Weekly Survey: 27 Weeks

I can't believe I'm already in the 3rd trimester!!! This pregnancy is zooming by, and there is still sooooo much to accomplish before The Punisher gets here! He's still an eggplant in size, but this is the week that measurements start being from crown to bottom of the foot instead of crown to rump. So he should be around 15 inches long and weigh over 2 lbs! No wonder my belly does the wave all day long!
K and I have picked out The Punisher's real name already, but are keeping it a secret until the day he decides to arrive. It's not really a weird name, just one that you don't really hear too often. And that's about all the hints you're going to get from me =)
His nursery is coming along. I just received his glider from Costco, so I'll have to put that together tonight. The last major pieces of furniture are the bookshelf and a small end table by the glider, and then I need to get the curtains and rod and it will finally look like a nursery. I still have paintings to finish, a mobile to make, and tons of other little projects to work on. The current one being a knitted sweater that I hope will fit him on the day that he comes home.
Still just trying to beat this heat! I've decided to take myself on a solo date to the movies in a few hours, then come back and lock myself up again. Soooooo thankful for that air conditioner! I don't know what I would be doing right now without it!

How far along: 27 weeks
Maternity Clothes: What clothes? It's either a tank and K's boxers or a maxi sun dress these days. If I had curtains on every window I'd be totally tempted to walk around the house in my underwear all day. Sadly, I'm not kidding.
Stretch Marks: Not yet (knock on wood)
Sleep: Wouldn't be getting any if not for my a/c!
Best Moment this Week: The mini bonfire at the beach I made with my husband. Oh, and the smores, can't forget the smores!
Movement: My stomach constantly does the wave these days
Food Cravings: Chocolate birthday cake.
Gender: Definite boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope! Let's keep it that way for awhile.
Belly Button: Half in, half flush with the rest of my stomach. At least it's not an outtie...yet.
What I Miss: Seventy degree weather.
What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: A visit from Nick and Owen this weekend.
Weekly Wisdom: Drink plenty of water!!!

"Edward Cullen Didn't Sleep Here"

I'm pretty sure the title of this post caught several Twilight fans! And while I must confess to reading each book in less than a week, I did not intend my last mini vacation to be so vampire filled! Infact, I left the travel arrangements up to my husband (who has never read any of the books) and I'm pretty sure he chose to stay at Forks, WA because of the proximity to the beach and rain forest rather than that tiny town being home of the Cullens. However, there was no escaping the Twilight posters in every restaurant, the three stores in one block dedicated to selling Twilight paraphernalia, and of course, the references to Twilight on all hotel billboards. Our hotel billboard read "Edward Cullen didn't sleep here," which one might cheer because it could imply that the hotel was the only one not caught up in the latest craze. But then, this person would not be a Twilight fan, because if you are, then you would know that Edward Cullen never sleeps because he's a vampire.
Keenan and I had a pretty good time avoiding the whole Twilight scene in lieu of Olympic National Park with Hurricane Ridge and Hoh Rain Forest:

One of the views on the way to Hurricane Ridge

Baby A and me enjoying the Rain Forest!

The Punisher on his first nature hike.

I'm thinking he'll take after Dad and want to play in caves.

While every other place in Washington was sunny (including the Rain Forest), the beach at La Push was not.

Normally I would be complaining about being a little cold, but it was such a nice break!

Gorgeous day at the beach!

Okay, okay, I couldn't go all the way to Forks without taking one Twilight related picture, could I?

Totally determined to have a campfire on the beach. Keenan asked me where I learned how to make a fire, and I was all bragging about camping while growing up and watching my Dad do it thousands of times...

Too bad Dad wasn't here to light another one!

After many, many attempts, we finally managed to make a fire. It may be tiny, but it's ours.

And I was able to roast a perfect marshmallow for a smore! I call that a success!

Visitng Port Townsend on our way home. Gorgeous little city!

One last confession... a little part of me wishes I had been bitten by a vampire in Forks, because then atleast my skin would be cold to the touch and I would have amazing relief from this heat!

26 Weeks, 6 Days

Weekly Survey: 26 Weeks

How far along: 26 weeks
Maternity Clothes: Went through my borrowed maternity clothes again and found a pair of shorts!!! Nice!!! Thanks Jaim!
Stretch Marks: Not yet (knock on wood)
Sleep: Better now that I have a/c!
Best Moment this Week: Almost breaking into tears in the middle of Home Depot when I realized we were definitely getting an air conditioner!
Movement: He seems to think my uterus is a great place for gymnastics!
Food Cravings: Fried chicken...again.
Gender: Definite boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope! Let's keep it that way for awhile.
Belly Button: Half in, half flush with the rest of my stomach. At least it's not an outtie...yet.
What I Miss: My waist.
What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Heading to the Olympic rain forest for a few days.
Weekly Wisdom: Drink plenty of water!!!

"Say Hello to My Little Friend"

I'm in LOVE!!! With my new air conditioner! I've been trying really hard to beat the heat, but last night I couldn't take it (I was sitting on the couch and broke a sweat just by editing photos!). By the time Keenan got home, I was in tears because I couldn't get comfortable. My husband (who is amazing in case you didn't know!), decided that was the night to invest in a portable a/c!!! We set it up in our guest bedroom for now, and let me tell you, it's been true bliss! Luckily this room has cable and has been turned into my craft room... I may never leave (except of course, for bathroom and snack breaks!) Thanks Keenan, I may take a break from forcing you to read the Daddy Pregnancy book, you've been truly supportive (especially in this heat!)
Okay, now let's take a sneak peak into the nursery...
Here are a few of the inspirational pieces; my first completed painting from the This is... children series of books, and our Paddington Bear that we bought home from Harrods just for this occasion.

This is my first attempt at painting since high school, and I think I've done a pretty good job.
Okay, so I left out a few of the people, but you still have to give me some credit! One down, four or five more to go!
This is the changing table top that I'm working on. It's almost finished, just have to work on the washable pad.
The dresser that I scored a great deal on! Regular $429, I paid $225! Don't mind the mess! I promise it will be clean by the time The Punisher arrives!
The crib (totally loving it!):
And last, but not least, I leave you with a few current belly shots (sorry for the hair, but I'm not about to use the blow dryer in this heat!):



25 weeks, 4 days

Fruit of the Month!

Baby's an eggplant this month! He sure is growing, and every time he kicks I not only feel it, but anyone can see it! It's kind of fun to sit back, relax, and watch my belly move around. Very strange too.

How far along: 25 weeks
Maternity Clothes: The prepregnancy shirts I used to be able to pull off are now getting shorter and shorter. Since I'm not one of those women who can go out in public with 6 inches of belly showing, I'm thinking I'll need to go shopping again soon!
Stretch Marks: Not yet (knock on wood)
Sleep: Not very cozy, especially since the hubs allowed the cats back into the bed with us! Those little buggers take up half the bed!
Best Moment this Week: Putting my feet up after 9 hours of standing on them in the hot sun after shooting a wedding Saturday.
Movement: I'm hoping that's him making my belly move! Otherwise I may be in trouble!
Food Cravings: Hmmmm, I've got nothing.
Gender: Definite boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope! Let's keep it that way for awhile.
Belly Button: Half in, half flush with the rest of my stomach. At least it's not an outtie...yet.
What I Miss: A back that wasn't sunburnt.
What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Tomorrow's lunch at Olive Garden!
Weekly Wisdom: When out in the sun for 9 hours, wear sunscreen!

Photo Fun on Friday!

All right, before I share pictures of how our little family shared the Fourth of July, I will share some new news =) Yesterday was my 24 week appointment and I must confess that I wore lightweight khakis instead of jeans, and flipflops instead of tennis shoes because I knew going in that this would be my heaviest weigh in. The good news is that I have only gained 8lbs during this pregnancy (which is hard to believe if you have seen my belly recently!), the not so great news is that 6 of those pounds were gained during these last four weeks... The doctor thinks I'm doing great still though, and says I hide my pregnancy well. Hide? I really don't know how she thinks this big ole belly is hiding, but maybe it's the fact that this baby is already on the huge side that she thinks the belly could be even bigger? We'll just have to see how well I "hide" it in a few months!
Yesterday I also had to have some bloodwork done. They tested for gestational diabetes, which involves drinking 10 oz of a syrupy drink that tastes like flat Sprite in 5 minutes. I downed it like a college frat boy in less than 2 (had to get it over with, it burned my throat!). Luckily the nurse called today and told me that I passed! I also had to be tested for anemia, and unfortunately the bloodwork revealed me to be slightly anemic. The doctor said this was very common in a lot of pregnant women, and just involves me eating more iron rich foods and taking an iron supplement. Good news is that I should start feeling less tired after taking the supplement for awhile!
Baby is doing well! I can tell he is going to be all boy already! Daddy is playing some war game on the XBox, and like normal when he hears guns, The Punisher is kicking away! I foresee GI Joe action figures in my future!
Okay, some pictures from the 4rth!:
How I start many of my trips these days...with a bathroom break:

Unfortunately the HoneyBuckets haven't been cleaned in a few days...
After our mini hike at Mount Rainier:

Where we saw a beautiful waterfall (after looking at this pic, I'm thinking horizontal stripes are not a very good look for pregnant women):

Gorgeous, sunny day up at the mountain:

After our yummy dinner, Marshall and Rachael introduced us to the hobby of geocaching. Basically, people hide things all over the world, create directions to their treasure on the internet, and you get to go hunt for it. There were a couple just right by our house, so we decided to check it out! Unfortunately we couldn't find the first one, but found the second one pretty easily. It was hidden under a bench a few blocks away from our house:

Geocaches can be anything from boxes filled with treasures to share, or just a tiny capsule with a scroll inside:

This one had a scroll that you were supposed to write your name and date that you found it. This paper was already filled up!

Kind of a cool new hobby! K liked it a lot because he got to search for a treasure!

Putting it back in the same place we found it:

Firework time!

Yes, we are in Washington where the cool fireworks are allowed, but I think the boys had the most fun dancing around with the sparklers.

Too bad they weren't the really cool kind and almost burned our hands!

Like I said before, The Punisher is all boy and went crazy when he heard the fireworks! Kind of exciting to think that next year we will have a 9 month old toddler in the pics with us!

Rachael and I relaxing and watching the fireworks. Boy do I look tired! It had been a long day!

We finished the night with some smores and milk! Perfect way to end the day!

Weekly Check In: 24 Weeks

Baby A is still Papaya size this week (well, atleast according to the charts of averages, however, The Punisher is probably onto next week fruit already!). The last time I went to the grocery, I actually picked up a papaya and couldn't believe that something that size is in my stomach, bouncing around! Pregnancy really amazes me.

How far along: 24 weeks
Maternity Clothes: Just had to go shopping for some new items. Hit up a great sale at Victoria's Secret (bought some really comfy yoga pants and a cozy cami), and then Target to get a dress for the wedding I'm photographing this Saturday
Stretch Marks: Not yet (knock on wood)
Sleep: Starting to get uncomfortable. The other night I almost woke up K to rub my back because it was spazming
Best Moment this Week: The Fourth of July weekend with Uncle Marshall and Aunt Rachel! Shopping, mountains, geocaching, fireworks, Shirley Temples and smores. Yeah, it was pretty good!
Movement: Still a mover! He really likes it when he hears Dad's voice!
Food Cravings: Fulfilled my need for fried chicken Sunday night, so now I'm just waiting for the next craving to kick in
Gender: Definite boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope! Let's keep it that way for awhile.
Belly Button: Still an innie, but not too much depth
What I Miss: My legs sure do miss my lighter frame! I can't walk around the mall without my ankles hurting. Looks like it's time to invest in some good tennis shoes
What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Tomorrow's lunch with Lyds, my doctor appointment on Thursday (although not looking forward to drinking the yucky glucose thing)
Weekly Wisdom: Next time, wake the husband for a back rub!

Pink & Blue Party Revisited!

Okay, time for to play catch up! You would think that as a photographer, I would be really good at downloading the photos from my computer and sharing them with others. As it turns out, I'm really good at doing that for my clients, however I am terrible when it comes to my own photos! So sorry for the delay, but here are the photos from the pink & blue party a few weeks ago! Oh, and the most recent belly photo from 20 weeks!
Surprisingly I didn't cut myself with the knife while carving this watermelon for the baby buggy!

The roses that my Uncle cut from his garden for me! Unfortunately my aunt and uncle weren't able to attend, but aren't the flowers gorgeous? Thanks Uncle Lance!

My niece who couldn't decide whether she thought the baby was a boy or girl, so she wore a dress with both colors and was "right" when we announced the big news!

My grandma and me! We had a great day hanging out!

Thanks again Dad for manning the grill!

How we announced our big news!

Werner was the only guy man enough to wear pink! His wife Joyce thought it was a girl as well, and bought us a girly present, but came prepared with a boy backup gift! =)