Dear Baby Boy... 20 Weeks

Dear Baby Boy,

Oh, we're halfway there! Oh-oh! Livin' on a prayer!!

That's right my little dumpling, we've made it to 20 weeks, officially halfway through this pregnancy! One morning this week while your daddy was at work I laid in bed with my hand on my stomach and I could feel you moving from the outside! But Daddy hasn't been able to feel it yet, so kick harder in there, my little punter!

Right now you are about the size of a melon or little cantaloupe. You gulp down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And your taste buds work! Studies have shown that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Which means Mommy needs to start thinking about what I'd like you to eat as I prepare my own lunch!

To be honest, it's been kind of a rough week. I've been fighting a sore throat that your daddy was kind enough to share with me, and I haven't been sleeping well at all. I haven't been to prenatal yoga in two weeks, and I'm tired and stressed about getting ready for the holidays. But we're spending Christmas with your grandparents and I'm so excited! If only I can get everything ready in time for us to head south after the Hawks game on Sunday.

I've been seeing so many adorable things I want to buy you for Christmas, and I'm saving up all my ideas for next year. I saw all the kids lined up to see Santa at the mall yesterday, and I couldn't help imaging what it will be like to do that with you next year. It's strange to think that this Christmas will be the last one your daddy and I will spend "just the two of us." But even now, already, you are so much a part of our lives! Daddy talks to you all the time, and he's always concerned that I am getting enough rest, exercise, and healthy foods to keep you growing strong.   

 Happy Holidays, my precious darling!

Love Always,

Mommy

 

 

 

Live & Learn -- What Not to Wear

Welcome to another edition of

Live & Learn Thursday!

Join the party... follow your hosts and link up your post!

Today I'm kind of doing a combo Throwback Thursday post, highlighting some of the more tragic moments in my fashion history. Get ready for a giggle.

And please excuse the quality of all images... these are scans from photos that came out of boxes and old crappy photo albums in my den. Also, if I had time to get a hold of the albums at my mom's house... whoa, would you be in for a treat!

Ah yes... here I am in San Francisco on a trip vising my aunt when I was about seven. I think we're actually on a tour of Alcatraz Island. There are so many radical things about this outfit. Let's start at the bottom with my laceless black KEDS over white athletic socks. And although you can't tell in this photo, those jeans are actually dark purple, and I'm wearing some sort of pink clasping belt. Of course, its kind of hidden by the extremely amazing, electric colored FANNY PACK that I am rocking! And the pink Batman shirt? Who knows where it came from because I don't even remember being into Batman, but I obviously wore it loud and proud. My hair is accessorized by one of those thick puffy headbands that were so popular at the time, and then a magenta windbreaker tops the whole thing off. Stylin'.

Although I'm sure I could share a lot more '80s awesomeness with you, those photos are at my parent's house, so let's fast forward to about thirteen years old. Here I am in Port Townsend on vacation with my darling friend Brooke (remember our recent trip to Denver?) looking fabulous. Cut off, high-waisted jean shorts and what I remember calling "baby doll tees." Also, notice how my hair is pulled back using those little plastic barrettes that are made for infants. That phase lasted for about a year I think. Awesomesauce. 

And here I am at about fourteen. Apparently my style changed some between seventh and eighth grades. As awful as this baggy monstrosity is, honestly... think about it. Wouldn't you rather your daughter leave the house dressed like this (with all her bits covered up) instead of how teenage girls are dressing now, with their butts hanging out of teeny tiny shorts and their faces slathered with more makeup and self tanner than Kim Kardashian? Also, I am cracking up seeing all my posters of Andrew Keegan on my bedroom wall... Oh, how I loved that guy.

Aaaaaand... here's where my dad started to get annoyed. Really though, this is not a good look for anyone. Those were my absolute FAVORITE jeans when I was about fifteen, and I wore them to school most days. They were probably a size seven and I needed a size zero. But honestly, everyone was rockin' that "boxers showing underneath your pants" look, so I really didn't look that out of place, I swear! This was also during the epitome of my Calvin Klein phase -- I'm wearing a Calvin Klein Jeans t-shirt and I probably bathed in CK One before this photo was taken. Life was very serious for me at this point... can you tell by the expression on my face?

At least I look a little happier by this point (likely freshman year of high school), but as you can see I'm still hanging onto the baggy bottom, teeny tiny top look. Except now I'm wearing overalls (yee-haw!) and apparently the ugliest shade of dark red lipstick I could find. And I can't even look at my eyebrows without cringing... Somebody get that girl to a waxer ASAP! If you look closely you can also see that I'm wearing multiple rings on every single one of my fingers. Yet I have no earrings on... Odd.

About halfway through high school I decided baggy jeans were no longer attractive, and by the time freshman year of college rolled around, I had apparently decided that the tighter and higher, the better. Good grief!! Stewart calls this style of jeans "long butt" which I think is the same thing as "mom jeans." Why, oh why, didn't someone tell me that wearing skin tight jeans up to my belly button was not a good look? Especially paired with teeny tiny tops that didn't even cover my midriff. Eyeyeye.

So there you have it... just a few "What Not to Wear" moments from the first couple decades of my life. I'd like to say that things have improved since then, but to be honest I'll probably look back at photos of myself now in about 20 years and cringe just as much as I am right now.

Live & Learn, people.

Problems with Boots

I have a major problem with boots.

 

First of all, let me clarify to say that I LOVE them and would honestly wear boots every single day if I could. Heels, wedges, flats, short, tall, dressy, casual, cowboy... you name it, I adore them.

 

But here is my problem...

 

I have huge calves.

 

At least I think that's the problem. In any case, about 75 percent of the time when I purchase boots I cannot get the darn things to zip up over my calves. And this is before I put skinny jeans or leggings underneath them. And although I love them, one can only have so many pairs of short and mid-height boots. I want TALL ones! It really is a tragic dilemma.

 

I have been wanting some tall, black, wedge boots for the longest time. And guess what... for my birthday my mom gave me these beauties...

 

 

Jessica Simpson Becki Wedge Boots from Macy's

They were exactly what I had been dreaming about!
I rushed to try them on, already envisioning all the outfits I could pair them with. And then came the sting... The all-too-familiar pinch of the zipper hitting max capacity and the skin of my calf beginning to pucker and bulge above the top of the boot. My fat calves were not allowing the zipper to close.

 

I wiggled my toes sadly in the perfect size 6.5 bottom section of the boot and then sadly pulled it off.

 

First world problems.

 

BUT I MUST HAVE THESE BOOTS!!

 

Why, oh why, is this be such a challenge for me?! I'm going to take them to Macy's this week to see if they are available to order in "wide calf," but if not I'm outta luck and will just have to return them.

 

Sigh.

 

Linking up with Lindsey (a day late) for Must Have Monday!

 

One Lovely Blog

A while back, the one lovely Michelle generously nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award.

Thanks a million for this sweet and thoughtful nomination!
 

 

The Rules

Thank the one that nominated you. Thanks Michelle! {check}

Put up the picture for the One Lovely Blog Award. See above... {check}

Tell everyone seven things about yourself. See below... {check}
Nominate seven other people and tell them you have nominated them! See below... {check}

Seven Things About Me

{1} When Stewart and I were traveling in Europe in 2010 we randomly saw Lady Gaga outside Temple Bar one night in Dublin. We also saw Mike Tyson in the Iceland airport. It was a good trip for celebrity sightings!

{2} One of the reasons my mom chose the name "Sarah" is because it can't be easily shortened or "nicknamed." She hates nicknames but I love them and I've always wished I had more! Some people call me "Sarahbeth" for "Sarah Elizabeth" but that's not really the same...

{3} I can't whistle. Like, at all. I also can't really snap my fingers very well. Don't worry, I have other talents.

{4} Speaking of talents, I can pretty much recite verbatim every single animated Disney movie that was released between 1989 and 1994. Seriously, I did it along with The Little Mermaid the other night for Stew and he was seriously impressed! And of course I do the musical numbers, too. Duh.
 

{5} I am super OCD about answering blog comments. I have to answer them chronologically in the order they were received, and for each one I send a response plus a comment back on the sender's blog (wherever applicable). When I get behind on answering blog comments it gives me massive anxiety.

{6} I own three huge bins full of collector edition Barbie dolls in the original packaging. I started collecting them when I was in high school and I have no idea what I'm going to do with them now! Maybe if the next baby is a girl I'll give them to her and someone can finally play with them!

{7} After graduating from college I lost the 40 pounds I gained over those four years. I don't think anything has ever made me feel better about myself. Needless to say, I am now super conscious of my weight, nutrition, and exercise habits. Something I never had to do before my damn metabolism slowed down... ugh!!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little more about me! Sorry my answers are kind of lengthy, but being pithy has never been my strength. If you made it to the end, mad props.

Seven Amazing Nominees

{1} Jodi @ Love and Crayons

{2} Amanda @ Voyage of the MeeMee

{3} Susannah @ Simple Moments Stick

{4} Becky @ Rebeckann's Random Thoughts

{5} Jenni @ Flying on a Rainbow

{6} Lindsey @ The Crafty Practitioner

{7} Jamie @ You Gotta Have Hart

I totally understand if you'd prefer not to participate, but if you're interested, I'd love to learn a little more about you! One of my favorite things about blogging is making connections with all of YOU, and I appreciate you coming here to my little corner of the internet to get to know me as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Dear Baby Boy... 19 Weeks

Dear Baby Boy,

I'd say this has been our most epic week so far, wouldn't you?! I already knew I loved you, but when I saw your sweet, precious little face on the screen during our ultrasound it was like a piece of my soul broke off or something... I just cried and cried over how much I adore you.

Your daddy and I were so surprised to learn that you are a boy! For some reason we had been picturing ourselves with a daughter, but now that I know about my little man I can't imagine myself with anyone else. We even know what your name is, but we decided to keep it a secret from the world until you are born... Shhhhh!!!

Before I got pregnant (when I was wondering whether I'd ever be capable of being a parent) I thought that carrying a child would be incredibly strange. I worried that I wouldn't be able to reconcile the idea of having another tiny human inside my body. In fact, I actually worried that my body would somehow reject you! But now that you're growing away in there I often find myself absolutely consumed with protective instincts toward you. I feel myself curling protectively around you, attempting to enclose and protect the two of us from the outside world. I feel like keeping you warm, safe, healthy, ALIVE is the most important job I've ever had, and I'm determined to do the very best I can.

The rest of the ultrasound went great (apparently the doc had loftier goals besides seeing your penis and getting a great profile pic) and all of your parts seem to be in the correct places and are working normally. Also, your prenatal risk screen came back normal, which means that your risk for Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18 and spina bifida is lower than average. You're such a healthy baby boy already... good work!

 I'm so glad that we finally got to see your precious face, my darling baby boy!

Love Always,

Mommy

Live & Learn -- The Name Game

Welcome to another edition of

Live & Learn Thursday!

This week I wanted to share something silly that happened to us over Thanksgiving. Stew's Aunt Arleen showed up for dinner with a super sweet gift for us: the Baby Names Book! Of course the first thing we did was start looking up every single family member's name, starting with the Alway boys.

First was Stew's oldest brother: 
Mark -- Latin, derived from Mars, the Roman god of war.

Then his middle brother:
Matthew -- Hebrew, "gift of the lord."

And finally the baby brother:
Stewart -- Old English, "household servant."

OH NO, poor Stewie!! Tee hee.

And then we looked up my name:
Sarah -- Hebrew, "princess."

Well that about sums it up...
The Princess and the Household Servant!

I couldn't believe I had never looked up the meaning of my husband's name before! 

Live & Learn!

We'll definitely be careful when choosing our son's name, I think. What does your name mean?

Wanna Know Wednesday

My brain is kind of frazzled after yesterday's big news... (We're having a Baby Boy!!!) so I'm joining Kenzie for her fun and easy link up, "We Want to Know Wednesday." I hope you enjoy...

  

{one}

Dinner and a movie: what do you eat and what kind of movie do you watch?

We rarely rent movies to watch at home, but occasionally we'll go to the movies if there is something we REALLY want to see on the big screen. And in that case, we like to make a night of it by doing dinner and simultaneously with the movie at someplace like Cinebarre. We order bar food: burgers, pizza, fries (sometimes even fried pickles!) and then eat them during the movie. The last couple we saw like this were Captain Phillips and Catching Fire. Otherwise we like to watch 3D IMAX movies in the theater, and the most recent one of those we saw was Gravity... totally worth it!

{two}

Name your favorite actor and actress.

Maybe it's because I just saw him in Captain Phillips, but I was talking the other day with someone about what an amazing actor Tom Hanks is. Honestly, he's been in about eleventy billion blockbusters since I was a little kid, and he just keeps cranking them out! I love that guy...

Remember this movie?! One of my absolute favorites.

 I'm on a huge Mila Kunis kick right now, which is weird, because I actually hated her for all those years on That '70s Show. There are so many others I could name (Natalie Portman, Jennifer Connelly, Kate Hudson...), but I guess Mila is my fave right now.

Around the time Black Swan was filmed... I loved her in that.

{three}

Will you watch any old Christmas movie or do you stick to the classics?

I'm actually very picky about my Christmas movies, and I do tend to stick to the classics. Here are some I never miss, and I pretty much won't watch any others. (I'll save my very, very favorite for the next question...)

It's A Wonderful Life
A Christmas Story
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the Dr. Seuss, not Jim Carey, version)
The Polar Express (newer to the list but I've always read the book)
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Home Alone
Frosty the Snowman
Elf (also newer to the list)
Miracle on 34th Street
The Santa Clause

{four}

What is your favorite holiday movie?

My Christmas is never complete without A Muppet Family Christmas (NOT to be confused with The Muppet Christmas Carol). This is actually a TV special that premiered on December 16, 1987 on ABC. I saw it live with my parents and little sister and it has stuck with me ever since that magical evening. This is one of the very few Muppet productions to feature Muppets associated with all four of the major Muppet franchises: The Muppet Show, Seasame Street, Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies... all of my VERY FAVORITE SHOWS! I literally thought I died and went to heaven seeing them all together, celebrating the holidays and singing. This special also features an onscreen guest cameo by Jim Henson (love!)

It took me years to track this movie down on VHS when I was a teenager, and I think I paid upwards of $100 for a bootleg original. But it's since been released on DVD, and you should be able to find it if you're interested. You won't regret it, I promise.

{five}

Tell us one holiday tradition you have.

When Stewart and I were first dating we started giving each other Christmas ornaments every year, and the tradition stuck. We've also expanded it to include ornaments that we gather on various trips throughout the year. Looking at them together when we decorate the tree is always so much fun!!


Well there you have it, another round of We Want to Know Wednesday. I hope you enjoyed that spew of randomness.

Happy Hump Day my friends!

Best birthday ever with my BABY BOY!

This was absolutely the most amazing birthday present I have ever received in my whole life.

Holiday Must Haves

We decorated the house for Christmas last weekend, and I must say we are seriously lacking in decorations. I guess that happens when you more than triple your square footage. But I told myself that this year I wasn't going to go broke decorating our new house for the holidays. Instead, I'm making do with what we have, and then hitting the after holiday sales for all the amazing steals and deals. That doesn't mean I don't wish for things, though...



I've been seeing sets of these adorable silver reindeer everywhere, and I am dying to pick some up for our mantle...



And I've had my eye on this Christmas wreath card holder from Amazon for YEARS...
I just think it's such a great way to display all the lovely personalized cards we always receive.

 

Now, if I were craftier, I would suck it up and create some DIY holiday decorations. But let's face it, that's not likely to happen in this lifetime. However, in an alternate universe, here are a couple I'd love to make...

Aren't these so pretty? I thought this was such a cute idea, and it would look great on top of our bar.
I suppose this one would be pretty easy and inexpensive...
Maybe I should think about trying to throw something together. Not likely...

If you're new here, you may not be aware of my obsession with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
But my friend Katie sent me this via Pinterest last week and I've been thinking about it ever since...
So radical!

Okee dokie, there you have it, some of my current holiday must haves (I'm linking up with Lindsey today for Must Have Monday).


Oh, and just to give you a glimpse, here are some of the decorations we actually did put up this year... it's sparse, but please don't judge!
  

 

 

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to.

Just kidding... although I do kind of want to cry about turning 32 next week, I sucked it up for my big birthday bowling bash last night.

 

The older I get, the more vividly I am beginning to remember my birthday parties. I'm not actually sure if this is a good or a bad thing. Anyway, last night my darling friend Alissa was kind enough to organize a birthday party for me at Acme Bowl, a huge bowling and billiards place down in Tukwila.

 

All of our bestest friends and even a bunch of family showed up for the party. I am a huge bowling nerd, so this was pretty much exactly how I wanted to spend my birthday... will all my favorite people, doing something nerdy and fun.

 

 

Staying sober actually wasn't half bad, and after most of the big crowd left we stayed late with a smaller group and took over a shuffleboard table in one of the back bars. Have y'all ever played this game before?! I hadn't, but it was SO MUCH FUN. I am now addicted and will seek it out in any place I visit in the future.

 

Aside

I got a new cover for my iPhone (Seahawks, obvi) and it seems to be blocking my flash or something, because every photo I take now is overexposed and terrible! So I do apologize for the quality of these images. My phone used to take great photos... I've got to get this figured out.

 

It's been a busy weekend!

Yesterday morning we volunteered at the annual firefighters Toys for Kids drive, decorated the house for Christmas, and then rushed out of the house for my party. This morning I am on my way in to the office for a few hours to get some work done on a couple proposals I have due this week, and then we're off to Brett & Haley's to watch the Hawks spank the 49ers (I hope!). Maybe after that I'll be able to get a couple things done around the house before I start another crazy week...

 

I sure hope that all of you are having wonderful weekends out there... stay warm!

 

Dear Baby... 18 Weeks

Dear Baby,

It doesn't seem like a whole week has gone by since the last time I wrote you! But know you're growing in there... I'm feeling a lot of fluttering and light thumping sensations, which must be you trying to get my attention. You're most active in the evening, a far as I can tell. And you're growing, of course!

This week you are about five and a half inches long and weigh almost seven ounces... apparently that's about the size of a bell pepper or a sweet potato (depending on the website). You pass the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, punching, sucking and swallowing. I need to remind your Daddy that now that you can hear what's going on outside the womb (sorry about all Grandpa's cursing at Thanksgiving), it's time to get out the tunes! Your favorites will be classical and lullabies (or anything else that resembles your own thumping heart at about 60 beats per minute), but I think you'll probably be hearing some Macklemore, too.

We got the results from the heart monitor test, and it showed that I am having frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). This is when the heart has an extra beat, which is what has been making me feel like my heart is pounding all the time. Apparently it can be more frequent in pregnancy, and no further testing or treatment are needed at this time. Whew! I was really worried that something bad was going on and it was putting stress on you in some way. I'm glad we seem to be doing okay.

I'm so excited for the upcoming week! Saturday morning we're volunteering at a holiday toy drive, and then heading to my birthday bowling party to hang with some of our very favorite people. I will officially be 32 years old when you are born... not too old, I suppose, but old enough! Sunday is the big game against the 49ers, and we'll try to keep the shouting to a minimum, but I can't promise anything. And then on Tuesday you'll give me the best birthday present EVER, when we get to find out if you are a boy or a girl! For now we're just calling you Marshawn, and we won't reveal your true name to the world until after you are born... it's our little secret!

Daddy and I are getting ready to decorate the house for Christmas, and I just can't stop thinking about next year, and how much more magical the holidays will be with you in our lives.

Stay warm in there, because Baby, it's cold outside!

Love Always,

Mommy

 

Live & Learn -- Like A Virgin

That's right folks, it's the day you've all been waiting for...

Live & Learn Thursday!


Join the party!

It's easy... just follow your hosts and link up your post! And don't forget to grab our super cute button.

Today I thought I'd start things off on a lighter note by sharing a story I was telling my co-workers the other day at lunch.

Disclaimer
I was an extremely sheltered child in the '80s. This was before the days of Urban Dictionary and social media, and I was not even allowed to watch commercial television until probably middle school. So I may have been a bit less informed than my peers about a few things...

One afternoon in fifth grade I was sitting with my table group with three other students... a girl and two boys. The boys started to tease us with silly questions, and I'm sure I did my best to flirt back coyly as only a sheltered 10-year-old can manage. Then they dropped the bomb...

"Are you a virgin?"

I looked helplessly at the girl next to me, who snapped "Yes!" and then looked down at the table... no help at all.

I thought hard. My only association with the word "virgin" had to do with my religious upbringing, and the Virgin Mary. I used deductive reasoning. I was not an Isrealite Jewish woman from Nazareth, I had never trekked across the desert to pay my taxes, and I certainly did not give birth to the Christ Child in a manger (conceived miraculously by the Holy Spirit). In fact, the whole concept of conception and sexual intercourse had only been introduced to me in the past couple years, and they certainly didn't seem like anything I wanted any part of.

So obviously, "virgin" I was not.

I answered no.

And you can guess what happened next: one of the most mortifying and confusing moments of my life. The kids howled with laughter and began whispering my answer to nearby table groups. Horrified, but unable to understand why my response was incorrect, I stubbornly refused to change or explain my virginity status, face beet red and tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

Kids can be so cruel.

I don't exactly remember the details, but I'm sure after school I went right to my mother and learned the proper definition of the word "virgin," and I certainly never made that mistake again.

Ah... Live & Learn.

Poor, naïve, 10-year-old Sarah... sigh.

Oh, and I have another fantastic surprise for you... for this first week of the link up, Lindsey has generously decided to do a giveaway from her Etsy shop: an adorable custom chalk board! Definitely enter below to get in on that...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And of course, join the party and link on up! 
And don't forget to show your hosts (Jamie, Lindsey, and Jenni) some love...

This or That -- Home Edition

Today I'm linking up with Kristine for This or That, the Home Edition. These were fun questions for me to answer because I am currently in the process of making our new house into a home. It's been quite a process! Okay, here we go...

 

Screened in porch or wrap around deck?

I'm actually not a huge fan of either one, surprisingly! I LOVE bright, natural light, and I find that with a porch or deck a lot of that is taken away from inside the house. I'm really more of a patio person, which is what we have in our backyard. But I guess if I had to choose it would be a wrap around deck. We're not much for screened in porches in this part of the country... aren't those just for keeping out bugs?

Big luxurious bathtub or huge walk-in closet?

Oh, this one is a no-brainer. I've used our big luxurious bathtub exactly ONE TIME since moving into our new house. It was pretty boring and I didn't exactly see the point, but I thought I might as well try the thing out. I didn't even want it, but our realtor advised that we put one in for re-sale value later on. But for now it's really just a waste of space and a collection place for laundry that should really be residing in my huge walk-in closet, which I absolutely love.

Kitchen with an island or kitchen with a breakfast bar?

What exactly is the difference? Here is an early photo of our kitchen (still under construction, sorry for all the dust) which shows what we have... I think it's more of an island? Anyway, it is exactly what I wanted and it's been great. I find that when people get together, for whatever reason they always want to hang out in the kitchen. So this works out perfectly... our kitchen is open to the living room and people can hang out at the bar without being in my way while I prepare delicious foods make cocktails.

Big front yard or big back yard?

I was so happy to learn that our house would be situated at the front of our lot, because I could honestly care less about a front yard. I don't care about gardening, so now there's not much for me to maintain, and also it meant that most of the outdoor square footage would be in back, where we entertain and plan to have our kids play. We had a big patio poured for barbecues and lounging, but we still have a large grassy area that works for lawn games and maybe a dog (in the future). Then, as an added bonus, we also got the hill area above the rock wall. I'm thinking about putting a custom play structure up there one day...

Bountiful garden or nearby grocery store?

Tee hee hee... this is a funny one for me. Have you heard that I kill things? Every time I try to grow something, it dies. So it would basically be a huge ridiculous joke if I tried to grow anything edible in my yard. Don't get me wrong... I would love to have a bountiful garden on my property and eat fresh produce every single day, but it's just never going to happen. However, I also loathe grocery shopping and avoid it whenever possible. So for me the perfect solution has been weekly organic produce delivery! A box of fresh, delicious yummies arrives on my porch every Thursday morning so I don't have to worry about gardens OR grocery stores (at least not as often). I highly recommend it.

How about you? What are your preferences when it comes to your home?
I know I'm in the minority about the bath thing...