Ellen? (gulp!)

"Many women feel an urge to cut their hair during pregnancy--but don't make any dramatic changes right now. Your hair will likely thin out in the months after giving birth, so you may want to wait about six months after your baby's born to overhaul your look... You may want to avoid harsh bangs or a multi-layered style, since these tend to accentuate a heavy face." (The Baby Center Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Birth)

Oops! I had a hair appointment on Sunday night, and it was with a stylist that I've never been to before. He was quite fabulous, and he was inspired to give me a new look--something stylish and easy to maintain--so he got to work, and I left the salon feeling pretty good about my bold new cut! When I got home, I saw Donna first, and she liked the new cut but was surprised that it was so short. Then I saw Devon, and he said that he loved it. And then I saw Joe, who gushed over how much he liked my hair, followed by, "I just knew that you were going to get your hair cut like Ellen!" ELLEN?!

My only response was, "Ellen? Oh. You really think so?"

"Yes, look in the mirror! It looks just like Ellen! I love it!"

Devon and Donna had to assure me that I did not, in fact, take any resemblance to the world's most famous lesbian (not that I don't love Ellen-- who doesn't love Ellen?).

Anyway, here is the new cut. I am still working on finding the right product to make this style as sassy and fun as can be.

Look who has a place in this world! Max! Devon and I assembled the crib this weekend, and then I filled it with Max's stuff. I think that it is part of my mental process of visualizing him in our home. And don't worry-- I am sure that it is written somewhere in The Baby Center Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Birth that a crib should not be anywhere near a third-story window, but we will put a safe distance between the crib and the window, and besides, the crib was in the same place when it was Lucy's bed (not that she spent much time in it...), and she never fell out the window!

My favorite Sleep Country USA employee is working from home today! Yeah!

Skipping Spring, a Matinee, and a Big Sister in Training

Now, don't get me wrong, I really do love spring... but, I'm gonna "keep it real" and list my reasons for why I am skipping spring this year:



1. Palm Springs. Every year, since I was 7, my family has vacationed in Palm Springs during spring break. It is always a wonderful week of sun, tanning, swimming, golfing, shopping, eating, and plenty of family time. Palm Springs is my happy place-- a place to rest, shake off the winter blahs, find some great clearance sales, and it is even where Devon and I got engaged. This year, we will not be going to Palm Springs because I am too pregnant to travel, so rather than be sad, I am trying my best to ignore spring altogether, which shouldn't be difficult because...

2. It is cold and rainy here! Though I do see some new growth on the trees outside of my window, the sky is darker than ever, and we woke up to snow twice this week. I don't expect to see sunny skies for months, much less temps in the 60+, so, winter will continue.

3. No spring wardrobe for me! On a recent trip to the mall, I was enamored with the spring colors and styles that decorated my favorite stores, but, alas, I am currently only fitting into sweats and Devon's t-shirts, and after I have the baby, my size will be changing for a couple of months, so there isn't much sense in investing in new clothes now :(

Bah-humbug, huh?

Joseph didn't have school today, so we decided to brave the rain and go see a movie. Joseph chose "Marley & Me" because he'd read the book at school. We stopped to buy candy first (in lieu of lunch!), and then headed to the $3 theatre. Lucy was so great during the movie! She sat in her own chair for the majority of the flick (though her legs weren't heavy enough to hold the seat down, so it collapsed on her a few times!), and she watched the movie, ate her candy, and at the end said, "That movie was great!"

If you ever plan to see this movie, take some tissue! I am not an animal person, and this movie is about a family's bond with their dog, Marley, but it pulled a few tears out of me, to say the least!

Another thing about this movie is that though it is only rated PG, and I am very careful about which movies Joseph watches, I lost count of how many times the word "SEX" was said! I was hyper-sensitive, of course, because I was sitting with my 10 year old and my 2 year old, and I am certainly not looking forward to the day when either of them ask, "What is sex?" I never felt the need to cover their eyes with my hands, but the main characters are married and are trying to start a family, so it was very clear that sex=baby. And there I sat with a belly full of baby! Hmmm... Devon, you might want to be drafting a birds-and-bees talk for Joe :)

And, I must add that Jennifer Aniston has the best hair in the whole world.

Devon and I have been talking to Lucy a lot about Baby Max. We are anxious to see her respond to an actual baby-- not just a big belly that we keep referring to as "Max"! She seems to understand a bit. She'll rub my belly and talk to it and say, "Max, come out and play, and I'll get you a ba-ba and a sippy cup." But then she told us a couple of nights ago, as she rubbed her own belly, that Max is kicking her! Oops, maybe she doesn't quite understand! Here are some pictures of our Big Sister in Training :) Oh, and my big belly!

Showered in Blue! And Other Happenings Too!

Only 45 days until THE DUE DATE, and trust me, I am counting down!

I am getting big, big, bigger, and little Max is getting bigger too. When he moves around, my whole belly contorts! I find myself complaining about being uncomfortable, and heartburn, and exhaustion... but I try to remind myself that these last 45 days can also be very special-- I have Max all to myself! I can feel his every move, I can feed him without taking my shirt off, I can carry him and still have both hands free... See, there are some positive aspects of the third trimester, right?



Yesterday, my friends Mary Beth and Michelle hosted a baby shower for Max. It was great! Ladies from church and from Devon's softball team came to the shower, and Devon's mom even made it back from Kansas in time to be there too. I feel so blessed to have such great friends!








It was so fun to see all of the BLUE! When Lucy was born, I really indulged in PINK, and therefore, Max is already a completely different experience :) I definitely feel more prepared now to bring our baby boy home from the hospital-- he has clothes, and burp cloths, blankets, bibs, etc. I am so grateful for all of the gifts, and at the end of the shower, Michelle and Mary Beth prayed for me and Max, and for Devon, Joe and Lucy too, which was so special! Max is going to enter a world where he is already very loved!

Andrea and her family came up from Bend, Oregon, to visit us last week, and though I promised myself to properly document the visit with pictures, my camera battery was dead... so that was the extent of my efforts :( Andrea picked up my slack with some pictures (thanks buddy!). It was great to catch up with Andrea-- we stayed home for the majority of the time, watching plenty of Noggin with the little girls (Quentin is such a trooper!), but we did manage a trip to Ikea!

Andrea arrived with gifts for our baby boy, and I have to show off her talents! Before Lucy was born, Andrea made these letters for the kids:



Now Max is part of the club too! Andrea, I love the letters!


Devon's mom, aka "Ucy's Maga", has finally returned to us! We are all very happy to have her back home in the Pacific Northwest, and I think that it is safe to say that she is happy to be back too! She is staying with us for the next 3 weeks until she moves into a new apartment, and Devon and I are hoping to take advantage of our built-in-babysitter! Last night we escaped the house at 8:30pm and went out to dinner. I know, we are wild!

Welcome back, Donna!

Stay Tuned!

New blog post coming soon! By the end of the day, I promise!
I have been so busy, growing a baby and all, and I am going to use that excuse for as long as I can :)

Tuesday Tip!

Lucy and I had a lovely little outing yesterday--
After my doctor's appointment in Bellevue, I decided that we needed a treat from Whole Foods. I had a cupcake in mind, but as I was scanning the bakery display, drooling over every item, the woman behind the counter asked if she could give Lucy a cookie-- well, of course, you can! Lucy got a heart-shaped sugar cookie, iced in hot pink and covered in sugar crystals! For free! What a deal! She took a couple of bites, and then gave the rest to me :) No money spent!
Whole Foods has tiny little Lucy-sized shopping carts, and Lucy was more than pleased to be pushing our empty cart through the store. We came to a dead stop though when I read the sign that said "Burn More Calories With Every Step." Hmmm, okay, I'm listening!

My Tuesday Tip is this- Earth Footwear. Embrace your inner hippie, or embrace your inner mommy-- either way, I thought that these shoes were cute, and then I tried them on and they feel fabulous (think Birkenstocks meet Danskos, but WAY cuter!), and they supposedly burn calories. Do they also do the dishes and take out the trash? You can find more info at www.earthfootwear.com
Take a look at my two favorite pairs--


The bad news is that these shoes are pricey ($100+). I'm thinking "push present" (you know, after I push out your child, Devon), or Mother's Day (hint hint!).
Have any of you seen, heard of, or purchased these shoes? Do you like them? Have I completely gone granola?

The doctor appointment went well. Another blood test- yuck. The baby's heartbeat was strong, my measurements are good, and I've gained another 4 pounds. I'm super tired and achey, and I am really looking forward to not being pregnant anymore! I am counting the days until Max comes :)