38 Weeks

38 Weeks

It's incredible to me that I'm 38 weeks pregnant, the baby could come any time, and that this could very well be my last pregnancy update. I had put together a bunch of nostalgic thoughts about the past several months and I was all set to write this glowing report of how I'm feeling since I was having a really great day and wasn't really in any pain or even discomfort. I was on my way to go shopping (just window-shopping really but I just felt like looking at clothes today) and had gotten all the way to the mall when I started having such sharp pains (contractions?) that I thought I might pass out at the wheel and had to turn around and come home. So, once again, "All those who think you have it made, take one step forward. Not so fast, George Banks!" (Story of my life!)

 Anyway, I shouldn't be such a Debbie Downer because I really have felt pretty good lately... just not this morning! Maybe the Lord was keeping me from the mall so I wouldn't spent money. =) But now that I'm almost done being pregnant, I have become reflective of the whole experience- the good and the bad (and the ugly- there's definitely been some ugly.) I'll probably write a post solely dedicated to things I didn't expect about being pregnant or something like that... but these days I'm just having a bit of a hard time getting my thoughts together. (Imagine that!) I will say that even though it's been hard at times, I know that I've had an extremely easy pregnancy compared to most people and the fact that I've been pregnant at all is something some women never get to experience so I don't take that for granted at all. I am very (hashtag) blessed!

 So, I'll try to put together a fun pregnancy-related post (maybe more humorous than my usual rambling questionnaire that you don't necessarily care about!) but for now, here is my (hopefully) last update before Alice makes her big appearance! (And it will be big... Homegirl is already in the 75th percentile for weight!) 

Speaking of the 75th percentile for weight.. ha! Ice cream = a reward for making it through a rather (ahem) invasive exam without crying. (I did whimper a lot but there were no tears.)

How far along: 38 weeks today!
How big is baby: not entirely sure but the app said the size of a Swiss chard... that's not something I'd want to eat let alone compare my baby to but I guess it means about 21 inches? 
Weight gain: yeah, yeah... it's there (but still not as bad as I thought it would be? Maybe I'm in denial.) I'm really starting to think about how that's going to be after the baby comes and how my clothes are going to fit with my new shape. It should be interesting! =) 
Sleeping: uggghhhh. Not good. I'm lucky to get a couple of hours uninterrupted by a bathroom break or just pain in my legs or back. I guess it's just practice for when I am forced to get up to feed the baby but it seems a little cruel to be deprived of my last few weeks of "freedom" to sleep when and for however long I want. 

Food cravings: still M&Ms, all day every day.
Food aversions: nothing in particular, but not much actually sounds good these days, hence the handfuls of M&Ms. (#cleaneating ha!) 
Symptoms: back pain, lack of sleep, uncontrollable emotions... poor Jonathan! We've both been a little edgy- mostly excited but obviously a lot of anxiety is building up since this is kind of a life-changing thing we're about to experience. To quote George Banks yet again, "There were leg cramps, backaches, and cravings... and the women were worse." 
Miss Anything?: sleeeeep. Also my wardrobe is pretty small (as in quantity not size =) right now, which is fine since I so rarely put on an actual outfit but still. And this has far less to do with being pregnant and more to do wit the weather but I am really ready to wear fall clothes and it's still SO. VERY. HOT. that even a light scarf (like I wore yesterday) is a huge mistake. 
Doctor’s appointment: Everything has been fine. As of last week I wasn't dilated but I guess we'll find out Thursday if that has changed. (Say a prayer for me!) 
Clothes: like I said, I'm not able to wear a bunch of stuff right now but it's mostly because it's too hot for my fall clothes, not because stuff doesn't fit. A lot of my clothes still fit but I'm typically reaching for the same handful of dresses since they're the easiest (and putting on pants or shorts requires careful maneuvering that I rarely have the energy for. #lazy) (Being super inflexible reminds me of being a cheerleader in tenth grade- I know, I know- and how one of the girls was trying to do the splits and even thought she was still like a foot off the ground she was like, "Coach! Coach! Look how low I am!" Poor thing. I shouldn't judge though since I of course never even really attempted the splits because again #lazy.) 
Movement: mostly just pushing outward since the poor baby is so squished in there at this point. She's definitely  outgrowing her space and needs to upgrade to a larger room! =)
Best moment of the week: we finished the nursery! (Cue Hallelujah Chorus and other fanfare type music.) I absolutely love how it turned out and mostly I'm just relieved that it's done... it was fun to put together but my indecisive nature along with lack of crafty skills made it pretty stressful at times. Plus we didn't really have a particular "theme" other than what was in my head so putting it all together was a challenge, but it's done and I'm happy with it. (Pictures are on Facebook if you wanna see!) 

Just one picture of the crib =)

What I’m looking forward to: having this baby! I'm definitely not looking forward to labor or pain or recovery BUT nothing can be as bad as the worst-case-scenario dread in my mind so getting past all that and just meeting her is going to be a huge relief!
What I did / Got for baby: finished the nursery. Packed her bag for the hospital (and mine too!). Read more of Babywise. 
Prayer requests: As always, health and safety for the baby and for me... and peace for me and Jonathan. Like I said, we're both just a teensy bit anxious these days, mostly from fear of the Great Unknown that is Becoming Parents (and Experiencing Childbirth) so prayers to calm our nerves would be appreciated. It's easy to say that the Lord has everything under control (and He does!) but remembering it and taking it to heart are a little harder to do (especially when you're borderline crazy worried like I am.) I know soon it will be over and I won't feel like a nutcase anymore but for now pray for us! =) 
I'm really thinking that this will be my last update for this pregnancy... if she's born on or past her due date you might be treated to one more but I hope not! I don't want her to be really early- October 13 is just fine! But anything past that is too long... this family does not make a habit of being late! No tardiness for you, Alice! (Telling her that will make a difference, right? =)
Once again, thank you all so much for your prayers and sweet comments as you've endured my ramblings and worrying and complaints and ALL THE EMOTIONS for the past several months. It's been fun to document this journey but it wouldn't be all that great to write these posts if no one was reading about them so thanks for following along and being so nice. Now it's countdown to labor time... let the fun begin! (You know I'll be letting you know what happens right when it happens. Why come this far to miss out on the grand finale?) 
Ash 

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I'd Highly Recommend...

I'd Highly Recommend...

Since I have little better to do than sit around and freak out about going through labor (so fun!), I thought I'd share a few things I've really been enjoying lately. I really enjoy reading posts like this because I'm hesitant to try new things but I'm much more likely to venture out if someone I know recommends something (within reason... you can recommend all the kale and 5ks you want... not having any of it.) 




So, at the moment, I'd highly recommend...

 ...reading More than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting by Serena B. Miller. I was extremely curious about what this would be like, but I was pleasantly surprised by the practical advice. The author was writing a novel about Amish life and in her research and time spent in the Amish community, she was so impressed with the behavior of the children that she wanted to explore the topic further. Paul Stutzman, who grew up Amish, contributed to the book. Together they picked out the positive aspects of Amish families, including the work ethic, patience, and sense of community that are strongly ingrained in the children from the earliest ages. One of the most interesting tidbits was that the youth retention rate of Baptists is about 65%, while the Amish retention rate is a staggering 95%. Clearly these people are doing something worth studying with their young people. (Also, I recommend Nurtureshock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman and Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. Both are super fascinating and were definitely great additions to my long, long list of parenting books.) 

 ...listening to Happier with Gretchen Rubin, a podcast that discusses happiness, human nature, and habits (in the most interesting way possible.) Gretchen co-hosts with her sister Elizabeth and together they cover all kinds of topics and give tips to help make life easier and more productive. I am a huge Gretchen Rubin fan (and you should definitely read her books) but most of the information in her books is discussed here. I always get some useful information and feel more productive just having listened to each episode (that's pretty impressive, right?) so download their series! It's so helpful!

 ...eating soup! A few of my favorites: creamy tomato (grilled cheese is a must!), jalapeno popper chili (in the crockpot... SO good and perfect for a football party!) chicken italiano (takes me right back to my childhood!), and taco stew (my personal favorite- make sure you get some Fritos to put on top!) All of these are easy (obviously, since I'm recommending them) and very, very yummy. If you're actually having soup weather then lucky you.. it's still in the 90s here so I'm just pretending it's fall. =( I'll try to keep my envy to a minimum. 

 ...watching... wait for iiiiiitttt... PSYCH, of course! Since Jonathan (tragically) hadn't seen the series the whole way through, we're watching it from the beginning and, as always, I'm reminded why it's my very favorite show. It's just so funny and quotable and makes me extremely happy. Also, if you have Netflix, they've recently added Person of Interest which is another favorite of ours. I'm not into crime shows at all but it's really good and the violence is kept to a minimum (Mr. Reese mostly shoots the bad guys in the knees, so there's not too much blood.) Or, if you're a 90s kid and feeling nostalgic, Girl Meets World is also now on Netflix and even though it's very much a "kid's show," it's so fun to see Cory and Topanga again as well as the occasional delightful appearance from Feeny, Shawn, Eric, and the rest of the BMW family. 

 ...drinking for those of us who aren't alllll about the pumpkin spice life, there's Alpine Spiced Apple Cider... sometimes this can be a little bit hard to find but I'm pretty sure Walmart always carries it. It's no Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks but sometimes (almost all the time) I don't want to shell out nearly four bucks for one drink so when I get a whole box of this for a dollar I think it's great. It's not too sweet or too tart and definitely tastes like fall! (I just bought some of this and some hot chocolate mix because again, I'm in denial about the temperature outside.) However, if you're totally hung up on coffee (which I understand!) then my personal favorite is Peppermint Mocha (and I prefer the Coffee Mate to International Delight, which is a little toothpaste-y to me. I probably shouldn't have such strong opinions about hot beverages.) 

 ...wearing swing dresses from Old Navy! (Sorry, male readers, if you were expecting something for yourselves there!) I bought my first ON swing dress this summer and it's been perfect for throwing on when I want to wear something cute but super comfortable (and totally works with my big pregnant self.) I grabbed a second short-sleeved color for $6 the other day but I'm most excited about the striped long-sleeve version I got on super sale online a couple weeks ago. They have a whole bunch of colors and prints but I figured black and white stripes would be the most versatile (plus, you know... stripes!) I ordered it in a tall for a little extra length and I can't wait to wear it with ankle boots and maybe even tights if we ever get some cooler weather. (Can you tell I'm slightly hung up on the weather?) I also really want this hat but it seems a little frivolous. =)

 ...browsing- what else?- Target's Dollar Spot. I realize I'm not totally objective since I have a slight Target addiction (hey, YOU try living across the street from one!) and the Dollar Spot always has cute stuff but specifically you should go check out the fall decorations. I didn't need much this year (okay, does anyone NEED fall decorations? I guess they're more of a luxury) but I did want a pumpkin with some gold on it. I looked at one of the "craft" pumpkins at Michaels along with gold paint and it would have been over $10 (plus I'd have to do it myself, so the results weren't guaranteed to be good!) but I found exactly what I was looking for in the Dollar Spot with no crafting required. They have a BUNCH of cute stuff and while some of it looks a little cheap, most of it looks really nice! Go check it out and may you have more self-control than I usually do.

I leave you with a gratuitous selfie because why not? (Oh, maybe because I'm 26 and about to become a mom, that's why not.) 

If you try any of this stuff and like it, let me know! (If you don't like it don't tell me because then I'll doubt myself forever.) 

Ash
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36 Weeks

36 Weeks

Hello there, friends. I thought I'd share a few facts about how life is at this stage of pregnancy. Since you're reading this, you'll assume that my voice is calm and unhurried, perhaps the voice of an automated reminder from your doctor or the voice of whoever reminds you at the airport that "the next station will be Concourse A. Concourse A as in Alpha." (A voice, to quote Beverly Cleary, of a person "who had never hit his sister or cheered at a ball game.") 

 If I were telling you about all this in real life, you'd have to listen to me trail off mid-sentence as I totally lose my train of thought, get slightly hysterical over the fact that I still haven't found any curtains for the nursery (my current thorn in the flesh), or just go nuts in general over the fact that I am having a baby very, very soon and that makes me a little bit crazy. 

 Lucky for you, you're only reading this so I'll sound slightly normal and coherent, very different from real life. =) 

 Moving on... even though our five-year anniversary was in July and we knew we wanted to take a short trip to celebrate, we opted to wait until the weather cooled down (and by that I mean back to the high 80s and low 90s... we are still in Texas, after all.) Then our wonderful church family and pastor decided to make the trip a gift for Pastor Appreciation Month and paid for our hotel room plus gave us food/shopping money, so that was an unexpected but gigantic blessing. (Thank you, thank you again Woodforest Church!) 

 We spent last weekend in San Antonio and other than all the walking that seriously made me question my sanity, it was absolutely perfect. =) The weather was tolerable- not too hot, but of course carrying another human around inside me kind of bumps my temperature up anyway- and we stayed right on the Riverwalk, which is a must if you ever go! It was so nice to get away for a couple of days and soak up the last little bit of "alone time" we'll have before Miss Alice joins our little party. I've said this before but I'm really starting to get sad that the time we have with just the two of us is coming to an end, so ending the pregnancy with a trip like this was wonderful. I seriously have the best husband, y'all. *Sigh*... okay, mushy time is over. 


How far along: 36 weeks and 2 days.
How big is baby: about 19 inches long (ish?) and the ultrasound last week said close to seven pounds (!!!) but of course those are very flexible numbers so we'll see. I do know (because it was very clear on the screen) that she's pretty maxed out in there so either she'll come early or I'll have to stretch some more and neither of those is appealing to me so... we'll see.
Weight gain: I'm starting to see it more than just in my stomach... catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror can be like, "Woah! Who's the girl with the puffy face?? Oh, just me... carry on," as I eat another handful of M&M's. (Don't judge.) 
Sleeping: Hmm... a mixed bag, really. Sometimes it's good and sometimes not but for the last few days I've still been waking up at an ungodly hour BUT have been able to go back to sleep until around the time Jonathan's alarm goes off so that's a blessing. And I'm napping most afternoons, well... because I can and I know sleep doesn't work like rollover minutes but I'm enjoying it before it's gone forever.

Food cravings: Mostly just M&M's (the fall-colored ones, thank you) but I did finally get my Arby's the other day... shocker, it didn't live up to the hype in my head.
Food aversions: I'm kind of tired of soup... it's not an aversion per se since it doesn't gross me out or anything... I've just eaten it a LOT for the past few months and I don't want any for a while. (I'll probably make it again in a day or two though... it's so easy and I'm so lazy.)
Symptoms: um, well... I completely threw my back out the other night by moving a heavy object (in my defense I didn't know how heavy it was and dropped it almost immediately BUT it was just long enough to hurt myself.) The past couple days I've been moaning constantly and avoiding the use of my right leg (pretty hard, it turns out) but I think I'm turning a corner. Fingers crossed. 
Miss Anything?: sleep. A waistline. Being able to shave my legs without cramping up like a runner who forgot to stretch. 
Doctor’s appointment: Last week's was really good... we had an ultrasound and everything was perfect, my fluid was good, etc. We'll have another checkup today and each week until she arrives. 
Clothes: I'm now trying to avoid buying any more maternity clothes since I'm so close to the end but I did buy a few tank tops and t-shirts at Old Navy the other day (I think they were less than $2 each... yay clearance!) to get me through the next few weeks. I still have my tent-like dresses and elastic-waist shorts so I'm hoping that will see me to the end!
Movement: after last week's ultrasound I know where she's positioned so I now can tell if it's a foot, hand, or elbow jabbing me... nice to know exactly how I'm being assaulted. =) 
Best moment of the week: our trip was amazing, I got the sweetest baby package (that totally made me tear up!) from a dear friend (love you Mrs. Temple!), I got my dresser drawers organized and my fall/winter clothes were gone through again... got out a bunch of lighter stuff that I'll be able to wear soon, washed it, listed some stuff to sell, etc. (I think I'm nesting!) Oh, and I ate In 'n' Out Burger for the first time almost ten years and it was just as wonderful as I remembered. 

The Holy Land... also I never eat late at night anymore but you better believe I downed a cheeseburger and fries at 11:30 pm with NO regrets.

What I’m looking forward to: if I could just find some curtains my life would be much better. Seriously, curtains and a lamp should not be so hard to find. And it would be nice if everything I saw wasn't either absolutely hideous or or required the sale of one of my kidneys. Ah well, such is life. 
What I did / Got for baby: I was tempted on our trip to buy ALL the baby clothes but I stuck to a very few needed items (namely newborn stuff since we had almost nothing that size) but I'm telling you... it was hard. It's a good thing my love of cute clothes is only outweighed by my cheapness or this kid would have me in serious trouble. 
Prayer requests: As always, health and safety for the baby and for me... the hardest part right now is not knowing when she's coming so pray that the timing is just right. I'm leaving that in the Lord's hands. Too soon and I'm not ready, too late and I'll probably be rolling around like Violet Beauregarde as a blueberry. Sounds fun!

If you care about such things, my jeans are Liz Lange Maternity, my top is Loft Maternity, and my shoes (my favorites ones pretty much ever) are from Target last year and I deeply regret not buying them in black. Also some people were staring when I took this picture but considering that the San Antonio Comic Con was also going on I refused to be made to feel self-conscious by people dressed up as cartoon characters.

Thanks again for sticking around and being so kind through this whole experience... asking about the baby, praying for our family, telling me I look pretty... equally important things. =) You're all the bomb! Happy Thursday!
Ash 
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Classic Book and Movie Combos for Kids

Classic Book and Movie Combos for Kids

For most of my life, I haven't had very many kids to buy presents for. My nieces and nephews were easy since anything bright and shiny (including wrapping paper) would be a hit but now that Emily is reading, I feel the need to be enriching her education by introducing her to some of my favorite books. The same was true of Miles and Meghan (my ring bearer and flower girl)... I wanted to be the cool "cousin" (our chosen title =) but also give them something that was actually beneficial. 

Any kid would be happy to get a new movie, but not every kid is delighted with a book. (Weird!) Last year I had a moment of inspiration and decided to get Miles a movie I knew he liked and the book it was based on... hopefully inspiring him to enjoy the movie AND to read and appreciate the classic book. (He was thrilled with both.) 

SO, since that went over so well and since I just found a combo-pack of some of my favorite book-turned-movies this weekened (yay Target!) I was inspired to make a list of some of really great classic books (and their equally wonderful movie adaptations.) These make such good Christmas or birthday presents!



1. Anne of Green Gables- naturally this first of the Anne series by L. M. Montgomery  is the most well-known (and it's my personal favorite) but the movie version with Megan Follows is a classic in its own right. It still blows my mind that a made-for-tv movie could be so good and still beloved by pretty much everyone 30 years later. (This was evidenced by the public outcry of grief over the recent death of Jonathan Crombie who played Gilbert Blythe... RIP, Gil! =( Anyway, both are definitely worth reading/watching and it would be pretty cool to introduce a little person in your life to Anne-with-an-E. 

2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- this was always one of my favorite movies (the Gene Wilder version, not the creepy-as-all-get-out Johnny Depp version) but, inexplicably, I had never read the book until last fall. Ronald Dahl is just a wonder- the book is smart and sweet and hilarious and any kid would love it. And if you get the movie to accompany it, the kid will get to see that amazing chocolate-making montage in the beginning (and also be haunted by a lifetime fear of Oompa Loompas. Win/win, right?) 

3. Pollyanna- this is another one that I had somehow reached adult without reading, but the Disney movie starring Hayley Mills was a Baines family favorite when I was growing up. The book by Eleanor Porter is excellent and delves a little more into the story, especially the perspective of the adults (more background in the whole Polly Harrington/Dr. Chilton storyline, for example) but I do love the movie with Aunt Polly brought to life by an austere Jane Wyman. While I never quite mastered it, maybe your child will take a shine to playing the "Glad Game" and become more positive. =) 

4. The Secret Garden- this book might be a little hard to get through in some spots for some kids, simply because it spends a lot of time describing scenes (like the garden) and the dialogue and story are more sparsely placed... it's not an action-packed novel by any means. But it's beautifully written and can give the reader an appreciation for descriptive writing. (I promise, reading good writing is SO helpful in forming kids' vocabularies and writing ability.) Anyway, the movie version (starring Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock- the other versions are no good!) is awesome. The little girl who plays Mary is perfectly prickly and thaws as the magic of the garden and new friends unlocks her cold, lonely little heart. 

5.  Cheaper by the Dozen- this book is just a pure delight to read. I'd probably recommend it for middle-grade and up (and warning, there's a bit of language from Mr. Gilbreth) but these stories just make me so happy. This real-life family and their hilarious antics seem almost too good to be true, making it even more heartbreaking when their dad does pass away unexpectedly. But, in true Gilbreth fashion, they take even a tragedy in stride and do their best to keep things rolling the way Dad would have wanted. (Read the sequel Belles on Their Toes for a better look at their life after losing their father and then read Time Out for Happiness, written by Frank, Jr. in 1973... it's basically a biography of both Frank, Sr. and Lillian Gilbreth and a detailed look at their work in motion studies- absolutely fascinating.) Anyway, the movie is one of my favorites ever and it's on Netflix if you want a preview. (I'm talking about the 1950's version- not the lame one with Steve Martin that has absolutely nothing in common with the book other than the twelve kids.) I think this would be really fun to read aloud!

6. A Christmas Carol- I bought this for Meghan last year and then took her to see the play... if you can't manage that (although you should if you can- so fun!) then there are several movie versions available. The book isn't very long- it's actually considered a novella- and is divided into only five chapters or staves- you can impress your child by explaining that a stave is a musical staff. Stave-music-Christmas carol- get it? I also had my students read this and we really enjoyed the discussion. (Well, I did.) My favorite movie version takes quite a bit of liberty but then, it's the Muppets, so... yeah, Bob Cratchit wasn't really a frog, was he? But Michael Caine is awesome as Scrooge and I love the songs. That said, if you want to be more of a purist, the George C. Scott version is very good and slightly less ridiculous. =) 

7. A Little Princess- I saved my favorite for last... this book (a hardcover from a garage sale my mom bought for probably a quarter) was probably my most re-read and beloved as a child (and teenager- and adult.) It's just so GOOD and never gets old to me. (Side note- I used passages of it every year to teach the unit on adjectives. The descriptions are excellent.) There are several movie adaptations, ranging from a Shirley Temple one complete with tap-dancing to my personal favorite, the 1995 version that, while not terribly faithful to the book, is just a great movie. (I scored it and The Secret Garden in one DVD!) Please, if there is a little girl in your life, get her this book and the movie. But first, the book- she needs to appreciate the beauty of it. (I still love finding my copy at my parent's house and seeing "Ashley Baines age 11.") 

To this list I would add Ella Enchanted (the movie's okay but the book is SO good),  the Harry Potter series, Matilda, with the movie starring Mara Wilson, and James and the Giant Peach, with the Disney claymation version. (Roald Dahl can do no wrong and particularly excels at writing nasty adult characters that kids will love to read about.) I know that there are tons more options, but these are what I'd consider classics and books I'd really want a child to be familiar with. Not every movie is a cinematic masterpiece but if you have a reluctant reader, the promise a movie version (after the book is read or maybe while they're progressing through it) can help encourage them to try a new or more challenging book. 

Speaking of, it's going to be so fun to introduce Alice to all my favorites over the next few years. If by some strange coincidence she doesn't become a bookworm and/or movie buff, it won't be from lack of trying on the part of her mother. =) 


Ash
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34 Weeks

34 Weeks

Hello, children... just checking in from 34 weeks and two days, where the sleep is shoddy and the clothes are tight. =) Things are actually really good and other than the usual discomfort of being a humongous pregnant lady, I'm feeling fine! (Jonathan might disagree as my hormones have made me a teensy bit emotional... poor guy really is a saint.) 

Before I get into the update that you're all dying to read, here are a couple of things that have really made me happy lately: 


Jonathan made biscuits and chocolate gravy the other night and I was pretty much in tears of joy (see? hormones.) 


I put my fall stuff out this week and it's made me smile every time I look at it. I'm also ignoring the fact that it's still 90 degrees outside. 


I took this picture in Hobby Lobby to point out the fact that I'm actually really tired of shopping for nursery decorations. BUT the good thing is that this skirt from Old Navy was $1.25! That's right, a buck and a quarter for a cute, fall-colored, and most importantly stretchy skirt that I can wear after the baby comes too. Yay! I also got it in a dark magenta color that was only $2 so, #winning.


How far along: 34 weeks and 2 days.
How big is baby: for once, the whole fruit/vegetable thing has paid off because she's the size of a pineapple! My favorite! =) 
Weight gain: not sure... still avoiding eye contact with the scale at the doctor. #denydenydeny
Sleeping: I don't want to jinx anything but it's actually been better the last few nights. (Knock on wood!) I mean, I'm still only getting 5-6 hours at the most but that's a huge improvement over 2-3 at a time. I know it's all going to be over when the baby comes anyway so I'm just trying to enjoy all sleep while I can.

Food cravings: Arby's. Gross, right? But seriously I want curly fries and Arby's sauce, like now. Good thing there's not one close by or I'd be hitting it up way too often. 
Food aversions: nothing, really. EAT ALL THE THINGS.
Symptoms: my back hurts and getting up and down is hugely (no pun intended) uncomfortable (working in the nursery has been killer) but I'm counting my blessings since I know I could be in a lot more pain. 
Miss Anything?:  This sounds dumb, but I'm actually getting sad about our "alone time" coming to an end. It's been just me and Jonathan for all these years and even though I know having Alice is going to be magical and all that I know that it's never going to be the same, which is fine but still a little weird. See you in 18 years, babe. =) (Obviously just kidding. Date nights will definitely be happening!) 
Doctor’s appointment: Great! We went this morning and her heartbeat and growth are perfectly on schedule. Next week we'll get to see her one more time on the ultrasound before the big day! 
Clothes: I got the stretchy skirt mentioned above and some more maternity jeans for $6 (seriously Old Navy is my bff) but when I'm home it's mostly tank tops and shorts because #elastic. 

Stripes on stripes... putting on a real outfit is worth documenting these days.

Movement: she is usually quiet when I'm moving and super active when I'm resting... it's still the weirdest feeling to see her jabbing herself outward (whatever body part it is... no idea!) and watch my stomach jump around. Weird but very cool. =) 
Best moment of the week: getting most of the nursery decor up and finished! Although the WORST moment of the week was probably having to move a shelf, mirror, and two picture frames 8 inches to the right and adding a bunch of holes that we'll have to patch up. Poor, poor Jonathan. But seriously, getting things up and seeing them how they were in my head has been great- tedious, but very rewarding now that it's done. When everything's done I'll bombard you with pictures!
What I’m looking forward to: finishing the nursery (a huge relief) and our little getaway trip  to San Antonio next weekend. (I refuse to use the word "babymoon" so it's really just a belated anniversary celebration/our lives are about to change forever trip. I know there are a lot of cool things to see there but honestly I'm mostly looking forward to In 'N' Out. It's been ten years, people... I need that cheeseburger. 
What I did / Got for baby: well the box of stuff from my Georgia shower finally came so a bunch of clothes are here and ready to be organized. After an obnoxious number of trips to Hobby Lobby and Michael's, I've also found the last few little decorative touches for the nursery too so that's a blessing... there are still some purchases to be made but nothing that has to look a certain way. (A crib mattress is a crib mattress, you know?) 
Prayer requests: As always, health and safety for the baby and for me... It's getting so close and I'm very thankful that everything's going so well but I'm just freaking out. I'm having a BABY. (Duh, right?) But seriously... yikes! And yay! And all the other emotions! 
And finally, I leave you with this... my strange, top-heavy shape seemed very familiar and now I know why. (I seriously can't stop laughing at it.) Happy Thursday from me and Gru!

Ash

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