ketchup...

so its time to play catch-up ( i just had visions of my 6th grade teacher Mrs. McFarland hanging ketchup bottles from the ceiling on catch-up day - so clever...) i know it has been a few weeks since i have posted and you all are dying to know where we've been. honestly, i don't even know. just getting used to life as a mom i guess! well, that's not entirely true i suppose - a few things have gone on in the life of the ericksons that are worth writing about.
here's what we've been up to:


SURPRISE!

a few weeks ago my whole family conspired to throw my sister mique a surprise party for the big 3-0.


here she is with bf chrissy, little drew-drew and my mom. mom did most of the work and miq was mostly surprised. all in all it was really fun to beat her at her own game (a few years ago miq managed to pull off two huge surprise parties in one summer - for my parents 50th b-days and for her hubby josh's 30th.) it was fun to see her on the other end. it was also good to see aunts and uncles and cousins that i haven't seen in awhile and for them to get a chance to meet owen. he was a hit!


BOO!


halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays- i have been known for some pretty amazing costumes if i may say so myself, but this year - no such luck. i couldn't bear the thought of spending $50 to get a costume for o especially since we had no where to go. (sorry- i know you were looking forward to pics of him as a pumpkin or something - i failed you) plus, clint had class, and i unfortunately found out i had mastitits and my scary halloween was spent in pain and at the doctor's office. thanks to grammy for watching the babe while i got checked out - that was the first time i'd been away from owen for more than 5 minutes. it was so weird!! so- my halloween ended up with clint finding me eyes half open sprawled on the bed with a percocet hangover watching a show about tornados. what a good costume. definitely one to remember.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

yes, i am also another year wiser... thanks to all who remembered and made it a great day. those of you who didn't - i see how it is. :)
i had actually really forgotten about my birthday this year since i have strangely not been thinking much about myself lately (funny how motherhood does that to you) so it was a pleasant surprise! i went shopping with mom (remind me not to try on any more clothes for a few more months and after a few more pounds have come off!) and then later went to dinner with the rest of the fam.
some highlights:

flowers from dad







a necklace from mom that i think i will wear everyday for the rest of forever




meeting up with miq and her girlfriends to pick up her homemade gift - an advent calendar (she has outdone herself once again!)




a weekend getaway with clint and owen



yeah- clint took us to our old stomping grounds for the weekend. thought we'd show little o where the magic all started. we spent the weekend hanging out in orange county and remembered why we loved huntington beach so much. if you look close enough at the pic you'll see how happy o was to be in the stroller. poor boy just loves to be held. anyhow- thanks clint! we loved it!

thanks to all friends and family that make these 28 years so worth celebrating!

happy one month baby owen!

i can't believe how fast the past month has gone by - but it's official - owen is one month old today. (am i supposed to kind of know what i'm doing by now or can i still stick by the "i'm a new mom" thing for a while longer?) it has been a crazy month indeed, but awesome. he had his one month check up today and all is well - he is now almost 10 lbs and 22 inches - in the 50th percentile in all areas. we love our little rookie! (clint and i are the ones who really need shirts that say "rookie" on them!)

safe and sound... counting our blessings

it has been quite a ride around here the last few days and i want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers headed in our general direction. as you may know - (if not, where have you been?) san diego county and southern california in general have been hit hard with wildfires that have come a little too close for comfort. we are home safe now, thank goodness.
monday morning clint came home just 15 minutes or so after he had left for work and woke me up. i was confused because i thought he had just left and he informed me that our friend aaron had called him to see what we were going to do about the evacuation. we obviously had no idea what was going on and soon found out that we were in an evacuation zone and that the witch fire that had seemed to be no threat at all to us on sunday was heading quickly towards us as the winds blew southwest - straight for us. we had a bit of time to get some things together and assess what we really needed and what had to be left behind. we really felt like we would be coming back home to find everything safe, but we had to be prepared and if nothing else have all that we would need to be away from home for a few days.
my mind quickly went back to the harmony grove fires of 1996 that happened just a week or so before homecoming my senior year of high school. we voluntarily evacuated our house at that time and besides pictures and my baby blanket, my homecoming court dress was the only thing i wanted to take! silly jess. after all, if my house burned down, at least i would look good for homecoming! i guess i've matured a bit because there really wasn't any material possession i could think of that i couldn't live without. especially now with little owen - life changes a lot. all i worried about was having everything we needed to keep him comfortable and safe. i remembered scenes from hurricane katrina of women with little babies that didn't have diapers, clothes, food, etc. and that kept playing through my mind. i can't imagine how heartbreaking it would be to not be able to keep him safe.
clint was a rockstar - super calm, but very productive to get together food, water, blankets, all of our documents, etc. and load up the car to the hilt. we said goodbye to carmel valley and headed to my parent's house about 15 miles north. when we got there, my brother and his wife were also there - they had been evacuated from another part of the county early that morning. come to find out, my sister was also evacuated from her home up in santa clarita from a totally separate fire that came pretty close to them as well. we spent the day glued to the news to see the progression of the fires and to get all the information we could about friends and family that might be affected. later that day my parents house officially became hotel mendioroz when they opened their doors to 4 missionaries and one member of our church who had all been evacuated from ramona. the house was full and buzzing and my sweet mom made sure we were all fed, showered, and entertained as we waited things out.
at one point we were very worried that we would have to evacuate my parent's house as well since the fire seemed to be heading their way as well. their area was under voluntary evacuation, but we decided to stick it out and have a bed to sleep in rather than leave. thankfully, encinitas was in the clear and we didn't have to flee again.
so, here it is, wednesday afternoon. the fires came dangerously close to our little condo- not in our backyard or anything, but about a mile away homes were destroyed. within our stake boundaries i believe there were about 15 or so homes that were burned (i have no idea if any one from our stake actually lost their homes- but their neighbors did!). we got the notice this morning that the winds had shifted and that the evacuation was lifted for carmel valley and we were free to go home. although we were so grateful to have a place to stay and to be with family, it was nice to be able to come home and relax a bit.
i must say that i am proud to live here in san diego - i have been so impressed with the organization, the generosity, and the general sense of "everything will be ok -regardless of what is lost" of the people who have been affected. again, everyone keeps comparing this to katrina and it seems to have been the antithesis of the chaos that accompanied that disaster. i am glad that we have not had that to deal with on top of everything else.
i have been emotional most of the day just from the stress of the situation and the lack of real sleep in the last couple of days. clint and i keep saying we never feared for our lives or anything, it is just a big wake up call to realize the things that are really important and the things that really aren't. we are so grateful that we already have a knowledge of how our lives should be prioritized, and situations such as this keep us in check to make sure our hearts are in the right place.
the fires are far from being contained and my heart goes out to all of the families that are uncertain of their fate, but for now i am grateful that we are home- safe and sound.

firsts

of course there are plenty of firsts around here lately... here are a few that we actually managed to document:

strongman!

one of the things that constantly surprises people about little o is how strong he is already! since the day he was born he's been lifting his head up like it was nothing! today a nurse came to the house to answer questions and weigh him again and she couldn't believe how strong he is. also - he is now 9 lbs 6 oz! wow- guess we don't have to worry about how he's eating! love this picture - also taken by my sis - so wrinkly in the cutest way possible!

daddy's boy...

here are some more pictures from last weekend's photoshoot with my sis. (i got the package miq - thanks!) by the way - i am realizing that some readers don't know that my amazing sister did actually TAKE these pictures. i know - lucky us! anyhow- these are of course my favorites because they are of my 2 favorite boys in the world and my post-pregnant face is nowhere near!



one of the neatest things about being a mom is watching my sweetie be a dad. i knew that this experience would make me fall in love with him all over again and it certainly has. i love the look in his eyes when he holds his boy and the way he can't get enough of him. i love that he reminds me of how incredible this miracle is (being mom 24 hours a day means you get used to it - since he is gone at work all day he gets excited by every little thing and it helps me to soak it in). i love the glimpses i get of what the rest of our lives will be like together. i love seeing the traits of his own father come out in him knowing that he will also pass them on to our son. i am so glad to be on this new path with you, love!

thank you daryl!!!

those of you who were at my shower may remember my mom's cute, spunky friend daryl who gave me some fabric and then took it back so she could make a quilt for owen. well, i had NO idea how talented she was and soon found out when my mom delivered the finished product on sunday. take a look...



isn't it adorable? check out the details!



she did all of this embroidery and quilting!!





l0oks like owen approves too!







thank you daryl!! WE LOVE IT!!

confessions of a new mom...

so, i haven't had much time to actually write anything here in the last few weeks - i figure most people just want to see cute pictures of the cute baby anyways! and to be honest, that's about all i've had time to do! this new mom thing is quite an adjustment! here are some confessions of a new mom...
1. i can't tell you what a thrill it was to sleep for 5 HOURS IN A ROW last night! it was heaven sent and i get just giddy thinking about it. hopefully it won't be just a fluke and little o will start realizing that sleep is a very very good thing.
2. i find myself singing songs and talking to this little boy and then realize he has no idea what i'm saying - and I DON'T CARE!
3. i am embarrassed to say that i have put makeup on/done my hair maybe 3 times in the last 2 and a half weeks. sorry for all who have dropped by to see the baby and have also gotten a shot of me in all my glory. hopefully you can get the image out of your heads and replace it with something much cuter like my son.
4. i took a walk today and at the end of 20 minutes i thought i was going to die. so recovering from a c-section is easier than i thought, but not that easy!

(it is freaky how much this looks like us today - stroller is almost identical, little dog in tow, me with a bun in my hair... it's like they know me....)
5. umm... can you say stretchmarks? sick. will my stomach ever be the same again? don't answer that.
6. he didn't come with instructions! i am starting to figure out what he needs when he's crying, but man it is hard to have this precious little one that you would do anything for and not know what is wrong. i think as we get to know him better it will get easier, but it can be heartwrenching at times!
7. it is so fun to see the love that is poured out from all over towards this new little guy - i know he is so lucky to have so much family and friends that already love him so much. as such he/we have been the recipients of so much kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity. we are so blessed!
8. how do you ever do this with other kids? when do you sleep if you have a two year old and a four year old too? i have a new found respect for all you supermoms out there!
9. thank goodness for a good husband. did i say good? i mean great! amazing! wonderful! fantastic! i am so lucky to have a man that doesn't want to be "one of those dads" as he calls it. he does everything he can to be loving, supportive, helpful, involved, and in love with the o-man even after a long day's work. his only complaint is that he doesn't get to see his boy enough. thanks babe!
10. my last confession is that although motherhood is sooo different than i had expected in so many ways - one thing is not different at all - i love it! in spite of the lack of sleep, the sore back (amongst other things), the crying, the feelings of inadequacy, and whatever else - this is the greatest gift! i feel so lucky to be able to soak it all in and enjoy this time with my sweet baby boy!

mr. mischeivous

just look at that face!! can you believe such an expression could come from such a little guy?? makes me wonder what i'm in for!!
(really though, this is one of my FAVORITE pictures! so much personality at only 2 days old!)

who do i look like?

there has been some debate around the erickson/mendioroz households about who this little guy looks like. my mom insists that when owen was born he looked exactly like i did when i was born, and most of my family agrees. however, we just got these pics from dave and shelly (clint's parents) and i must say- he does look a bit like his daddy when he was little... what do you think?


love the decor by the way... sweet!

erickson 3

so i'm totally stealing this from my amazingly talented sister mique's blog because ... well, look at it! it's amazing! thanks miq for letting me and my family take advantage of your amazing skills. we owe you!



a weekend photoshoot with our new little man. couldn't you just eat him up? and the hubby looks pretty hunky too! i lucked out!

best days...

six am sweetness...

my 3 boys... snug as 3 bugs in a rug.

i'm in love...

for those of you who did not hear, he made it!! baby owen is finally here, and I'M IN LOVE!!!

just look...


have you ever seen anything more precious in your life?? ok, so maybe i'm a little biased, but i just think this little angel is absolutely perfect and i am sooo happy that he is finally here!
his entrance was a little dramatic... but so worth it.
here is a quick synopsis:
monday morning i woke up and thought my water had broken. i know that sounds weird to anyone who has ever had their water break, but i really didn't know if this was it or not. i'll spare the details. we decided we'd better go down to the hospital just to check it out.
sure enough, when we got there the doctor told us it was a false alarm and that they were sending us home. then 2 minutes later they told me that plans had changed: they wanted to monitor me a bit more. apparently i was having contractions (i didn't even realize that i was) and every time i had a contraction the baby's heart rate would drop. they wanted to watch it a little closer to make sure all was ok. the doctor told us it would be about 20 minutes and then we would go home. and then, not 5 minutes more the doctor came in and told us that there was no reason for us to go home- after all, i was already overdue (and still not dilated AT ALL) and she just felt more comfortable keeping us there and inducing. sounded good to me! i was so excited to have it all underway.
inducing is not very fun however when your body is totally not ready.
so, the long day began around 10 am when we got there, and by the afternoon i was having heavy contractions one right after another (and my family was all there to see me in major pain). around that midnight, dave and shelly (clint's parents) had pulled in from a long drive all the way from wyoming - they weren't sure they would make it in time, but turns out they had PLENTY of time to spare.
finally at 1 am my water broke (i will never confuse that again!) and 2 am they gave me an epidural. i had not totally made up my mind about an epidural beforehand, but at that point i was in so much pain and was already so tired and was only a 3!!! so epidural it was, and boy was i glad to get some rest once it kicked in.
all day tuesday i was in active labor. things were not progressing very quickly at all. my family spent most of the day there, but i was so out of it and focused on the work at hand that i hardly noticed they were there. after an incredibly long day (well 2 days) i was finally ready to push a little before 5 pm. i gave it everything i had for an hour when all of a sudden there were like 8 doctors all around me. they told me the baby wasn't moving down, did a quick ultrasound to see that he was sunny side up, and then gave me my options. i could continue pushing, but it would be another couple of hours, forceps would have to be used, and i would have to have an episiotomy. the other option was a c-section. this was what i was afraid of - 30 hours of labor only to find out they were going to cut me open. we decided to go with the c-section since they were still concerned about the heart rate dropping and the baby being under stress. i just wanted him here safe! i was relieved and upset at the same time - glad it was going to be over, but did i really have to go through 2 days of labor before major abdominal surgery?
at 6 pm they wheeled me into the delivery room and clint followed shortly in his OR gear. look how cute and nervous he was:


they numbed me up and strapped me down and within minutes, i heard that beautiful cry.


and of course... i started to cry.

owen david erickson
september 25th, 2007 6:13 pm
7 lbs 14 0z
20 3/4 inches long

we spent the rest of the week in the hospital recovering ( i thought i would never sit up on my own again!) and had lots of visitors anxious to meet baby owen. we finally got home friday and have been adjusting to life as a family of 3.

when i think about this little guy for more than a moment, i bawl. that won't surprise anyone who knows me well because i have what i like to call "overactive tear ducts." but really - this little miracle of a child has changed my life forever. i already feel more love for him than i ever knew i had in my heart and my love for my family has multiplied so much over the last week. my husband is a saint - i just can't believe how lucky i am and how lucky owen is to have him as a dad. i look at my parents and clints parents through different eyes now and realize how much they have sacrificed for us, their babies, and it makes me wonder how i could ever overlook that.

i wonder how any one could ever question God's existence after seeing a new life enter this world and it humbles me greatly to know that He has trusted me with one of His beautiful children.
we are learning and growing together, and i am so thrilled to be part of the best club on earth - MOTHERHOOD.


a few more pics... many more to come!








our first family picture...




sweet hands...




diego is still getting used to 2nd place...




daddy loves his boy...





can you blame me for being the happiest girl in the world?

d-day...

i really wish i had a stamp like this right now so that i could plaster it across my forehead. everywhere i go random strangers stop me and ask when i'm due. "today" is kind of a bummer to say over and over again. can't wait till tomorrow at church when i get to say "yesterday."



i know, i know... i haven't posted since wednesday and here it is saturday and some of you may be thinking, "hooray! she's had the baby and been put out of her misery!" sad to say... you are very wrong.
i have been saying "september 22nd" since uh... january now, and here it is september 22nd. just another day. how anti-climactic!

i have not totally lost it yet- yes i have cleaned my house several times (clint thinks i'm "nesting" however i think he is wrong. you see, i am not compelled to clean in the least - i am just hoping the strenuous scrubbing will put me into labor!), yes i have probably walked 15 to 20 miles this week (mind you the most exercise i've done since finding out i was pregnant), i have cried a few times (last night for instance because we didn't go to dinner where i wanted to go even though i didn't tell clint where i wanted to go... i swear- he deserves the purple heart or something), and i have packed and repacked my hospital bag at least 3 times.
yesterday out of sheer boredom i went to the library (i got a card last week another day when i was bored), but since i already have a really long book i'm reading i thought it might be fun to rent a few dvd's (one's that i wouldn't subject anyone else to watch with me, but just to have some noise around the house). turns out the library doesn't have the best selection of movies, so here's what i ended up with:
(don't laugh- i am temporarily insane remember?)

1. Clueless (already watched it yesterday and had major flashbacks)

2. The Lakehouse (yes, i know it has Keanu Reeves in it and that is a major risk, but it's a risk i'm willing to take... i'm bored, remember?)

3. Kramer vs. Kramer (I know NOTHING about this movie except that it won a lot of awards and is rated PG - which nowadays would be nothing short of a miracle)

4. Tootsie (no, i'm not obsessed with Dustin Hoffman in his younger years. when i saw the dvd on the shelf i remembered a friend from middle school that i have not talked to since middle school who always said it was her favorite- and now, 15 years later, i have decided to believe her.)

and last but not least (and this is my favorite to admit here in the public blogging world)

5. YOU GOT SERVED. (yep - you heard me right. clint and i always make fun of this movie even though we've never seen it just because it has possibly the most ridiculous title of all time. so naturally, i had to get it.)

so, movie marathons it is until the little guy comes because i have pretty much run out of things to do (or clean). wish me luck!

tagged...

(pretty cool pic huh? those venezuelans...)

my sister mique tagged me on this one. i guess she thinks i'm a real blogger now that i post more than once every 3 months. i've never done one of these, so here goes...

1.) what i was doing ten years ago: just starting my freshman year at byu and loving every last second of it. it seemed impossible to be bored when living in the dorms and making new friends at every turn (who still happen to be GREAT friends!)

2.) five years ago: i can hardly believe it has been this long, but 5 years ago i had just gotten back from my mission to mendoza argentina and was adjusting to post-mish life. by now i would have again been back at byu living in the enclave trying to figure out how to be normal with my friend lauren who had also just gotten back. (it was sooo weird by the way that instantly when i got home, more than 50% of the guys i knew were younger than me. gross.) i would have just started teaching at the mtc (favorite job EVER) and adjusting to my difficult schedule of 3 religion classes, guitar, and voice, and maybe one spanish class. (i figured it was better to come back to school after the mission than go back to nothing!)

3) one year ago: one year ago we had just moved to san diego after a summer's adventure with the ericksons in wyoming. we were renting in oceanside just a few blocks to the beach - i wasn't working, so i was busy trying to be a vegetarian, taking daily strolls down to the pier and the farmer's market, and entertaining my puppy. i was also still trying to get pregnant and hoping to be a mom anyday. we had a lot of fun in oceanside actually, and i really miss being that close to the ocean. (not that i'm complaining now!)

4.) yesterday: (after another LONG walk in hopes of getting owen here a little quicker) my sweet mom felt sorry for me (thanks mom) and took me out to the movies (nanny diaries- cute) and to lunch (einsteins - yummy). it was nice to get out of the house and socialize (the puppy is cute, but doesn't talk much) and of course always nice to spend mommy daughter time. :)

5.) 5 snacks i enjoy: fruit (any kind - i am obsessed with fruit), ice cream, chips and guacamole, cereal, a new favorite - corn salsa

6.) 5 things i would do if i suddenly had $100 million: wow. it's dangerous to let a girl dream like this... first of course, pay EVERYTHING off and save like half of it. then- buy 2 new cars (only after getting rid of the 3 we currently have) - my choice would be a BMW X5 - and clint can get whatever he wants, buy a bigger house with a yard (still here in carmel valley- we love it here), donate to a few favorite charities (autism speaks and the cystic fibrosis foundation) and then seriously, i don't know... i would want to save it all up so that we could be spoiled all the time and not just all at once!

7.) 5 locations i would like to run away to: ooh... europe first for sure (clint and i have never been together), then hawaii (any island), lake powell, yosemite (never been there- it's a shame), the canadian rockies (never been there either).

8.) 5 bad habits i have: sleeping in (i'm sure this will change soon!), biting my nails, leaving messes, putting off laundry as long as possible, worrying.

9.) 5 things i like doing: reading, sewing, cuddling, going to the beach, being with friends and family, eating

10.) 5 TV shows i like: (we don't have cable, but if we did...) the office, scrubs, anything on hgtv, so you think you can dance, animal planet (yes- i'm a dork)

11.) 5 things i hate doing: cleaning, picking up dog poop, having a confrontation, brushing my teeth (just a pregnancy thing - makes me gag still), waking up to pee every 2 hours (also a pregnancy thing)

12.) 5 biggest joys of the moment: umm.... owen, owen, owen, owen, and let me think... owen. (do ya think i'm a little over-focused?one-track mind maybe?)

now i get tag 5 people!

1. lauren
2. amy and aaron
3. jessy
4. mom
5. t&e

"never turn your back on the ocean" -hawaiian proverb

sometimes it hits me just how lucky i am...

patience...

apparently, i have pregnancy induced schizophrenia. you see, i've had to go back to the post i wrote just a few days ago several times to remind myself that it is ok that this baby isn't here yet. sane jessica knows that he will come when he's ready, that i won't die if i am pregnant another week, that it will all be worth it. however, sometimes crazy jessica creeps in and brings in all the drama humanly possible in being 39 (and a half!) weeks pregnant.
i went to the doctor again yesterday - and yes, still nothing.
and again, totally bummed.
i told clint it would be easier to be patient if being pregnant were more comfortable. (duh.)
so, what did i do? what any normal (when i say normal i mean DESPERATE) mommy-to-be would do. i laced up my tennis shoes (first time i've worn anything but flip flops in more than 2 months by the way), gave my puppy a pep talk, grabbed the ipod, and headed off for a nice long walk in hopes of getting things moving.
since i had done a little research in my spare time on ways to naturally induce labor, i figured this should be the one i try first since it doesn't involve major diarrhea, or other things i am unwilling to try at this point. So, an hour and 3 miles later (yes- i was walking VERY slow - you saw how huge i am these days right?) i realized i was lost in my own neighborhood basically. i did eventually find my way home, but i had visions in my mind of going into labor on the side of the road just a few blocks from my house, yet having no idea where i was, my poor dog wondering what the heck was going on and why i had led him on a death march (but hey- at least i would be in labor, right?)
my favorite part of the walk was the looks from women driving past that (from the looks on their faces) knew EXACTLY what i was up to. that look of, "oh poor girl, she looks really uncomfortable" with a hint of "go for it girl, you get that baby on his way" and of course "oh... i remember that feeling, thank goodness it's her and not me." funny how i could read all of those things in a split second as they drove past.
i did survive and make it home safely - as did the dog. he slept really well last night.
apparently the walk did absolutely nothing except make me go crazy again this morning and lace up those shoes once more for another attempt (this time i made sure i knew where i was going.)
so, yeah- sane jessica can wait a while longer, but crazy jessica just might hurt someone (most likely herself) if things don't get moving a long here pretty quick.
i'll let you know who wins.

39 weeks...

i suppose it could be worse... check this lady out...




OUCH!!!

stay a while longer...

i went to the doctor yesterday. lately appointments have been pretty boring, but this one was the first time the doctor was going to check to see if i was dilated. i didn't think i would be disappointed when she said "you are not dilated at all" - but i totally was. up to this point i'd been totally ok with little owen waiting as long as possible to get here- not that i'm not anxious, i just was feeling overwhelmed with work and getting ready and everything. in my mind, it would be perfect to stop working, have 2 weeks to myself to relax and get last minute things done, and then he could come. right on his due date would be perfect in fact.
yet, sitting at home waiting for the inevitable has made me want him to be here now! i just want to hold him and see who he looks like and kiss those little fingers and toes!
of course i emailed clint right away at work when i got home from the doctor and told him how bummed i was that apparently owen was not in a very big hurry to get here. as he always does (that level headed hubby of mine) - he knew exactly the right thing to say. he reminded me that maybe owen wants a little more time to be extra close to his mom, and maybe Heavenly Father was having a hard time letting him go. of course, the tears started flowing and I started thinking.
wow. what a miracle. this little boy is coming straight from Heavenly Father's arms to ours.
i can't stop thinking about what he must be doing getting ready to come.
i imagine him spending as much time as possible with Heavenly Father trying to soak it all in so he won't forget what that perfect love feels like. i imagine him surrounded by his siblings assuring them that their time would come soon enough and that he'd prepare the way, and each of them begging to give mom and dad a hug for them and encouraging him that he'll do great.
i imagine the last teachings he must be receiving to prepare him for the great journey ahead, and the tender embrace of a loving Father that wants so much for his child to learn and grow, yet has such a hard time seeing them leave His side.
and then i thought, let him stay a little while longer.

sneak peek... owen's room

we've been hard at work getting the nursery all set up for owen's arrival - and those of you who know my husband know that this is no small task. he is the decorator in our family after all. after months of debating colors and themes and whatever else, we came to some compromises and I am really happy with the way things have turned out. here is a little preview, but you may just have to come visit once the heart and soul (owen himself) is here to bring it all to life.


believe it or not, i actually came up with this one and i think it turned out super cute. we were debating whether or not we wanted to paint the walls, and my sheer laziness made that decision super easy. i figured it would be easier to accessorize a really neutral backdrop than to find the perfect shade of paint to go with the bedding to go with everything else. (ask our friends amy and aaron who ended up painting their nursery 3 different shades of green before finally finding one that didn't make them want to gag). so, we kept it really simple - left the walls the taupe-y color they already are, added dark brown furniture, plain white bedding ( I have never been a fan of boys bedding- way too many cheesy toy cars and baby animals for my taste) and then found some cute ways to bring in a little personality. i decided i wanted owen's name on the wall, but wanted it to be cute and unique, and thought of this idea. these letters are just cut out of foamboard and then we sprayed them with spray adhesive and wrapped them in cute coordinating fabrics. then we hung a clothes line up and hung each letter with wooden clothespins. i love the look if i may say so myself. not too much, but just enough detail to be darling.


so, these pictures are the other side of the room - and this was clint's vision... i also think it turned out really cool and definitely something Iive never seen before. since we have a vinyl cutter and i married a graphic designer, we can do cool things like this. the tree is all out of vinyl (drawn by clint) and then we decided we would hang pictures off of it of our family - a family tree of sorts. right now the frames are just full of those lovely pictures that come in them from the store, but soon they will have pictures of our squishy little guy and the rest of the fam. cute, huh?

I LOVE BEING PREGNANT.

so, since i am a first timer and all, the whole pregnancy thing has been quite a trip. i was thrilled in the beginning after waiting what seemed like FOREVER to get pregnant and then as soon as i could start getting really excited about it, i was puking my brains out. i remember thinking how ironic it was that a few months earlier i would have given anything to be pregnant, and then there i was face buried deep in a toilet wishing i could be doing anything but throwing up. lets just say that i became very well acquainted with the toilet.


really, it is pretty cruel. you are so thrilled about this life-changing miraculous thing going on inside you and the only real reminder you have of it every day is how disgusting you feel at all times. anyone who knows me knows how much i hate being sick. the worst thing is that apparently i am a loud puker, and anyone who has ever HEARD me get sick has had a hard time feeling sorry for me and instead finds they can't hold in the giggles. not funny people.
anyways, i wasn't sure how long all that would last, but was so glad when the nausea stopped around 5 months and i could enjoy being pregnant without wanting to die all the time. i was totally one of those who embraced the belly - i wore maternity clothes as soon as humanly possible just so that people would know that i wasn't just getting fatter for no reason. and through the middle, i was blissfully happy to be prego. sure, heartburn got a little annoying, peeing all the time too, but really i felt good.
now here in the last trimester things have gotten interesting. i don't remember the last time i could see my feet (and it shows- i definitely need a pedicure, but since i can't reach my own toes, have yet to talk clint into painting my toenails, and am too cheap to pay someone else to do something i should be able to do myself - i go on with scary looking feet). i can't recall what it is like to sleep for more than 3 hours at a time without waking up to a throbbing bladder, an itchy belly, or aching hips. i know my husband must be entirely sick of me lying around in my underwear all the time - not a beautiful sight, but clothes are so annoying! need i go on? i am assuming that anyone who has been there knows what I am talking about. or am I the only one?
ANYHOW... on with my point. as you can see, the title of this post is "I LOVE BEING PREGNANT." sounds crazy with all of the weird stuff that goes on, but i was reminded this week why it is so dang AWESOME to be pregnant.
picture this: i was enjoying one of my first days off of work, trying to be incredibly productive (since technically, this baby could come any day now). i decided it was a good idea to go to a few stores and get together some shower gifts for 2 of my other friends that are pregnant. i was in target. by this time, i had already spent a few hours wandering around babies r'us with 2 seperate registries in hand, my big giant belly and had never even really gotten ready for the day. i had also been to marshalls in hopes of finding some great deals (you know how long that takes and how much energy is required to sort through all the junk to find the good deals.) target was the last stop on the list. all I wanted was some baskets. some cute baskets to put all the loot in. of course, i can't find anything cute and definitely nothing cheap enough and so i wander up and down the aisles of target hoping to find SOMETHING, ANYTHING to not make the 45 minutes already spent there a total waste.
so, you know how when you drop something and you are 9 months pregnant it is like the death to you? and yet, somehow you can't seem to hold on to anything and it appears that everything just slips right out of your hands and tumbles below to make certain for an incredibly flattering and graceful moment ahead?
well, here's me, in target, bending over to pick something up that i'd already dropped twice. i am exhausted, sweating, feet totally swollen, you get the idea. out of the corner of my eye i see a woman walk past the aisle, stop, and come back to get a good view. i'm thinking, come on... just let me have my privacy while i struggle to bend over.
but then she says this (bless her dear heart)... " you are.... BEAUTIFUL!!!"
i let out a laugh (really i did) because honestly- there is no way that that awkward stooping moment could have been beautiful. but then she repeated herself:
"no, really, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!"
it took me a minute to register - then i thanked her, totally embarrassed by now and realized later that i should have told her what a saint she was!
really, girls- when in your life has ANYONE (let alone a perfect stranger, and another WOMAN at that) stopped dead in their tracks to stop and tell you how beautiful you are? NEVER in my life has that happened until now. and then my mind went over all of my lovely pregnant moments that i have just revisited with you and that's when i thought, " I LOVE BEING PREGNANT."

ok, ok... it's been awhile...

i know i say that everytime... but life has been a little crazy these days! so, now that i'm officially on "maternity leave" yet have no baby to show for it just yet, i figure now is the perfect time to catch up on my blog. i really am envious of all those bloggers that have the discipline to actually update their blogs on a regular basis and apparently don't fall into the same trap that i do - i would much rather read about everyone else's interesting lives than write about my own. but, nonetheless - i suppose my fans do deserve a line or two as I know you are all so desperate to know what could possibly be going on in my world.
so, before life gets completely insane with a newborn around town, here goes.