Baby Bellies

These are pictures of my friend Heather and I that we took a couple weeks ago. A couple people have asked to see them. There's a ton more but I only wanted to put a couple online. We're both due December 17th with boys. Her belly is sooo much cuter than mine! Mine is the one with the Mamma War Wounds. :)

Counting Down

Counting down to the end of the semester...turned in my second to last photo assignment yesterday, finished up two papers yesterday which I turned in tonight, gave my presentation tonight......found out more about my last photo assignment which I plan to do in the next couple evenings...one final will be taken Thursday along with turning in the last assignment for that class...will receive an email soon regarding the final for tonight's class (I don't plan to be there next week even if the baby hasn't arrived)...need to work more on my online course and complete all those little papers, notes, and the 40 pager...

Here's my latest photography class assignment- Portraits with natural lighting from a window. I needed to have 10 good pictures of my "subject" and Logan's turned out the best. This one was my favorite. I'm also uploading a picture of Shane that I really liked even though the lighting wasn't the best.




The next photo assignment is "blue." No instructions, use our imaginations and creativity, and see what we come up with. I've already thought of a few ideas. Any ideas you want to share with me? I need 25 different "blue" pictures and can use the word however I want to.

Getting Ready for Baby!

The past couple weeks have been very fun! Yes, this means I've been neglecting some of the homework I'm desparately needing to complete...I've been too busy.

A couple weeks ago I hosted a baby shower for my friend Heather. In case I haven't mentioned it enough times-- we're due on the same day, with boys who we're already planning will be best friends. A week or two after Heather's party was my own baby shower given by my friends Toni and Pat and Pat (both Pat Kings). Where has time gone?

This weekend we FINALLY got the baby gifts put away, washed all the newborn clothes, put them all away, painted the metal stars for the wall decor, painted white frames for decorating the opposite wall, and got everything hung. Once everything was put away I even packed my bag for the hospital! I figured it's about time I do that. Overall it was a very productive weekend. However, somehow I'm still feeling overwhelmed at all that I still want to do before baby arrives but I know that if he came today I'd be ready enough to be fine.

I still hope to send thank you notes, wash all the bedding in the upstairs rooms and tidy and dust the downstairs rooms, along with washing that bedding as well. There are other projects I'd like to get to but they'll probably have to wait.

For Thanksgiving we're having the feast at our house. I love to do that! Shaun's parents will come over. They are now planning to bring a ham (and I'm sure a few side dishes as they always do). Shaun is planning to fry a turkey (YUMMY!). I'm planning to make most of my traditional side dishes, using my favorite recipes of course. I'll probably make my cranberry-nut salad, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy (Shaun usually makes the gravy), green bean casserole, my yummy homemade cornbread stuffing, and, uh, whatever else I usually make. I still need to get to the grocery store to buy ingredients for the cranberry-nut salad and the stuffing. I'm pretty sure we have everything else. Oh, and we need more potatoes.

Our friends the Hendrick family will be joining us as well. Michelle plans to make the pies and rolls (I can't wait!). The Kroll family may be joining us but we're not sure yet. I've told my friends that they are welcome to come early and help me make the sides. :) That's the best part of Thanksgiving- cooking together in the kitchen. If I don't die of exhaustion I'm going to LOVE that day. It's always one of my favorite days of the year.

After Thanksgiving I'll be hitting the books again, writing a 40-page paper, finishing a few shorter papers, and giving a presentation (which I've not yet prepared). Fun, Fun. I also have a couple final exams scheduled for next week...I hope to be done with this semester by the end of next week, unless our baby arrives sooner.


Here's a Happy Thanksgiving email I received:

BE SURE TO CLICK ON PUMPKIN PIE
AT THE END.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING

TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.

THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.
TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.

I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

"Click" on PUMPKIN PIE


I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving as much as we will. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Baby Face

Yesterday I had a regular OB appointment and then a sonogram to check the baby's size. I'm about 35 weeks along. The baby's measurements show that he's right in the middle of babies his age and is about where the doctor expected him to be. There's still a chance over the next few weeks that he could get to be a larger baby which we kind of expect. He's currently measuring at 5 lbs 10 oz (I have no idea how they can tell) and doing very well. Above is a picture taken during the quick sonogram. You can see his face so clearly! And yes, he proved to us once again that he's a boy. :)

Favorite Recipe for an Easy "Cheesecake"

After reading a friend's blog post of pumpkin cheesecake (go here) I decided to post this recipe. It's a 10-minute recipe and SUPER easy. My favorite kind! It's from memory so it might not be exact. It's easy to play with though.

Fluffy Pumpkin Cheesecake:
1/2 can pumpkin
1 small container (8oz?) cool whip
1 block cream cheese (8 0z?) softened
1/3 cup sugar
Pumpkin Pie Spice (2 tbsp? start with 2 tsp and see if that's enough-I'm not certain which it is.)
graham cracker crust- I like to use individual pie crusts so I buy or make a few little ones.

Whip ingredients together, put in crust(s). Put in fridge until ready to serve. Always a hit! I usually double the recipe to be sure to have enough. I make this at least once each season at home and quite often for potlucks during the holiday seasons. Enjoy!

I want to try my friend's pumpkin cheesecake but it will have to wait until I have time. She's a wonderful baker so I'm sure it's delicious! I've added it to my mental list of things to do while on maternity leave. Ha! I have so many things that I want to accomplish during that time while I'm home with the new baby, with the kids home from school over break, and then when I start the next semester... I really should write these things down!

My Teenage Son!

This is my baby Shane. I think this picture was taken when he was around 3 months old.





This is my baby Shane now-- At 13 years old!





I cannot believe I am now the mother of a teenaged son. It SCARES me sooo much! So far: I haven't killed him. He hasn't killed me. He's a good, sweet-natured kid. He is extremely fun to be around. He's popular with his friends. He has a wonderful heart and cares a lot for others. He's sensitive but strong. He's my hero. Without him I definately would not be me today. I wouldn't be the mother I have become. I wouldn't be so dedicated to my education. I would not be so strong spiritually. I just wouldn't be me. I cannot imagine my life without this boy. Or my other son Logan of course.

Ok. Teary-eyed, I'll admit I'm getting a bit older, but hopefully also wiser. I could not have imagined my son being 13, 13 years ago. It amazes me! I could go on forever about how I feel today, and yesterday his actual birthday. I won't. Just cry and be happy with me. :)

I'm proud of who my son is and the young man he has become. I hope to always feel this way. I can't imagine anything better. I'm also proud of who he has helped me to become. As a young mother I could not picture the life we have today. We are very happy and safe and secure and that's what matters most. Our family matters most.

Postcard from Home

This was another assignment for my photo class. It was fun and actually fairly easy to do. I mIGHt do something similar for the baby announcement. This is one main picture with several other pictures used to cut out the letters. The second one is the one I was supposed to turn in for the class but I just realized I turned in the wrong one! Either one should be fine though. I'll probably email the second one to the instructor, just in case.

Photo Class

According to my digital photography intructor: "You have a gift." Awwww! I love hearing that. That was his response to my demotivational poster (seen below). To see our class projects you can visit the website he created at: http://www.cloud.edu/academics/art/njones/K_State/index.html

If a link doesn't work then the project has not been assigned, completed, or graded yet. It's fun to see everyone else's work. We have a pretty good class.

Belly Laughs

I receive two weekly emails about pregnancy. Each one contains different information, advice, and ideas. Today's email was from Baby Center. The Baby Center emails are more informative than the others and I like how much information they contain. They are incredibly timely and accurate about all the different things I am experiencing each week. I wish I'd known about these with my last two pregnancies! They probably didn't even exist when I was pregnant with Shane.

Today's email had a fun "belly laugh". They always do, but I really liked this one and wanted to share it. Sometimes they are corny. This one is just so very true! So, here it is:

Last night we set up and cleaned the crib and changing table as well as unpacked the console table we'll be using as a dresser. There wasn't enough room to keep the other dresser in the bedroom so hopefully between the changing table, console, table and closet we'll have enough storage. The room is looking cute. Next we need to buy the mattress and changing table mattress. We decided to leave a huge chair in the room so I'll need to somehow recover it or find a good slip cover. The one it has now doesn't fit and is the wrong color anyway. Is anyone out there good at making slip covers? The only reupholstering I've done was on bar stools which was very simple. This one might be too much for me, especially since I won't be able to bend over to fit the material...

Baby Stuff

According to my weekly Parents Connect email:

34 weeks email (I'll be 34 weeks this Friday.) "the nursery's almost done. You've stocked up on diapers. You're ready. You're waiting. And waiting. And hopefully, if all goes well, you'll be waiting for another six weeks. So don't drive yourself crazy, use this time to enjoy being alone, with friends and with your partner. Because soon it'll be all about baby and you'll wish you had this downtime back."

1-- Nursery: Yes, it's been started. Shaun has painted it a very pretty midnight blue color which looks great. Yesterday and early this morning he cleaned the carpets. Later today he plans to open the huge box containing the table/dresser/storage thing that we purchased in July. Hopefully then he'll paint another dresser we already had to match. I don't think that will get painted today though. Then we need to bring the crib pieces upstairs and assemble them and clean the crib and changing table really well. After that we need to do baby laundry, organize all the baby's stuff (after my baby shower), and get the room finished. YES, I'm nesting now...

2-- Diapers: Yes, we've bought a HUGE box recently at Sam's. We're all set for a while.

3-- Waiting? NOT! I'm happy to wait a few more weeks. I've got too much school work to do between now and then. At work I'm staying on top of things very well and working on an office manual so that what I do is well documented for however is hired as a temp while I'm off for my 12 weeks of maternity leave (YAY!).
At home we're slowly getting things done such as cleaning and organizing both pantries (last weekend). I have more I would like to do before baby is born but with everything else going on we'll see what more we can get completed. Shaun and I plan to take on projects at home as time allows over the next few weeks. Hopefully getting the house picked up and clean will happen as well. I think a tornado recently hit!

4-- Six weeks. Yeah, um, I doubt it. My boys were both early. Shane was born 2 1/2 weeks early and Logan was one week early. If the baby were to be born at the same time in my pregnancy as Shane was he'll be here in four weeks! Wow, time goes by fast. Since Shane was 7-7 and Logan was 8-5 we're expecting this one to be big if born on his due date. So... the doctor has agreed with me that it would be nice to have him a little early. Who chooses to have a baby over nine pounds if they can help it? NOT ME! If I don't go into labor on my own I will most likely be induced a week or so early. I'm fine with that and am just hoping that we won't need to use Petocin. Yesterday a lady who works down the hall from me said he inductions were simple breaking her water each time. I can handle that! If I go into labor on my own I don't think I'll want them to break my water but we'll see what I think at that point.

5-- Alone? Downtime? What the heck is that? I think I've been on the go for the entire pregnancy and have been busier with my family, work, and school than ever before! I'm looking forward to the "downtime" after the baby is born! :)

Demotivation

Ok, still no pictures from this weekend...We used Shaun's camera and I haven't uploaded the pictures he took of the boys on Halloween. I promise to do so soon...however that also means finding room on my completely filled hard drive. Ouch! I desparately need to get a new, much larger, hard drive. The problem I'm having with that, besides spending the money, is that I'm afraid to take care of installing it myself and I'm terrified that I won't have all the files from this one to put onto the new one. I also need to find my CD for Windows so that I have an operating system and do not need to purchase a new one. UGH!

My most recent photography assignment, due just moments ago, was to create a "demotivational poster." If you have seen motivational posters you can probably guess what this is. De-motivational posters can be found for sale or just for show online. The site my instructor sent us to was despair.com. Check it out and have a few good laughs! The assignment was to create one of our own using a photo we have taken and the photo editing software. As you will see at despair.com, some are really funny, and some are tacky. I chose the more tacky route. I couldn't help myself!

My friend Heather and I are both pregnant and due on the same day, with boys. Since I've already had Shaun and my kids in several of the photos I've turned in I thought it would be fun to have one with Heather and I. What better than a tacky demotivational poster? So, I came up with the idea on Friday and she and Jeff, her husband, agreed to be part of my project. They may regret it... I told them my idea and then yesterday, after the baby shower I did for Heather, we set to work. After several photos we came up with a good one for the composition and I had finally stopped having a laughing fit just long enough to get a good shot. It was truly funny seeing us there posed for this and I couldn't stop laughing.

I hope you like it! Tell me what you think. I wish I'd come up with something funnier for the caption but I ran out of time. You'll get the point.