keeping it real.

Maybe you just found out you are pregnant and couldn't be more excited. Maybe you're just hitting the second trimester and starting to feel great. Maybe you just hit the third trimester and have only gained 10lbs so far. Well...I'm really, really happy for you. Like really. No, but seriously...

Today, I'm going down the road less traveled. I'm taking John Mayer's advice and "saying what I need to say." Today I am going to share the inner monologue (read: crazy) of a woman (read: me) well into her third trimester (read: 38 weeks 6 days). Why? Because, I'm pregnant...still. And because I figure it will be nice to be able look back and remember this (ha).

So without further explanation needed, here are some thoughts that one might find flying out of my mouth running through my head these days...

• On my body and bodily functions...
• I can't reach or even see my toes, so I'm gonna just say it's okay that they aren't perfectly pedicured.
• Oops, I forgot to shave my legs. Good thing no one will be looking at my legs.
• If I get up now, I'll just have to get up again in an hour. I'll just try to hold it.
• Time for my pregnancy cocktail (aka prentatal vitamin, dha pill and colace)!
• How far back in my family tree should I be cursing for the spider web of stretch marks that have appeared on my belly/behind/bust?
• How fast do these things fade?
• I'll never wear a bikini again.
• I'm disgusting.
• Hey, stranger! You literally pointing at me and laughing as I walk by you to get into the pool (to try to swim myself into labor) is NOT the confidence boost I needed.
• You're mean, and you should know better.
• Your daughter is really cute.
• Jerk.
• On food...
• It's okay to have a second dessert, because the first one didn't have that many calories.
• I would give my first born to be able to eat a turkey sandwich with cheese and avocado on toast right now.
• Why couldn't I be one of those women who gets so full after a few bites of anything?
• I can out eat anyone.
• Challenge accepted.
• The baby needs it.
• On pregnancy, labor and delivery...
• Somebody get this foot out of my ribs. Please.
• I'm sorry for doing this to you when you were pregnant with me, Mom.
• Payback is a bitch.
• Baby hiccups, while reassuring, are also really annoying.
• Especially when they happen three times a day.
• They should not tell you 37 weeks is full term.
• They should say, "your baby will be ready to come no sooner than 40 weeks," because if your baby doesn't fall out of you the moment you hit 37 weeks, you get sort of depressed. 
• I could potentially have this baby in me for another month!?!
• Kill myself.
• 0 cm?
• Funny. Check again.
• Walk, sex, drive down bumpy roads, eat spicy foods. I will do it.
• Even though that spicy food is going to give me awful, keep-me-up-at-night heartburn, it's worth a shot right?
• Is it possible to OD on Tums?
• I need to get this baby out of me as soon as possible.
• I'm really scared to get this baby out of me.
• On post-partum...
• Put _____ on the list of things I want as soon as I push this baby out.
• Can you bring beer to the hospital? 
• We should probably pick up a few different kinds.
• I get all of the cash in the alcohol budget for the month I push the baby out.

If you have found or currently find yourself in my situation (within spitting distance of pushing a baby out), please feel free to add your thoughts/comments!

Disclaimer for all you blissfully happy, super skinny, no stretch marks, still running 5 miles a day, vegetable-eating preggos for anyone who doesn't agree with/like what they just read or who thinks I'm not excited/grateful/thrilled to be pregnant/at the end/a mother: I'm just keeping it real.

from pin to project: lost socks board.

My Pin: Lost Socks Board

                                          Source: makiacreations.com via Allison on Pinterest

My Project: Lost Socks Board

Adorable framed quote: courtesy of my best friend, Iris.
Socks that look dirty, even though they are clean: courtesy of my husband.

I tried this: May 2012

Alterations: I screwed eye hooks into the top to thread the twine through, so the board would lay flat. And I think I used a larger piece of wood.

Thoughts: I really like my lost sock board. I like that it keeps matchless socks from recirculating through the laundry and also keeps them out of Lilypad's mouth. But if I could go back and do this project again, I would do a better job of gluing down my (burlap print) paper to the board before modge-podging over it. Also, I would be more meticulous about getting my letter stickers/words centered on the board (it's doesn't look so bad, but I'm a little obsessive). Finally, I wish I had used larger letter stickers (mine were about 1 inch tall; I think my pin must have used 2 inch tall stickers or a smaller board). All in all, though, I'm satisfied with this project!

from pin to project: lemon blueberry scones.

My Pin: Lemon Blueberry Scones

                                                           Source: littlemissmomma.com via Allison on Pinterest

My Project: Lemon Blueberry Scones

I tried this: May 2012

Alterations: I formed the dough into a flattened circle, approximately eight inches wide and two inches thick, and cut it like a pizza (since I didn't have a good cutout to use).

Thoughts: These scones, thought up by the super-inspiring Jacqui at Baby Boy Bakery and featured on one of my favorite blogs- Little Miss Momma, were super light, flavorful and fabulous (an awesome surprise, considering the last time I ate a scone it was a dense, dry but tasty brick from Starbucks). I served them to my in-laws over Memorial Day Weekend brunch. They were a huge hit; I'm pretty sure my father-in-law ate a minimum of six scones himself, before the weekend was out. Very impressive! I preferred my scones baked to a very golden brown on top, because the dough was so thick I worried about it being baked all the way through. Next time I will glaze only as we eat them, because in the meantime I felt like the leftovers got a tiny bit soggy. Although it was my first and only time ever making scones, this is my go-to scone recipe. Can't wait to try some ingredient alterations!

from pin to project: burp cloths.

My Pin: Easy Burp Cloths

                                            Source: craftaholicsanonymous.net via Allison on Pinterest

My Project: Minky Burp Cloths

I tried this: May 2012

Alterations: I used minky fabric (instead of chenile).

Thoughts: I said I wouldn't, but I did. I used minky again. I was determined to get a better grasp on this fabric. I went crazy pinning my fabric together, placing pins one inch apart (which kept the minky from stretching and sliding as I pulled them out to sew). The finished product is a really nice sized burp cloth (not some rinky-dink mini-cloth that doesn't cover your clothes). Washing after sewing shrinks the cotton, but not the minky (so even if you have extra cotton fabric v. minky after sewing, it works itself out quite a bit after going through the drier). I really love these.

on being ready.

I'm 36 weeks pregnant this week. That means in, hopefully, about four-ish weeks our girl-baby will be born and home with Andrew and me and the puppies. Our lives will never be the same in about four weeks. FOUR WEEKS!

I can't believe it. I remember taking the pregnancy test last October like it was yesterday. I remember sitting down at our dining room table and calling our families to share the news. I remember thinking, "Nine months is such a long time. It's a good thing you get that long before you get a baby, because it gives you enough time to get used to the idea of being a parent for the rest of your life." Nine months later, I can hardly wrap my head around it, let alone feel ready for it.

Andy and I have been sitting in our almost-complete (just waiting for the crib to be delivered) nursery at night (in our awesome new glider/recliner) in the dark, with the Twilight Turtle shining purple constellations onto the ceiling...reflecting on the massive change that is about to push it's way out of my body. I say things like, "I can't believe we are going to be her parents. What does being that sleep-deprived feel like? Her foot is underneath my ribs (still); I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore. What are we even going to call this girl-baby??" He says things like, "I can't believe we made this human being that is growing inside of you. What will our parenting style be? What do you do with girl-babies? What will she be doing on a normal night, like right now? How amazing is it that she's 50% you and 50% me?" And then we sit there, staring at the stars on the ceiling, wondering in silence.

It is spellbinding.

I don't think we will feel totally ready to be her parents or sure of the answers to any of our questions until that moment. The moment when we hold her in our arms for the first time, look into her eyes and see one another in them. In our little girl-baby. Our child.

I do know one thing for sure...I am ready for that moment now.

from pin to project: peanut butter chocolate chip muffins.

My Pin: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

                                          Source: annies-eats.com via Allison on Pinterest

My Project: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

I tried this: April 2012

Alterations: I substituted canned pumpkin for half of the butter called for (because I ran out) and added a little bit of veggie oil to the batter to adjust the consistency (gave it some more wetness).

Thoughts: These muffins were a little intimidating at first because they looked too treat-like to be breakfast-y, but this pregnant mama wasn't too scared. They were delicious (albeit a little bit on the dry side). They were really dense, the peanut butter taste was really pronounced without being overly sweet and the chocolate chips were like a party in my mouth. They were awesome with a cold glass of milk, and it was hard to stop after just one muffin. I will definitely make these again, but I need a better way to store them than tupperware (the humidity of GA turns all foods too quickly).