It's been a while...

Today I'm working from home. It's a nice day to be doing this because it's cold and rainy and when the day's over, I will have new carpet in our home office and clean carpet everywhere else in the house. We are slowly getting ready for baby! Two and a half months left! I can't believe how time flies sometimes. We've been swamped though...so that's probably why.

Currently the home project underway is the office. Alex and I are trying to make our home office into kind of a man cave if you will. It's going to be darker (a break from the rest of the house which is all white) and a little more rustic. We may even add some taxidermy...imagine that! We're so excited about the office transformation. I'll post pictures when we're done, which should be next week if we can stay on schedule.

On a different note, I've been bad with the pregnancy photos...I haven't taken any. No belly shots and really no shots in general! (the one I posted is the last shot taken of me, which was about a month ago). Although I must say that I have been getting a little more inspired by my growing belly. Doc says I'm "measuring big" but most people wouldn't even know I'm preggo. I just look a little thick around the mid section if you know what I mean. I have had a total of two strangers make comments to me, and it was in the same day (must have been wearing something tight). I was excited about that...actually made me feel preggo and not just fat.

The baby had the hiccups the other night. At first, Alex and I just thought it was a strong heartbeat but when I did some research, I figured out that it was probably our baby with the hiccups! Just a fun fact. Anyway...I've been MIA on the blog posts and I know we have some special people in TX that like to stay updated on our lives! ...and I think my friends read my blog too, or I just like to think so...I'm going to try and post more often, especially as the pregnancy draws to a close over the next two and a half months...

Until then...

...last weekend....

A great Sunday hiking at Eagle Creek...I love FALL.

and the planning continues...

Alex and I have been hard at work this week. Literally, no couch time at all these days. Last weekend we bought a crib and changing table (good deal really)...it's the crib below, but our's isn't quite there yet...but will be soon enough!

First things first...I need to get the remaining things out of this bedroom and into an actual closet somewhere in our house. It sounds easier than it is, believe me, they're getting full. Never-the-less, I have still been searching for nursery inspiration wherever I can get it. I love the nursery below, of course designed by an Urban Outfitters guy or something like that. I saw the pic on one of the baby design blogs that I am currently obsessed with: http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/home-tours

Last but not least, I think I want a bird mobile...we'll see what A has to say about all these ideas.

just a little reminder...

Last week, for the first time in my life, I bit into my daily animal cracker and as half of it dropped and it dropped exactly half the distance it used to…it landed on my stomach. Yep, that’s right, on the shelf that I once called my waist. Everyone keeps saying that I am not “showing” much, but this was definitely reinforcement that, yes I am indeed getting plump. I just stood there (yes, I was standing too) and looked at the little crumb on my belly, Alex laughing in the background, telling myself: think positive, maybe in a few months the animal cracker will land on my chest! (hey, a girl can hope right?)

These days it seems all Alex and I talk about sometimes are BumGenius diapers and suitable cribs. We're not complaining, it's just funny how things change so quickly- in a good way. Now instead of jammin' on the guitar, Cakes will be perfecting his nursery rhymes. We've decided since neither of us should ever sing out load, the guitar would be the obvious go to for relaxing. I love that my husband plays the guitar!

On a last note, I've decided that I am going to make it a personal goal to workout (yoga, running, hiking, tennis etc.) every day of the second half of my pregnancy. I'm off to a good start, albeit only 7 days in, but still...Wish me luck. And hopefully I'll never have quite this big a shelf (unless there are twins in there, which I doubt!):

Holy Moly...and a few other fun facts about pregnancy

It's week 18. Last night, I thought I might have skin cancer. Today, I asked one of the docs I work with what I should do. She laughed and said, "oh thats just the beginning"...

Apparently moles come with pregnancy. I guess I can just be thankful that it's not anything big or that it's not conveniently situated in the middle of my face or anything. It's on my jaw, so I can move forward and accept this I suppose, but please, please, no more! I'm holding my breath. Seriously.

Other than that, things are going, well...great. The baby is great (so far so good) and Alex is hanging in there too (although he may be up to his eyeballs with me asking for foot massages, but hey, I think I'm deserving...) We still don't know the gender, but we've been hearing that the baby (for which I like the nickname "Giggs", after one of alex's nicknames and a soccer player) may be taking on similar features to aunt Amy, and on the other hand, it may look a bit like uncle Zach as a baby. Who knows! Guess we'll just have to wait and find out!

All in a days time...

Today was great (once we got home from work). The dogs were excited to get out of the house and I was excited to have some time with my camera. Alex was nice enough to handle the dogs while they played in the mud and tangled us up. And when we got home, pancakes hit the spot. Thank god it's already almost Thursday, I can't wait for the weekend.

Baby Names...amazing website...forget all the books...

I had a great discovery today...

Right when I was getting so discouraged looking through baby name books, finally, I fall upon what I have been looking for over the past 4 months...a baby name finder that actually works! No more spending all your baby name searching time laughing at all the ridiculous options out there. You put in your favorite names, your inspiration, and go from there! Amazing. Thank you.

http://www.nymbler.com/

Pregnant Diary: Week 11

I'm almost out of the first trimester! Time flies when you're having fun I suppose. The most exciting development this week was a trip to the doc...we got confirmation that indeed there is a human growing inside me- a heartbeat! It was exciting, but mostly just reassuring. I'm feeling better these days, although I never did have much to complain about in the first place. I suppose my next step will be the good ole' "before the bump" belly shots...just so I have a baseline I guess! I'm sure at some point I'll need to remember what I looked like before everything really sets in...

Until then- that's our update...

Third week of knowing...prego diary entry #3

The pregnant diary week 6:


Last night I woke up in a sweat. Cramps originating in my uterus radiating down my legs had me in the fetal position for what seemed like all night. I then realized I had to pee… really, really bad. To my amazement, the middle of the night bathroom break was what the doctor ordered. Now I could go back to bed, sleep peacefully and not dream about being in labor. Mind you, this is only my 6th week of being prego, and I have to say that I was laying in bed awake for a good additional hour last night, worried that I had run too much in the heat the that day and all the what if’s you go through…my good friend told me today that I need to not think about all the what if’s…she told me to focus on the positive... on that bean inside me growing and getting bigger and healthier…I decided that she’s right, so that’s exactly what I am going to try to do.

Grow baby grow.

one sweet lunch...

A couple of weeks ago I had a great lunch. It started at 11am and in my opinion, it the greatest summer lunch ever. I kinda like the Indiana Strawberry Fest! My mom did too, because she ate TWO! 

One week of knowing...

So, it's been one week exactly since Alex and I found out that we are expecting a little one in February 2010. I am writing this at the one week mark, but not posting until later...until all those close to us know our good news. And speaking of good news, it hasn't even sunk in yet...this whole..."you're pregnant" thing going on...nope, not at all...never-the-less, we're still thrilled with the idea. I notice that I'm suddenly running through possible names in my head, and trying to picture our lives in 9mos...and then I think, wait, don't get ahead of yourself here, we're not out of the woods at all, and don't get your hopes up! I am caught somewhere in between being totally excited, thinking positive to toning down my thoughts and trying to take it one day at a time because you never know what will happen tomorrow. Takin' it one day at a time. At least there is always Alex for some comic relief when you are deep in thought...apparently he's having some trouble right now with the preparation of garlic tofu pasta that he's cooking me for dinner...time to go assist!

Insert 6 week pregnancy photo here: DIDN'T TAKE ONE BECAUSE I LOOK NO DIFFERENT

New addition to the family...

We finally found a bike for Alex! It's great...manly, yet sophisticated, just like my Cakes. We took a 14mi ride on Sunday, got caught in rain (basically hail) in our sundress and white t-shirt...Fun and liberating in some small way. I am still keeping my eye out for that perfect vintage, Euro-like bike to come into my life, but until then, I'm satisfied with my old rusty beach cruiser...even if we do live in Indiana. 

The Meeting in the Mountains...

Some Wedding Memories...

Like they all say, it was over in a flash...the whole thing...from the engagement to the honeymoon...almost an exact year...over in a flash...but in my memory for a lifetime.

Our engagement picture: of us, for us, by us...

Planning was fun, with so many ideas and inspirations in and out of our heads at any given moment...finally we chose the perfect place for US...Mammoth Lakes, CA...April 4th, 2009.

Our save the dates, road photo courtesy of a flickr member and that's us on the stamp!

From the invites to the thanks you's it was all planned around a simple, mountainous theme..."Mountains of Love" is what we called it...and LOVE was what that day was all about. Our best friends and family came from all over the U.S. to be with us, and we felt like the luckiest, most LOVED couple on the planet. We literally have the BEST people around us, both family and friends...a person can't ask for much more than that...

Our invitations: done by Mavora Design on Etsy.com

Rehersal Dinner at the Chart House, Mammoth Lakes...amazing!

(notice our tree motif in the background!)

FAVORS: Well, they didn't turn out to be peonies...as of the night before we left! So instead we decided to donate the money that we were getting as a refund on the peonies to a California National Forest. Each couple attending the wedding received a certificate of donation and ten trees were planted in their names.

Ceremony "programs": We figured that with such as small number of guests attending our wedding, and with such a simple ceremony planned, we didn't need the traditional programs. We opted for unique, vintage hankies that we had embroidered with our theme "Mountains of Love: 4-4-09".

Each hankie was wrapped with a ribbon and a special tag, each with a different love quote. The backside was a thank you for being there. Because we were so thankful for all those who made the trip to be with us!

Guest Sign In: Polaroid! at the reception, Alex and I just wanted something a little different for our guest book. I love polaroids and think their a lot of fun, so we went with that idea. We had a backdrop set up and polaroids loaded for all guests to take their photo, write us their best advice and hang it up on the twine for everyone to see. Alex and I are going to frame one from each guest/couple.

The Ceremony Location: Top of Mammoth Mountain, 11,059ft. A 10 minute gondola ride took you to the top of the world...

The reception Location: The Mill, slopeside, Mammoth Mountain

The music: Acoustic country blues by Ben Powell. He was quite popular with everyone, especially all my lady friends...we were so excited to have him play at our wedding, he's awesome.

The wedding and reception photographs: by Michael Herrera.

And the Franken's live happily ever after...(and with a bun in the oven)