Growing.

This is as good as it gets. I am 20.5 half weeks and this is the first pregnant picture I have taken--just haven't felt like having the camera on me and I am seriously in painting overalls 75% of the time. Plus it feels kind of weird having a picture taken of you for the purpose of showing off what you would normally want to conceal--yes, I know it is different because there is little kiwi in there but goes against all self conscious picture taking a person has acquired over a life time.

Honestly it took me 4 months to take this picture so the next time I take one I am sure it will be most evident.

Happy Birthday Joy!

Happy Birthday Stance.

Sorry I didn't get this up on your birthday but I thought you would still like to see it and get you all excited to see Us when you come in March. How awesome is that! I miss you over in these parts and can't wait to work on the Inn with you ;) I like the part when I move over to Mike and he doesn't sit next to me and how Rodeo is a foot stool.

Uncle Mike shaking off the kids' arms
Grampa says, " lets see who can be quiet the longest?" They all bit for
a dollar of course.

And again, for totally unrelated family updates, check the other site.

Snow People.

The Oscars have come and gone--again. I posted a couple of my favorite Oscar Moments HEREand will get onto some of the dresses after some work at the Inn. We also had a substantial snowfall yesterday and my neighbors built snowmen nearly as tall as their house as you can see. Our other neighbors also added to the snow people cheer. I guess we need to get on it :)

Until later.

Snuggies and Bumps.

These commercials were brought to my attention last night so I looked them up on Youtube. Generally, commercials are inane but these two are really special.



"The Snuggie"



Really? they all look like priests to me--but look how easy it is to answer the phone.

"The Bump"



No, you didn't hear wrong. It says, "Bump a Pony"

So nice.

Thanks to one hand me down Snoogle and a lovely bouquet of flowers -- I am feeling much much better. I haven't fallen asleep that fast or actually slept 4 straight hours in many weeks.

Yum.

Almost Exasperated.

Not that I am meaning for this to turn into a pregnancy forum but it does seem like the fastest way to get opinions on the matter.

I am having a hard time sleeping. I am a back sleeper through and through so not being able to sleep on my back is hard and is causing some knots in the middle of my back which are causing tightening up my spine into my neck causing headaches. I think it is time to get one of those body pillows. I have looked on line at the Boppy, the snoozer, the snuggle, and the snoogle (all very real names that inhibit any immediate purchase on my end) and each get some loves and hates.

Thoughts from anyone I know before I invest in one of these or before I start becoming seriously exasperated by this lack of comfortable sleep.

Ok. Something is wrong with this.

I've picked up a little bug and am trying to rest it out so that I am not down in out for longer than I need to be (Note: Chris hates being sick) with the Inn needing us all 24/7. So what else would one do than search for cool stuff for the little kiwi and watch Season one of Friday Night Lights (which is surprisingly funny, heartwarming, and well done for a high school TV Texas Football drama).

After an hour of looking at little people clothing I found these duds from Estella which I really really really like more than any others and they are totally affordable if you are Brad and Angelina or if Mike and I were to stop eating or sell vestigial body parts.

Looks like its time to get the sewing machine out and make some little clothes or Joy, if you are bored...because those prices will just not do.

$89

$89

$89
$79

$99

Heart.

18 weeks and 3 days.

For the past 18 weeks and 3 days, I have been growing a little person and today I feel like it is official. This technology is incredible and sure puts an end to weeks of worry. Still trying to wrap my head around it.





It has been hard to be excited these last 4 months because we experienced a miscarriage earlier this year and an ultrasound confirmed that so today 's ultrasound was a little nerve wracking because I honestly could not believe there was something inside...but there most certainly is because we have seen him moving and jumping around. The first image we got when Jackie put the wand on my stomach was a perfect little hand and write next to that a little beating heart. Hey, we need hands and hearts. At Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center they do a very extensive ultrasound at 18 weeks to check over 50 areas of the baby and are able to catch 75% of genetic abnormalities in this ultrasound. There was nothing. This little dude is perfectly developing with a very impressive little brain, heart, hands, feet, and everything in between that you can see when they are 9 ounces including his boy parts. No, we don't have a specific name. That we will wait for until he is here with us come July 10 (give or take).

So it is real. It is more mind blowing now than it has been thus far because we have seen him and he is for true god life (as Harriet would say meaning "for real").

This little guy.

Temperatures were in the 40's today--heat wave-- but they have dropped again. I got out for a walk to enjoy the taste of spring weather that we will see again in April and got some photos of Windsor in one of its more bleak months--but still lovely in ways (view here). Sundays seem to be a nice day to stop by and see what Mom made for lunch (homemade rolls, mashed potatoes, and roast beef- true Sunday family tradition) and eat ALL her leftovers. Oh it was good. Also got some shots of the little guy. He has the greatest little cheeks and smiles--even when they are blurry because he doesn't stop moving. Oh and I posted the overly complicated curtain project over here.

Self Hand Portrait.

I haven't had many face pictures in a long time--but I like these photos Leilani took of my hands and my funny face because I have made that face my whole life and I am glad I have hands. I need to book your services for a shoot with me and Mike sometime soon before you get too busy in your life huh?

I finally finished the photos from the Wedding we went to back in December in Portland at a Howard Johnsons (that is hotel chain here in the states) and posted them on my other site (which I want to feed more) HERE. I think they are beautiful people which made the pictures look so good.

February thus far.

Apparently he saw his shadow and its another 6 weeks of winter--sure it will be more like 10 here:)


We watched the SuperBowl last night--the only game of Football I watch all year and not always. I really only like exciting/close games and then I really like them-a lot. Once I heard about the fact The Cardinals had never made it to the SuperBowl, have always been a pretty lame team, the QB has 7 children and used to work at a grocery store until he got another run at Football in his early 40's, I was hooked (well sort of). But the minute the fast guy with the dreads (see my vast Football knowledge) ran ahead and got that touchdown in the 4th quarter pulling the Cardinals ahead 23-20, I was giddy with delight for a minute until the Steelers got another touchdown and won 27-23. Hey, at least it was close. But I am with Mike, The Cardinals winning would have made a great Football Disney Movie with Dennis Quaid as the Grocery Store worker Dad (even though he is a bit too old now) and lots of triumphant music etc etc.

I did enjoy this commercial with Alec Baldwin.I like when he says that "once your brains are reduced into a cottage cheese like mush we'll scoop them out with a melon baller and eat them right up" You know they sold 260 million dollars worth of Ad space during the SuperBowl for $300,000 dollars a SECOND. There is something so so so so so so so so so soo wrong about the absolute overinflation of the professional sports world and its accompanying marketing scheme in this country-- as I buy right into and share with you.



We also quite liked this one. Lucy, what if the mini pandas also wore glasses like that Koala?




Whoa--I have NO IDEA where January went. Pure blur for me--for the most part. It snowed 18 inches the other day/night and Mike likes to take the Subaru out and just sort of slide around and into snow banks which I quite enjoy as well. He didn't quite make the turn into the driveway -- So much snow.