in preparation

Here is what we've done so far to prepare for little brother and family of 4 status (in no particular order)

• rearrange our bedroom to set up + attach the mini co-sleeper. this also involved us switching sides of the bed.
• transformation of our guest room into a play room, a few things still pending.
• rearrange and anchor furniture in Malakai's room. 
• sort through all of Kai's clothing, newborn-18 months. 
• wash and organize all newborn-6 month clothing
• repack all 9-18 month clothing into plastic storage containers and put away in garage.
• get out of storage: pump, bottles, bath, swing, etc.
• wash all new baby items: blankets, clothes, etc. and put away
• contact paper dresser drawers and organize toys, baby toilettries, and clothes into the dresser. 
• reorganize living room bookshelf to include all children's book (non-board books) that were in the dresser. 
• dust all surfaces, wash windows, and other deep cleaning
• clean and organize my vanity/dresser
• wash insane amounts of our laundry to catch up before baby gets here (ongoing)
• purchase a deep freeze
• clear out garden beds and harvest pumpkins + squash. 
• keep an eye on tomatoes that are still ripening.
• freeze 2 dozen tomatoes
• make 3 batches of salsa
• give away extras
• Keep up with general weeklies: laundry, dishes, meals, cleaning, diapers, nap time, appointments, birthdays, and more.
• purge all excess:
• garage sale
• donations
• repurposing
• garbage + recycle
• Reorganize + clean garage space. This was a huge job and almost entirely Ben's doing. I wish I had before + after photos to document the transformation. My husband is amazing!
• pack hospital bag (about 3/4 of the way done)
• clean out car + install infant car seat.
• purchase needed items off of baby registry: wash and put away
• a dozen other things I'm forgetting that we've already done.

Still on the to-do list (also not in order of importance)

• replace tile floors in kitchen/dining area with laminate flooring (to match the rest of the house) This is in progress and will happen TOMORROW!
• dust again (after breaking up the tile, the house will need it)
• vacuum, mop, steam carpets
• replace door to garage, also tomorrow. the current one is crooked and slides across the floor. 
• prepare + freeze meals for after little brother's arrival
• mow + fertilize lawn for the fall
• repaint kitchen chalkboard
• repaint baseboards in Kai's room (they're peeling!)
• clean out fridge
• get a replacement shelf for the empty spot in our kitchen cupboard that has been w/o one since we moved here.
• store more toys to make additional space in play room 
• replace front room blinds
• hang curtains + decor in playroom, secure furniture to walls
• finish packing hospital bag
• pre-register at hospital and complete birth plan
• choose birth announcments and finalize mailing list
• finish childproofing: install latches for cabinets in bathroom + kitchen
• put together bouncer
• clean off double strollers and store single stroller
• clean out desk
• clear all surfaces of clutter: mail, magazines, random items

I think that about sums it up. I obviously still have a lot to do, but aside from packing the hospital bag none of it is detrimental to little brother's arrival. Well, we are praying he doesn't choose to be born while our house is under construction tomorrow, that would prove to be interesting. 

I'm hoping to get most of these things done just so we don't have to worry about them once little brother is here. We know very well that even small chores can go overlooked for a long time when you have a newborn, let alone a toddler as well! Wish us luck!

Happy Friday!

Thankful on a Thursday

This week I'm thankful for

831. the deep freeze we purchased through craigslist. It's in excellent condition, was the right price, and is going to make grocery shopping + cooking meals ahead so much easier! Not to mention take away any worry of storing milk in the future for little brother.

832. the amount of things we've accomplished over the past week. we've really whittle down our to-do list and besides replacing the tile floor with laminate this weekend I feel our home is ready for little brother's arrival!

833. little brother's rolls, punches, and kicks.

834. Kai's sweet nature. At the park this morning a little boy kept playfully saying "ouch" as he went up a slide and Malakai kept asking "are you otay?" When we left the park he kept asking "where the kids?"

835. nap time. I've been letting my nesting wait until the evenings and making myself nap while big brother naps. It has been so helpful in not feeling like a totally lump by the time Ben gets home.

836. watching my guys play together.


837. cool fall mornings to keep the house a decent temperature all day + all night.

838. homemade ice cream thanks to this (which I won through a giveaway at Our Best Bites)

839. a long overdue date to Sweet Life with my mom + sister last weekend. YUM!

840. family + friends who are willing to give of their time to help us put in our new floors!

What are you thankful for this week?

at this moment...

I just wish you could hear the conversation. Only to be interrupted by Malakai grabbing his Bible and asking "Jesus? Jesus?"

{melt my heart}

Precious + Posh Boutique: a giveaway

My cousins have been creating some adorable baby items over the past 8 months since my little 2nd cousin Delia was born.

They run a shop called Precious + Posh Boutique and are currently hosting their first ever giveaway. It's BIG with 11 great prizes from various vendors, including the ever popular Organic Bloom! So head over to their blog for your chance(s) to win!

registry frustration

This post may be incredibly boring to some of you, but may serve as a warning or source of help for others...

When we registered for this baby it was our 3rd time registering for a big event. First was our wedding, second was when we were expecting Malakai. This has by far been the most frustrating of all 3 experiences. We decided to register at Target (also for a 3rd time) whether or not someone threw a baby shower or anyone got us gifts in order to take advantage of the completion discount after the due date passed. This also meant we registered for a lot more items than we would have otherwise.

The process started out normal, scanning items in excitement as we envisioned our new baby using them. It took us much longer than we anticipated, which has been the experience just about every time. I experience the usual frustration of things going out of stock or becoming out of season, but just added replacement items as necessary.

Then Target decided to "update" their website. Unfortunately this update made their website basically impossible to use. Every other link would result in an "oops" message and most items on my registry weren't showing up. They did send a discount code as an apology to all who had this issue. Unfortunately, the website wasn't fixed so using the code (online only) became a new challenge.

After over half a dozen phone calls to their customer service reps and being transferred all over the place for about a week I finally got some resolution. It involved placing my order, calling in with the number, and getting my discount applied over the phone. Just placing my order online took several days because of the items I wanted not always being visible.

Another week has passed, part of my order is here, but one of the items is wrong and I haven't heard back after contacting customer service about the mix-up 5 business days ago.

Then came the in-store discount. I only ordered items online that were eligible for free-shipping. So there were some things in-store that we used the 10% completion discount to purchase. The frustration only mounted here. Like I mentioned I added a lot of items to make sure that our shopping experience would go smoothly. I was quite familiar with what items were on my registry and what their prices should be after over a month of trying to sort things out.

When we went through check out several items did not get discounted because according to their system they weren't on the registry. We went over to customer service to figure out the issue. For some things I had scanned a pack of white baby hangers but purchased a set of blue ones which apparently doesn't work with their computers. You have to get the exact item you scanned or added online. When I asked the cashier about adding things to my registry that weren't showing up for some reason, she told me that's not really the purpose of the discount as it's meant to be used to "complete" what is already on the registry. I asked her what the difference between adding them now and having added items online from home or in store the day or even hours before. She didn't have a good answer but was determined to be as rude as possible to not only myself but her co-workers. I nearly requested a manager but Ben kept me patient and we worked through it.

The main issue wasn't even that we had purchased items that were slightly different than what we scanned but that they had recently "reset" the baby section so that numbers had changed. For example, I scanned a dresser-top diaper organizer and purchased the exact one I had scanned but the item numbers had changed in the past month so it wasn't "technically" on my registry any more. This is obviously a huge flaw in their system. So the customer service gal added this item to our registry, returned it and let us repurchase with the discount, but wouldn't do this for the other items so we returned them as they weren't absolutely necessary and we weren't willing to pay full price for them and I was tired of dealing with her attitude. Plus, Kai was getting quite antsy after what was already a long shopping trip.

Now, I have a set of blankets from Target.com that are a completely different print from what I ordered. I'm hoping that the store has the one I want so I can easily exchange them. As for the rest of our items we have over a dozen that were shipped 10 days ago but the tracking status hasn't been updated since they shipped out. I'm excited for them to arrive, but slightly dreading how many more mistakes I'll find.

I know I'm not the only one to have issues with registries and especially with Target's recent issues, but it's almost unbelievable how many separate issues we've had just trying to prepare for little brother's impending arrival. Should we decide to have more children and register again in the future we will NOT make Target our main source if we can help it.

FULL TERM- 37 weeks

Well, today this pregnancy is technically considered full term, but we're hoping little brother stays put for at least another week. We don't need another September birthday in the family, we're putting in new floors next weekend, and I'm just all around unprepared for him to be born. I mean....honestly if i went into labor today everything would be fine and I'd be just as happy to greet him as I would if he waited til October. I'm just as anxious to meet this little bean as I was when I was pregnant with Malakai, but I know I'll miss being pregnant too so I'm not in any hurry for him to get here. This pregnancy has FLOWN by for Ben + I this time around. I seriously still look down and think "oh yeah, I'm pregnant". 

{ready for fall!}

How far along? 37 weeks (previous pregnancy post here)

Total weight gain/loss: 33 lbs.

Stretch marks? just a few.

Maternity Clothes: pulled out a favorite maternity sweater that I only wore once last time around (pictured). Yay for cooler weather!

Sleep:tossing and turning. I probably turn over every hour and by 5am I'm so sore I can rarely keep sleeping.

Best moment this week: Malakai rubbing my belly and choosing to sit in my lap for a story, when he always prefers to sit by himself. I'm doing my best to soak up our time just the two of us before it changes forever.

Movement: big and sometimes painful.

Gender: just in case you forgot-it's a boy.

Labor Signs: actual contractions and some intense pain shooting down my legs that reminded me of my previous labor. yikes!
Food Cravings: costco hotdogs.
Belly Button in or out? slightly out, it seems to change depending on mine or baby's position.
What I miss: lots of things, right now I miss being able to snuggle Malakai close or have him sit cozy in my lap for reading stories.

What I am looking forward to: despite my not feeling ready, I am so excited to meet this little boy!

Weekly Wisdom: don't put off big projects until the last minute. We're really hoping I don't go into labor while the floor is being redone next weekend!

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: I went to mention to Ben that I had been having several contractions after my weekly OB appointment, but instead I said "I've been having a lot of transactions." I laughed so hard at myself that I cried.

I also ordered a regular pumpkin spice latte yesterday after drinking decaf this entire pregnancy. I didn't realize it until later that night, I feel so guilty!

Milestones: reaching full term today. 

Thankful on a Thursday

This week I'm thankful for...

821. Ben, for putting up with the major "nesting" going on around here lately and single-handedly clearing out + organizing the garage over the past weekend.

822. the comfort in knowing God is taking care of us amidst some stressful situations and the reminder those situations give us to seek + trust Him.

823. watching Malakai + daddy play in the dirt and water out back while I prepare dinner.

824. the cool mornings to get some air in the house before the heat hits...yes, our a/c is still out. I'm probably the only one in the valley wishing for fall to get here already.

825. watching Kai play pretend.

826. a happy + healthy family.

827. chiropractic care and my husband who reminds me to take it easy...especially when I think I already am.

828. online inspiration through pinterest and other sites for the boys' playroom. I've got a good list of DIY projects.

829. short afternoon naps to reenergize and continue on with the day at a normal pace.

830. despite the discomfort of late pregnancy, I'm beyond thankful for the sweet little baby growing in my belly and doing my best to enjoy the last few weeks we have to prepare for his arrival.

What are you thankful for?

what we've been up to...

As I mentioned last week I've been keeping myself busy with items on my to-do-before-baby list like just about anyone in their 8th month of pregnancy. It seems whenever I get some good momentum something keeps me from moving forward. Mostly it has been my own physical limitations. After going to the chiropractor last week I was careful to no re-injur myself but my rib ended up going back out yesterday. I'm not sure if it's still out and it flares up or how all that works, but it's likely I'll need to make another trip to the chiropractor very soon. Sitting down to update around here is because I've been mandated by my husband to take it easy today as to avoid any additional injuries. I'm so stubborn determined that it may not last long. It's not like I'm being irresponsible or doing anything dangerous, just every day activities like unloading the dishwasher and playing with my son and whoops, excruciating pain.

Aside from being very busy with baby related things, I've also been keeping busy with toddler and birthday related things. Of course Malakai keeps us busy all the time and I try to spend all his awake time giving him the attention he deserves. During the day we play out back or at the park when mama has the energy and when Kai cooperates long enough to let me get him dressed. In the evenings we have some quieter playtime in the ever transforming playroom.

{jealous of my outfit?}

 During nap time I've been working on birthday presents. There are 5 September birthdays in our immediate family and 8 when you include our extended family. After 3 attempts I finally finished my brother's present...

{jersey-knit rag rug}

And then there's our house that seems to be falling apart around us. Our a/c has gone out 4 different times this summer for different reasons. We ran it all summer last year, a much hotter summer, with no issues. We also happened to have had a free year of home warranty then. Now that we don't have the warranty in place, everything is dying. The a/c is still out as we wait for quotes on a particular part and Sunday night our electrical panel got very hot and smelled like something was burning up. More money out of our pockets.

Last night we finished purchasing the "must haves" from our registry with the discount code (I moved my due date up so we could get the coupon from Target before baby). It was a really frustrating process because the discount wouldn't come off of all the things that were on our registry because they "reset" the baby section recently which apparently changes product numbers so they don't match even though I scanned the exact item when we registered months ago...say what?! The customer service gal was super rude about the entire thing and it just about ruined our evening.

I've been hoping to update about a lot of different things: the progress of the playroom (formerly the guest room), our garden, baby prep and other household related things but the time if flying by and my head is already spinning. We'll see how the next few weeks go...

36 weeks

Here I am again back when I was pregnant with Malakai, and at the same stage now with little brother. I'm looking much less round and more like a torpedo with this one! I am enjoying having a thinner face thus far this time around. Back in 2009 it was a very hot summer!

{yes, I still have this entire outfit 2 years later}

How far along? 36 weeks (previous pregnancy post here)

Total weight gain/loss: 30lbs.

Stretch marks? unfortunately.

Maternity Clothes: I now have some more options as the weather gets cooler. Layers are a pregnant gals best friend.

Sleep: achey.

Best moment this week: getting an adjustment at the chiropractor.

Movement: much slower these days.

Gender: still boy.

Labor Signs: just mild contractions, about the same thing I was experiencing last time around which makes me wonder if I've progressed like I had then. 
Food Cravings: ice cream, pretty much all the time. I think this has a lot to do with the perpetual heartburn.
Belly Button in or out? flat.
What I miss: sleep, but I'm thinking that it'll be a LONG time before I get a decent 8 consecutive hours again.

What I am looking forward to: having all baby's stuff in it's place. 

Weekly Wisdom: start a regular exercise routine sooner rather than later. I've been doing some things to strengthen my legs and back but it feels like it might be too little too late. 

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: I left half a batch of fresh homemade vanilla icecream out on the counter all night long. AFTER Ben had teased that I might do something like that. It did give me an excuse to make a batch of chocolate though. 

Milestones: weekly doctor's visits and less than 30 days till our due date (28 to be exact)

growing my first garden: tomatoes

It's seems like it took my tomatoes forever to turn from green to even a hint of red. From reading local articles, I'm not the only one who had a long wait, we have our super mild PNW summer to blame. Finally, a couple weeks ago we had our first ripe tomato, even Ben (who loathes tomatoes) admitted that it tasted good! There's just something about sun-ripened tomatoes. Eventually more began to slowly redden.

Today Malakai ventured into the backyard where I haven't dared go for a while now with my back issues and such. I was greeted by a LOT of ripe tomatoes. I figured now was as good a time as any to pick them and figure out what to do with them.

I grabbed the largest bowl I could find and piled about 15 big "slicer" tomatoes into it. I was amazed by the amount of tomatoes that I suddenly had, but to share with you more accurately I needed a size comparison...

or perhaps this angle is more helpful...

That's a lot of tomato! I should take a picture with this bowl again when I reach my due date in about 4 weeks to see how much I grow. ha!

As soon as I set the bowl down in the house Malakai ran in yelling "mayos- mayos!" He kicked off his shoes and climbed a chair to grab one. He opened wide, bit down...and then spit out some skin and put it back, only to reach for another one...

{the tomato by his hand in the bowl has his bite taken out of it}

If I were to let him he'd probably bite into every tomato hoping to find one that tasted like ranch dressing or birthday cake. Sorry kiddo. Although we did discover that he'll eat them in small wedges if they have caesar or ranch dressing on them. Hey, I'll take what I can get when it comes to getting him to eat fresh food. 

I won't be canning them (maybe next year) so I'll make fresh salsa, sandwiches, + salads instead. I'll also be sharing the bounty with family + friends. I've got a couple different recipe ideas from my facebook friends, but feel free to share yours here. I'm looking for something simple and mild.  

Happy Friday Friends!

Thankful on a Thursday: ambitions

I know I've been quiet around here the past couple of weeks. I think that's pretty normal for the end of pregnancy. I've been plagued by some aches + pains (which was in fact a separated rib) amidst trying to complete that long before-baby-to-do list. It's interesting trying to find balance.

I had ambitions of doing a detailed update of what we've been up to and such today, but that's not going to happen. Last night Ben + I couldn't fall asleep because some recent goings-on were ruling our thoughts and we just couldn't stop talking it over. We got to sleep just after midnight, but I woke up again at 2am. I tossed + turned until just after 3am and decided I needed to just get up for at least a while. I did a whole lot of nothing and then attempting to sleep again just after 4am. When morning came and Kai was ready to get out of bed, mama had only slept 3 (non-consecutive) hours. Ouch.

Despite all that and the things that are still "wrong", I have plenty to be thankful for and need to sit down to remember them in gratitude and humility before my God.

This week I'm thankful for...

811. this morning's visit to my chiropractor. Rib is back in place, hips are back in alignment...let's hope they stay that way!

812. a trip to Starbucks for my first PSL of the season and a cinnamon swirl coffee cake. I haven't indulged in either in a VERY long time.

813. getting the creative juices flowing as I make birthday gifts for family members, it has been such a nice outlet that I haven't cultivated in far too long.

814. a blessed outcome despite many long phone calls and hold times with Target over registry + online ordering issues.

815. connections. We've had issues with some functions of our home once again, but Ben has a co-worker who hooked us up with a friend and a discount.

816. friends who are willing to give of their time + resources. Ben + the guys are putting in laminate floor to replace the tile in the kitchen + dining area in 2 weeks. I can't wait for it to be DONE!

817. Malakai's sweet nature. He gives hugs + kisses and says mama's clothes are "cute". He'll also give the occasional back rub and scalp massage...which often ends up as playing mama as a drum and flinging her hair in her face. Boys...

818. Ben's patience and ability to comfort. I would be lost without him as my other better half.

819. My mom + mother-in-law once again who both came to the rescue this week to babysit Kai while I prepped for an event coming up at our church this Sunday.

820. the nap that I'm about to take. I'm convinced that I will fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

What are you thankful for?

infectious laughter

I don't share a lot of videos here, mostly because they are just random snippets from my cellphone that don't transfer well. The sound gets lost for some reason, I haven't figured it out yet. I don't have a fancy smartphone. This one I captured with my laptop.

Anyway, here's a video of Kai from yesterday morning. We were watching one of his favorite scenes on Sesame Street when Elmo picks up an apple and the rest come tumbling down, causing him to trip. He asks me to play it "again" so we ended up watching about a dozen times before I had to put an end to it...

35 weeks: then + now

Throughout this pregnancy I've done a couple of comparison photos between when I was expecting Kai in 2009 and now. Neither of these photos is very flattering, and the proportions are a bit off, but there's no denying that my belly is surely bigger this time around. Last time I was measuring small almost the entire pregnancy, this time I'm right on track.

How far along? 35 weeks (previous pregnancy post here)

Total weight gain/loss: 30lbs.

Stretch marks? unfortunately.

Maternity Clothes: if I could wear my swim suit or pj's wherever I went, I'd be happier.

Sleep: Ben + I switched sides of the bed to accommodate the new co-sleeper and get used to it before baby arrives. It has been weird. 

Best moment this week: Malakai has taken to rubbing my belly at random. 

Movement: lots of rolling around in there. He also gets the hiccups at least once a day. 

Gender: little bro!

Labor Signs: I had some super intense pains in my side on Thursday. I got a glimpse of labor and realized that even though I've done it before, I'm not nearly as ready as I thought I was. yikes!
Food Cravings: today I saw an ad on the side of a bus for big macs...and wanted one. It kind of grossed me out.
Belly Button in or out? flat again. 
What I miss: having a name. Lately I get every nickname ever invented for pregnant women, and then some.

What I am looking forward to: meeting our son. It's becoming so real, which is a little overwhelming but definitely exciting.

Weekly Wisdom: don't stress, take each day one moment at a time and enjoy the rest of pregnancy. I know from previous experience that I'll miss it when it's over.

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: Nothing out of the ordinary.

Milestones: I set up the co-sleeper in our room and organized all of the teensie newborn clothes.

Thankful on a...Friday.

Yesterday was the first Thursday I've missed in a year and a half of sharing my thankful list here. Labor Day totally threw me off and I've been planning to post it today until I just realized...it's FRIDAY! I can't believe I missed it. There goes my record, oh well. So here is this week's thankful list, on a Friday.

I'm thankful for...

801. my son's love of letters

(teaching the bear to read + coloring his ABC's)

802. warm evenings.

803. the caring staff at my OB's office

804. ichat-keeps me connected to my siblings at college and my mom at times as well.

805. my husband who takes care of me, even if it means forcing me to just sit down.

806. ideas for "upcycling" old things and making them new again.

807. sweet sticky smiles.

808. easy nap + bedtimes and taking a nap myself once in a while.

809. fudgesicles= instant heartburn relief.

810. baby movements so big that my whole body moves.

What are you thankful for this week?

to-do's...aka "nesting"

Yesterday I sat down with Malakai in the disaster that is his playroom and began writing out a to-do list while he colored. I've had a lot of things on my mind that I needed to get out on paper and I really wanted to have an organized list of things that we'd like to get done before little brother arrives.

On the list are small but very important things like writing out our birth plan and packing for the hospital. There are also very large projects like replacing our kitchen + dining room floor and the door to the garage, which actually go hand-in-hand. All things that get lost in the every day to-do's of having a toddler and maintaining a somewhat sane household.

I thought getting the list out in the open would help me visualize and start crossing more things off. Instead it stressed me out a bit. I did however do some laundry and some organizing in the pantry that even included labeling shelves.

I also thought that getting it out of my head would help me to fall asleep at night and stay asleep in the morning when I tend to toss and turn because of the myriad thoughts running through my mind. Unfortunately I was wide awake at 5am (I'm so attempting a nap this afternoon) which wouldn't be as bad if I could get to sleep before 11pm. Mama needs more than 6 hours of sleep!

Today I kept finding myself adding things to the list, which is posted in the kitchen in about the same spot where our master to-do list hung when we first moved in. I realized that I needed to stop adding to the list and just get the essentials done and be happy with anything we accomplish in addition to them. So I added ONE more thing to the list...

injury at the dr's office...

Yesterday afternoon Kai + I went in for my 34 week appointment. We're going every two weeks now, soon it'll be every week! On the way there my upper back was feeling a bit tight but since I was driving I couldn't do much about it. I resolved to try to stretch when I parked.

When we got there I grabbed the stroller out of the trunk, hoisted my 32lb. (at least!) son into it and started to push him toward the building. Then a rather alarming and incredibly sharp pain stabbed through my upper ribs and right shoulder blade. It hurt to push the stroller or have my purse on my arm. I put my purse on the stroller and pushed mostly with my left arm as much as I could. I struggled through checking in and all that entails and then sat to wait.

As I sat in the waiting room, the pain intensified and I was holding back tears. I'm normally fairly tolerant to pain, even at somewhat extreme levels, but this was taking me by surprise. I could hardly move my right side and being alone with my two year old I wasn't quite sure what to do. I texted Ben to pray for me and tried to relax, hoping it would let up by the time the nurse called me back. Just a few minutes later, my name was called.

I told my OB's nurse what was going on and asked if she would mind pushing Kai's stroller into the exam room for me. She was very sweet and helpful, even as Kai screamed for her to stop pushing...he has moments where only one specific person pushing the cart/stroller makes him happy. That was fun.

As I waited for my doctor in the exam room I realized that there was no way I'd be able to get Malakai back into the car to head home. I didn't know what I was going to do, so I texted Ben.  Thankfully he only had another 30 minutes of work, so he left early and met me in the exam room. He got there just in time to hear baby brother's heartbeat with us. Baby is doing just fine and other than what is most likely a separated rib, everything is normal for me as well. Dr. M recommended heat and prescribed some muscle relaxers that are safe during pregnancy, just in case.

Once we got home the pain started to ease up from a sharpness to a dull ache. It almost feels bruised now. I don't plan on taking any meds unless absolutely necessary to function, so here's hoping that some heat and some rest (which is really hard for me) will do the trick. I tend to go about my regular business once the pain lets up and then make things worse. It's hard to rest or even be on "light duty" staying home with a toddler! Hopefully my husband's disapproval will ring in my head all day today and I'll remember to be careful and take it easy.

34 weeks (and a day)

With the chaos of labor day activities (all really fun gatherings) there are zero recent photos of me. Which really, isn't a bad thing at all...

How far along? 34 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: up at least 25 lbs.

Stretch marks? only 1 new little one on the belly, I had zero from my last pregnancy until one popped up AFTER delivery. 

Maternity Clothes: If the weather could make up it's mind, getting dressed might be somewhat easier...

Sleep: terrible until I took a unisom on Sunday night. I still woke frequently to change positions, but was able to fall right back to sleep each time and sleep longer. I really needed that! 

Best moment this week: a sneak peek of some family photos we had taken.

Movement: frequent and sometimes uncomfortable.

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: just some uncomfortable contractions here and there, doesn't seem as bad as last time around but perhaps it's because I know what active labor feels like!
Food Cravings: nothing too intense. the heartburn keeps me from having much of an appetite.
Belly Button in or out? slightly out
What I miss: being able to get up off of the floor or a low seat without assistance. 

What I am looking forward to: having the house in order and a shorter to-do list.

Weekly Wisdom: snack throughout the day. I get so busy that I forget about needed to eat a bit more and end up feeling miserable. 

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: just a lot of "duh" moments, as usual. 

Milestones: only 6 weeks til our due date and 3 weeks away from being officially full-term! How did we get here so quickly?! I'm not ready!!!