32 weeks

In my head, this is about the size of the baby in my belly.  One irrational fear I've come up with is that he's out of room.  From the way he stretches me, I keep thinking he must be.  Doctor says I'm still measuring fine, but I'm convinced I'm genetically gifted: not only was Casey huge, but my dad and my uncles were all pretty large, too. 

Ohhhhh, dear...

Not to mention that these days, I look like this:

We may have to go to belly-only shots, because in this picture I just look big and tired, two adjectives which, while very accurately describing how I've been feeling this week, aren't exactly becoming photographically.

Note to everyone: when you see a giant pregnant lady, please make no comments about how she looks like she's ready to pop, and definitely don't ask if she's carrying twins.  Yes, I'm huge.  But your shoes are ugly and your hair looks awful today, so we're square.  Hah.

Somewhere between longing for a squishy place to lay pretty much 24/7 and trying not to make beached whale noises while attempting to heft my huge out of said squishy place, I decided that I may not be so good at being pregnant this time around, even though I love it. 

I don't recall feeling that pregnant with Leah.  It may have resulted from the fact that, last time, when I was done, I got to be done.  I didn't still have to chase/care for/be patient with a two year old and all that implies. 

And if you talk to me and I can't remember what you said five minutes later, just know it really has become part of my pregnant lady MO. I really thought I was doing well this time; with Leah, pregnancy brain struck me in the first trimester and never let up. This time, I've been much more lucid and have been able to call things by their proper, given names. Up until the last few weeks or so.

Now we're back to the world of "thingies" and "whatdoyoucallits." My words are the first to go, followed quickly by the onset of "have you seen my..." syndrome.  Whatever anyone tells you, pregnancy brain is a real thing.  In fact... wait... what was I saying???

I'm also much more eager to meet him this time around.  I'm trying so hard to enjoy this moment, because a) I kinda super, duper wanted him in there to begin with, and b) I know how much I'll miss having him in there once he's on the outside. 

But darned if I'm not excited.  Maybe more excited this time than last, because I know exactly how incredible it is to hold him in my arms instead of my belly.  To smell that tiny head and stare into those eyes.  To know that he is safe, healthy and happy. 

To let those other two special people in my life enjoy him just as much as I have. 

8 weeks - or less.  We love you, Baby Boy!

Day 4: Something you ate today

Reason number 1,423 I love my husband: He makes Leah the best pancakes.

They're shaped like a bear.  Mine are just round, fluffy and delicios, but the special pancakes he makes for his daughter make eating fun. 

It's an event, really, to dismember and devour Teddy one piece at a time. 

Day 3: Something small

I had a difficult time with this challene.  There were some obvious choices: Leah's everything is still pretty small, but that seemed like a cop-out.  We also have some pretty cute tiny things for Baby Peanut, but it still seemed too obvious. 

Then, while we were at the resevoir this afternoon, Casey discovered something absolutely perfect: a TINY frog!

I still struggled getting anything closer than this, partly because the froggy wanted to jump away and partly because someone else's little hands wanted in on the action. 

Happy 4th of July!

Nostalgia

Time has that funny quality of passing us by so quickly without anyone stopping to take notice.

Our girl is no longer a baby.  I'm not totally sure how that happened, but she has lost those chubby, bald, tooth-less traces of her babyhood.  She's a bonafide kid - complete with big girl bed sleeping, opinion having and panty wearing.

It seems I've forgotten to document, so here are some things that she's been doing lately:

• Potty training.  I knew it would go this way.  One day, she woke up and decided to go potty in the big girl potty.  It was moving day, so I didn't have time to commit.  Fast forward and now we're two days in, and she's doing beautifully.  I won't say that there haven't been accidents - mostly when she decides she simply doesn't want to go in the toilet - but she totally gets it.  I'll never be able to claim that I potty trained her, because really, she's just decided she's ready.
• The other night at dinner, she hugged me close and said: "Mommy, you're my best friend."  It absolutely melted my heart.
• Saying the alphabet in the car.  The whole thing, on her own.  I didn't actually know she could do that. 
• Recognizing numbers.  Evidently, she now knows 4, 5 and 8.  Quite possibly more I'm not even aware of.  She pointed out 4 and 5 on an address recently, and she was totally right.  I thought she only knew 8.
• Singing up a storm.  I adore it.  She gets the tune right and the key wrong, and she inevitably knows all the words. 
• Dreaming about the future from her car seat: "Mommy, someday when I get bigger and bigger, can I sit in this seat?" (pointing to the front passenger seat).  I had to remind her not to get too big too quickly.  It sure seems fast to me. 

Home Sweet Home

Soooo, you guys? 

We have a house! 

A house that fits the family we hope to ultimately have. 
A house that we can afford on one income. 
A house that isn't in a crappy area. 
A house we're not going to have to move from in 10 years because the schools nearby suck. 

A house where the community pool is a block and a half away.

We're not totally through this process, and there is a giant part of me that feels like it's just too darn good to be true.  Most of me is absolutely over the moon; that skeptical voice is still waiting for the other shoe to drop.  The offer was accepted, and barring any issues on inspection, we should be closing in 45 days (!!!!!). 

A baby and our forever house, both in the next roughly 6 weeks.  Holy moly, we are beyond blessed. 

Day 2: Something with wheels

And, it doesn't have wheels, but I think it's pretty darn cute just the same...

Day 1: Faceless self portrait

30 Day Photo Challenge

There will be a photography class before the summer is over.  In the mean time, one of the things I've committed to doing in my effort to learn the basics of my camera is a 30 day photo challenge.  Now, I'm going to assume that the 30 day part is a little subjective, so this may or may not actually take 30 days. 

The important thing is that I learn to use this darn camera before I die!