What it'll look like...

...to have two!
These are from last week's playdate with J and her sweet pea, Will. J just sent these to me today. I love the B & W & love it even more that my arms are capable of holding and nurturing two babies.
I've hit a little bit of an emotional roadblock this week, which I feel is the hormones coursing their way through my body. My blood supply has increased by 50%, and the volume of my uterus has grown by 500-1,000 times! No wonder I am tired. What an amazing journey.

And while this may sound bad, I'm grieving that this phase of our lives is nearly over. The one where it's just Wilder. The one that we thought/think is hard sometimes, is about to get harder (but better, too!). Thankfully, Wilder's not going anywhere! And we are giving him a new friend/playmate to be proud of. While we can't predict how we'll find our new normal, we can rely on God's promise that He works for our good.

Blessings to all the mommies today; you are doing a superb job. A+ and a sticker for you!

We're gonna need some work days!

Our weekend was a flurry of busyness (girls night, dinner guests, park, cheesecake, yard work, Wilder portraits, church, a baby shower...) I didn't capture on the Nikon...but Shawn managed some iPhone pics.

I love that his blue sun hat finally fits him. Thanks, Becca! I'm obsessed with keeping this kid's skin protected.
The thing we most needed to accomplish was laundry...and, well, that didn't happen. But we did clean out the fridge! It was a nightmare, but at least no fuzzy stuff. Rotten lettuce in the picture, so look out...this is not for the fainthearted.

Momma, I promise I only bought margarine once, and we didn't even use it all. I always use real butter!
Gross, gross, gross.

We have 6 weekends left to cram in everything we need to do before the baby arrives, 7 if you count the weekend he/she is due. Some of the items on our to-do list include:

~oil change
~finish nursery: purchase mattress/sheets/hamper/storage bins/black-out shades; hang shelves
~print out pics of Wilder from 3-19 months (!)
~or maybe just make one of those Apple photo albums
~finish writing in Wilder's memory book
~organize Wilder's baby clothes by size
~make unfinished basement as clean/guestready as possible
~stock up on breast pads, tucks pads, those "other" pads, cabbage leaves, diapers, wipes
~install new kitchen ceiling fan for blistery summer days
~purge all closets
~haul off twigs/branches/leaves from backyard
~clean windows
~install carseat
~register at hospital
~think of a baby name
~make arrangements for family help with Wilder

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Whew! Shawn, are you reading this?

Want to share your to-do list? Am I totally overdoing it here?

Very truly

Savor the moments before they leave you
Care a trifle less for what dost please you

Share a bubbly toast to success
But take heed that the best
Things in life cannot be explained
They are feelings unconstrained

Savor the moments before they leave you
Make it the purest earthly thing you'll do
Pause for a tick-tocking minute
Think how you've spent it

Time. That valuable commodity
May quiet moments cease as an oddity
Grate your fingers through the gritty sand
Release your bleeding heart into His hand

Touch the boundless, billowy sky
Don't attempt to decipher why
Answers are boring anyway
Tis much more fun to play

And glory in the moments
They are yours.

Yours truly.

~mh

Cookies and walks and playdates and hair in need of highlights.

iPhone photos from Shawn:
Can anyone say root touch-up? Great mercyLord.

Pretty soon I'll be wearin' a baby for our walks. Any tips for a good baby wrap (isn't there a whole baby-wearing phenomenon going on right now? Shall I join the throngs? It looks really complicated & like it hurts the back & the kid can't breathe). I'd like to have something a little less harnessy than the Bjorn, although I still want to use it because it was such an awesome device with Wilder. I'd put him in it then make cookies. I was always so worried about flat-head that it was nice to be "holding" him even though I wasn't.

Blessed to get another playdate today, with J and her son. Wilder's loving all the time with babies; he kissed this boy--a bona fide, gentle, closed-mouth kiss.
But really, who could resist? Yum.
And my food of choice for "breakfast" was cookies and dum-dums.
Gotta start the day with zeal.

Cool and uncool: a list

Things that aren't cool:

I'm lame at taking self-portraits on the Nikon.

See what I mean?
Pregnancy update: I have gained more weight with this baby. It is excruciating to step on the scale at the doctor's office. I'm 33 weeks this Friday, so, moving right along. Doctor said I have more amniotic fluid this time which may be why I feel like the baby moves so much more than Wilder did...this time he/she just has lots more room. And it's also why I'm bigger around and weigh more (ok maybe sugar has played a part, too). The most annoying discomforts are back pain, tiredness, and finding a comfy sleep position. Practice contractions and pressure also prevalent.

The nursery is at a stand-still as Shawn's been working on other things, but we hope to get the crib together, shelves hung, and a few more things taken care of in the next couple of weeks. So bear with me on a picture post!

Back to the uncool things:

The refrigerator stinks. Like, really stinks.

I'm unsure as to which piles of laundry in our room are clean or dirty. Sniff test not the most optimal during pregnancy.

Wilder can't wear pants/shirts pjs because he'll take off his pants/diaper and pee in the bed (prior post). Mission to comb the town for lightweight footed pjs: accomplished.

Things that are cool:

It's green and blue outside and the creatures have come out to play.

I got to hold Calla this week. That was a long time coming.

Passed the glucose test.

Wilder actually asked to help unload the dishwasher. I told him they were dirty but he could help once they were clean (this is a new, fun practice of ours).

Bath time/curly hair.

And if he isn't an exact copy of Shawn, I don't know who is!