A Little Peek

At my to do list as of week 36! 26 days to go and I might be freaking out just a little... And quite frankly, I'm just too dang tired to go through the photo editing process to include pictures of our most recent shenanigans this time around.
(hangs head in shame and promptly falls asleep)

Freezer Meals/Foods:

Turkey mini meatballs

Banana muffins

Zucchini bread, sliced

Breakfast burritos
Quinoa taco skillet
Jalapeño turkey burgers x2 (1 batch done)
Waffles (done, but will probably do another batch before Little Miss arrives)

Beef enchiladas (done)
Chicken enchiladas (done)

Chili (done)

Taco soup x2 (done)

Turkey stroganoff (done)

Spaghetti sauce x2 (done)

Baby Prep:

Nursery dresser, repair and paint

Wash pack and play

Organize nursery closet and dresser

Wash and fold 0-3 month laundry

Wash swaddles/blankets

Wash burp rags

Wash Boppy covers

Wash and install infant carseat
Set up swing/bouncer

Sort Jr's old clothes for gender neutral items (done)

Assemble crib (done)

Misc:

Make meal inventory sheet for freezer

Write down Jr's daily schedule and meals for hospital stay

Pack hospital bag

Purchase new toy, book, and puzzle for Jr during hospital stay

Decide on homecoming outfit (done) 
Shower thank you notes (done)

Pregnancy Update

How far along: 36 weeks

Maternity clothes: I'm all about comfort these days... 

Sleep: Reasonable, but still less than I would like. Luckily we are hitting that point where I'm tired enough during the day that I can usually catch a quick nap while Jr is sleeping - if I make it a priority.

Best moment lately: There have been so many wonderful things lately! Finding out during the last ultrasound that Little Miss has hair! The baby shower was beautiful and such a fun afternoon!

Missing anything: Other than just not having a belly "in the way" of everything? It's been a more comfortable pregnancy than the first time around, so while I'm definitely excited to meet our Little Miss, I'm not in a rush for pregnancy to be over.

Movement: So much rolling! Every few days she has a day or two where things are quieter than normal (but still with safe kick counts) and then she gets back to her gymnastics.

Cravings: Not really? I get passing cravings for random things, but they're generally not strong enough to be memorable.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes, but I have no idea what it is! I've been having random bouts of nausea, but they're short lived. Heartburn is a big one for making me feel sick, but I've been keeping up on my water intake and antacids so it hasn't been too bad.

Gender: A Girl!

Labor signs: Just the usual Braxton Hicks at this point. Some days are more uncomfortable than others, and they compress my diaphragm a bit so it makes me cough, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Symptoms: T-I-R-E-D! The relaxin is really kicking in, so my hip pops with every step and my pelvis generally feels like jello. Little Miss has dropped pretty far too, so I've been having a bit of trouble with my sciatic nerve getting compressed by her little noggin! A bit of foot swelling here, a bit of heartburn there - it seems like there's a sprinkling of just about everything.

Happy or moody: There's no telling these days! I've cried and laughed over the most random things.
Here's a definite cry though - you're welcome.

Looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery! It seems like no matter how much time I've spent in there I'm really not making much progress.

Baby gear/preparations: We have a few gaps to fill in - mainly with clothes and a few pieces of gear. The main preparation that is still hanging over my head is finishing the dresser so I can get on with organizing the nursery!

Funny moments: My pregnancy cheating is back in full swing! It was one of those had to be there moments, but pregnancy brain + learning a new board game + after 9pm = unintentional cheating GALORE...

"Do it or don't. It's amazing how many things in life are that easy."
Henry Rollins

The War on Chaos

I'm of two minds about the chaos of babies and toddlers. On one hand, it makes sense to embrace the mess and work around it - it's only a season. On the other hand, I like to be comfortable at home and a large part of that is ensuring that we are reasonably neat and tidy. There's stress in the mess, I tell you! The balance I've found is a mixture of routines and minding the little things before they can turn into big things.

With that said, I'm fully aware that our routines can look a bit obsessive at a glance. I swear they aren't though! We're busy, but there is flexibility and quality time built into each day - especially the weekends as family time is our priority there. The key I've found is to structure the lists so that they build on each other: daily items make the weekly maintenance easier, weekly maintenance makes the monthly items easier, and the monthly items make the quarterly maintenance easier.

The strategies that I use to keep things in order are:

Daily Cleaning - 18 Tasks
Turning all of the little tasks into a checklist/routine is the easiest way to limit the time and brain power spent on maintaining the house. The whole list takes about an hour and a half to complete, but it's broken up into pieces: 30ish mins morning and evening with a couple other 15 min sections throughout the day.

Weekly Cleaning - 17 Tasks
Hitting every area on a weekly basis helps keep the dirt in check before it can become grime. I usually handle two to three areas per day and the amount of time varies depending on the tasks. Interior areas are scheduled around my busy days in the office, and exterior tasks are fit in on whichever day isn't pouring rain.

Monthly Cleaning - 17 Tasks
To be honest, a good portion of these tasks don't necessarily "need" to be done every month, but it cuts the amount time needed for deep cleaning on a quarterly basis. I shoot for three to four tasks every week, but fit in more whenever feasible.

Daily Routine
The general flow of our day is get up, eat, clean, work, play, eat, clean, (nap) work, play, eat, play, (sleep) clean, work, relax, sleep, repeat. I'm a firm believer in having a predictable routine for everyone's sanity.

Toy Rotation
This is a lifesaver for us! We currently have three toy "stations" in the house: Jr's room, the living room, and my office. Once every week or two I will go through and change out all of the toys and books in each station - some retire to the closet for a couple weeks and others switch stations, but the fresh perspective always seems to help Jr stay interested in his toys for independent playing.

He has so much to say now, but I still can't figure out half of it! Mom fail?

Ever have a feeling that someone is watching you...?

One of Jr's favorite things to help with is feeding the cat.

Yay playdoh!

He loves having company over to "his" house, thankfully I'm still able to get in (and out)!

Sticky window activity!

These mini doughnut muffins are seriously THE BEST! Chris and Jr approved.
(I used butter instead of coconut oil in the muffins and only brushed it on vs dipping them for the cinnamon coating.)

Pregnancy Update

How far along: 27 weeks

Maternity clothes: Oh, yes. I pulled an abdominal muscle last week so I am done with anything putting pressure on my stomach.

Sleep: Not great now that I'm hitting the "every position is uncomfortable" stage. Relaxin (the hormone, not the activity) is making a lot of my joints hurt.

Best moment this week: Our most recent OB appointment went well, little baby kept kicking the doppler while the doctor was trying to check her heartbeat.

Missing anything: Laying flat on my back!!

Movement: Plenty of kicks and jabs, we had our first "ow, that was my rib!" moment.

Cravings: Not anything terribly specific, but holy hunger - some days it seems like I could eat everything in the house and still feel hungry.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing predictable, but there are always a few waves here and there. Oh, and the glucose test drink nastiness.

Gender: A Girl!

Labor signs: A few Braxton Hicks, but nothing unusual.

Symptoms: The third trimester is less than a week away and I'm definitely starting to feel my energy wane. Nesting is kicking in though, so no rest for the pregnant!

Happy or moody: Mostly happy, but my tiredness and general discomfort often gets misread as moody.

Looking forward to: Finalizing the nursery colors! It seems like no one is carrying coral nursery items online or in-store, but I was finally able to order a couple of coral crib sheets from Target. Here's hoping the color looks good in person!

Baby gear/preparations: N-E-S-T-I-N-G. Even when I want to slow down, a lot of days I just can't seem to stop until I'm falling asleep.

Funny moments: Pregnancy brain + a nasty cold + nesting + daylight savings = so much wandering around trying to remember what I was doing. Case in point, it took FOUR trips to the laundry room before I could remember that I was in there to get my chapstick from the diaper bag!

Live From My New Office

What happens when you lament to your husband that you absolutely cannot find a desk in a style that you like for less than $900? He builds it. Smart, sexy, handy-around-the-house, AND good with the baby? I do believe I hit the jackpot.

This is my new happy place.

Ahh...

So much elbow room...

The rest of the office is still a work in progress, but now I have a beautiful desk to motivate me!

Current view from the foyer.

Next up: Bookshelves and an appropriate desk chair...

Always into something...

Mom, why is this empty?

Out please!!

Is Dada home yet?

My favorite giraffe.

"Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years."
Simone Signoret

Set the World on Fire

The weather continues on its maleficent rampage - fueling the wildfires that fill the city with smoke and keep us mostly indoors. 

This was Sunday. Today? Even worse.

There was a small reprieve Saturday morning, so we snuck out for an early bike ride before the smoke and heat made outdoor activities unbearable. The smoke settled back in before we were done, but we were able to return home before temperatures reached 85*. I'm calling it a win.

In lieu of any interesting adventures, here is a sneak peak of my latest project. 

More details to come!

"Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats." 
Voltaire

Here Comes The Sun

It feels like I've missed out on a good portion of March and April, but I think (dare I say it) that the worst is behind me with the crazy health issues of late. Life rushed by, literally, while I was sleeping, but I'm starting to feel better on a regular basis.

The weather has been amazing here in Boise over the past week - sunny and breezy with highs in the 80s and 90s. We've been taking advantage of the warm weather by cruising around the neighborhood on our new-to-us bicycles and getting out for some hiking in the foothills. 

The only downside of the rising temperatures is that they bring weird and angry people out in droves, which has made work a little strange lately. The good experiences still outweigh the unpleasant ones*, but my patience has definitely failed me a few times. 

*Complaining about an employee following procedure and then lying about how long you've been waiting on said employee to finish your requests demands does nothing for your credibility and only serves to turn both the employee and management against you. Also, don't try to intimidate employees by getting aggressive. The only person you're impressing is yourself as everyone else has written you off as a schmuck.

Obsession of the week: Rit Dye Powder

I ran across a post about dyeing jeans on Centsational Girl a few months ago, but I've been too nervous to try it myself until recently. I used one packet of navy blue with a dash of black and I'm pretty pleased with the way the jeans turned out. 

My refreshed jeans made their debut on a casual Friday at work and my coworkers were incredulous when I told them that I had dyed the jeans I was wearing. Next on my list is trying their "Denim" color, which I'm hoping will have less of a purple tinge.

"Be enthusiastic.  Remember the placebo effect - 30% of medicine is showbiz."
Ronald Spark

Domestic Ponderings

I've been contemplating a lot of decor related items (love Pinterest!) and am slowly making plans for the new house. I originally thought that I would have a good idea of what I wanted to do decor-wise by the time we moved in, but I've discovered that I enjoy taking my time on these decisions. In lieu of any real verdicts, I'll share some of the items that have made the short list:

via

I like this idea for our entryway, but would make the birds smaller and the background a bit more rough and abstract. Also I would stretch it across at least two, if not three, canvases.

via

I'm obsessing over modifying a version of this bench for the foot of our bed. It won't be quite as rustic and the corners/edges will be purposely rounded as I am incredibly talented at finding the sharp edges of furniture at two in the morning.

(my own creation)

I adore quotes laid out in this fashion; above is a rough idea of how I may try to incorporate this particular one into our home. I grew up with this verse and it holds a lot of meaning for me, despite its extreme overuse in recent years.

via

I'm in love with this idea for a pergola. The side pieces would add just a bit more privacy for the deck while still creating an airy, open feeling.

via

I'm already drafting up a design inspired by the idea of a glass top console table that doubles as a desk. It will be about half as wide as the one in the photo since it will be used on the small wall between the entry and the dining room.

Obsession of the week: Christina Perri - A Thousand Years
I have a weakness for just about everything from Christina Perri, but this song is my current favorite (despite the fact that it was used as Bella and Edward's wedding song in Breaking Dawn).

Weekend Wanderings

Last week was rather busy, with appointments taking up unexpectedly large portions of my time, but the weekend was delightfully low-key. We hit up a flea market on Saturday morning, where I scored an awesome sliver plated swan. This purchase was understandably puzzling to Chris. I suppose that the sudden necessity of a silver swan does beg the question, "Why would you ever need a swan?" but it should only be asked once you have molded your features into a suitably dramatic look of disbelief. My husband has perfected this look.

Ta-da!! Even Chris admitted that my swan cleaned up nicely.

I'm not usually the type of person that buys and displays bric-a-brac, but I've been warming to the idea of adding a few rather whimsical pieces to our decor. We're in the final stage of the home-buying process and my goal, once we move, is to start decorating in a way that makes our home look pulled together and complete. Our housing situation has been in a somewhat constant state of flux - always temporary - so I've held off on the details that would complete our decor. This swan marks a change in that way of thinking!

Sunday saw us heading to church (I think we've finally found one that suits us!) and then to the park just outside of our soon-to-be new neighborhood. I neglected to take pictures while we were there since it was a balmy 35 degrees outside. My hands stayed in my pockets and, despite gloves, were still freezing. The park was lovely, with well-kept trails and nicely appointed overlooks of the valley and river.

That smile stayed firmly in place for the entire trip to the park.

Yellow tulips to brighten my day. I'm married to a pretty sweet guy.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."  - Marcel Proust

Dabbling In D-I-Y

I've started a DIY list which includes everything from furniture to outdoor candle pillars. Instead of jumping off the deep end (and into the unsupervised use of large power tools), I decided to tackle the easiest item on my list: drawer organizers.

My original intention was to buy small and medium-sized mesh baskets to bring some organization to a few large, shallow drawers throughout the house. When I found out that the price for this type of basket was around $7 each, I decided that a less expensive route would be worth finding. Some quick research showed that people were using everything from craft boards, yardsticks, or rulers to staples, wood glue, or small nails for this type of project.

In the end, the only items I deemed necessary were:

- Thin board (sawed or scored/snapped into appropriate lengths)

- Wood glue

- Messy drawer

Before:

After!

And the best part is, my total on the project was less than $1 per drawer!