Jaunting: A Past Passtime

This child has grown to quite a tremendous size, and I have become THAT pregnant lady that hobbles around cleaning up messes and starting crafty projects in order to concentrate on something other than the fact that he is still in there.

Better out than in my dad always said (I think a lot of people always said that), and I have never agreed with him more on anything. Ever. I know his flavor of philosophy bends this time-old saying toward flatulence and belching, but I have adopted it for my own purposes.

Point: I haven't been able to do my walks very well in the last week or so. I am just a little too big, and can't walk quite far enough to make it worth taking my camera. So for the sake of proving I actually have done it, and that I hope to do it again while schlepping a Lewis-y baby around, here are just a few more walking pictures.

I hope you don't care for captions because I don't care much for writing them. I just like pretty/neat/aesthetically pleasing things.

 

Aren't you just ecstatic for the day I will have my offspring awkwardly propped against public objects in order to give my photographs more visual interest?!

There are always three

Stooges, that is. 

Sunday morning dawned, and everyone was ready for church a little early.
I happened upon this sight as I came downstairs.

Just so you know, there is more seating in this room.

They just happen to like each other.

They also happen to show that love by keeping strict attention to their own devices.
Alex wins because his doesn't have a backlight.
No talking. Just shoulder rubbing.

Also. Yes, I'm still pregnant. 

No, I will not drink castor oil, 

but have considered jumping on the trampoline.

More Than Diapers

Change.

It is something I have craved yet been terrified of my entire life.

I want to be that girl that is different, innovative, and adventurous. I feel like there are parts of me that fit those three things, and parts of me that are so ordinary that I'm impossible to differentiate from any other young, married, Mormon girl.  That's okay. Young, married, Mormon girls have some excellent things going for them.

Husband can tell you that my reaction to change before it happens tends to be anxiety filled. I fret, over-think, and generally find reasons to not go through with the change. This has happened with marriage, moving, getting new jobs, graduating from college (I still want to go back for that art degree....), and choosing which flavor of Shasta to buy at the grocery store. He smiles at me, puts his hand on the small of my back, and with gentle pressure, leads me head-on into these changes.

Then, once the change has happened. I'm totally fine. I look back on my anxiety with a big fat question mark face, wondering where it came from. 

It has been the same with the baby.

I have become so comfortable with my life revolving around Husband and me. I know what to expect. I know what amount of freedom I have, and we could go anywhere and do anything on a whim.

Please know that this is NOT a complaint or a wish that we did not have a baby coming! Although there is an element of terror, it comes from the unknown. It comes from that nagging feeling that I will somehow ruin him by forgetting a feeding, swaddling him too tight, making him eat popsicles too early, or by dropping him from my lap while reaching for the remote to switch to the next episode of Modern Family.

This nervousness takes up about 5% of my feelings toward how my life is about to change. The other 95% is excitement and happiness and anticipation. This is thanks to Chesley. When I ask him if he is nervous he says, "Sure, but mostly I am just excited!".  He has kept me positive and anchored, and refuses to let me dwell on my fears of inadequacy.  I love him. He will be just about the BEST dad.

Baby, can you come already so I can do the question mark face part of this deal.

So, after all of this very poorly connected rambling...Here is to change! Here is to sharing our lives and personalities with our children while being careful to keep improving ourselves! Here is to sewing projects, bottles, onsies, diapers, burp-rags, poop-explosions, and smiles and happiness that I know I don't yet understand.

Bedtime Conversations: A serious look at addiction

Me: Hey babe! I figured out a way to limit my otterpop in-take.

Ches: How's that?

Me: I only freeze one sleeve at a time! Then I can only eat as many as are frozen.

Ches:.....How many are on a sleeve?

Me:.....Ten or Twelve.....

Ches: You have a serious problem.

I should do this more because it prevents kankles

My walks are getting a little bit shorter as I get bigger.

But, I did manage to carry my camera with me one of my walks last week.

I need to go some of the other routes again because there are some GREAT spots to photograph.

Don't I live in a   LOVELY place?