a slice of our day

packages are wrapped (and shipped!)

tree is up and lighted - ornaments tomorrow

long, SLOW walk was taken around the neighborhood

dog was dressed up in the santa suit that still doesn't fit

The Ref was been watched

oh - and we ate at In and Out Burger

all in all, a fabulous day-after-Thanksgiving. and the only shopping involved was picking up the tree! perfect. :)

so thankful for...

this quiet, peaceful morning with my very cuddly family
the growing, wiggly soon-t0-be newest member of this cuddly family
the amazing friendships we share with so many all over our country
the love and support our big families shower on us
the smell of fresh rain made cozy by the flicker of scented candles in the window
the freedoms we don't even realize we have, but enjoy whether we realize it or not
the safety of our friends who are 'over there'

and the list goes on, but for now my boiling potatoes (and the Macy's parade!) are begging for my attention-
xoxo

less than 3 weeks now....

and all is looking great says the midwife. now we get to enjoy as the seconds tick by and giggle with anticipation when we wake up every day thinking - tomorrow we could be back here in bed with a new baby in our arms.

we are embracing a nice 4 day weekend and doing just enough to celebrate our blessings with dear friends from illinois. beyond that, just tossing up an appropriate amount of holiday decor and looking forward to a visit from my best lady next weekend. much love and blessings to all!

let it happen

well, Sunday night was interesting - i was having what i've heard described as early labor discomforts and was wondering what monday would hold. obviously monday was just monday, but what that night did for me was finally force me to get the last couple of things done that really needed to be done before he comes (appts with pediatricians, set some things up for the condo in jax, etc) so we don't have to be worried about them. well they're done and now everything feels better. feels like i can finally just sit back, relax and enjoy being pregnant for the last few weeks (or days?). spending this afternoon finishing my last 5 gifts with some hand-stitching and sewing machine magic and listening to christmas music (before Reid comes home and rolls his eyes since its not Thanksgiving yet).

please keep Isaac and his girlfriend Gina in your prayers. Isaac is having some severely uncomfortable health issues right now and the doctors are stumped (its been going on and changing/morphing for a few months). anyway, Isaac is Reid's best friend from Hopedale, IL if you didn't know and Gina is his amazing lady in Phoenix (where they live) and she is doing amazing things, along with his mom Linda to try and figure out what's going on and find a doctor that knows (and cares) what to do to fix this instead of just make physical pain go away. we love them all very much and are praying Isaac will be comforted soon - or at least diagnosed so they can work towards getting past this frustrating phase. Gina and Isaac - keep your spirits up and stay strong. you guys are amazing.

super awesome weekend

sister's secret destination trip turned out to be Carlsbad, CA - woo woo! i love having her and matt here for visits. and this visit was extra special - they got engaged on saturday night. congratulations and a major-huge YAY to Matt and Ellyn!

we went to the Marine Corps ball on saturday night and as always had a lovely time. it is sort of ridiculous to be 8 months pregnant and wear a formal gown though. i did rock heels all night (even if it did involve sitting out of the dancing - all my dancing muscles are apparently busy with something else)....

can you believe Thanksgiving is just a few days away?

and we are still considering maybe going to Phoenix for a visit to Isaac and Gina. we are going to decide wednesday afternoon.

(the devil horns in the photo at right are because Reid's squadron is the "Red Devils" and all the wives bust out their horns for events like this)

things to be excited about

-making homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner.
-sleeping in with Reid on Saturday.
-getting all dressed up for the ball.
-weather getting cooler again.
-not knowing when the little man will choose his day!
-sharing thanksgiving with college friends
- finally finishing my big homemade gift project tomorrow
-spending a weekend with alison!

have a great 'secret destination' trip, little sister! xoxo

denial - in the good way

i went shoe shopping today to find shoes to put with my dress for the Marine Corps Ball this Saturday when I will be 36 weeks, 4 days pregnant.

i really wanted to buy these....

but instead I bought these....deciding i refused to be too pregnant for heels. and amazingly, they are comfortable. but i probably won't be dancing on any tables ;)

"due" in 4 weeks....

that is starting to seem like it might be too far from now. :)

be still

in the midst of our excitement for the baby who is weeks away from arriving and our preparation for the holidays coming up and family that will arrive with it, i think i've finally hit my mark. my list is slimming - slowly - but slimming nonetheless with some of the more hefty projects/items fully in swing or about completed. so now my focus has to shift to awareness of being still. i am failing miserably. last night reid grabbed me by the hand, led me to the couch and told me to lay down. good husband. i am bad at listening to his advice during the day though. as friday afternoon is coming to a close, i am finally going to listen - to him and to my body and decide its ok. to sit and be still and relax and even embrace the word lazy for the next few weeks. of course things still need to be done. and they will be done. but maybe not all in one day. or maybe not just right now as i sometimes get stuck thinking. knowing myself, i know not all of this is necessity - a lot of it is me needing to be doing things so that my brain doesn't explode thinking about what is to come. but some of that is ok. so for tonight, i will sit and relax and maybe read or maybe knit, but definitely be still. hoping you can find a still moment in your weekend to enjoy as well.

busy cooking - banana cupcake with cream cheese frosting recipe

so the homemade chicken pot pies were definitely a hit (and of course, leftover filling for freezing for later)! i must have been in a frenzy this afternoon ... i don't know what i was thinking but i also baked 2 loaves of banana bread to donate to a bake sale to raise money for our command's childrens' Christmas party and.....indulged myself and made those banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. it was all easy - but i ended up on my feet for longer than they wanted me to be and so i am off to crumple into bed for the night. maye it was the four brown/grumpy bananas sitting in my fruit bowl beckoning to be used. sweet dreams.

changing like the seasons - oreo truffles and red velvet cake recipes

its funny how you change over the course of 9 months....other than the obvious "physical development" taking place (my doula actually referred to me as "busty" yesterday - anyone who knew me pre-baby knows i generally walk around looking like a 13 year old boy in the "bustiness" department. obviously, reid and i laughed out loud at the adjective she chose to describe me). at the beginning, my so called cravings involved fresh fruit and vegetables and everything healthy. cookies, sweets, fried things all disgusted me. well, now i am mostly interested in making, or at least daydreaming about things like this recipe for oreo truffles and this recipe for red velvet cake and most definitely THIS recipe for banana cupcakes with frosting. that's all i want. And maybe some cheese. i have always loved cheese and do not intend to end my loyalty now. i am thrilled to be in this phase of pregnancy at the holidays because it is so easy to indulge all of my desires and then some. :) of course i need to whip up a batch of cookies immediately. its almost Thanksgiving, you can't not have fresh cookies in the house, right? good thing my knitting is keeping me busy or i'd be in some serious trouble in the baked goods consumption department!

time for the holiday scented housewarmers :)

if you look out the window, it feels like an illinois wintery day. outside its about 60 but its blustery and rainy-ish and just perfect for making delicious soup. and THIS soup from Smitten Kitchen is about the easiest soup that gives you delicious results, perfect for dipping some bread into and looking out at the chilly day. Ellyn, you can totally whip this up in about no time. :) this candle flavor is also quite good - for making the entire house smell quite fabulous.

we're going to try this casserole for dinner since Reid likes this soup from the OG, and probably freeze half for a baby day in january when no one wants to cook. why didn't i start doing this a long time ago? i have no idea - but am loving the new freeze half of what you make for dinner policy. i am going to love it even more in a couple of months, I'm sure!

and, i found these d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s. fleece sweat pants for $10 at Target (also got them in black) and they are big enough for my baby-bum AND cute so i am pretty much in heaven. :) yippee!! as for the weather, now that i'm armed with my new pants and a bowl of hot soup, i say - bluster away!

proper weekending.

who doesn't love a crisp, sunny morning? and waking up every day now with more and more joy and anticipation is something i am loving.

happy weekend! we'll be busy bustling around whittling down that 'to do before baby comes' list balanced out nicely with some sitting around relaxing to college football and a hours of knitting for baby conklin. can't get any better. especially 4 days in a row!

taking joy in the little (and big!) changes

i am still surprised when i look in the mirror - he is taking up more and more space!
seeing little piles of this around the house makes me very excited

halloween 08

if you haven't seen the movie Juno, this won't be funny....

Juno and Paulie Bleeker

our costume - Reid's shorts are definitely not short enough ;)

housewifely flair

seriously - 54 free apron patterns? so great! my Grandma Jan always has on aprons. or housecoats. and she's always puttering about the kitchen whipping up some masterpiece without any recipe at all as she's clearly made it a million trillion times. i've never really been into them for myself for whatever reason, but they always look so cute on her. and then my Aunt Kathy had me put one on over the baby and now i am thinking suddenly they are sort of amazing and everyone should definitely own one.

there's also a really neat book The Apron Book that has patterns and photos and histories of people's aprons and what they mean to them. its seriously history and people's identities all rolled into one. "Aprons take us back to our favorite place-hearth and home. Vintage aprons help us remember home and family the way they used to be, while bright and sassy contemporary aprons confirm that nesting is all the rage. " it makes me smile that wearing an apron all day every day used to be the norm - and still is for some people. i need to find and make my perfect apron so i can be part of that history. do you have any happy memories of aprons on your favorite ladies of yesteryear?

and looking at this picture that wasn't taken all that long ago, this baby man inside me has certainly grown A LOT.

do something about it!

thanks to Soulemama's new blog Mama To Mama, I have found my new favorite way to make a difference...through craftivism!

Project Linus <-- check it out, I'm really excited about this! Be a Blanketeer (from Project Linus website)
"Our volunteers, known as “blanketeers,” provide new, handmade, washable blankets to be given as gifts to seriously ill and traumatized children, ages 0-18. It is Project Linus’ policy to accept blankets of all sizes, depending on local chapter needs. All styles of blankets are welcome, including quilts, tied comforters, fleece blankets, crocheted or knitted afghans, and receiving blankets in child-friendly colors. Always remember that blankets must be homemade, washable, free of pins, and come from smoke-free environments due to allergy reasons.
To help you get started, we have compiled a special page just for you that has many popular patterns. This page also has links to several web sites that sell items to help you make blankets and quilts. Many of these web sites offer special discounts to friends of Project Linus and also donate a percentage of their Project Linus sales back to us. Be sure to check our Patterns / Links page for details.
If you are interested in getting involved, refer to our Chapter Listings page for a chapter near you. If you need additional information please check our FAQs page. If you still have questions or just want to contact us then see our Contact Us page."

a taste of Sunday - donut muffin recipe

i most definitely made these for breakfast this morning and it was cool enough we all could enjoy them outside on the patio. Baxter was particularly interested in tasting one.


it was so beautiful today - it even rained, just the light-can-barely-tell-its-raining kind of rain but you can definitely smell! in fact, i smelled it first....then glanced out the window on a whim and saw the spattering on the brick patio. and then proceeded to head outside barefoot and sit cross-legged on top of our patio table under the big umbrella and just sucked in that delicious fresh rain smell. the rest of the evening is being spent on the knitting project and relaxing before monday strikes.

i think this post is exciting.....not particularly due to the content (although the making of sugar skulls to celebrate the day of the dead does sound like a neat process), but because there are other moms out there who are exciting about teaching their kids about cultural celebrations around the world. i love the Mexican day of the dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration - that is all about honoring their ancestors. if you know me, you know i pretty much love every tradition and cultural ideology originating in central and south America. maybe someday i will be lucky enough to be IN Mexico, experiencing this celebration myself.


poor Baxter - Reid put his "Paulie Bleeker" costume wig on the dog when we got home from our halloween party friday night. if any of our friends send us a picture of our costumes, i'll share - but i definitely forgot the camera battery in the charger.

things i don't mind admitting

in no particular order (and get ready for some random!):
a. since its my first ever knitting project, it is less difficult for me to announce that i cast on too many stitches to this blanket and after adding 6 rows (which look quite beautiful if i say it myself), i am announcing that i am starting over. and this time, i will count much more carefully. and perhaps listen to music instead of trying to watch a movie while knitting. my brain is not ready for that much activity at one time apparently.

b. i love talking to my best friend. if life going on around us could pause indefinitely, i am quite positive we could fill hours chatting. maybe even days. with minimal bathroom breaks. it would obviously be way better if we were doing it from a porch swing while drinking lemonade or sitting on the side of a cliff with the wind in our faces, but i will settle for the cell phone. and am thankful for the minutes (and sometimes hours = yay!) we can dedicate to just being friends.

c. my legs feel like barbie legs. you know, how they are sort of just detachable if you accidentally pull on them too hard trying to dress them. the books said this would happen, but now i think i know what they mean - i mean my hips feel just crazy like literally i could just take my legs out of the socket and leave them somewhere for awhile. its the wierdest thing. and oh, am i slowing down indeed! i am encouraged knowing that all of this is supposed to happen (and that it is not permanent!)

d. i'm ready for Christmas. its a day past Halloween and it is time. for Christmas music and Christmas cookies and Christmas trees and Christmas cards and ribbon and scented candles. something about all of that is so comforting and homey and absolutely delicious. no matter where you are, these things make it feel like home. that's such a great term because it has nothing to do with the house you live in. :)

e. i like to go in the unfinished baby room and just stare at stuff. and imagine what life will become in a matter of days (the official count is 45 days people. nuts).

could you please tell me some of your favorite Christmas songs/artists/collections? i'm in dire need of an updated Christmas tune playlist. thanks and happy weekend.