What a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

It's absolutely beautiful out today! And on top of all that, I have a happy baby.

Yesterday was a nightmare. Wednesday night I got maybe 3 hours of sleep due to a teething baby. Then he was very clingy and cranky all day. I thought I was going to lose my mind!!!! I felt so bad for being mad at him, but I was just exhausted. I was in tears at one point. So I just put him down in his crib w/ some toys and turned some music on for him. Thankfully he played by himself for about 30 minutes, so that gave me a nice break.

Today has been great! We got great sleep last night and I've been very productive! So, after laundry, dishes, cleaning my bathroom, and feeding and makin' sure Elliot has had some naps, we're sitting outside on the back porch waiting for Daddy to come home! Elliot's in his walker & I'm sittin' reading my Better Homes & Garden magazines. (Well, obviously not now...but I was before I started blogging)

I love this weather. I'd be okay if it was a LITTLE bit colder, but today is the hottest I like. There's a perfect breeze and the sun feels so good.

Tomorrow we are driving to KC to visit our friends Dhani & Dan and meet up w/ Veronica & Sean. We're going to some art fair down on the plaza. So I'm pretty excited about that. The weather is supposed to be awesome!

Well, I better get back to my magazines! I'm trying to get some ideas for Christmas decorating.

The Many Faces of Elliot H. Carney

Waiting for Fall

I can't wait for fall to arrive. It's my favorite time of the year. I love the smells, the crispness in the air, wearing sweaters & boots, and the fact that is means Christmas is just that much closer. It's just such a cozy time and it will always be my favorite season.

As fall/winter are approaching, I can't help but get really excited for these new seasons to arrive. They will be Elliot's first fall and winter with us outside of my belly. It's hard to believe that just a year ago, I was just barely pregnant and now I have a 5 month old. Time really does fly.

I am so excited about starting family traditions and have been thinking of the perfect ones for us ever since I found out I was pregnant. {I'm probably the biggest planner I know. It's kind of an illness}.

I am definitely a lot more sentimental now that I have a baby. Everything we do I want to document it by taking pictures or video. I don't know how many little silly videos I have of him just smiling or laughing. It never gets old. If I could, I'd document every single one of them, but unfortunately, it's not possible. I have realized that almost every night while he is asleep in his crib, I take a picture of him. I don't think I've ever been a bigger creepster in my lifetime. But honestly, I have never seen anything more beautiful than my sweet little boy's face while he is sleeping. {I'm getting teary just thinking about it...and also trying to resist the urge to go take a peek at him}.

Anyway, I got off on a major rabbit trail there....

Back to me being sentimental & how I want to start family traditions. I want to make everything special for Elliot. When he is an adult & starting his own family, I want him to look back on his childhood and say, "I had the best childhood ever. My parents really went above and beyond to make everything so special for me." I want him to remember carving pumpkins at Halloween or making cookies for Santa and reading "The Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve while snuggled in bed w/ his Daddy & I. I just can't wait.

I fall more and more in love with him every single day. It's amazing how much love one heart can hold. Just when you think you can't love someone anymore than you already do, your heart finds a way to grow just a little bit more.

Small Frye

So how adorable are these little Frye boots? I LOVE THEM! I have been wanting them for a while, and since we are doing family photos again next month for Elliot's 6 month birthday, I decided I wanted him to wear shoes and I thought these would be so cute! I couldn't pass them up. My mom ended up buying them for us. Isn't that so sweet of her?

Anyway, now I'm trying to think of outfits for us to wear for the photo shoot. I have 2 dresses I'm going to order myself just to see which one I like the best. I found some boots I want as well. I've already got one outfit picked out for myself, but I have to try it on to see if it looks as good on as it does in my head!

Once I figure out what Elliot & I are wearing, I'll be able to pick something out for Steve. I may have to go buy him a new shirt or two! :)

Sweet Sleeper

look at those sweet lips!

steamroller

we have a mobile baby! he's rolling all over the room. it's the cutest thing.

for about 3 weeks, he's been really good about rolling from his back to his stomach and would occasionally roll from his stomach to back, but yesterday, he really figured it out. thankfully, steve was home to see it.

i have a quilt that i lay him on to play {which is about 3 feet from the couch}, and soon enough, he was off the quilt & over by the couch.

i just can't believe he's already mobile! he's growing up way tooo fast! and in just a couple months, he'll be crawling! that's sooo crazy to me!

i love watching him learn & grow each day. it has to be one of the most amazing things. i'm so blessed to be able to stay home with him.

freshening up

we moved into our house 3 years ago this past june. it's hard to believed we've lived here that long let alone been married & had a baby all in that time as well! phew! the years really do fly by the older you get. boo.

when we moved in, i started decorating little by little. i really liked a more rustic style of decor. basically, i had mom taste! looking back, i realize my house was decorated just like my moms...and mother in laws! oh geez.

well, listen here. i'm no longer a woman in my 50's. i've liberated myself from candle rings, decorative potpourri, and grubby candles! i, merideth carney, have stepped back into my 20's and am embracing MODERN DECOR!

last christmas (2009) when i was with child, i started nesting hard core. i bought new christmas decorations, all silver and white. our tree is a new tree...a tree that screams "my owners are young hipsters!" {okay, maybe not. but i'd like to think so}

basically, that's what started my love for all things modern. so slowly but surely, i'm replacing things a little bit at a time.

the next thing{s} i would like to purchase are some type prints for my kitchen.

i've found a few on etsy that i think are pretty adorable. i would like to do maybe a set of two or three from the same seller so that they have a similar look to them.

here are two that i really like and think would be appropriate for the kitchen. {plus they're just funny & cute}






or these two which would be great upbeat sayings to see in the morning. {i am NOT a morning person}







whatever i do decide on, i'm planning on putting in a white frame w/ a nice matting around it. i can't wait! i love spicing up the joint with little things here and there!

4 month check up

we had our 4 month check up today.

elliot weighs 15.5 lbs which puts him in the 60% and 25.5 in long which puts him in the 75%.

it's hard to believe that he's already 4 and a half months old. and even harder to believe that we scheduled our 6 month appointment for september 27th. that's RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

it makes me sad how fast they grow. before i know it, he's going to be graduating high school. boo.

Sweet Sleeper

since elliot is moderately mobile, as in, he can scoot around and roll over, it's always interesting to see the different positions he ends up in his crib. sometimes we'll lay him vertically at one end of the crib and he'll end up horizontal at the opposite end. i'd love to be able to set up a camera & see how he gets from one side to the other.

one thing that seems to happen quite frequently is his feet hanging between the slats. if we see it, we always move them back into the crib, but it's still pretty cute.

domestic goddess? ... not quite

before i had elliot, my mom started teaching me how to sew. and i fell in love with it.

my first project was making some reusable snack baggies, a diaper wallet and an ouch pouch for my diaper bag. pretty simple. just straight stitches, but i was just learning the ropes & getting used to using a machine.

while working on one of these projects, we came across a problem. my mom stared & stared at it trying to figure out how to make it work while i, being the sewing savant that i am, took one look and told her it was obvious what we needed to do to correct the problem.

{i don't think my mom had ever been so proud of me...and in turn, i was very proud of myself. after all, TRUE domestic goddesses know how to sew, right?}

i thought to myself on the way home from her house, "wow, this may be the one thing i'm super great at!"

i think i'm pretty decent at a lot of different things, but i never really excelled at one thing in particular, and i have always secretly wanted to be a bad-a at one thing, ANYTHING!

{i thought sewing was it.}

fast forward to tonight...here i am, at midnight, sweating, frustrated and wound up all because i can't figure out my problem.

{which i would almost bet my left hand has a simple solution}

i'm sure my mom will take one look at it and state the obvious.

am i a domestic goddess? not quite, but i'm working on it.

{friends}

elliot has made quite a few little friends {mostly girls}. one day, he's going to have his pick of the litter, that's for sure.

one of his friends that he has spent the most time with is genevieve lunn, or GG as we like to call her.



elliot & GG spent a lot of time together, even in utero.



here is the first picture of elliot & GG together! this was one of our first days home after elliot was born.



and here they are together on the 4th of july.

obviously, another one of his good friends is his cousin brooke. they too spent some time together in utero.







here is brookie takin' a snooze on top of elliot.




i have a feeling they are going to be pretty good friends when they grow up.

and of course, his two best friends....




mommy and.....



daddy

he recently made a west coast friend named nathan. they seemed to hit it off right away and even came up with a secret handshake.





my prayer for elliot is that his life is always full of friends {and family} who love and care for him. i know i have been extremely blessed beyond measure to have such a great group of girlfriends that i have grown up with who i love with all of my heart. and on top of that, i have the best family. who could ask for anything more?

Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Suess

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on y our way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't
Because, sometimes they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike,
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

I think whenever Elliot reaches the age of going through difficult times in his life, I'm just going to hand him this book and let Dr. Seuss do all the talking. Any reassuring words I might stumble and stutter through will never hold a candle to the lyrical rhyming and wisdom of Mr. Theodor Seuss Geisel.

The Many Faces of Elliot H. Carney

Sweet Sleeper

Last night I went in to the nursery to check on Elliot. He's recently started rolling over, so I wanted to make sure that if he was on his stomach, he was safe. Well, much to my enjoyment, I walked in and saw him sleeping with his binki barely hangin' on.

I have to say, I think watching him sleep is one of my favorite things to do. He always makes the sweetest faces.

the love of my life

this face melts me every time. i have never experienced such a fierce love before elliot came into my world. of course i love steve and would do anything in the world for him. but there is just something completely different about the love you have for your child. i would go above & beyond to make my little guy happy.

my mom had always told me that when i was growing up, she happily went without clothes & other things she could've used because she always wanted o buy me things. she didn't see her wants as important as mine. she told me that once i had a baby i would understand.

i never thought i would understand since i am someone who enjoys shopping and the finer things in life. if i found something i loved, i would find a way to get it, no matter if i had to save up 5 months for it or talking steve into letting me put it on the credit card (which is a pretty big no-no in our family) but i now find myself making a b line towards the baby section in whatever store i'm in to find something to buy for elliot. i enjoy buying things for him. i would much rather buy him something now instead of myself.

i no longer see my wants as important. it's amazing how motherhood can change you.

inspired

i have been inspired by my dear friend jenn to update my blog and give it a face lift.

i really enjoy blogging, but as you might imagine, i have been pretty busy the last 4 months getting adjusted to my new life as a stay at home mom.

so many things have changed in my life lately, but the biggest change as been the birth of my amazing little boy, elliot hawkins.

elliot was born march 23, 2010 at 7:10 p.m. it was the best day of my life. the memory of what used to be my life before elliot came along is slowly fading. friday nights now consist of changing diapers, bath time, reading the cat in the hat, being in my pajamas, snuggling with my little guy and being asleep by 10:30. a couple years ago was a totally different story. i would get dressed up, go downtown around 9:00 p.m. and stay out until last call, come home pretty sauced, and sleep in on saturday until my hangover wore off.

being a stay at home mom isn't exactly what i dreamed it would be, but it is such a blessing. i can't imagine being at work every day. i would go absolutely crazy. maybe if i had loved what i did before elliot was born, it might be a different story. but the fact of the matter is, i hated working. i wasn't passionate about my job in any way, shape or form. all i ever wanted to do was be a stay at home mom. i am so blessed that god has given me a husband who is able to provide for our family and allow me to live my dream. : )

i wouldn't trade my new life for anything. i love being at home with elliot and watching the world unfold before his eyes. he truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Internals

I had my first internal exam yesterday.

Not my favorite thing in the world, but I somehow survived.

I went in trying not to have any expectations on how far I had progressed,if any. But I was pleasantly surprised! I'm 1cm dialated and 70% effaced. I was pretty excited about all of that...and I got even more excited when I read this.

"What many new moms don't realize is that after complete effacement, labor is soon coming. It is a better predictor than dilation. This process can take much longer than dilation itself, so the higher the percentage, the more thinning has occurred."


WOOOO HOOO! Dr. Morse had a big smile on her face & seemed very happy and surprised. She told me that that was really awesome for a first time mom w/ still four weeks to go!

I've been taking Evening Primrose Oil, which is supposed to help w/ the thinning of the cervix. Hopefully it will continue to help. I just keep praying that I will keep progressing and that I won't be stuck at the same next week.

I'm really hoping to go into labor on my own since there has been talk about being induced because of my gestational diabetes...which is pretty much my worst nightmare.

Elliot has been moving around like CRAZY since yesterday. I've never felt him move this much. I think he might be trying to escape! He wants out just as badly as I want him out! :) We're really excited about meeting each other!

I think I've started nesting. Last night I straightened up a couple closets, vaccumed, and just did some general cleaning. Little things I'd never noticed before were really starting to get on my nerve. For instance, sometimes food gets stuck between the counter top and the stove...yeah, I'll be cleaning THAT out before the baby comes. Eww. I was DYING to dust last night, but I'm out of dust cloths. I contemplated calling my mom & asking her to bring me some...but I figured that was a bit over the top.

All I want to do is sit E's room and stare at everything. Fold his clothes over & over and make sure they're in order by size. I want to keep re-arranging things, but everything is pretty much where it needs to be! I wish I hadn't been so good about doing that stuff along the way, so I could do it now! :) So, I may just sit in there and rock tonight and read him a book or two.

The women I work with threw me a shower today. I got the cutest things! I got this humidifier...

http://www.target.com/Crane-Frog-Cool-Mist-Humidifier/dp/B0008GPM5E/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&frombrowse=0&node=1038576&keywords=humidifier&field_browse=1038576&searchSize=30&id=Crane%20Frog%20Cool%20Mist%20Humidifier&field_availability=-2&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Ctarget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchNodeID=1038576&field_launch-date=-1y&searchRank=target104545&searchPage=2&field_keywords=humidifier

And this night light....

http://www.target.com/Circo-LED-Scandi-Night-Light/dp/B001FSGRVW/sr=1-15/qid=1267038375/ref=sr_1_15/180-8257046-6198949?ie=UTF8&search-alias=tgt-index&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Anight%20light&page=1

How cute are those? I'll probably wash them up tonight and put them in his room. I'm just so ready for my sweet little sugar to get here I can hardly stand it!!!!

My mom also made me a few things that I need to take pictures of once I get home from work today. She's such a sweetie and I think she's just as excited about Elliot arriving as we are!

Waking Up

I'm exhausted.

Not quite as tired as I was in my first trimester. Okay, that's a lie. I'm equally as tired, just in a different way.

First trimester I could've gotten 15 hours of sleep each night & I would still be tired mentally & physically. Some days, just the thought of getting out of bed wore me out. I couldn't WAIT to get home from work so I could put on my favorite jammies, curl up in bed and sleep the night away. My body was growing a new baby...which, if you don't know, takes a lot of work. : ) It was no bigger than the size of a bean and it was already zapping the life out of me. Boy, I had no idea what I was in for.

I'm feelin' the same way again. Now, this time, I'm tired for a whole different reason. I'm starting to go to the bathroom about 4 times a night on average. Sometimes more, and on the rare occasion, a little less. My hips hurt, my crotch hurts (Sorry if that's too much TMI, it's just the truth), my back hurts...everything hurts. I can't get comfortable in bed, and once I do, I have to pee...

...again.

It takes a LOT of effort for me to drag myself out of bed these days. Literally, I'm almost dragging myself. I have to hold on to the headboard, and muster up all my bicep strength and pull. It's a little tough to get over all the pillows I have surrounding me, keeping me as comfortable as I can possibly be. Then, there's the sheet issue. Steve ends up with the comforter (he's a cold little fella) and I end up w/ the whole sheet (toasty momma, over here!). Well, as much as I love just having a sheet to cover me, I don't love it so much when I have the whole darn sheet on my side, 'causing me to nearly get tangled up and fall out of bed. (True story. Almost happened last week.)

This would all be easier if I had these little things I like to call abs.

Abs? What abs? I had to wake Steve up the other night so he could put his arm behind me and prop me up in bed so I could get out. When I told him thanks the next morning, he said he didn't even remember helping.

By the time I'm done going to the bathroom, which by the way, last night I hit a new low...I fell asleep on the toilet. I mean, for craps sake! I didn't even have to pee long enough for me to fall asleep, but somehow I managed.

Getting back into bed, that's a huge task too. Crawling back over all the pillows, settling back in, and getting dog paws out of my back. Ugh, I have to admit, I just got really tired and exhausted thinking about all of that. Finally, once I settle back in, little Elliot decides (some nights) that he'd like to host a dance party in my belly & invite everyone he knows (which thankfully, he doesn't know a lot of people yet) So, it's pretty much E and my organs dancing around, moving into places I had no idea certain organs could go. He really also loves to get the hiccups while I'm sleeping. Which, I don't mind...the constant rhythm of them kind of puts me back to sleep.

Needless to say, my actual hours of sleep are few in numbers. I know I just need to get used to this since I'll be waking up with my little sugar multiple times a night in about 5 weeks...but I don't think I'll mind it as much then.

The times I'll be up with him, I'll actually get to see him, hold him, kiss him, snuggle him...and I think that'll make it all worth waking up.

Replacing Cleaners

So, I've been thinking lately, we need to be more "green". We're going to start recycling, we're using cloth diapers, and I'm planning on taking my own bags to the grocery store from now on.

But, another thing I thought of is that I'd like to replace all my cleaners and replace them with Organic, Earth friendly products. The fumes from the cleaners always really bother me, plus I don't think it's best for the baby to be around either. So, I think I'm going to try out some of Mrs. Meyer's cleaning supplies!

Check out the website here...
http://www.mrsmeyers.com/Default.aspx

I'm going to replace all of the cleaners I currently have. I'll probably just give them to my mom. : ) Really, the only two cleaners that I use a lot of are Windex (the kind w/ vinegar) (I can't stand the blue kind. WAY to strong of a smell)and Scrubbing Bubbles. I'll admit, that's my best friend when it comes to cleaning my bathroom. I just love the sparkly look that my counter tops and toilet get after those little bubbles do their job. BUT I'd rather clean with something safer and better for me and my family.

So, today during my lunch break, I'm going to head on over to Clovers and buy my first couple of Mrs. Meyers products. I'm pretty stoked about it.

I really am feeling old...I'm getting really excited about cleaning products & cloth diapers...is this what my life is becoming?

Probably...and I'm 100% okay with it.

Tired of being pregnant

I know I shouldn't complain, but honestly...I'm tired of being pregnant.

These last few weeks have not been very much fun. I'm starting to feel extremely tired again, though not as tired as I was in the 1st trimester. There were days back then when I felt like I could fall asleep & stay asleep for days. Even weeks!!!

Now I'm tired because I don't get enough sleep at night. I can't get comfortable in bed, my hips and crotch area are always sore and the baby kicks me all the time when I'm trying to sleep!

I told Steve that I'm starting to even dread bed time because I know it's just going to be a struggle. I never have a hard time falling asleep, but I'll wake up about 3 or 4 times to go to the bathroom, and when I do, I have a really hard time getting out of bed. The other night, I had to have Steve help me out! Poor guy. I had to wake him up just so I could get out of bed. : / I felt so helpless. So, by the time I get out of bed, I'm about to pee in my pants. Then, I get to the bathroom & hardly anything comes out. Uh, all that for NOTHING? Then, I have to crawl back into bed & find a comfortable position again. And 9/10 times, when I lay down again, I get insta-heart burn, so then I lay there for a while (1.5 hours in last night's case) with this horrible burning sensation and feeling like I could puke.

Then, finally I fall back asleep for what feels like 30 minutes then my alarm is going off.

I just can't win. And on top of it all, I've had a snotty/stuffy nose since probably October. I didn't know someone could produce so much snot. It's redic. And honestly, annoying. I feel like I have a cold all the time.

I just really wish it was at least week 37 for me. That way, he'd be full term & I wouldn't worry about him coming anytime after that. In fact, I told him his lease was up in 3 weeks, which would put me right at 37. I hope he heard me. :)

In 2 weeks I get my first internal, and I'm hoping I'll be a little dialated & effaced. We'll see! I'm sending up prayers right & left!

6 More Weeks Until Due Date...

With only 6 more weeks left, I've been very ANTSY!

I was just telling Steve that I wish I had something left to do in preparation for Hawk's arrival, but really, I don't have much left to do.

I do have some packing to do for the hospital, and probably need to wash the cloth diapers I bought a couple more times to make sure they get to maximum absorbancy, but other than that, the waiting game is on.

Yesterday, I bought 3 dozen pre-folded cloth diapers, Rockin' Green Detergent, and two covers to start out with. The store I bought them at didn't have a whole lot to choose from, so I picked out two that I liked. I ordered more once I got home.

I decided to go w/ 3 Thirsties, and 3 Bummis. I've heard really great things about both of them. So I'll try them out. And whatever I like the best, I'll buy more of for my 2nd batch of diapers that I'll need.

On everything, I spent $140, which I didn't think was bad, espescially considering all the money I'll save on using disposables.

I'm really excited about the detergent. It's $13.95 for a bag that will do 45/90 loads, depending how often you wash. It's wonderful! It's obviously "Green", so I don't mind spending a little bit more. We can also use it on all our clothes, not just diapers. I bought some Dreft a while ago for Hawk's clothing since his skin might not be able to tolerate the harshness of Tide or something, so, as soon as we run out of Dreft & Tide I'll exclusively use Rockin' Green. I can't wait! They have some crazy scents like Mango Sorbet (which was YUMMY!) and Monkey Snacks!?

I'm very very excited about cloth diapering. I never thought I would be. I'm just so excited about saving so much money & making sure my little muffin's tushie isn't exposed to harsh chemicals that may cause him irritation! It'll be so great! :)

I'm just so excited about so many things recently. I have so much to look forward to! I just wish it would hurry up and get here! I am running out of patience.

Hopefully at my 36 week appointment, Dr. Morse will tell me some good news & maybe I'll have started dialating & effacing! Wouldn't that be great?

my favorite feeling {ever}

I think I'm really going to miss being pregnant. Despite all the times I complain to Steve about how I can hardly walk across the room w/o tearing up because I'm in so much pain, or that at any moment, I could possibly pee in my pants because I've been kicked in just the right spot I really truly will miss it.

I love the feeling of Elliot moving around inside of me. It is my favorite feeling ever. Just knowing that I'm the one who gets to carry our children is really such a huge blessing. The aches, pains and sleepless nights are worth it. I wouldn't let Steve carry him if I could. This is such a special time for me. I know at the beginning it was hard for Steve to bond w/ Elliot since he couldn't feel him moving around at all. But since he's started to feel kicks and see him moving from the outside, I know he's just as excited and just as in love with him as I am.

We are DYING to meet him. We talk about it almost every day. What will he look like? Whose nose will he have? Will he have big ears like Steve? {I think so!} Will he have my lips or my toes? Steve always seems to lean towards Elliot looking JUST like him. As much as I get annoyed that he's always saying, "Oh, he'll look like this because I did when I was a baby." I secretly hope he looks just like his daddy. Afterall, he's the most handsome man I know. I hope he has Steve's lips, nose, ears, toes, dark hair, and olive complexion...and my chubby cheeks. : ) I think that'd make for a pretty adorable little guy.

Well, I just got back from my dr's appointment. Apparently, I've lost 2 lbs, bringing my total down to 15 lbs gained so far. I think I lost some water weight from last time. I was pretty swollen for a while, but that seems to have gone down some. Hooray! :)

Now, I just need to lay off the trail mix.

Some Belly Pics

25 Weeks





26 Weeks with Kate




27 Weeks




28 Weeks on Christmas Eve



29 Weeks on New Year's Eve




30 Weeks at my shower



I didn't take one for week 31....I'm sure I can wear a different outfit for week 31 & 32 and take them together. :) I don't think I've grown THAT MUCH in one week! (At least I hope not!)

It's Been A While...

Sorry it's been soooo long. I just haven't felt up to Blogging. I've mainly felt up to doing nothing except laying on the couch & eating.

Well, I'm 32 weeks and will be 33 weeks on Monday. It's hard to believe I'll have a little less than a month left until my sweet little boy is here! I'm DYING to meet him! :)

I'm anxious to meet him and see who he looks like, me or Steve. My guess is he's going to look a lot like Steve. I'm hoping he's got tons of dark hair and I hope he has Steve's skin tone. Most of all, I just hope he's cute!

Since I've last written, my stomach has DEFINITELY grown and I've been experiencing a lot of aches and pains. My hips & ligaments are stretching out in preparation for delivery. This is making me waddle sometimes. So, I officially feel pregnant now that I've got the waddle going on.

Beans is a VERY active little boy. I've really enjoyed watching my stomach bounce around. It's so fun to lay there, watch it move, and imagine what they're doing inside! Lately, I've been feeling more fluid movements instead of kicks. I think he's starting to run out of room in there, so his movements are sometimes slower, and I think I'm starting to be able to tell what is what.

I got my first kick in the ribs yesterday. It was the most excruciating pain I've ever been in. He kicked me so hard that I felt like I was going to throw up from the pain! : / He's really taking a liking to my ribs these days. I feel really full all the time but yet, starving at the same time. I can only eat little portions since he's taking up so much room. I can't wait for him to drop. I hear you get your ability to eat back once they've dropped.


I've ordered a few things from Etsy for Elliot. I ordered a couple personalized blankets & a personalized Boppy cover. I haven't gotten them in the mail yet, but when I do, I'll post pictures. I also need to post an update of belly pics. Maybe that'll be my weekend project! : )