need to speak to those of you out there who are thinking/planning/trying to get pregnant regarding this ultrasound, as I don't feel like I had enough warning about what it actually entailed!

I went in for my anatomical ultrasound this morning. My directions, prior to arriving at my appointment, was to empty my bladder two hours before the appointment time, then drink 32 ounces of water in the next hour, and not relieve myself again until I got the my appointment. My OB nurse told me that this was a little ridiculous, she told me that I should be fine if I emptied my bladder an hour before the appointment and then down the 32 ounces in the hour leading up to it. So, I split the difference. I used the restroom a hour and a half before my appointment, then drank a bunch of water--finishing it all 30 minutes before I was supposed to be at the ultrasound.

I'm telling you, this is cruel and unusual punishment for anyone. But for a PREGNANT woman?? I need to pee every hour any way, and now you're going to pour water into me and tell me I can't go? What the hell??

I thought that they wanted my bladder full to give a urine sample. Why would an ultrasound tech want me to give a UA? I don't know, but in my mind it's the only thing that made any sense. But boy was I wrong! Turns out, not only did they want to fill my bladder up and then make me sit there refusing to let me near a bathroom, but they were they going to take their little wand and PUSH on my stomach! Apparently a full bladder helps with some of the imaging.

They took several images of my cervix and then allowed me to use the bathroom before they continued. It was slightly torturous!

I then laid there for over an hour while they moved the wand from one side of my stomach to the other, occasionally taking a photo and typing out some codes. I was able to watch the whole thing on the screen and would get some narrative now and then regarding what I was looking at. On occasion this kind of hurt. The tech would really dig the wand into my gut trying to get an angle that she needed. Sometimes I wasn't sure if all of the discomfort I was feeling was from the wand, or if the baby was fighting back from all of the pressure it was receiving! lol

About 45 minutes into the ultrasound (in a warm room, lying down, after not sleeping well the night before... I was a little worried that I was going to fall asleep!) the tech put the wand away, wiped off my belly and told me to do some toe touches to make the baby move into a better position and that she would be back in 5 minutes. lol I don't know if she was serious about the toe-touches or not, but, i did them anyway. =) It was a nice stretch at least.

Five minutes later she was back, I was lying down again and the wand was out. More pushing, poking, and prodding, and then, FINALLY, she asked if we wanted to know the sex. I, very enthusiastically, said yes.

Now, Jacob and I wanted it to be a girl. Obviously, if she said boy we'd be happy to, but we only want to have two kids and want at least one of them to be a girl. But, unfortunately, I had this feeling deep down that it was going to be a boy. And Jacob has had several dreams that it's a boy. So, I was hoping, but ready for whatever the verdict was. Plus, it seems like every time I watch "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and they use the "ask the audience" feature, the audience is right. So, I was hoping that my "audience" poll that I've run on my blog the last several weeks would prove accurate, as the vote was for a girl.

Well, this is what the technician showed up when she gave us the news:

Apparently three little lines equals "Girl". =)

Week 19

2011-11-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the size of a tomato! (It was the size of a grapefruit last week... which I picture as bigger than a tomato. Is my baby shrinking??)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: My scale is broken, I can't tell! lol (And no, I didn't break it. =P I just need to buy a new battery).

Maternity Clothes: Wearing a lot of maternity pants/leggings these days. They are comfy and they don't dig in to my bladder every time I sit down (which, at work, is most of my day... I was getting tired of having to take a bathroom break every hour).

Gender: Not sure yet... but we'll know next week! =)

Movement: I *think* I may have felt some stuff today... but I don't know for sure. It felt kinda fluttery, but it could have also been some weird stomach stuff. lol

What I miss: This is going to sound horrible, but wine and liquor. I want to relax with a glass of wine or be able to drink a cocktail at happy hour with my friends. I know I can have the occasional glass of wine, but why risk anything?

Sleep: I had a really hard time STAYING asleep last night. Not sure what's up with that.

Symptoms: Just feeling fat and taking more time to get ready in the morning because I "don't have anything to wear!"

Cravings: Nothing weird... just the norms.

Best Moment this week: If what I felt today was baby movement, then that was the best part of my week. =) If it was just gas bubbles, then... hmm... I booked my maternity photo session. Still a few months out, but since I'm such a planner I wanted to make sure to have it on the books. =)

What I am looking forward to: My wonderful weekend away (call it a babymoon, or just call it a vacation)! We're headed out of town for the long weekend. First Thanksgiving dinner with the fam, and then out to Crescent Lake where we've rented a cabin for the weekend with plans to relax in the jacuzzi tub and go snowmobiling! =)

Oh! And, of course, my doctor's appointment on Monday! =)

Under Attack

2011-11-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

That was one of my first thoughts today when I left my office building in downtown Portland to run a couple of errands on my lunch break. Several helicopters were hovering overhead, police sirens were wailing, car horns were honking... and I was thinking, what the hell is going on??

Today Occupy Portland took to the street to "occupy" banks and bridges. They started out this morning by protesting on the Steel Bridge and messing with several people's morning commutes when the bridge was shut down. Thankfully I just barely made it over the bridge before they started moving in... I could them all from the MAX window.

Headed downtown, they then proceeded to "Occupy" several banks and apparently shut down one downtown Wells Fargo branch for about an hour with several people being arrested, and the police hauling out the pepper spray.

There was also a big protest on 5th and Alder... about 6 blocks from my office. Which explains all of the chaos and over stimulation that I experienced on my lunch break. We watched some of the live feed coverage as it was going on... lots of people, lots of police in riot gear... lots of emotionally charge scariness. But, I had a hard time taking my eyes off of the coverage.

Last weekend as the police were moving people out of the Occupy camps downtown and putting up fences around the park, I watched for HOURS. I couldn't help but feel a strong need to observe as I knew that I was watching history in the making. I've never experienced anything like this in my life before. Sociologically speaking, it's all very interesting... as long as they don't make me late for work. ;)

18 Weeks

2011-11-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the size of a grapefruit!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Haven't weighed myself this week. I think I'll wait a bit longer. =)

Maternity Clothes: Been wearing a lot more maternity pants but still regular shirts. I can still get away with regular pants, but they dig into my gut when I'm sitting down. =(

Gender: Could be a girl... or a boy.=)

Movement: Nothing! I'm getting kinda antsy! I think this was suppose to be happening by now?

What I miss: Sushi. I really want sushi. And liquor. lol

Sleep: Sleeping a bit better. I'm still a bit sick, but I'm clearing up a bunch now. I got myself one of those daylight wake up lamps... I'm hoping that will help with my mood/energy level in the mornings.

Symptoms: I think I'm getting a lot more round ligament pain recently... especially when I got really excited at the hockey game this weekend. lol

Cravings: I want sushi... and liquor. lol I think I noted this already. =)

Best Moment this week: We went to a hockey game on Friday. It was nice to do something out of the ordinary. And it was a good, enjoyable game!

What I am looking forward to: Everything to come. It's going to be a pretty wild ride from here on out I have a feeling!

17 Weeks

2011-11-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the size of a red onion!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: About +12. Though, I've only gained 7 lbs since my first ob appointment (2 months ago) so I'm ok with the current weight gain. =)

Maternity Clothes: I wore my first pair of maternity pants to work today. I was feeling sick/icky and stretchy pants that felt like wearing pajamas all day sounded good. =)

Gender: Don't know yet, but made the appointment to find out! November 28!

Movement: Still nothing... I keep hearing that it should be happening soon though.

What I miss: I don't know... I think I'm doing ok right now =)

Sleep: Sleeping ok... last night I felt all cold/congested-like, so I hope that I'm able to fight off whatever is working it's way through me so that I (and Jacob!) can get a decent night sleep tonight.

Symptoms: A little more acne than usual, but otherwise ok.

Cravings: Right now I want chocolate.. but that's nothing unusual.

Best Moment this week: My doctor's appointment.... hearing the heart beat is always the highlight.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out if it's a he-baby or a she-baby! Only three weeks to go!

What "Kind" Am I Having?

2011-11-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

I had my monthly check up today. No ultrasound this time, but heard the baby's heartbeat... 163 beats per minute. The little guy/gal is still in there growing and moving around (the doctor heard and lost the heart beat several times... s/he's a mover!).

At this appointment I scheduled my anatomical ultrasound at the hospital. November 28th Jacob and I will find out if we're on Team Pink or Team Blue (not that the gender will in any way be differentiated by these colors in our home, but, for traditional purposes I'm use that identifier. ;)). I've posted a poll on the side of my blog... based on your hunches, intuitions, explanations of the symptoms I've written about, photos of my "bump", whatever... cast your vote as to whether you think there's a little man or little woman in there! "Ask the Audience" always seems to help on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.... let's see how it works with this scenario! =)

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

I'm a bad, bad blogger. I have several posts that I've wanted/thought about writing and I've just been sitting on them waiting to have the motivation to do so. Well, I'm going to try to knock one out right now... even if it is a week or two late. lol

First off, have to say that Halloween in our new neighborhood is AWESOME! Last year Jacob and I bought a bunch of candy and were ready for all of the trick-or-treaters we were going to get living in such a huge apartment complex with so many kids. Well, our doorbell rang ONCE all night long! *sigh* Brittney was not happy about all the leftover candy we "had" to eat over the following days/weeks.

This year I was hoping it would be better. We live very near an elementary school. Granted, I rarely see ANY kids outside in our neighborhood, but I still had hope. I went to Costco and bought a bag of mixed chocolate mini-candy bars and crossed my fingers. Well, guess what? We ALMOST ran out of candy!! I think we got about 50-75 trick or treaters on Monday night. I was giddy with excitement at all of those cute little kids in adorable costumes. =) That is, after the initial shock/confusion/horror over our first "trick-or-treater": a 40ish year old man with two pillow cases and no costume. I played along (hoping he had some kind of development excuse), but it was definitely weird.

Jacob and I didn't dress up for Halloween this year, but we DID dress up with a couple of friends the weekend prior to do a Halloween themed scavenger hunt.

Depending on how long you've been reading this blog, you may remember last year when we participated in the same event (put together by PDX Hunt) and won the costume contest. Well, this year we didn't put as much effort into our costume, but kicked our race into high gear. And we got SOO close! Of 300 teams that participated in the race, we finished in the top 10! (We were the "Bloody Suckin' Searchers" lol) We're going to kick some serious pumpkin ass next year! =)

Below are a few photos of our adventures along the race.

16 Weeks

2011-11-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the size of an avocado!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Haven't weighed myself this week... but I don't think I've gained more (if any) from last week.

Maternity Clothes: Still wearing all of my regular clothes. Though I did purchase a pair of maternity pants and some leggings the other day while I was at the mall. I figured I should be prepared =)

Gender: I have lots of "feelings", but won't know for sure for another few weeks.

Movement: Nothing yet. Looking forward to that moment though.

What I miss: Not thinking of every action in terms of "what is this going to be like to do in a couple of months?" So many things keep popping up that I realize is going to be REALLY difficult when I have a belly that I never though about before.... like getting food out of the lower cupboards in our kitchen, or the floor level safe at work.

Sleep: Sleeping well, just want to stay in bed as long as possible.

Symptoms: Doing fine. Nothing much to report here.

Cravings: Nothing really. I really don't feel stereotypically pregnant. No weird cravings or real morning sickness... sometimes I forget that there's something in there. =)

Best Moment this week: Passing out Halloween candy last night was pretty fun. We found out that we live in a pretty popular trick-or-treating neighborhood, which I'm very excited about. =)

What I am looking forward to: My next doctor's appointment where I'll be scheduling my big ultrasound to find out the gender and make sure everything is a-ok!

And, for comparison photos, me at 6 weeks... I'm definitely filling out.

15 Weeks

2011-10-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the size of an apple! Apparently it's roughly 4 inches, which means (if I did my math correctly) that it is pretty much exactly the size that I will dilate during labor... too bad I'm only about a 3rd of the way though! lol

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Since I just ate a pretty big Mexican dinner, I'm going to take off 2 llbs and say that I've gained about 8 lbs so far. =)

Maternity Clothes: Still not much of a bump. My belly is definitely getting rounder, but it still just looks like a food baby over a real one.

Gender: 50% chance of either!

Movement: Nope. I hear it could potentially start happening soon though... I sometimes I wonder if I'm going to know what it is right away or if I'm going to freak out and think something's wrong.

What I miss: Not having the spotlight on me. I'm not someone who likes to be the center of attention, so having people continually comment on it and/or give me advice/articles/suggestions/etc. it hard for me to deal with.

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well... just wish I could do more of it.

Symptoms: Doing good. Feel like I'm not getting enough sleep, but I think it's because I'm not. =)

Cravings: I still don't feel like I'm having any cravings outside of the norm. Today I craved Mexican food, but I would get cravings like that before I was pregnant, too. I've definitely been known to make french fry and/or blizzard runs in my pajamas. lol

Best Moment this week: Did a Halloween scavenger hunt this weekend and had a great time! I'm hoping to blog about that (and some other stuff) later.

What I am looking forward to: Getting some new clothes... whenever the need finally comes (I think I'm going to need some new pants fairly soon... but, unfortunately I'm NOT looking forward to that, as I'm so tall it's hard enough to find regular pants. Anyone know who makes maternity pants with a 35-36" inseam??)

14 Weeks

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Oct 18:

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the size of a lemon!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Haven't weighed myself this week... and I'm ok with that. Especially since I ate a LOT of pizza yesterday... and then cried at the TV. Yup. I'm pregnant. =P

Maternity Clothes: No real bump yet to have to dress...

Gender: 50% chance of either! =)

Movement: Nothing yet. I think I still have a few weeks until anything is supposed to happen...?

What I miss: Daylight. This whole getting-dark-earlier, getting-light-later thing is messing with me.

Sleep: Sleeping ok... but I've had a cold for the last week, so it's been a constant struggle between waking up having to pee, or having to blow my nose or cough.

Symptoms: I'm doing ok. I get these weird little cramps every now and then, and I don't know whether to blame it on baby or gas! lol

Cravings: No real cravings. Unless you count that last night anything warm and bready sounded good to me.

Best Moment this week: Let everyone at work in on the news. I sent out an all agency e-mail with the subject line: Not (just) eating a lot of cake. =)

What I am looking forward to: Finally starting to think/plan about baby stuff. I didn't really let myself think/talk about it much during the first trimester (fear), but now I'm starting to feel more confident in the whole thing.

13 Weeks

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Oct 11:

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby’s about the size of an egg!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of my doctor’s appointment yesterday, I am up a grant total of 7.5 pounds… but my appointment was in the afternoon, so, obviously I weighed a bit more. =)

Maternity Clothes: Nope. All of my clothes still fit… even if my bridesmaid’s dress last weekend DID make me look pregnant. lol

Gender: 50% chance of either! =)

Movement: Haven’t felt anything yet, but the doctor yesterday said that the little one was quite the mover… she had a hard time getting the heart rate as the little sucker kept doing cat-cow during the ultrasound. =)

What I miss: There isn’t much that I miss right now… everything is going pretty well.

Sleep: I have a cold… so my sleep last night wasn’t great. So far I’m not overly congested, but I have a HORRIBLE sore throat that kills every time I swallow… including waking me up in the middle of the night, which then leads to me having to get up to pee. =P

Symptoms: I’m doing ok… just waiting for my baby bump.

Cravings: I haven’t really had cravings at all during the pregnancy so far. I still love my carbs and dairy, but that’s pretty typical.

Best Moment this week: Seeing my little brother get married this weekend was pretty good… and finally telling the “world” that I’m pregnant felt good, too! Bring on the second trimester!

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender… we have about 6ish weeks to go before this happens, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.

12 Weeks

2011-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Oct 4:

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby's about the size of a kiwi!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I seem to have lost weight since last week, so I’m done to only +5 total. I’m ok with that. =)

Maternity Clothes: Not yet… but I did buy some new sweaters this week and bought them a size larger than I would have so that I’d have some room to grow.

Gender: 50% chance of either! =)

Movement: Nope, but I’m kind of looking forward to experiencing that.

What I miss: Not much really. I’m feeling a lot better these days. This last week just FLEW by.

Sleep: Still sleeping quite well, with the exception of the nightly bathroom break.

Symptoms: Nothing really. I seem to be back to “normal” (whatever that was!)

Cravings: I don’t know if it’s a craving or not, but carbs, salt and chocolate. It’s what I always craved right around “that time of the month”, so I can’t tell if it’s pregnancy related or not. =)

Best Moment this week: Hmm… I don’t know. Like I said earlier, the week flew by. I don’t really remember it much!

What I am looking forward to: My next appointment is less than a week away… one week from today, when I have finished my first trimester, we make it “Facebook (and blog) official!”

11 Weeks

2011-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Sept 27:

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, our little one is about the size of a walnut!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: About 7 pounds =(

Maternity Clothes: Not yet… but it’s making my winter wear planning difficult. I need some new clothes, but I hate to buy anything that I won’t’ fit into in a few months… but at the same time, I don’t want to buy maternity stuff before I actually need to! lol

Gender: 50% chance of either! =)

Movement: I read somewhere that women at my stage MAY feel their baby move but assume that it’s indigestion. So, maybe? =)

What I miss: Being a “regular” person. I am not a fan of having a lot of attention on me, and ever since I started telling friends/family/coworkers that I’m expecting there’s been a LOT of attention. I just want to be “Brittney” for right now.

Sleep: Still sleeping quite well, with the exception of the nightly bathroom break.

Symptoms: Not a whole lot… I’m feeling pretty good actually.

Cravings: No real cravings… sometimes I wonder if I’m actually pregnant. It seems to be going a lot “easier” so far than I anticipated! lol

Best Moment this week: Back fence was finished this weekend! That, in combination with going on a walk/”happy hour” with a friend (I drank a Coke) and having some “girl time”, were the highlights of my week. Oh! Jacob’s 30^th birthday party at Bullwinkle’s Family Fun Center was pretty awesome, too! =)

What I am looking forward to: I just booked Jacob and I a weekend getaway in November at Crescent Lake Resort… I’m looking forward to THAT! =)

Not a Good Day

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Sept. 27

I feel fat and gross.

I’m having a really hard time with this weight gain stuff. I’ve struggled with my weight for years. I was at my worst a couple of years ago and was able to use the upcoming wedding as motivation to get my ass in gear and start taking care of myself. I lost roughly 30 pounds between the time that I purchased my wedding dress and the day that I wore it (I needed to get it taken in, when it actually started out being too small!). I was so proud of myself! Over the course of the year after the wedding I gained back right around 10 pounds. At 5’10”, you couldn’t really see it on me that much. And I was still happy… and my weight was staying steady (if not my ideal, at least I wasn’t gaining more!).

And then I got pregnant, and for two weeks or so I was STARVING ALL THE TIME! I didn’t necessarily eat a lot of BAD food (sure, there was some cookies and chips, but I was still conscious about what I was putting into my body), but I ate a lot MORE than usual, and a lot of carbs (carbs are “quick food” friendly… at the office at 3 PM, what’s available to eat? How about a bagel or a bag of pita chips?). Thankfully my appetite has suppressed a bit, but I still feel like I gained a lot more weight during the first few weeks of my pregnancy than I should have because of it. I’m up about 7 pounds… and it’s only week 11. But again, I’m tall and I don’t think it’s THAT noticeable to the casual observer, but I see it. My thighs and butt have gotten bigger, and I feel like I’m getting the horrid back-fat back. =( I may just be overly sensitive, but I’m HATING it! I want so badly to start “dieting” again (calorie counting/portion control… still eat what I want, just in smaller portions) so that I can take off a few pounds… but, I know that I can’t… that I need to be watching out for two people now instead of just myself. So, I’m (quite literally) sitting on this extra weight for the next several months.

I’m still trying to be careful about what I eat, and not eat a lot of “empty” foods, and I’m more conscious about the exercise/movement that I’m getting (which has been easier lately as I don’t feel like crap all of the time any more), but it’s still a real bummer to step on that scale and see a number that I vowed I’d never see again (I forgot to give myself the pregnancy-caveat).

OK…. I feel a little better having vented.

10 Weeks

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Sept 20:

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby's about the size of a red grape!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Eh…. I’d rather not talk about it. lol

Maternity Clothes: Still fitting in my regular clothes… hopefully for awhile yet!

Gender: 50% chance of either! =)

Movement: Nope.

What I miss: “Morning” sickness. I know it sounds weird, but I have been feeling pretty good lately, and it makes me nervous that something is wrong. lol

Sleep: I sleep like a rock when I sleep… but I’m up at least once (if not twice) a night to use the bathroom.

Symptoms: I had some indigestion today… but I don’t know if that was pregnancy related or not.

Cravings: Not really a craving, but I am LOVING all things carb.

Best Moment this week: Not pregnancy related, but getting your ivy-tear-down/fence project started!

What I am looking forward to: Doing more work on our fence. We hope to have it done/done by the end of next weekend!

9 Weeks

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Sept 13: 9 Weeks

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, the little one is about the size of an olive!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +5 lbs… same as last week, which makes me feel a little bit better about things. =)

Maternity Clothes: Still (thankfully!) too early for this!

Gender: 50% chance of either! =)

Movement: Nope.

What I miss: Sleeping through the night without having to get up to use the bathroom (last night was a two trip night… I’m tired!).

Sleep: Aside from the gripes above, I sleep like a rock.

Symptoms: Things are starting to get a little better now… just a little tired. I’m hoping this isn’t the calm before the storm.

Cravings: No real cravings… I haven’t had any aversions yet either.

Best Moment this week: Seeing the baby and hearing it’s heart beat… made it all the more real!

What I am looking forward to: Telling more of our friends… and my brother’s wedding in a couple of weeks (which also happens to be right around our second trimester marker, meaning, after the wedding we go “public” with our big news!).

Our "Bean"

2011-10-18T07:00:00.001-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Sept. 12

I had my first OB appointment today and got to see/hear our little “bean” (s/he looks just like a lima bean!). It was pretty weird. I didn’t know what to expect from the appointment, so was pretty happy when we were told that we’d hear the heartbeat (not so happy when they told me they were going to have to go in vaginally! Lol).

Ever since our first doctor’s appointment I’ve had this weird fear that I’m not really pregnant. That something else medically weird is going on with me that is imitating the symptoms of pregnancy and that I’m going to look like an idiot when I have to tell everyone that I’ve told that we’re not actually having a baby. But NOW I KNOW that there is something in there! I have photographic evidence! =) I wonder if it’s going to start feeling more real now…

8 Weeks

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Sept 6:

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, baby's about the size of a raspberry!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’m not happy about this… I think I’ve gained 5 pounds so far… which I think is too much. I secretly hope that I’m actually a month farther along than I think I am… make myself feel better about the weight gain. ;) I actually just think that I’ve been gorging myself this last week because a) I’ve been HUNGRY all of the time, and b) I’m pregnant… I’ll do what I want! ;)

Maternity Clothes: Hopefully not for a few more months! All of my normal clothes are still fitting ok.

Gender: I keep finding myself referring to it as a “he”… I don’t’ know what this means. Maybe, being from my family and Jacob’s (where I’m the only girl) the thought that it COULD be a girl is just weird to me. lol

Movement: Nope.

What I miss: Riding my bike in the mornings. I know that I COULD, but I just feel so exhausted and nauseous that the thought of pedaling 2.5 miles every morning (and then 2.5 half back that evening), just does NOT appeal to me.

Sleep: Aside from getting up at least once a night to pee (two last night), it’s going alright.

Symptoms: Same ol’, same ol’. The ravenous hunger has diminished a bit though, so I’m thankful for that.

Cravings: Salt and chocolate… but that’s really nothing out of the ordinary for me. =)

Best Moment this week: Telling our families. It makes it seem just a little bit more real. =)

What I am looking forward to: Starting to tell some close friends and coworkers… I think my coworkers are already a little suspicious though… I haven’t really been myself lately.

Telling the Fam’

2011-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Sept. 5:

This weekend Jacob and I had dinner with our families to tell them the news.

For Jacob’s family, we met at his brother’s place to celebrate his brother’s birthday. Jacob had this plan about how to tell his brother (well, really, his SECOND plan… his first plan* didn’t fly with me!). Apparently, about 9 years ago at Christmas, Jacob’s brother asked what Jacob wanted for Christmas… and then asked him if a nephew was ok instead… 7 months later, Jacob’s nephew was born. Since we were gathering for his brother’s birthday, Jacob thought this would be the perfect way to tell the family. Probably was, his brother TOTALLY didn’t pick up on it! Jacob gave several clues (it’s expensive but small, you won’t’ get it until April, it starts with an “N”). It just was NOT happening! LOL Finally though, Jacob’s dad caught on (WAY before his brother did) and, slowly, the rest of the family got it. They were excited for us, of course. Lots of questions and baby talk followed--in addition to a viewing of the crib that we’re inheriting. =)

Telling my family two days later did not take nearly as much brain power. I had no idea how I was going to tell them. Jacob kept asking me if I’d figured it out yet… I hadn’t. I was just going to go with the flow. =) I convinced my family to get together to celebrate my birthday (even though it was two-weeks early). My mother is all about birthdays and celebrations and likes to go all out. I was feeling like crap that day (and doing my best to hide it), when she introduced us all the obstacle course in the back yard that she thought would be “fun” for us to do. Lol I thought I was going to die… but I did it. =)

Then, at dinner, I was trying to figure out how I was going to bring it up in normal conversation… my nephew totally opened the door for me. I don’t remember exactly what was being discussed, but my nephew made some comment that he was the only “kid” at the table. I replied with “you won’t be the only kid for too much longer”. Everyone was quiet for about 2 seconds and then my mother SCREAMED “ARE YOU PREGNANT??” lol Someone was a little excited. ;)

All in all, it went well. Jacob and I both noted how nervous we were to tell them. I don’t know why nerves was more at the forefront than excitement, but they definitely were. I can’t help but think that, for the last decade I have been doing everything in my power NOT to get pregnant… it just feels so weird to be OK with it now! Am I just weird?

*Jacob’s initial plan was not to tell his brother at all, and just see how long he went before he asked about my weight gain. =P Jacob thought it would be funny. Me? Not so much!

7 Weeks

2011-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Aug. 30: 7 Weeks

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, he/she's about the size of a blue berry. I read this a few days ago, and then, unexpected had blueberries for lunch… it was a little awkward. lol

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I think I’m up about 3 pounds. It’s hard to tell… I’ve fluctuated by a couple of pounds up and down for months.

Maternity Clothes: Still several weeks off from this… I hope! Though, I did try on my bridesmaid’s dress for my brother’s wedding in October… it’s tight, not gonna lie. I think it’s because the extra weight has all happened in my chest! Makes it very hard to close a zipper!

Gender: I know what I feel/hope it is… but I’m not tellin’!

Movement: Way too early I think.

What I miss: TMI aleart… being able to poop. Lol This is has been my biggest/most life effecting symptom so far.

Sleep: Sleeping like a rock… until I have to pee. =P

Symptoms: Still a little dizzy in the mornings, but have switched up my schedule so that I eat breakfast first thing… that seems to help. Also a little nauseous… but more “pre-scary-carnival-ride” nauseous than post. ;) Also have been absolutely EXHAUSTED! I spent all of last weekend lying around with no energy to do anything.

Cravings: Food, food and more food. I’m hungry ALL the time!

Best Moment this week: Starting to actually FEEL pregnant. I think I’ve been in denial, but the symptoms are finally starting to make it feel real!

(P.S. I hate the word “symptoms”… makes it sound like a disease! What other word can I use?)

What I am looking forward to: Telling my parents and brothers! We’re going to go down this weekend (Labor Day) to visit and I’m going to tell them. Funny side note: I’m actually at my parents right now writing this… but Jacob wasn’t able to come down (I’m here in the middle of the week for a bridal shower), so I need to keep it a secret… so hard!

6 Weeks

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Aug. 23: 6 Weeks

(I stole this set up from another lovely mother to be at From Match to Marriage... I've really enjoyed reading her blog over the last several weeks as I was hiding my secret!)

Size of baby: According to babyzone.com, our little one is about the size of a pumpkin seed… so small!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’ve gained a couple of pounds since I last weighed myself, but, after the way I ate last weekend, I suspect that’s more a “food baby” than an actual baby tipping the scale! lol

Maternity Clothes: Still several weeks off from this… I hope!

Gender: I know what I feel/hope it is… but I’m not tellin’!

Movement: Just gas… nothing else. =)

What I miss: Not flinching every time my cat steps on my chest… ow!

Sleep: Better this week than last… I was thinking WAY too much last week!

Symptoms: Getting dizzy in the mornings in the shower… have had to switch to a night shower routine. Also (TMI warning), having some bouts with constipation… but I hear that that’s normal. I think my sense of smell has heightened a *little* bit… but it is summer, so they stinkier people on the bus may just actually be stinkier. Finally, I’m hungry… all the time!

Cravings: Just food in general, nothing in particular.

Best Moment this week: Sitting in the park with Jacob over the weekend and just talking about baby names… was the first time that we’ve had an actual conversation about what is going on inside me!

What I am looking forward to: Telling family and friends. We’re waiting to tell my family in person, which means we have to wait a little while. =(

Can I Jiggle it Loose?

2011-10-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Aug. 21

I’m petrified of EVERYTHING these days. Eating the wrong foods (apparently deli meats and soft cheeses are on the no-eat-when-pregnant list… what am I going to eat for lunch for the next 7 months??), not eating the right food, taking medications and, most of all, physical activity. This is going to sound weird, and feel free to laugh (Jacob did), but I am so scared of shaking the baby “loose”. Lol It’s so little right now, and just getting it’s “grip” on me. I’m afraid to ride my bike, I freak out every time I trip on something (and this happens fairly often, I’m pretty accident prone), I freaked out this weekend on a sail boat because it’s motor was jiggling me! It’s getting ridiculous. Every time I go to the bathroom, I’m scared that there will blood and this whole thing will come crashing down on me. It’s a horrible way to be living right now. I’m supposed to be excited and happy. I’m supposed to be sharing the news with my family… but I’m just worrying so much (I almost burst into tears the other day when I didn’t see a curb and trip a little bit). I sure hope this gets better!

And It Begins...

2011-10-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This is one of a series of scheduled posts that I've written since I found out that Jacob and I were expecting our first child. The original composition date is included below).

Aug. 21

It’s been almost a week since I found out that I was pregnant. I suspected it a couple of days beforehand, but had “suspected it” before, spent a bunch of money on home pregnancy tests, only to take them, get a negative result, and get my period only a few hours later. So, this time I decided that I was going to wait until I was a week late before I took one. And then I changed my mind and decided I was only going to wait five days. And then I decided that if nothing “happened” by the end of the day I was going to take a test… and then the lunch hour came and I ran to Rite Aid to buy one! =) I never have been good with patience or surprises.

So, only four days “late”, and only off of birth control for 3 months, I took a test in the bathroom at work, and… nothing happened!! No double lines… and not even the “control” single line! The test just didn’t do anything! I was annoyed. But figured it was a sign, so I decided to go back to my last plan and wait until the end of the day to try again. But, the next time I needed to pee, I was in bathroom again with another test (I’d bought a two pack… it seemed like a good deal) and a paper cup—I wasn’t going to risk user error again by trying to get just the right amount of “stuff” on the stick.

This time, within seconds, two blue lines appeared. I was pregnant. And, of course, I celebrated by pulling out my camera phone and taking a quick shot. =)

I had a very hard time focusing at work for the remainder of the day, but I somehow got through it, taking another quick break to make an appointment with my doctor to verify the home results.

Jacob picked me up from the transit station that evening after work. I wasn’t sure how to tell him, or what to say. So, I e-mailed him the photo I’d taken and waited for him to check his e-mail when we got home. I think his exact words were “whoa” or something similar. We were both in shock. Neither one of us were expecting things to happen quite so fast… but that kind of is our MO, so I don’t know why we were so surprised.

I was (and still am, a week later) scared shitless. With some excitement thrown in. When I asked Jacob how he was feeling, he said, “This should be fun”. =) Famous last words?

My doctor confirmed the results two days later. We haven’t told our friends and family yet. We want to tell our family in person, and with my parents living a couple of hours away, it takes a little bit of planning to make that happen. Additionally, I’m still a little worried/superstitious/cautious about the “first trimester”, however, as I’ve already illustrated, I am not good with patience, so I don’t think I can bring myself to wait until after the 12^th week to tell people. It’s killing me right now that I’m not able to shout it from the roof tops and tell everyone I know! =) We’re going to plan on telling our families over the Labor Day weekend (I’ll be right around 8 weeks at that point). I will probably tell close friends and coworkers pretty soon after that, and then make the public announcement (i.e. Facebook and blog) when I reach the second trimester.

P.S. I got a couple of weird "signs" in the days preceding my home pregnancy test... pictures below!

Fortune cookie... I received it the day before I took the test, but still kinda weird


Advertising letter from Gerber... received within the week prior to taking the test. (Don't know why it's sideways, but I can't figure out how to fix it and have decided it's not worth the stress. lol)

News

2011-10-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged much... and I apologize. But now I can explain! I HAVE been blogging... just... secretly. You see, I had some stuff that I wanted to write about, but wasn't ready to make it public, until today... the end of my 13th week. ;)

We're having a baby!

Not the best of images from my appointment yesterday, but apparently the little one is quite the mover!

I've been writing since I found out about 6 weeks ago... and have been TRYING to continue to blog here as well, but it's been complicated to think about anything else. =)

Back in April I had my "yearly" appointment. I spoke to my doctor about going off of the pill and how long it would take a person like myself (who has been using it for about a decade) to conceive. I've always had this underlying fear that there was something wrong with me and I wouldn't be able to have children (surprisingly, Jacob admitted the same fear to me), and I figured being medicated for so long (to the point that I no longer even menstruated) probably wouldn't help matters. My doctor couldn't give me much information, and just said that different women "bounced back" at different speeds after going off of the pill. I had her write up a refill prescription, and went home to have a talk with Jacob.

Children had come up. We both wanted them. But we'd never really had a SERIOUS conversation about the "when" factor. When I came home we talked about whether or not I should refill the prescription and, in true Jacob fashion, he told me that we could just "see what happens". So, I pinned the prescription up on the bulletin board in my office, and finished out the pills I had left. Three months later, I find out that I'm 6 weeks pregnant.

I know that we were lucky, that some couples have to TRY for a REALLY long time before they conceive, and that others are never successful naturally. But it really threw us for a loop. We weren't "trying" we were just not NOT trying. And, it happened. It was meant to be I guess, but still kinda freaked me out with the suddenness of it. I just hope I'm ready for this step!

Over the next week or two I'm going to be posting the tidbits that I've written since we found out the big news. We are happy, nervous, excited, and still kind of in denial... but definitely looking forward to what the next several months (and years!) have in store for us!

Eek!

2011-09-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

It's been over 3 weeks since I've blogged about anything here... there's been a lot of stuff going on around here lately and I will, at some point get around to telling you all about it.... just not right now. =) I will leave you with this adorable photo from a couple weekends ago. Jacob's brother brought his dog over... my cat wasn't too thrilled with it, but eventually got a *little* friendly. This was the scene I walked in on after doing some work in the yard.

Would You Care for Some Tea?

2011-09-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday my cousin (Marisa), brother's girlfriend (Jennifer), and I hosted a tea-party bridal shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law. This is the first shower that I've had any sort of hand in planning, but I think it turned out pretty darn well!

We decided to hold the event at the Owen Rose Garden in Eugene. We didn't want to pay to reserve the gazebo, so we just crossed our fingers that no one else would want it on a Wednesday evening--we figured we be safe... and we were!

Both Marisa and Jennifer are event planners in the making, so they had a lot of great ideas for the food, decorations, etc.

LOTS of food! Finger sandwiches, fruit skewers, fresh veggies, iced tea and cupcakes... LOTS of cupcakes! lol

We borrowed a set of my grandmother's dishes to match the wedding colors and "tea party" theme...

Here comes the bride!

After eating, we started the games with a "How well do they know each other?" type of game.... you've probably seen these before. The groom is asked to answer a bunch of questions about the bride and their relationship before hand and then the same questions are asked of the bride at the shower... seeing how close (or how VERY far away) their answers are can be pretty entertaining. =)

Then we had a little fun and used our creative sides with a wedding dress design competition... out of toilet paper of course! =)

The group was separated into three teams of three with Brittany (the bride) as the judge. Each group chose one person to be the "model" and the other two "designed" the dress. =)

My mom, Jenn and Marisa

We were very bad Oregonians wasting all of that paper... someone made a joke about rolling it back up and taking it home... =)

Brittany and Jenn in their tea party attire

After the games, it was time to open presents!

Little did Brittany know that the opening of presents was going to turn into a game in itself. As she was opening the gits, my mother was taking down notes of everything that she said. When she was done, her quotes were read back to her as things that my brother may hear on the wedding night.

There were lots of "Thank You's" of course, but some awesome lines were also recorded... such as "you really don't want me to get in there, do you?" and "It's a lot wrinkle-i-er than I thought it would be". LOL It was great! And very hard for both my mom and I to keep a straight face as we knew what was going on throughout the present opening process.

On a table we also had an apron (wedding colors) out with some fabric paint. Each guest was asked to decorate/leave a note/whatever for the bride as a souvenir.

We had a great time. And I think the ladies who were there really enjoyed themselves! =)

Anniversary Stay-cation: Day Two

2011-08-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Day Two of our anniversary stay-cation was spent lazing around the hotel... and it was AWESOME! The temperature in Portland got to roughly 95 degrees... we Pacific Northwesterners are NOT used to that. Jacob and I were perfectly content to spend the day inside, vegging in the air conditioning. But, we did have to eat. So, after a shower (and taking full advantage of the hotel bathing amenities),

Jacob and I left in search of a Big Ass Sandwich.

My co-worker convinced me a few weeks back to try one of these monstrosities, and, though it was delicious, I felt like a fat, greasy cow afterward. lol But, after telling Jacob about it, he just had to give it a try.

I, on the other hand, opted for a felafel sandwich... little did I know it would make me feel almost as gross afterward (but, what can you expect from cart food, eh?)

Felafel and Strawberry Lemonade

Big Ass Sandwich

After lunch we cruised around downtown a little bit, and then, when we thought we were going to die of heat exhaustion (or the food we just consumed!) we headed back to the hotel... which was serving complimentary fruit juice with grapefruit slices in their lobby. LOVE IT! Then, back to the room for more vegging before we ventured out for our next meal. =)

As hotel guests, we were given a discount at the hotel's restaurant. So, for dinner we gave it a go.

I'm not so great with the food photography (I want to EAT it, not take pictures of it!), but I do love any place that serves dinner by candlelight!

After dinner, Jacob and I headed out to Staff Jenning's Marina to board a sailboat for a 90-minute sailing expedition up the Willamette. I found this deal several months ago on Groupon and have been waiting for this weekend. I was really excited about seeing all of the gorgeous downtown lights from the water. here's a couple of photos... but be pre-warned, it's REALLY hard to take long-exposure photography from a moving boat!

We had a great time this weekend. Even though we didn't go anywhere, or really do much more than sit in our hotel room, we appreciated the opportunity to relax without distractions... and a quick drive home. =)

Anniversary Stay-cation: Day One

2011-08-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Since we had a couple of other things going on last weekend, Jacob and I celebrated our first anniversary this weekend. With the home purchase and all of the home improvement related expenses we've had over the last several months, we knew that we weren't going to be able to afford a get-away vacation, but thanks to my cousin and her awesome discount at a boutique hotel in downtown Portland, we were able to afford a pretty nice little "stay-cation!"

Our weekend started on Friday. I got off work and walked to two blocks to our hotel (shortest commute EVER! I loved it! lol), the Hotel Vintage Plaza. I checked in, went up to the room, and took lots of photos! lol

Hallway

There was even a nice little note (with a bottle of champagne and some chocolate candies) from my cousin waiting for us.

After the mini photo shoot (and a browse through the mini-bar) was complete, I got a head start on a weekend of relaxing while I waiting for Jacob to get there.

"Say Yes to the Dress" Marathon... pretty appropriate I thought!

When Jacob arrived, we packed our bags (and anniversary cake!) up to the room, relaxed for a little while longer, and then headed to dinner. We had a reservation and restaurant.com gift certificate for Chez Joy, and I was excited to try out a real French restaurant. However, much like our luck with everything else we try to do, this did not go according to plan. We arrived at the restaurant only to find a sign on the door stating that Restaurant.com gift certificates were no longer being accepted. We went in, and I pointed out to the maitre de that the gift certificate clearly states that there is no expiration date. I was told, in much nicer language, that we were SOL and there was nothing that could be done.

More than a little frustrated, Jacob and I left in search of another restaurant (as I felt quite put off by the way they handled the situation, and I didn't want to pay full menu price). We headed down to Mother's Bistro and ended up having a fantastic dinner.

Still got a little taste of "fancy"

Then, as we were only a couple blocks from the river, and it was such a beautiful night, Jacob and I headed in that direction. We walked for awhile, and then started to play with some long-exposure photography, and then sat on a bench and just talked (I think this was my favorite part of the weekend!).

We also got a shot of ourselves in front of the fountain where we got several of our engagement photos taken almost two years ago.

Oct. 2009

Aug 2011

After it got dark, we headed back to our hotel... it was time to dig in to our complimentary (I LOVED this part!) first anniversary cake from the bakery that did our wedding cake. I was ex-i-ted! =)

Made to replicate the top tier of our cake

Chocolate chip cake with fudge filling... mmm mmm mmm!

After cake, it was time for vegging and bed. It is also getting to that part tonight... I'll tell you all about day two tomorrow. =)

From Blog to Book

2011-08-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

When I was younger I kept a journal. I have about four of them that chronicle my middle school years. In high school and college I had WAY too much actual written school work to complete, and didn't take the time to write for pleasure. However, about 3 years ago, when I decided to make the move up to British Columbia for grad school, I discovered the blogging world, and finally found a reason to write again, starting a blog about my experiences as an American girl in Canada. And then I got engaged and started a second blog, and then I got married and started a third! lol

Blogging, for me, has been both a way to chronicle my life (much like my journal was in middle school), as well as a way to collect ideas and gather feedback. Unfortunately, I've never loved the fact that I don't have some tangible once I blog something. It just goes off into cyberspace... who knows what will happen to it, how long it will be able to stick around out there, or if something can magically happen to erase it (I'm not overly trusting of today's technology).

I've heard about people turning their blogs into books, but the one time that I looked into it, it was REALLY expensive. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across this post from a fellow post-wedding blogger who used SharedBooks to turn her wedding blog into a keepsake, for much less that I had seen other companies do it for. So, I uploaded both my wedding blog and my Canada blog, and got a quote... both blogs into books for a little over $60 (which included shipping!). I was so happy! I decided to black and white pages in order to save money, and hit the "order" button.

I was told that I'd get the books by Sept. 7th... however, they came on Friday! And I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. I think I'm planning to do one of these every year so that I will have something tangible to hold on to. I'm sure my kids will, one day, appreciated the ability to go back and read about their parent's lives... or just give me a laugh in a few years when I read over what my 20's were like (much like a do from time to time with my middle school writings).

Uff Dah!

2011-08-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

Every year in August my hometown celebrates its cultural history with the Scandinavian Festival. Four days of food, dancing, artisan booths, people dressed in costume and, did I mention, food? =) Last year Jacob and I were unable to attend because we were getting married (good excuse I think), and the year before that I was finishing up my grad program in Canada... so, it's been about three years since I've been able to partake in the baked, fried, syruped and sauced delicacies of the Scandinavian cultures... this year I was ready!

While Jacob and I were in town for my high school reunion, we took a couple of hours to wander around the festival. Unfortunately, we didn't get to eat any of abelskivers, as the line spanned for at least one full city block, but we still enjoyed ourselves!

Random woman... just notice the windmill and vikings =)

Ewwy, gooey, DELICIOUS funnel cake!

Troll.... kinda creepy, even when you're expecting it!

Dining Room Addition

2011-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, after surfing around online, and staring at my dining room decor for a few days, I decided to go for it and get the vinyl decal for the wall.... Jacob helped me put it up yesterday, and I think it looks pretty good!

We also got one for the bedroom (one of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou)... I felt like I needed something on the wall above our bed, but i don't like the idea of anything heavy hanging over my head while I'm asleep. i figured vinyl wall art was a little less crack-my-skull-open-scary. We haven't put it up yet, but you can bet there will be photos of that as well. =)

JCHS 2001... or, The Stroller Brigade!

2011-08-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend was my TEN YEAR high school reunion. I really don't feel old enough to have one of these already! The unfortunate thing is that the reunion date happened to fall on the same weekend as our one-year wedding anniversary. =( This means that Jacob and I will be celebrating our anniversary next weekend (and I'm REALLY looking forward to it! We have a bunch of fun stuff planned!).

Jacob and I drove down to my home town of Junction City Friday evening. Saturday morning I headed to a local park to meet some of my high school girlfriends to spend some quality time together outside of the structured reunion activities.

Holly, Meghan and Lauren were all able to make it... with children and husbands in tow! Our friend Matt, and his wife showed up with their two little ones, too. I am currently the ONLY one from my "group" in high school (who were in the same class) who does not have a child yet. I was surrounded by babies! And they were all frickin' adorable! =)

The "Stroller Brigade"

Little Miss Elsa Marie!

Lauren with her little one, Ben

Lauren's oldest, Josh

It was great to see them all again, reminisce about high school, fill each other in our lives (not much left after blogs and Facebook though! lol), and spend some time with the next generation.

Here's a photo of Meghan, Lauren, myself and Holly (from left, skip over the first girl in the photo) during our sophomore year of high school:

And here we are today (plus Matt and babies!):

I attended the actual reunion later that evening and, while it was nice to see a couple of other people that I haven't seen in quite some time, I mostly just visited more with these lovely ladies... and was very grateful for the opportunity!

P.S. As I mentioned before, each of these great women have blogs chronicling their lives and families. You can find Meghan at Mama Meghan's Musings, Holly and Holly's Berries, and Lauren at The Chronicles of Yorgesen (this one is worth a look just for the header! lol Makes me laugh every time!)

**Jacob and I also attended the yearly Scandinavian Festival while in town... more on this later!

One Year

2011-08-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

One year ago today....

Here's to many more laughs and smiles to come!

** More on how we "celebrated" a little later....

Heart of the Home

2011-08-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up (and even now) the heart of our home was the kitchen/dining room. It seemed that my mother was always in the kitchen, and, to spend time with her we just take a seat on one of the bar stools at the counter. We also always ate dinner as a family, around the table. On special occasions we would finish with dinner and either sit around talking (for hours) or play a game of some kind (we were big fans of Sequence and Spoons).

When purchasing our house, it was important to me to have a space for a dinner table, not only due to my memories of my family, but also because I enjoy hosting dinner parties, and truly believe that the heart of a home is where laughter and socialization occurs... the dinner table.

We found a great table on Craigslist, but the space around it seemed kind of bland/empty. I wanted some artwork to hang on the wall above the table, but couldn't find anything (at a reasonable price) that I liked. Until, one day, I got an e-mail from ArtsCow.

ArtsCow is an online photo product printing company. If you sign up (free) on their site you get a BUNCH of free stuff, and killer deals. I've made several photo books with them and only paid for the shipping fees. I pretty much love them. =)

Anyway, back to my story... I got an e-mail from ArtsCow letting me know about a promotion that they were doing for three canvas prints. I was immediately interested, however, didn't have any shots that I felt went with the natural/neutral theme in my living/dining room/kitchen space. So, one weekend, not too long ago, Jacob and I went to the International Rose Test Garden here in Portland and went photo happy. From those photos, I uploaded three for prints, placed my order and then purchased stretch bars from a couple of art supply stores. When my print came in the mail, I sent to work mounting the canvas and hanging them on the wall. The mounting was a pain (the print was a little too small for the bars, but totally my fault and could easily be avoided had I thought about things a little bit more before placing the order) but I am ultimately quite happy about the way it turned out.

I still feel like it needs a little something more though, so I'm contemplating buying some vinyl word art such as this. Has anyone used this type of thing before? Does it work well?

Got the Painting Bug!

2011-07-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

One thing that I always hated about renting was my inability to change things. I LOVE color, and the white/taupe walls of my apartments always drove me crazy. I knew that when I bought a house, I was going to PAINT. =)

You may remember that first we painted our tv room red.

And then I got bored one weekend and decided to paint the bathroom purple.

This weekend I took the shitty weather as a sign that I should finally paint the master bedroom... something that I have been sitting on for several months. And, of course, I LOVE it!

Here's the before:

And here's my beautiful, chocolate, "after":

What do you think? Beige rug?

Several weeks ago I saw a blog posting of a DIY project that I absolutely loved... a framed tribute to travel.

I LOVE travel. I HATE DIY projects. lol But, this one I thought that I could do... or, at least, something similar. So, one day a few weeks ago, armed with Michael's coupons, left over white house paint, and a couple of fresh printer cartridges of ink, I set out to create my own.

Like I said, a few WEEKS ago I started this project (not a DIYer... no time, energy, patience or creativity... for the most part). And, this weekend, I am FINALLY done. And, after painting the bedroom, was ready to start my wall of travel (I painted a couple of extra frames so that the project could grow as we continued our adventures):

I decided that, instead of just framing the maps, I wanted to also frame photos of us enjoying the places that we've traveled. So, for each of our destinations (Hawaii, Vancouver, BC, Las Vegas, New Zealand, Melbourne) I found a map of the area as well as several photos, printed them up in the appropriate sizes, and framed them (excuse the crappy photos... it's hard to take pictures of pictures!):

I'm pretty happy with the way that this turned out... and am SOO looking forward to watching our wall grow! =)

Friday Favorites.... Yeah, I know

2011-07-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

I suck at this whole "blog on a schedule" thing... grr.... So... my "Friday Favorites" for this week are, indeed, falling on Saturday. Additionally, I don't really have much to share this week either. Wasn't a very interesting weekend in Cyberland I guess. =)

Zucchini Pizza Boats (these look like a damn good way to eat a vegetable! lol)

Spicing up the relationship (this made me giggle)

Friday Favorites

2011-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I know several bloggers who do weekly favorites in some variety... I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon, but, mine is going to be a little different.

Throughout the course of the week I run across so many websites/postings that grab my attention for a variety of reasons, and I either share them on Facebook (or 'reshare' as the case may be) or I leave them open in my web browser jut I can figure out how I'm going to blog about them! So, this is my solution to that, and to my desire to share, with a larger audience, the fascinating/funny/thought-provoking things that I discover out there in cyber land! Disclaimer: This will, no doubt, be a random hodge-podge of a variety of goodness.

My Zen Weekend

2011-07-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

The moment that I got in the car on Saturday morning to head out of town for our long camping weekend I was more relaxed than I have been in months. I knew that I had four days of ocean beaches, fresh air, and good friends to look forward to.

The Fourth of July has had significance to me for a couple of years now, and has been celebrated at the Oregon Coast (Waldport and Yachats, to be exact) since then. The last two years we've camped out at Beachside State Park. I love that the campsites are just steps from the sand, and that the ocean waves lure me to sleep each night, and greet me in the morning. I absolutely LOVE the beach. I feel whole when I am there.. which was a big reason that Jacob and I decided to have our wedding there (though, I wasn't nearly as ocean-loving-crazy as THIS Oregon bride! brrr!).

A few friends joined us for the weekend. We talked, ate, hiked to Heceta Head Lighthouse and watched fireworks (twice!). The weather was GORGEOUS (which is evident by the sunburn that I left with). Below are a few of my favorite photos from the weekend. Going back to work today, I actually still felt relaxed... it was fantastic! I've already started to plan our next camping weekend! lol


Home Sweet Home

SOO ready for this!

A surprise for us on the beach

Along the trail to Heceta Head Lighthouse

View from the trail

From Heceta Head... could not have asked for better weather!

Bailey: our entertainment

Put one of our wedding gifts to use! I LOVE this thing!

The finale! (I love the "runner" in the first few seconds).

Attack of the Killer Tomoatoes!

2011-07-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

We are headed out for a much needed camping trip/vacation tomorrow... I am soooo excited! But, before we take off, I had to show you all pictures of my garden. I'm so excited that things are actually growing and that I will have fresh veggies to eat very soon (though, have already been cutting lettuce for salads...mmmm!).

I have managed to squish a lot of stuff into my little raised garden bed... I think I'm going to have to double what I have next year! Right now I have sunflowers, corn, beans, onions, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce and...

Tomatoes!

My single tomato plant is taking over my garden! I've had to pick up pieces of it off the ground several times so far...it just keeps growing! lol Thankfully I really love tomatoes! =)

It's amazing how much it's grown in just a month!

And the Winner Is....

2011-06-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

By the powers of random.org, the winner of the 100 Uprinting postcards is....

MARIE!

Congrats! Just make sure I get one of those lovely announcements! ;)

P.S. You should be receiving directions on how to claim your postcards in the next 30 days... I suggest designing them now before the reason for the announcements is around to keep you busy! =)

QUICK Postcard Giveaway!!

2011-06-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

Who wants some free postcards? 'Cause I have 100 of them to give away! =)

Long time readers may remember my love for the online printing company Uprinting and how they contributed so much awesomeness to my DIY wedding planning. Well, it's been awhile, but I have been asked to host another of their fantastic giveaways! Details are below.

To enter, please leave your name and e-mail address (unless I already have it) as a comment to this post telling me what cool thing you'll use them for (baby announcements? Wedding thank yous? Get a jump on this year's Christmas cards? Check out Uprinting for some more postcard designs and ideas). For additional entries, you can blog about it, tweet it, or FB it and leave me a link as a separate comment.

The timeline on this is quick, you have until 7 AM PST on June 30th!

Details

100 Postcards for One (1) Winner

5" x 7"

14pt Cardstock Gloss

No Folding

Front and Back Printing

2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time

Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only. Additionally, if you have won the same giveaway within the last six months, you are not eligible to win it again. Sorry!

** This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, an online printing company, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive postcards for hosting. See more information about postcards and available postcard designs on UPrinting.com.

One for the Record Books

2011-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

This has been the best weekend that I've had in quite a long time... why? Because I didn't do ANYTHIING!

Well, that's not exactly true. I did get all dressed up on Friday night and went out dancing with the girls (that was pretty amazing and was a long time coming), but Jacob and I didn't have anything planned for yesterday or today.

A little pre-party self-photo shoot. =)

On the dance floor with my girls!

Our weekends have been booked for months now it seems, with either household projects, trips out of town, and, for the last couple of months, Sunday afternoon softball games (we joined a league for the spring). These activities are, in themselves, greatly enjoyable, but they add up. And after months of not getting a weekend to simply relax and "reboot", I can really start to feel the effects.

This weekend I sat outside and read a book, I went browsing at a craft store, I watched a movie and did a little laundry, I worked on art projects and organizational projects that I've been putting off doing... but, most importantly, I didn't have a to-do list, or something on my calendar, and it felt great! Right now I'm sitting outside in my new lounger (bought yesterday when I realized I didn't have anything to sit in when I had time to relax and read a book outside! lol) looking out at my backyard, feeling the nice summer breeze (finally!) and listening to the birds chirp. This is bliss.

Next weekend Jacob and I headed to the coast to go camping with a few friends. I'm thankful for both the fact that it's a long weekend, and that I will be forced to not do anything for a few days as I sit around a campsite, read a book, walk on the beach and watch the fireworks. It will also be the anniversary of Jacob's proposal... and soon our wedding anniversary will be here. I have some great plans in celebration of that, but that's for another day. =)

Weekend, Are You Here Yet?

2011-06-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

The weekend can not come soon enough this week. I don't know what it is, but I just feel in a rut. I'm tired and cranky... I just want to sleep. I am SUPER excited that we don't have ANYTHING planned this weekend. it has been far too long since our calendar has been clear for a whole two days (we just finished our spring softball league, which had us booked for the last two months of Sundays). I'm excited to sleep in--even though, in my old age, that only means until about 8:30 or so!

I'm also looking forward to NEXT weekend... our annual fourth of July camping trip at the coast and a four day weekend! Very, very excited to be forced to "relax" for a little while!

Sometimes I Wish I'd Married a Woman

2011-06-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

How does this look?

Should I wear the purple scarf or the green one?

Which shoes go better with this outfit?

I'm not sure about these earrings, what do you think?

These are common questions that come out of my mouth... aimed at Jacob.

Jacob is not fashion conscious (self admitted). But I don't have any other options for advice when I'm getting ready in the morning! I did, after all, choose to marry a guy! =) He tries though. He gives me an opinion, i.e. the green scarf, and, alas 90% of the time I go with the purple one.

He called me out on it a while back. I asked him a question similar to those above, and, instead of answering, he said, "you're just going to end up choosing the other one, aren't you?"

This got me thinking a bit. I don't want to make him feel like his opinions don't matter (even in silly situations like this), and I also don't want to set him up for failure (i.e. ask him for an opinion on something I've already made a decision about... consciously or not). So, I'm trying to do better. Several times now I have gone with his suggestion (even when, I probably would have chosen the other way) and I'm trying to limit the times I ask his opinions to those times that I really, truly want it.

I want us to be able to talk about, and make decisions together when it comes to the big things, and, I feel like in order to do this we need to start small. I do value his opinions... I just need to make sure that he knows it, which means wearing the earrings he picks out from time to time. =)

Is this a common situation in anyone else's house? Are you lucky enough to have a guy who craves giving fashion advice? I KNOW there are several male fashionistas out there! =)

Being Green

2011-06-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to several of those "daily deal" websites (you know the ones.. Groupon, Living Social, and now Google Deals (we live in the beta-city, woo!), and I often find a lot of stuff that looks fantastic but that I know I can't afford to spend money on... even at a discounted price-- things like restaurant discounts (I already have a bunch from restaurants.com that I haven't used yet) and wine tastings (I would love them, but Jacob doesn't drink) but, from time to time, Jacob or I find something that is just too good to turn down** (like the massage that Jacob bought for me that I utilized today!), or really is something that, in the long run, will save us money.

The specific one that I have in mind right now is my sandwich bags that I purchased from ReUsies. Sure, sure, if I knew what I was doing and wanted to put the time and energy into it I could have made these myself, but I don't, and I didn't, and I bought them. =)

I bought two 2-packs, one for myself and one for Jacob. We both pack lunches most days for work and I WAS feeling slightly bad about all the plastic bags we were using (but not bad enough to bring them home and wash them like my mom used to). These are great. They are cute and work really well! if you have a juicy sandwich, though, I will warn that it may slightly leak through the lining (i.e. I got a couple of little spots on the exterior fabric when I packed a sandwich with tomatoes), but it's not bad enough to deter me from using them. Plus, I feel a little bit better about myself and my status as an Oregonian. ;)

I have also been stocking up on these deals for our first anniversary in a couple of months. I'm not going to tell you what we're going to do, but I will tell you that thanks to Groupon and Living Social we're going to have a fantastic weekend for about half the cost! More to come in August, I'm sure!

** Discounted passes to this place? Too good to turn down. ;)

Slowing Down

2011-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Things have been slowing down for me lately. No longer am I going to school/writing a thesis/planning a wedding/buying a house/decorating/furnishing... and I realized something. I crave projects. My brother is getting married in a few months and I find myself wanting to plan a wedding. Jacob's cousin just graduated from high school and suddenly I'm thinking about the job search process. Not that I WANT another wedding, or a different job, but just that I have a strong urge for a project. I need something to plan. Something to look forward to, something to work on in the evenings after I get home from work (there is only so much facebook-stalking a person can do!)

I started a new mini-project this weekend that I hope to unveil in a couple days time... so, I have that. Our one year wedding anniversary is coming up in a couple of months... but I had that planned three months ago. Jacob's 30th birthday (I'm throwing him a "surprise" party--he knows that something is happening, just doesn't know what) is coming up in September, but I already know, basically, what that's going to consist of. I want to go on a road trip or a vacation of some sort. But we can't really afford it right now. I want to plan!

Do you all ever feel like this as well? It's a weird combination between cabin fever and boredom. I've always been doing so many things at once... it's hard to get used to not having any deadlines in my personal life.

What is THAT Thing?

2011-06-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

What is that round yellow thing? Is that... could it possibly be? SUNSHINE?

After a long, wet spring-ter (the season after Christmas that is never really one or the other) we may FINALLY be seeing a little summer foreshadowing in the Pacific Northwest! I am SOOO happy! Today I came home from work and thinned my garden, planted flowers, weeded and watered... all in an hour! I never have that sort of energy! I'm actually sitting here thinking about what else I can do this weekend in the yard. =)

I used to hate yard work. I was not an "outdoor" kid. I would have rather stayed inside reading a book than hang out in the garden helping my dad plant tomatoes, but I have recently discovered that something changes when it's YOUR yard. Suddenly, I'm concerned about how tall the grass is, and how many weeds are in the garden. I am thinking about all the things I'd like to do with the landscaping and what kind of vegetables I want to plant in my garden. I am no longer satisfied spending time inside reading a book. I want to be outside with my gardening gloves on DOING something.

When did I become a grown up?

One of our gifts from our housewarming/Memorial Day BBQ last weekend

Our front door

Another floral housewarming gift

I LOVE Color!!

Look at my garden grow!

My lettuce is starting to look like lettuce! Soo excited!

On the Couch

2011-05-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

I slept on the couch last night. Why? Because I was really mad at my husband.

Why was I mad at him? Because he was sleeping soundly and I couldn't fall asleep!

Irrational anger, of course, but when I'm that tired (and I was EXHAUSTED! Almost fell asleep in the car on the way home from dinner), and I can't fall asleep I get super, super cranky. HE was sleeping. HE was hogging the blankets, HE wasn't having the same fits of uncomfortability that I was having. So, I slept on the couch.

Weird thing is, the moment I got to the couch, I passed out (until my cat started licking my face anyhow). I'm still tired this morning, and still cranky, but hoping I can turn it around. We're headed to the coast and I'd really like to enjoy myself.

I want to hear about other people's irrational fits of anger at their significant others... helps me not to feel like a weirdo. =)

P.S. Do any of you read Sleep Talking Man? His wife has a LOT of patience!

Too Sad for Words

2011-05-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to Wedinator. I love seeing the funny/stupid/silly wedding day photos... but this post was NOT the norm, and just made me so, so sad. Did anyone else read about this? I will say, one of my biggest fears when I thought about my wedding was that the groom wouldn't show up (I never feared this with Jacob, just, in general over the course of my wedding-thought-years), but I am very happy to know that I would have never resorted to this.

Just so sad...

Some somber wedding news out of China from New York Magazine:

Bride-to-be Li-Wan was so devastated when her fiance Wang Lu called off their wedding, that she climbed out on a window ledge 80 feet in the air in Changchun, China. Still in her wedding dress, she sobbed there as a crowd gathered to try to stop her from jumping. Unfortunately, jump she did — but not before an aid worker could rush up close. The worker, Guo Zhongfan, caught her in mid-air by the neck. Pinning her to the building, he managed to save her life with the help of others on a lower floor. He also managed to create the most intense photo op of the day.

Wow, I Really Suck!

2011-05-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

I totally meant to blog this weekend... but just the thought of having to think enough to put words together was enough for me! lol I spent most of today in my pajamas, and the rest of it in my softball sweats... this weekend was definitely one of rest... from all things home-life productive anyhow. I did have happy hour with a friend on Friday, went to the Timbers game on Saturday, and then played a double header with my softball team this evening (we lost both games, but my husband played like a freakin' rock start! Slid into base safe three times... once head first! He was named the "Player of the Game"). I'm exhausted... but in a good way! Oh! And earlier this week I finally got a chance to plant my garden!

And now, some week/end recap photos for your enjoyment. =)


My garden! Grow baby, grow!

Jacob and I at the Timbers game! Front row seats in the Army section! Woo!

My brother Scott made it up for the game, too!

The Army

Goal!!

Timber Joey

Role Reversal

2011-05-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

My brother, Dustin, is getting married in early October. His fiance, Brittany**, asked me to be a bridesmaid, and yesterday I got to see what that role is like!

I have never been a bridesmaid before. My MOH, Josie, asked me to her MOH when she was married several years ago, but then decided to elope in Vegas, so, while I went with her, I didn't get the full on "bridesmaid" experience.

Yesterday we went shopping for dresses. Since I am the only one of her girls who live in Portland, and Brittany wanted to shop there for the larger of array of dress options, I made us a couple of appointments at local dress retailers. First off, we went to David's, and probably tried on about 15-20 different dresses. There were three that Brittany put on her "maybe" list, but nothing was really getting a very strong reaction from any of us. Funny side note, one of the dresses that was at the top of her "maybe" list was the dress that I had originally picked up when we went shopping for my ladies (this one). Our service at David's kinda sucked (our consultant kept stepping away and not returning for 20 minutes at a time... even when she was just going to see if one of the dresses came in a certain color... it was kind of ridiculous).

After our trip to David's we had an appointment at Bridal Exclusives at the Clackamas Promenade. The selection was a lot smaller, but the service was SOOO much better, and we found the ONE. It was pretty obvious when it was right. Brittany's eyes lit up and she said "I LIKE that one!" (not the response that the other dresses were getting!) the moment I stepped out of the dressing room (myself and fellow bridesmaid Jennifer were the models, as 90% of the dresses in the store were in our sizes).

The dress is gorgeous, and I'm happy that it was a) one of the cheaper ones in the store (still slightly more than a David's dress, but better quality) and b) that it's something I could definitely wear again. Here it is!

Imagine it in a chocolate color with slim spaghetti straps.

** It's kind of weird having the same name as my brother's fiance, but, here's the kicker, another of my brothers is dating a girl named Brittney as well... so there are THREE of us! I think it confuses my nephew... he has called my third brother's girlfriend Brittney before, too (her name is Jennifer). I wonder if he just thinks that "Brittney" means "girl". =)

Sand Dollars & Sunflowers

Our Love Story

30 Weeks

Our Last "Babymoon"

Is It Over Yet?

29 Weeks

To Doula or Not to Doula?

28 Weeks

The Name Game

Cribbage*

The B-Hive

What Can I Eat?

27 Weeks

Baby's First Home Video

So, this at-home baby heart beat thing sucks for it's intended purpose, but it's pretty trippy to watch it move as the baby kicks it! lol

The Registry

Third Trimester?

Invasion of the Body Snatchers!

26 Weeks

Blahs

25 Weeks

Craigslist + Christmas $$ = Happy Me!

Ringing in 2012

Face Lift

Christmas Recap

24 Weeks

Christmas Eve Recap

Christmas Baking Recap

23 Weeks

22 Weeks

21 Weeks

Today's the Day

Week 20

"The" Ultrasound

Week 19

Under Attack

18 Weeks

17 Weeks

What "Kind" Am I Having?

Trick or Treat!

16 Weeks

15 Weeks

14 Weeks

13 Weeks

12 Weeks

11 Weeks

Not a Good Day

10 Weeks

9 Weeks

Our "Bean"

8 Weeks

Telling the Fam’

7 Weeks

6 Weeks

Can I Jiggle it Loose?

And It Begins...

News

Eek!

Would You Care for Some Tea?

Anniversary Stay-cation: Day Two

Anniversary Stay-cation: Day One

From Blog to Book

Uff Dah!

Dining Room Addition

JCHS 2001... or, The Stroller Brigade!

One Year

Heart of the Home

Got the Painting Bug!

Friday Favorites.... Yeah, I know

Friday Favorites

New York-Style Crumb Cake (Club: BAKED)

Bicycle-powered cart gives Portland's homeless a chance to check out a good book

19 brilliantly smart-ass responses to completely well-meaning signs

Mumford and Sons Homeless Video-"After The Storm"

My Zen Weekend

Attack of the Killer Tomoatoes!

And the Winner Is....

*QUICK* Postcard Giveaway!!

One for the Record Books

Weekend, Are You Here Yet?

QUICK Postcard Giveaway!!