asian pears...

we have a beautiful asian pear tree in our front yard, but right before we moved into the house the previous owners pruned it way back.  so last year we did not get a single bloom or pear!  this year i think we will have an overload of fruit!  these are not your normal pears, these are not used for baking, but primarily eating and asian marinades.  i don't believe i have had one yet, so i don't know what to expect, but i when i posted on my community forum about how to use them people went nuts, so i hope i fall in love with the taste and texture as it won't be what you are used to in a pear!  and we will have plenty to share with our neighbor and friends!

bowie green thumb...

although we had rain in the morning it ended up being a nice afternoon.  wilfred wanted to go outside and bowie couldn't resist herself.  although not as warm as i would like it to be the sun was out and we did some gardening.  mommy pulled weeds and replanted some daffodils and bowie got her tools and helped out!  she did not get her green thumb from me, but i love her enthusiasm for the outdoors and wanting to help in the garden!

28 weeks!!!

oh yes, welcome third trimester and all the fun that goes along with it!  this has been a hard week on me physically.  lots of aches, pains and discomforts, none of which i remember having with bowie, at least not this bad.  i had to take zantac almost everyday for heartburn and on top of it i had a head cold that turned into a sinus infection.  the pain from the sinus infection was so terrible just touching my face would set me into tears.  so yah, hard week all around. 

my belly is getting bigger everyday, at least it feels that way.  i still do not have the linea negra line down my belly and no stretch marks either.  this little guy is so active all the time and his movements are so big they feel violent!  i had a rough week sleeping, mostly because i was sick, but i am finding it very difficult to get up and down out of bed or from any position really, but rolling around in bed from one side to the other is hard.  however, when i lay on my right side, i get an aching pain in my belly that is very uncomfortable.  i am not sure why or what it is, but it definitely helps keep me sleeping on my left side which is favorable for baby. 

i am full on nesting and feeling like we have a limited amount of time to get through my list.  i am in a purging mode to get rid of anything that takes up space, isn't being used or useful.  i've sold quite a lot over the last few weeks and it is such a good feeling!  with the weather starting to get nice, we need to finish any small house projects before we turn our attention on the yard projects and maintaining the property.  i have been disinfecting like crazy, all the toys!!!  jarad installed a new light fixture in the dinning room and 3 ceiling fans in the 3 bedrooms that face the lake, these get warm in summer!  he also ordered some window shades for the same three bedrooms to reduce the sunlight that comes in to keep them cooler as well.  i am so glad to have these done as it will be a huge help and way more comfortable for us all when we have a newborn in summer!  my father in law is talking about making a solo visit in may to help jarad with some house projects and some painting projects so that we can really get a handle on things before this lil guy arrives.  and as the time gets closer i am gonna treat myself to having a professional come out and do a deep clean on the house!  i am really good at keeping the house clean, i am OCD, so i can't help it.  but that doesn't include things like wiping out the fridge, cleaning baseboards, washing windows, etc.  so i am super excited for this! 

i am finding that the days i push myself and am on my feet all day i will feel it at night and pay for it greatly.  i have been taking epsom salt baths almost every night before bed, which i love.  this week i really wanted a good deli sandwich.  but it was more than just the sandwich i wanted some good macaroni salad with salty potato chips.  jarad and i looked all over the internet to find the right spot and we ended up going on a food adventure over the weekend and tried 2 different places.  not totally what i had in mind, but it was fun, good food and it satisfied my craving.  good thing we will be going to california soon and i will put this on my list of must have foods to get!

weight gain this week = lost 1 pound
total weight gain = 5 pounds

baby milestones this week...

~baby is getting better at controlling body temp
~almost 16 inches tall
~baby's adrenal glands are now secreting androgen which will signal my body to begin lactation
~baby is packing on fat
~baby is dreaming and moving in and out of REM sleep cycles
~baby is size of an eggplant and weighs over 2.5 pounds

silent tragedy???

my friend posted this article on social media recently and i found it to be a short but great read.  so many of the points listed are things that really hit home for jarad and i when it comes to our parenting style.  they are things that are we feel so strongly about that they were deciding factors when we were considering moving.  parenthood is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs and raising our family is one of my biggest accomplishments!

check out the article here

project piece...

today i made my first trip ever to the hobby lobby store!  and wow, i was in total sensory overload walking up and down each aisle!  i can't believe i have never been here before, but this store was amazing!  it is like a home goods meets michaels craft store!  they had the cutest home decor and even some amazing small furniture pieces!  i could have walked out with half the store, but i held back.  instead i got some beautiful fabric to use for reupholstering 2 project pieces i have.  and i completed one of them this afternoon!  nothing makes you feel more accomplished than a good DIY project!  jarad got me a great new staple gun, which makes this kind of task so much easier!  i don't know if you remember my old post from before christmas on a a cool chair i got for the other head of our dinning room table, but it was looking outdated with its fabric seat, so i gave i a new makeover and i am quite proud!

last week jarad also encouraged me to get a new light fixture for the dinning room.  something i have been wanting to do for a while now, but i haven't found the right one yet.  we had an outdated brass tulip chandelier in there before and although not hideous, i really wanted to update the feel. i have been wanting to get an edison bulb chandelier that i think will really complete the look of the dinning room, and i finally found one that i really liked.  so he installed it last night and i am in love!  i am excited to clean up the room and make it sparkle, so excuse the mess, but i can check off 2 things from my big to do list!  thank you jarad for pushing me to finally order a new fixture and installing it! 

pure happiness!!!

it is days like today that make your heart so full it could burst!  woke up from a nap and we played outside for hours, and lucky for us we got to enjoy it with jarad since he comes home extra early on fridays!  it doesn't get better than sunshine, planting flowers with my girl, wilfred sun bathing and bubbles and balls with daddy!  these are the days i live for!  oh yah, and she got to prance around in her "big girl panties" as it seemed like a great opportunity to introduce potty training as she is showing a lot of interest in it! 

fruit and veggie wash...

love this stuff from trader joes, $3.99 a bottle to get your fruits and veggies super clean!