Picture Round Up

So, it's a new year, and I had big plans for writing a Year in Review post and what not, but then life happened and keeps happening, so this will have to do. I know you're all wondering what Colt has been up to. Well, if you haven't been keeping up with him on FB (i.e. you've been living under a rock), wonder no more. He's 18 months and going strong! The following are in no particular order:

Baby boy likes going to the grocery store with Daddy.

Lil boy has had a hard morning of adventuring at the grocery store.

Yes? (this photo is from yesterday, for the record)

Someone got some toothies coming in (this is from today!)

This is a pic I got in response to a mid-morning text I sent to C inquiring about how my boys were. Colt was still in those PJs when I got home. BC that's how we roll.

So, not too many, but enough to tide you over until I have more than five minutes to blog...which will likely be never, considering the state of things currently, and considering the schedule of events for the next two months. In February, we'll be off to San Antonio to see Honey GG! The highlight of that trip will definitely be the fact that I bought Colt his own seat on the plane. Then, in March, we'll head back up to my frigid hometown to celebrate my little brother's wedding, again....they got hitched in January, but the reception is in March...it's complicated, but it means we'll be back in ID before temperatures are back above freezing. Aaaaaand the Spring semester ends in May, so plan on me resurfacing at that point.

Busy Busy Busy: It Never Ends!

First off: This baby boy is only getting more adorable by the day.He's just this beautiful. You'll have to forgive me for gushing. Right this very second he's in his play pit (which was formerly our awesome adult seating area in the living room) playing with his toys and babbling away. He's getting better every day at entertaining himself over there with his toys. He's climbing all over everything. I honestly cannot keep him contained for very long. And, I'm pretty convinced that he's going to skip over crawling and go straight to walking. I mean, he still scoots around on his belly using that right leg to push himself forward, but he no longer seems interested in actually crawling. He is interested in getting to nearest vertical object and pulling himself up. And over, if he can manage it. He's fearless, of course, but it's his parents' fault. We may or may not throw him around all the time because it makes him laugh. Why is baby laughter like crack? His mom and dad will do anything to make him smile.

Anyway. I can't babble. I've got too much to do and not enough time to do it in. The Spring 2012 issue of Ingredients is being published this weekend, and then I take the General Securities Principal (Series 10) licensing exam next Thursday. The majority of my free time (i.e. the brief minutes between the blocks of time I spend sleeping, at work and making faces at my baby) is dedicated to studying for this damn test. So, I'm pretty excited about having it over with, even though it only means that I'll have two weeks to cram for the second part of the license, Options Principal (Series 9), which is scheduled for April 19. I've got about 10 more finals (2-3 hours each) to take before I'll feel anywhere close to comfortable taking the actual Series 10 exam. It sucks, is what I'm saying. It will be worth it, but it totally sucks right this very second.

So, my house is a total disaster, I'm frazzled about the magazine and the exam, and I feel guilty about the time I don't get to spend with my boys. I love them so much, and if it were up to me I'd spend every moment of every day with them :)

January 2012 Photo Update

I'm totally fired from blogging. In my defense, January was crazy and February has been so far too. So, whatever. Here are some pictures!

This is the baby boy at 6 months. Isn't he precious?? I heart him.

These pics were taken while we were in Texas last month, visiting Baby Boy's greatgrandma (Honey GG). Don't you just love his little hat?? It was really awesome being there and meeting the woman that C respects and loves more than any other. And, of course, she loved meeting that baby. I'll post more pictures of that trip sometime soon when I'm at my own computer.

These ones are just a random sampling of pictures taken on my phone in January 2012:

No, it's not consequence that "random" sampling of pics from my phone are all of the Baby Boy. He's really my only subject these days.

Oh, and also of note in January, this bad boy:

It's a Colt Revolver (get it???). There is still some work to be done, and eventually I'll add onto it, but this was as far as Sue and I got during the first session. I may or may not be addicted to ink...

New Shift = Swimming

So, my schedule at work changed so that I start at 7 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. Considering my baby boy is still up at around 4:30 for food, though, means that I actually have time to get my big ass to the gym! Honestly, I was pretty convinced last night that I wasn't going to make it, but then I was up and sleep was not an option, so I couldn't talk myself out of it.

The rec center where I just got my annual membership is only about a block away from my house, so it works out pretty well. This morning I did 30 minutes of swimming, which is by far my favorite sport/exercise. I even got in on some of the water aerobics class that started at 6, but I had to bail at 6:15 so that I could be out of there by 6:30. Tomorrow I may change it up and use the fitness room instead, but we'll have to see. I love the water so much, and it really was an excellent way to start my day.

2 Month Photo Round Up

I know I've said it before, but I will say it again (and again...and again): my baby boy is the cutest baby ever made! I know, that's what all parents think, but let's face it: not all babies are adorable. I daresay most of them are pretty funny looking when they're born, but my baby boy has been the cutest little man since the day he was born. And all the proof I have for that is right here:

Tell me that's not the cutest little face you have ever seen. Go on, I'll wait.....and for no reason at all, here's a picture of his gigantic eyes:

And here's one of him from this week with his daddy:

See, can't deny it can, you? A. Dor. A. Ble! And on top of all that ridiculous cuteness, he's an awesome baby. He sleeps like a champ! And we don't have to worry about the pacifier anymore because he discovered that a forefinger/thumb combination is much easier to get a good grip on and a lot less likely to fall on the floor.

He is a super sweet little guy, but he reminds me more and more of me thanks to the little attitude he is developing:

This is what I get for taking pictures instead of feeding him. I think he looks most like me when he's in this kind of mood. My parents and siblings would probably agree. But aside from the occasional outburst when mom doesn't move fast enough, he's pretty chill. He's getting more vocal and even more smiley, though, whenever I try to take a picture of him being smiley, he stops doing it:

Two seconds earlier he'd been smiling up a storm. I have managed to get him smiling at least once on video. All I can say is that it is so super cute! Seriously, I cannot get enough of this little guy.

So sweet! Plus, he's super cool and a sharp dresser:

Knuckles? Yes.

The Little Guy had his 2 month check up on Sept. 8 (exactly two months! I'm good at this game), and everything is good except for the fact that he has only gained 1/2 lb and 3/4 inch since birth. The doc was not terribly thrilled about that, but he was not overly concerned about it either, so he's having us supplement nursing with formula and rice cereal for the time being. And add this to the No Amount of Warning Can Prepare You For list: Immunizations. Poor little guy has never screamed so loud in his life! It was, quite possibly, harder for me to bear than it was for him, but I know better than he does how necessary the shots are to keep him safe. Now that we're through the first round maybe mom won't cry next time...maybe.

So, Baby Boy should gain at least one whole pound before we go back to the office next Thursday. He is not at all picky about his food, so he eats the formula up like it is nothing, and the increase in food has made him a lot more content. However, having to feed him four ounces at a time every 2 to 3 hours can make it feel like I do nothing but feed him all day long! Now that I'm back at work his daddy is starting to realize just how much work it is to be a work-from-home parent. Needless to say there is very little work actually getting done while Mom's at work, on account of the fact that his daddy can't resist the cuteness either and just wants to hold him all the time. C, however, is better at it than I am because he did actually manage to get some cleaning done yesterday between feedings. I can only hope that I'll be so luckily productive over the weekend.

And Another Year Goes By.

So it's what? The 28th of August now? Yeah, that's right. I had to check because I haven't been at work in over two months and keeping track of the date is not much of a priority. I guess I'll have to get used to it soon, though, seeing as I go back to work in nine days. Surprisingly, I have few complaints about it. Colt is sleeping through the night, pretty much, so the only thing I have left to worry about is pumping enough milk to get his dad through the first few days. Luckily, since I return to work on a Tuesday, I will only have to work three days in my first week back, unless there is overtime available (and from what I hear about unusually high volumes thanks to the stock market roller coaster as of late, there should be). All in all, I'm glad I've had the time off, but I'm ready to go back.

I'm not that bummed about going back to work, but I am bummed that the summer is ending with an unfortunate double whammy: the pool shuts down next weekend too. I haven't even taken the Baby Boy down there yet :( I'm going to try to get that done this week. He really likes his bathtime, so I think the pool will be fun for him. And for me. But for him more because he needs the distraction. So far walks and the nightly bath will distract him from his fussiness, but that's all we got so far. We'll have to find a pool to go to during the winter. The one at the rec center up the street will probably do fine. It's close enough to walk to at least until it gets really cold.

I'm getting distracted. It happens often these days, and it's mostly due to the fact that my baby boy is so freaking cute that his dad and I will spend hours just watching him, awake or asleep. Just thinking about him, sleeping soundly away for probably not too much longer, gets me distracted. I want to post pictures from my birthday. I'd better do it before he wakes up!

So, usually the Famdamly gathers at Bear Lake around my birthday (and by that I mean I insist that we go with the boat and the rest of them agree because Bear Lake is AMAZING), but this year it was decided that boating with a 6 week old baby was probably not the best idea. Honestly, I was okay with the idea, but that's mostly just because I am still naive about the process it is to take a 6 week old baby anywhere further than down the stairs and into the stroller for our nightly walk.

We ended up picnicking at the park down the street from my house, which was excellent. KFC and 10,000 Tacos to Go from up the street and we were in business. The picture taking commenced once the Baby Boy decided he was going to be fussy and Grandpa volunteered to remedy the situation with a walk around the playground in the stroller:Of course Chris and Tank had to go with him, and Chris may or may not be a total ham. And I may or may not have taken several pictures of Grandpa pushing the stroller, partly because Grandma kept asking if I had a picture and also because it has been a VERY long while since we last saw Grandpa pushing a stroller...There he is again! Actually, come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever seen my dad push a stroller. No wonder Grandma wanted pictures. I'd say he's got this Grandpa thing down pretty well.

All of my siblings save one were able to make it down, and it seems that all of us now have significant others, thanks to Geoff's new flame, Heather. Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of them, and Geoff told me they weren't an item, but from the looks of it that would appear to be a lie. She's a cutie, though, and I hope she sticks around for a while. This is pretty much the only picture of Geoff's face that I managed to get.

In case you can't tell, I now have two bearded brothers. Geoff had no qualms admitting that he's copying his older brother's style, but thanks to the honor code at BYU-I, he's probably already shaved it off. And speaking of bearded men, here's mine!
So relaxed, I'd swear he was taking a nap. If only he'd had this kind of help from my nephie poo:
Aunt Shnookie probably got herself into that mess. But it's okay because she repaid the favor with this back-straightening maneuver:It must have worked because this little guy is relaxed!


Of course it is worth mentioning that the newlyweds are as happy as can be. Aren't they cute?
Mostly my sister is just gorgeous.

All in all, turning 26 was not that big of a deal to me. Last year I was determined to party it up for the official passing of my youth as I moved from 24 to 25, but this year I was not so concerned about moving into the dreaded "almost 30" age-range. I'm just grateful that my family was willing to come hang out with me. And as an added bonus, I walked away with a Belgian waffle maker. I call that a success!

37 Weeks and Counting...

So, this pregnancy is officially full term, and yes, I am most definitely still pregnant. The good news is, though, that at my last doctor's appointment (last Friday), I was already dilated to 1 cm and 50% effaced. The doctor also mentioned that the baby was also at a -1 station, which explains why it feels like he's been playing the drums on my bladder! I've had some contractions surges (as they are called in HypnoBirthing) over the last couple of days, but nothing with a regular pattern yet. C is still hoping that I give birth on July 4, but honestly I don't see this baby waiting that long. Who knows, though. The doctor may well tell me this Friday that I haven't dilated any further. I guess we'll just have to see!

My last day of work will be June 15 (that's a week from today!), and I hoping to get at least a week off before the little one makes his grand entrance so that I have a chance to work on my growing to-do list. First and foremost is the nursery, in which the painting still needs to be finished. We've scheduled a day (next Friday, I think) to do that, and the bed that's in there currently will be relocated to my sister's house this Friday, so that will help. I picked up a used pack n play for $50 this week, so the good news is that Colt will actually have some place to sleep when he gets home. My awesome parentals are buying us the stroller/carseat that I want (it's orange!) so by next week we should also be equipped to legally transport him home from the hospital.

Aside from a breastpump and a changing table, we're basically stocked on what else he'll need, thanks to the baby shower on Saturday. It was a total blast, and I'll be blogging/posting pictures of it sooner or later. The only picture I got on my phone is this one, of the awesome pirate ship that C built:

Isn't it amazing?? My man never fails to surprise me with his seemingly limitless talents! Seriously, he's incredible in more ways than one :)

35 Weeks

Well, the pregnant waddle has finally occurred. I thought I would just sail through the last leg of my pregnancy without it affecting my stride, but I was horribly, horribly wrong. For reasons unbeknownst to me, walking is just not the easy, straight, non-waddle that it should be these days, and I am not a fan! Perhaps I just need to force myself to walk more. Maybe all of this sitting I do is partly to blame. Or maybe my hips are just finally starting to spread. In any case, it's not cool.

What is cool is that I can see baby Colt moving around in my abdomen these days. I sat in the bath yesterday and just watched him squirm around for like a half an hour. He's very active these days, waking me up sometimes at night with his flailing. He's even responding when I push and poke at him. I wonder if he gets irritated with me when I do that, but I don't feel bad about it because, let's face it, he's inhabiting my body! If he gets to continue to grow and cause me a waddle, then I'm going to poke at him when he pushes up against the top of my belly. That's just how it's gonna be!

The good news is that he's already positioned correctly for birth, so that's great. My appointments with the doctor have increased from monthly to bi-monthly, and starting in June I'll see her every Friday. I just can't even believe that June is so close! My baby shower is the weekend after next, and I could technically give birth to a full term baby anytime after the first week of June. How weird is that? WEIRD! I'm really pulling for July 4, though. I mean, it will suck a lot having to be that pregnant for that long, but wouldn't it be awesome to be born on the Fourth of July? C and I think so. And it won't actually be that bad because it turns out that I can get up to two weeks off before my due date, paid, thanks to FMLA. So, if all goes according to plan my last day of work will be June 15 and I won't go back until September 4. How excellent is that? Pretty freaking excellent if you ask me! That's practically the whole summer off with pay. Can't complain about that, so I won't :)

So, I technically have 5 weeks left until my due date, which is pretty scary considering what still needs to be done. Painting the nursery is coming right along, but it's not done yet. The nursery situation is a little sketchy anyway, though, because currently we've got a futon bunk bed in there that will need to stay there for a while after Colt is born so that his Grand Mommy has some place to sleep when she comes to visit, which is fine because I'd prefer to have the baby sleep in our room for the first little while anyway. Luckily, my sis and bro-in-law can use the bed, so I've already got someone to take it off my hands when it's ready to go. So, long story short, the nursery probably won't even be officially set up for Colt's use of it until closer to when I go back to work. Still, I'd like to have the painting done before he arrives so that it's one less thing to worry about.

We also still need to take a hospital tour so that I know where we're going when the moment of truth arrives. The hospital where Colt will be born is in downtown, and I live 20 minutes from downtown, so getting there is going to be a challenge in and of itself. Hopefully he is a good boy and starts his decent late at night on July 3 like I'm hoping, and we don't have to deal with any traffic en route. All I know at this point is that Labor and Delivery is on the fourth floor. So, that's one of the main priorities. The other main priorities have mostly to do with cleaning the house. And by cleaning I mean really, really cleaning it for reals. Sounds like fun, eh? No, not really, but it is nonetheless a necessary task.

So that's really it for now. I'm getting more and more impatient for the end as each day goes by. I'm dreadfully curious and anxious to meet the little person that's growing inside of me, and I'm getting more and more tired of being pregnant. Still, I hope he holds out until July 4 :)

31 Weeks

Well, here we are approaching the end of April already, and my theory about time moving faster as I get older is only proven again and again with each passing day. I'm starting in on my 31st week of pregnancy today, and I have to admit that it is actually getting easier. That or I've just accepted it finally, so my mind and my body have stopped fighting. Either way, the appreciation I have for my thick-boned and muscled body only grows as this baby takes over more and more of my midsection.

My major complaint since getting knocked up (even before I knew that it was the case) has been heartburn. Well, over the last couple of weeks my heartburn has more or less subsided, though it flares up every now and then thanks to my diet choices. I don't feel tired and beat down like a lot of women do in their third trimester, though, and I can't exactly say that's thanks to getting more sleep. I still go to bed too late and get up too early four days a week, though perhaps it helps that I get to sleep in ridiculously late on the other three. I haven't experienced too much bloating or swelling, either, which is nice because I'm self-conscious enough as it is. Honestly, if it weren't for the baby's movements, my inability to squeeze through narrow gaps and the effort it is to put socks on these days, I would probably forget that I'm pregnant altogether. Everything else feels pretty much normal. Oh, except for my hair, which has gotten curlier, but I'm not complaining about that; mostly I'm just amazed that the curls could get any tighter in the first place.

My family hails mostly from Germany, so being big-boned is no joke and there is just no way around it. I've always referred to my hips as "child bearing," and it turns out that it's true! Seven months in and these jeans are still as loose at the hips as they were when I bought them. Honestly I would be surprised if my hips did end up spreading at all in the next two months. I guess there are some advantages built into being wide-set. C pointed out to me the other day that I haven't developed the pregnancy waddle yet, and while I do waddle from time to time (usually just when I get out of bed in the morning), I'm glad that it is not constant. My back and feet don't hurt any more than they usually do, as long as I wear the right shoes, and I still take the stairs at work whenever I need to. Granted, I get to my desk slightly winded than usual some days, I still think that is something of which I can be proud.

Perhaps all this lack of physical ailment is due to the state of peace in which I've been existing recently. It is possible that the childbirth classes that C and I have been attending for the last three weeks are responsible for this change. I decided long ago that I do not want to be strapped into a bed by monitors during childbirth, so after some deliberation (and recommendations from mothers that have done it) I decided to take the HypnoBirthing class instead of your standard childbirth class. I was hesitant at first, of course, because anything with the word "hypno" in it makes me skiddish of hippies and the new-age crowd, and the philosophies it teaches are kind of hippie-esque, but I 100% agree with their main theory, which is that birth was not meant to be painful.

Think about it: why in the world would the uterus be the one muscle in the human body that causes excruciating pain when it works properly? That doesn't make any sense. And if we are created in the image of a perfect God, then why would our method of reproduction be dangerous and painful? We are practically the only mammals on the planet that experience painful births, so perhaps we're doing something wrong? I certainly think so, and therefore I'm preparing to give birth naturally. I figure that as long as there is a tub in which I can soak during the process, laboring will not be painful and exhausting. As an added bonus, Hypnobirthing mothers have to have episiotomies less often, regardless of how big the baby is.

Aside from myself, I don't know any babies that were born 100% naturally. My mom walked into the hospital already dialted to an 8, so there was no time for painkillers before I came. And yet she will freely admit that I was her easiest birth (and out of 5, so that's something to be said). Our cultural references always portray birth as a long, excruciating endeavor with lots of screaming and crying and swearing, possibly even some death threats thrown at the father for good measure, because that kind of thing makes for interesting viewing material. Watching a woman calmly and peacefully work through the birthing process is not exactly exciting (trust me, I've watched at least eight hypnobirthings so far in class, and they're all pretty much the same boring tale that does not involve any of those things). The way I see it the pain associated with giving birth is 90% mental. My body was built specifically for bearing and raising offspring, so when it comes time I will relax and just let my body do its thing. If I think it is going to hurt, it probably will. Basically Hypnobirthing has taught me what I already know: attitude is everything, so I've simply adjusted my attitude about the process of birthing a baby. In the end, I'll be grateful to be cognizant and fully-functioning by the time my son is in my arms.

This Week in Pictures

I know it's only Thursday, but I'm at work for the last time this week, so that makes it okay for me to post a weekly pic round up :) Enjoy!

This first set of photos are of the crib set that C's grandma purchased for us. The set was delivered at the beginning of the week. Of course, we couldn't resist breaking it out and going through each of the nine pieces. They are so cute! And not uber cutesy like most of the pirate stuff I've seen is.

This pillow may be my favorite piece in the whole set!

This is the window valance :)

Yarrrrr matey! Crib bumpers

The quilt. Adorable! And incredibly soft thanks to the suede material incorporated in the pattern.

These photos should fulfil your daily cuteness quota.

This is Chesie, who belongs to C's old roommates James and Ally, and her three babies that were born just a few days ago. I'm not sure I've ever encountered kittens this small before, so naturally I went a little crazy for them.

Their little "mew mew mews" were almost too much to bear! Their momma was pretty protective of them, of course, but she was kind enough to let me hold all three of them before whisking them away back down the stairs one by one.

This last set of pics are just random things I felt inclined to photograph this week. Starting with the most atrocious vehicle I've ever seen...

Okay, seriously, who does this? What sane person wakes up one day and says, I think I'll paint zebra stripes on my Hummer? I didn't even bother to find out if there was a logo or anything justifying this horrible decision, because there is no company out there that I would agree is justified in doing such a thing.

First completed canvas painting for the nursery. This little fishie glows in the dark :)

And of course, no photo roundup is complete without a picture of the Kitty Cat. Have I mentioned that she loves bags? Because she does.

Quicky

Just a few things from the weekend:

-I started my part of the painting in the Nursery, and I can't help but pat myself and C on the back for how awesome it is looking. I may or may not have purchased glow in the dark paint for some of the fishes and plants...My baby boy is going to have the coolest bedroom EVER!

-Again, with the random puking. Twice over the weekend, once completely out of the blue and the other thanks to brushing my teeth. Other than that the nausea has pretty much gone away and stays away as long as I keep food in my belly.

-Speaking of which, my appetite has gone from inconsistent to constantly starving. This kid is putting on weight quick.

-Random pregnant girl with too much makeup on at Taco Time told me that I'm "pretty big for only 26 weeks." Repeatedly. Thanks for the confidence boost, biotch.

-They say that heartburn means your baby will have hair. If that's true, my baby boy is going to be born with a mane.

-The youngest siblings were in town for the Festival of Colors, and I had the pleasure of taking care of the Tankeroo for 24 hours. You know that I love this dog,

but after housing him overnight I realized that I'm very VERY glad he's not a full time resident at my house. I probably got 4 hours of sleep that night. Of course, the only consolation C could offer was "Just wait until we have a baby!" Touchee.

Everything Nice

To my great surprise, the bestie called me last Wednesday and asked if I would put her and my niece up for the night on Thursday. Of course, I was thrilled to do so because I just don't see them as often as I'd like to, what with them living about five hours south of here and all. The little miss is just as adorable as ever. Look at this face: Seriously, she's going to be a heart breaker. And a big spender:That's her playing with my credit card. The girl knows what to go for already! The black mark on her forehead is mascara, which she wanted to play with but wasn't okay with putting on her eye lashes. Oh, and that's her mom in the background with the blonde hair. If only I could pull off blonde like she does...

As it turns out, my darling C is rather inexperienced when it comes to babies and toddlers, but he totally has a knack for it! Look at him hanging out with Ms. Mae:
This pic just makes me squee! I LOVE seeing boys with babies. I don't know why, but it's freaking adorable!

So we went to the Ikea, which is becoming a tradition when these two are in town. The Little Miss is so very well behaved for an 18 month old. Again, she only got fussy at the end after she'd missed her afternoon nap. And she loves to sleep! She all but led me into the second bedroom around 1 p.m. and stood by her pack-n-play saying "Uh oh" until I picked her up and put her in it so that she could have her mid-morning nap. Her parents are SO lucky! I can only HOPE that my baby boy is as fond of sleep, really, and trust me: I am crossing my fingers for it!

A Bun in the Oven

So, the whole family knows now, and the news has been made public via facebook, so I guess it's safe to post these pictures now.

Yup, it's true. I am currently incubating a little boy inside my uterus (which is as strange to me as it sounds written out that way). As the doctor put it when I found out, it's a very strong positive. There's no mistaking that pink line. Turns out I've been preggers for 19 weeks as of this week (I found out at 17 weeks), so I got to cruise through my first trimester completely unaware. Actually, in complete denial is a better way to put it. I can't say that I was not nauseous pretty much every morning from November until now (though, I didn't actually hurl, so that's lucky), and I can also not say that I wasn't completely exhausted for no reason during the last quarter of the year. And I guess that explains the wicked heartburn I was having (that too has abated for the most part) and the weight I've gained since my back surgery in September. Still, perhaps being in denial helped my first trimester go by quickly and somewhat painlessly.

I also got lucky in that I found out about the baby's existence and that he is a boy all within 24 hours, which means I got to skip all the hoping/worrying about gender completely! And I would have worried too, because I've always wanted to have a boy first, so I would have spent many days obsessing over it. It's not that I don't love little girls (my niece is just adorable!), I just always hoped that any daughters I had would have an older brother. Plus, I hear that little boys are harder to deal with as babies but get easier as they get older, which is a theory I can get on board with, being that I have two younger brothers. Girls are easy to start with but get harder as they go along, which is something to which I can also attest, having been born a girl and remembering in all-too-vivid detail the hell that was going through puberty. So all in all, I'm pretty stoked to be having a boy!

It's a good thing too because I'm not at all into the pink/fairy/princess stuff that usually goes along with having a daughter. I decided basically right away that we'd be going with a pirate theme in the nursery, and that wouldn't work so well with a girl. I mean, could you purchase something like this for a baby girl?

Well, I probably would still, but I'm sure I'd get funny looks for it. I'm already registered on Amazon and at Target, and I would just like to take the chance to tell Amazon THANK YOU for having awesome baby pirate stuff that Target would never dream of carrying. Though, I did find a diaper bag at Target that is black with jolly rogers on it. The BF (aka C) and I will be painting my second bedroom in an underwater/sunken ship motif, and I'll most likely be making my own crib bedding because everything pre-made that I've found so far is way too cutesy. Don't be surprised when the first photo you see of an infant will be one of him in a jolly roger onesie or something of the like.

So, stay tuned for updates. Let's face it: being pregnant and planning for the little one will probably be the only things I blog about for a while. My second ultrasound (for the halfway point exam) is scheduled for this Friday, so I should have some ultrasound pics for posting soon. I'm going to try not to over do it, but it is not my fault that one's brain finds it impossible to focus on anything else when there is a life growing in one's body. It's still a lot surreal to me, which isn't that surprising considering I was pretty close to being halfway through when I found out about being pregnant. Surprise! I've always kind of suspected that that is how it would go for me, though. I'm not so good at long term planning, so it's probably a good thing that it snuck up on me. C and I are very excited about it, though, and have a lot to do before our son makes his grand entrance!

This Weekend in Pictures

So, if you know me at all you probably know that I've been obsessing over my youngest brother coming home off his mission for about the last month. He flew in with my parentals on Tuesday, January 25, and then I headed up to grand old I-De-Ho on Thursday to spend the weekend with the fam, reveling in the fact that we are whole again. As always, the time at home was spent running around after this one:

His adorableness lessens a bit now that he's developed selective hearing (such a manly quality!) and an attitude to rival my own. It's a good thing he's got so many aunts and uncles to keep him in line! Speaking of uncles, tell me these boys don't look alike:

I mean, aside from the fact that the Elder Brother is so tan! He's very glad to be home again, except of course for this situation:

Yes, that is three feet of snow piled up from the streets and the driveway. And it turns out that IF does not believe in (or maybe they just don't understand the concept of) salting the roads to melt ice. So getting into and out of the neighborhood was a bit of a challenge. But this kid made it all 100% worth it:

Isn't he such a stud? In case you were wondering, he's already on the prowl. I think it's safe to say that girls are his number 1 priority. Forget about going to school for an education, it's time to get hitched! But don't worry, because I made him promise not to be married within the next six months. Hopefully he'll stick to that, but you know how it goes with these returned missionaries. Particularly since he'll be attending BYU-I starting in February. Soooooooooooo, mostly I'm thinking he'll be hitched or at least on his way to being hitched by the end of this year.

Also, for the sake of cuteness, this is the other brother's puppy beating up the 70 lb dog:

The best part is that he does want to play with her, as long as he can lie on his back and just bat at her with his ridiculously long legs. What a doofus he is, but dang do we love him!