Cat Leash

Trust me when I say that this is embarrassing for all parties involved, but this weekend we bought Maxwell a cat leash.  He has been an indoor kitty ever since we took him in back in 2005, (thinking that he was a homeless, pregnant, female cat -- it turned out that he was just a homeless, (and over fed by all our neighbors) fat, male cat....w/ large nipples...).  Anyway, we care too much about this guy to have continued to let him roam the streets of South Everett. 

It doesn't change the fact that he REALLY wants to be outside - particularly eating grass and sniffing around where the other, "free" cats roam.

So far, the leash works great :)  He doesn't seem to want to go too far, and we can just sit out back and let him do his thing (eat grass) without fear of him bolting.

Nursery = Complete

With six weeks left until my due date, I'm happy to say that the nursery (at least the decor) is complete!  I spent my Saturday washing and sorting through baby clothes, organizing diapers and burp cloths, and folding receiving blankets.  Fun, right?  Luckily, it was.  Lisa came up and spent most of the day with me gossiping and watching Sex and the City episodes between laundry loads :)

Below are some pictures of Ben's room:

Bird hooks and the diaper bag

Bird mobile, purchased on Etsy - the woman was

able to custom coordinate the bird colors to the bedding :)

The pictures - where this whole bird theme originated. 

I was originally going to do a picture collage on this wall, but things got

a little "busy" so I changed things up.

Glider/rocker - above it hang the fabric "globes" that Rachel made for my shower :)

Birth announcement picture/frame from Brenna, made by

our friend Katie.  I love that Brenna put her birthday as Ben's "temporary"

birth date :)  We also all had a laugh at the extra "s" that somehow made it into

the print.  When Ben is born, this will be replaced with all of his "real" stats.

Dresser/changing table, tree, shelves.

34 Weeks!

How far along: 34 weeks
Weight gain: 25 lbs
How big is baby: About 4 and 3/4 pounds and almost 18 inches long!

Maternity clothes: Still mostly just maternity jeans with bigger tops, dresses and leggings.

Stretch marks: Not yet...
Sleep: Sleep is good this week.  My body pillow has come in very handy this week and I plan to use it up until the end (and maybe forever...).

Best moment this week: My baby shower was by far the best day of the week, followed closely by Sunday when we took our maternity photos.  Such a great weekend that was all about baby Ben.

Movement: Yes!  On Tuesday night, I felt him have the hiccups for the first time, and he has had them daily since.  His nighttime movements continue to be super uncomfortable.  My doctor confirmed today that he is still head down, but as he moves his body  from side to side, it hurts!
Food Cravings: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  It seems to be ALL I want this week, although I'm trying to incorporate some fruits and vegetables to go along with that.  I have ordered a few produce boxes this month to keep me motivated to eat my greens.

Labor Signs: Still no contractions (that I'm aware of), but my pelvis and joints in general are getting increasingly sore.  I am also finding myself WIPED OUT mid-day, and often taking naps after work.

Belly button in or out: Out. 

What I miss: With approximately 40-something days left of being pregnant, I'm starting to miss things like booze and my clothes a little less.  I'm trying to focus more on enjoying what I will miss when Ben arrives, like the freedom to do things on my own schedule and sleep!
What I'm looking forward to: I'm starting to feel more and more ready for the baby to arrive.  With all of the baby gear we were given over the weekend, the room is really starting to look like a baby belongs in it!  I'm going to spend some time this weekend washing bedding, clothes, organizing closets and drawers, making a list of the items we still need to purchase, and I'm hoping by Monday I will feel even more ready.

Maternity Yoga Photo Shoot

Are you guys sick of looking at me yet? 

I just saw the first few photos from my yoga photo shoot and I'm SUPER excited about them!  Brooke did an excellent job of somehow photo shopping my sweaty face and creating some fun yoga shots! 

In all honesty, I had a REALLY fun time doing this shoot.  It also made me realize how DONE with yoga I am now for the remainder of my pregnancy.  I was grunting my way through several of these shots ;)  I can't wait to get back to my normal practice though!

THANK YOU Brooke for taking the time to shoot these with me!  I have such talented photographer friends :)

You can "like" Brooke Roque Photography on Facebook here and check out her website here!

Maternity Photo Shoot

I was so grateful that my friend Kate was able to attend my baby shower this last weekend.  Her and her family live in Spokane, WA and just happened to be in town for their own family reunion!  The timing was perfect, and in addition to coming to (and photographing) my shower, she also offered to take some maternity photos of us the next day! 

Kate has turned her love for photography into a second career, and she is a total natural!  I was so happy to have one of my oldest and dearest friends capture some of our final moments before Ben arrives.

Here is a link to just a few of the photos she took from the day!  I can't wait to frame some of these and put them in Ben's room :)

You can "like" Kate Mills Photography on Facebook here!

Work

I'm pregnant.  I'll work in whatever position feels best, thankyouverymuch.

Baby Shower

Well, don't I feel like the luckiest girl in the world??  This past Saturday will go down as one of my favorite days ever, thanks entirely to my friends and family who threw together the most beautiful shower on one of Seattle's most beautiful days of the year!

I truly am surrounded by so many wonderful women (and babies) in my life, and this weekend they were all in one room!  I can't really put into words how thankful I am for everyone who was there to help celebrate Baby Ben: decorating the house (birds birds birds!), making cupcakes, taking pictures, preparing the most delicious food, making me a diaper cake, bringing me a massive supply of diapers, demonstrating the bumbo chair (thanks Oliver!), and gifting me/us with some of the most adorable, thoughtful, and hilarious outfits and baby supplies!  Oh, and thanks to everyone for doting on me - bringing me food, drinks, a cupcake, fans, asking me how I feel, etc.  I might miss that a little when I'm no longer pregnant ;)

Below are some of the pictures that my friend Kate captured of the day.  Thank you to EVERYONE who was there showering us with love.  And an enormous thank you to Rachel, Lisa, Mom and Shirley for hosting and organizing such an amazing day.  I know how much hard work you all put into everything and I honestly cannot thank you enough! 

(To see the rest of the photos - if you are on Facebook - you can log in and see them here).