The belly...

31 weeks, 3 days (6/12/10)

Don't you love the way G is standing sideways just like Momma?!

The belly is growing rapidly and I'm starting to nest (bought my first pack of diapers after hearing that a friend went into labor at 33 1/2 weeks)! I have to admit, the bump sometimes causes a few problems. First, I almost burned my tummy when I was cooking. It's exactly the right height/girthy-ness to bump into my skillets...Oops!

Next, I was spitting out toothpaste and the belly was blocking the sink so I had to change my shirt...Oops #2! Then, and this one is much more traumatic, I feel at the swimming pool after G's swim lesson and rolled around like a beached whale trying to stand back up. Those of you who are momma's out there remember how you have to get a little momentum from one direction, then roll on your side, and push up with your elbow to get up (there is NO bending at the waist at this point). Well, imagine doing that while your 2 year old stands over you asking "What happened Momma?" Oh, and imagine being in a bathing suit with your wobbly bits hanging out. Not cool, not cool at all. Anyway, I'm enjoying having the company in my belly. I remember after G was born feeling a little lost without the wiggles and bumps. I also know that this is the calm before the storm and she's never going to be easier to take care of than she is now, safe and sound in my tummy!

Uh-oh...

G has started saying "Too bad, so sad" when I ask her to do something she doesn't want to do. My kiddo is definitely two years old.

My hot mess!

Sewing...

I have always known that I would like to do something that reaults in a finished product.. When I was little my grandma would show us how to crochet (although I never remembered much from one lesson to the next) and I LOVED playing with her antique manual foot pedal machine. Anyway, there has been a tiny bit of sewing here and there in the last few years but now I am in project mode! I have been sewing a diaper bag (although I have nightmares that the first time I actually use it with my newborn and toddler the bottom will fall out and all my stuff will be on the floor of the grocery store!). I am so, so, so close to being finished but ran out of thread. Bummer. It is the first time I have used a pattern (or made a bag for that matter) since 7th grade home-ec and has been quite an experience. More on that project when its finished (and it WILL get finished!).

The other night, J was sitting alert and I needed a project so instead of doing one of the million things that needed to be done, I decided to make a library book bag for G and I to keep all of our library goodies. I used some fabric that I've had for a couple of years and I think it turned out really great. I got the pattern from the Moda Bake Shop, left off most of the pockets, and added a top border to make the bag a little bit bigger. Unfortunately, I wasn't using a charm pack so I had to cut my squares but I did it all in just 3 short hours after G went to bed. I had so much fun and was so pleased with the outcome that we went to the library the very next day just so I could use it! Yay for me!

I'm also working on a Christmas quilt and I want to make these "Flats" as soon as the diaper bag is finished. I'm hoping that this is a hobby that will give me a sense of completion in life and bring enjoyment. If it turns into a chore I will quit. You heard me, I reserve the right to be a quitter! :-)

Rain, rain, go away...

...or stay. Look at all the fun we're having!

We've been having thunderstorms pretty much every day here. That means that we've had lots of inside time. So, The G has been doing some little projects. There has been fingerpainting,


fishing (we made these with our painted papers, some thread, chopsticks, paper clips, and magnets),
and an impromptu ice cream shop.

All good things to do when the power goes out for a few hours in the middle of the afternoon!!!

Roughing it...

Our new place on base

Kitchen/dining (please ignore the stuff)


Living room (there will not be curtains hung, most pics will not go up, decorating will be minimal for our brief stay -- SOOOO, ignore all the blank walls and icky metal mini-blinds)

So there are a few things about living on base that I love...
-walking to the playground
-walking to the pool
-J being home 5 minutes after he leaves work
-running my AC without feeling guilty about the bill

But the house is a bit smaller that our old house and offers a few challenges...
-there is no sprayer on the kitchen sink (I thought that would only be an issue in England!)
-the living room is a little tight when G's toys are spread out everywhere
-there are no drawers in the bathrooms (I do not like leaving my toothbrush on the counter)
-the showerhead don't have near the umph that our old one did

I'm sure that at any given moment I could add to these lists. But this biggest issue of all is our dryer. I should actually say "lack of" a dryer. We sold our washer/dryer with our house which was a blessing. They were NOT in good shape and we wanted to get new when we moved anyway. But, I discovered while I was scouting for new ones that the dryers in Las Vegas usually hook up to gas, not electricity. What?!? I'm from the midwest, we rarely do gas anything in our houses! Anyway, this left us with a bit of a conundrum. So, we bought a washer (which I like so far...our clothes are visibly cleaner) but no dryer. We can't get an electric dryer for base housing to use for 5 months (only 4 now!) then buy a gas dryer when we get to Vegas. Bummer. So, I have no dryer. I am hanging all our clothes. It is not only time consuming but you can't do a "quick" load. If I want a certain shirt, I have to allow a whole day for drying time. Its too humid here for a clothesline, plus the last time I dried something outside there was an unfortunate incident. But, even worse than the time it takes is the fact that my clothes are all crusty feeling. Oh, and the towels are even worse! We need to look into renting a dryer for the rest of our time here but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. It is a MUST before Baby 2 makes her appearance because I still remember all the spit-up and blow-outs that caused us to use 3 to 4 (or 5 or 6) outfits every day. Anyway, since we're talking house stuff, I included a few shots of our new digs.

Last but not least, the laundry room with a LONELY washer and a sad little drying rack