Roughly 38 weeks.

in

I think I'm going to be pregnant forever. Baby boy seems pretty comfortable in there, and it just wouldn't be my life if for some random reason I just looked like this forever, even after he's born. I just will forever have a basketball under my shirt, and no clothes will ever fit me well every again. I can't believe we have just two weeks left (hopefully) until the big day. We asked the doctor for an estimate on his weight, and he guessed just under six pounds. If he's accurate, and if the little guy comes when he's supposed to, we're going to have just under a seven pound babe on our hands!

I was really hoping he would have been born over the weekend, to make selling our Chris Young tickets worth it. We went to the doctor on Friday and got told that I was no more dilated than Brandon was, and we still don't have the baby, so I'm pretty bummed that we sold our tickets. No Cassadee Pope, no Dan + Shay, and no baby. Luckily, we had a really fun and productive weekend to make up for it. Friday night I went and got dinner and a pedicure with friends. Saturday, we went to the corn maze, picked out pumpkins, and made caramel apple slices! We spent Sunday morning cleaning and getting the house in tip-top shape, then went and watched Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in Imax that afternoon. And that night we bought curtains for our living room. We were both wanting to do that before the baby came, so it's nice to have it done; they make the room feel cozier and ready for winter!

Brandon is home sick today, and I wish I was there with him. Especially since I found out yesterday that my district doesn't pay out unused sick days; I'll be losing out on four :(  but it's okay! People are still finding out that I'm not coming back after the baby, and next week is my last week, so it's good for me to be here. Probably. I guess. Thankfully, tomorrow is a short day, then we don't have school Thursday or Friday for fall break! I'm looking forward to some much needed time off. 

Crying over spilled fruit.

in

The original draft of this post was titled "all the hormones" which basically explains the current title. Last night we went to the store to buy a few groceries, and I decided that chocolate covered strawberries and bananas sounded sooo good. We went home, dipped the fruit, ate dinner, then watched tv for a bit before we decided it was time for dessert. I had to run downstairs real quick to use the bathroom (story of my life lately), and Brandon started down the stairs right as I was going up them, and we heard a loud crash. Went upstairs to find that Milo had pulled the parchment paper down, and the fruit was all over the floor. I started to help Brandon clean it up, then just got way too sad about the whole situation and cried for literally ten minutes. I swear, these hormones are going to kill me.

Past that, I have been feeling pretty emotional about a lot of things lately. Our hospital bags are packed, so I'm excited to meet the babe and see his cute face and give him a name! We've been talking a lot about how our holiday season will be different having the little guy in our house, spending it as a family of three rather than the two of us combined with our extended family. It will be quiet and peaceful and snuggly (hopefully), and we're looking forward to the change. Despite all these aches and pains that accompany the third trimester, I am feeling really grateful for my body lately, and all the things it has done to care for and protect the baby. It really is the strangest, coolest thing. That being said, I'm super looking forward to being able to work out again. I know it will be the middle of winter, but as soon as the doctor clears me, I'm getting a gym membership and getting my butt back in shape.

These past 36 (what?) weeks have gone so fast, and there are a lot of things that have been great about them, and a few things that have just been mediocre, but I'll tell you what, I'm looking forward to not having quite so many emotions, at least not about silly things like dessert falling on the floor.

PS. Sorry all my pictures are just lame mirror selfies. I don't like asking Brandon to take pictures!!

Ten things.

in
 
 

1. We spent the weekend in Logan with our families, and it was such a good time. My parents came down for the homecoming game, so we spent all day Saturday and Sunday morning with them and had a blast. We stayed at Brandon's parents' house though, so we were able to get in some good quality time with them too.
2. Brandon's side of the family threw me a baby shower on Friday and it was the greatest! We ate good food, played games, and they just showered our guy with love. He's such a lucky little guy to have so many people love him before they even know him!
3. My dad bought himself a foam finger to take to the game, and it was probably the highlight of that whole day. It made him so happy. And me.
4. We only have five weeks left until we get to meet our little man!! I keep having dreams about him and I just love him so much, it's overwhelming.
5. He gave us a little bit of a scare on Sunday, because I didn't feel him move all day as much as he normally does. Even after a diet coke, I didn't feel him. It wasn't until like 8:30 that night that I felt him wiggle, but even then it was slight. So we went to the doctor early Monday morning, just to be safe, and he looks just great! He must have just been having a chill day.
6. The other bright side, other than him being healthy and great, is that they did an ultrasound, so we got to see his sweet face. We haven't seen him since our 20 week appointment, so it was fun to see how much has developed. I think he looks so much like Brandon; they have the same nose and same lips. But I'm so excited to see him in real life so soon!
7. I gave my notice of resignation at work yesterday. For the most part, it's only people in the office that know for now. I gave them just under five weeks notice so they have plenty of time to replace me. It feels weird to think about not working, but then I remember how much of a struggle it has been to get out of bed every day this week and feel better about it.
8. If anybody from Boise is reading this and wants two tickets to Chris Young, we are selling ours. I decided that I don't want to risk going into labor so far from home, even though it was to see two of my favorite artists of all time (Cassadee Pope and Dan + Shay). And if anyone is going to the concert and wants to take a cardboard cutout of me to have Cassadee take a picture with, let me know.
9. We made these caramel apple nachos for the shower at my parents' house, and I can't stop thinking about them.
10. We're officially home from now until...who knows when. Our plans for the next four weekends consist of prepping for the baby and relaxing. It's going to be so weird to not have any major plans or have to drive anywhere...we're looking forward to it!

33 weeks.

in ,

We're actually closing in on 34 weeks, but it has been a while since I posted last!  Life has been crazy busy lately, which we knew was going to happen. Starting the weekend we helped my brother move into his apartment, we had plans every single weekend until October 1st. Now we're two weddings and two baby showers down, and we only have six weeks until the little guy arrives. It's nuts, I tell you. Absolute nuts. 

My best friends threw me the cutest Classic Mickey themed shower two weekends ago (pictures to come) and it was so fun! We played games, ate some tasty snacks, and most importantly, had girl time and were able to talk without all the guys there! It really was so fun; they are the best! Then, this last Friday, my mom threw me a baby shower in Boise! Even though it wasn't really cold outside, it was sort of fall themed, with woodland animals and soup and caramel apples. It wasn't structured like a traditional shower, so we didn't play games, and it wasn't just for the ladies, which was a nice change! There were a few activities, like advice cards for me and Brandon, and well wishes for the babe, but mostly it was nice to sit and talk to people I hadn't seen for a while. It was nice to just be in Boise for a while and have family time, too. We had the shower, did some shopping, saw my brother and wife's new place, and just kind of relaxed. Adrian came home from Logan for the weekend too, so it was good to have the whole family together! 

This Friday, the Robbins side of the family is throwing me a shower! My parents are also coming to Logan on Friday, so we can go to the homecoming game on Saturday. It's going to be another busy weekend! But we are looking forward to more family time before we have to hole up for the winter. 

Nothing too exciting is happening pregnancy-wise. I have this upper back pain that sets in between noon and two every day and won't go away until I'm laying down, but thankfully Caroline got me this body pillow that I have just started carrying around the house with me when I'm home. All I want to eat lately is half-baked Ben and Jerry's, but I'm trying really hard to not eat only that. It's lame. Also, lately I just feel like a turtle stuck on its back; it's getting harder and harder to sit up on my own haha. People keep asking how I'm feeling, and honestly I'm feeling pretty good still! I've starting to panic a little bit when I think about how close we are getting to November 2nd, because how the heck am I supposed to take care of a baby? Who decided that trusting me with a kid was a good idea?! What if I'm a bad mom?!?!?!?!? But for now, I'll just let Ben and Jerry comfort me through my worries. And my giant pillow.

Little brother's wedding.

Almost three years ago during Christmas break, Brandon and I went to Boise to spend the holiday with my family. The older of my two brothers had been dating someone for a few months, and I had yet to meet her, so I was looking forward to that opportunity while we were there. I remember telling him "when I meet her, I'm going to hug her. I don't care if you don't want me to, I'm going to do it." And then I got sick. Like, real sick. So I decided maybe not to infect her with my germs the first time we met. But then she came over to my parents house with her bright, beaming smile, and you know what she said/did? She said "he said you told him you were going to hug me, and I don't care if you're sick" and then she hugged me anyway. The tightest, best hug I've ever been given by a random stranger. And I've loved her so much ever since.

Their wedding day seemed like a long time coming. They have been together almost as long as Brandon and I have been married, and they are inseparable, so for ever it kind of just seemed like they already had been married for a while. Let me tell you, being able to see these two exchange vows and rings and be all dressed up was so great, but nothing will top watching the way they looked at each other and interacted with each other that entire evening. Weddings are always great, but I cried tears of joy seeing how happy the two of them make each other. I'm so so happy for my brother that he found someone that makes him as happy as Brandon makes me. And also so happy that his wife is amazing. We seriously couldn't have asked for anyone better to be a part of our family.

I had to share a few pictures from that day, because I seriously just love looking at how happy they are. They are just cell phone quality, and they really don't do the setting justice, but the setting on the beach wasn't nearly as great as just watching these two be together. Happy marriage, lovebirds.

Single digits.

in

Today marks kind of a significant milestone, in my opinion anyway. We are at 31 weeks, which means we only have nine weeks left! Single digit number of weeks!! I just think that's so crazy.

A couple of noticeable changes within the last week or so. One, my upper back, like up between my shoulder blades, hurts if I sit for too long. It always starts around 2:00 in the afternoon or so, and the only way I can make it not hurt is by laying on the floor. It's annoying. Second, my appetite is starting to come back! I think I may have lost a little weight on vacation (on accident) and because of that, it seemed like I hadn't been gaining any weight since we got back from New York. Thankfully though, I weighed myself yesterday and the number has gone up (never thought I'd be thankful for that). And even better, I want to eat now! And I actually find myself wanting ice cream, the thought of it doesn't repulse me anymore, which is a huge bonus. We're on the home stretch! And so excited!! 

Last weekend we went to Idaho Falls for my cousin's wedding. It was such a great day, and I'm so happy for her and her new husband! He's really great, and the four of us get along so well, I'm excited for us to hang out all the time and travel together. It was a quick trip for a day full of wedding festivities, but it was really a great celebration. And it was nice to have time with family too. We got back from Idaho Falls Saturday afternoon, just in time to clean the house a little bit, then head downtown for dinner and Newsies with Brandon's family. I was so impressed with the play!

This weekend we are headed to Lake Tahoe to see my little brother get married!!! They are having the ceremony right on the beach, and it's just going to be beautiful. I really am so excited!! It will be a long drive (especially if I have to stop and go to the bathroom as much as I do at work), but so worth it. This will be weekend #2 of our crazy busy weekends, and we're looking forward to every second of it!

Update: First random craving of the whole pregnancy. You know the popcorn seasonings? One of the movie theaters in Boise has (or at least they used to) a whole slew of them, and I just want to go stand over them and inhale deeply. Brandon told me he would buy me a package so I can just lick it, but I swear I won't stoop that low. So gross. So random.

Poppin' Tums like candy.

in

Brandon laughs at me all the time because I have started calling Tums my special candy. But until I start eating other candy, that's what it's going to be called! Sometime around the middle of June, I started getting heartburn frequently. I had never really had heartburn before, so I had never taken Tums, and avoided them like the plague. That is until we were on the bus ride home from Mount Vernon and I had heartburn so bad I thought I was going to be sick. Now I love Tums like a pregnant lady loves...all the things. Don't even try and stop me.

Anyway, this week is going painfully yet blissfully slow so far. Our anniversary weekend was quite nice. We spent Friday night putting a recliner in the nursery, and just relaxing. Saturday we went shopping for some wedding gifts and baby things, then got our traditional Costa for lunch. After relaxing for a little bit, we rearranged the nursery and I am so happy with it. We only have two walls that we can put things on, but for some reason, swapping the crib and the dresser to opposite walls made a HUGE difference. I'm so pleased with it! Then we went to Hobby Lobby and spent waaaay too much time/money picking out pieces for baby boy's gallery wall. He's so spoiled already, I love it. And that night we got Little Caesar's and watched Angry Birds. We really know how to live.

Sunday we made the quick drive up to Logan and spent a couple hours with Brandon's family before meeting my parents and brother in town! Adrian is starting at Utah State next week, so we helped move him into his apartment, then showed him where all his classes will be this semester. It's so fun to think that he will be making memories in so many of the same places that I did. 

Last night was just really nice, because we both got home at the same time, had dinner not in front of the tv (which happens pretty frequently, but definitely not the majority of the time), got the house all clean, hung some pictures in the nursery, and then just hung out the rest of the night. It wasn't one of those nights where I felt like we were going to bed as soon as we got home, so it was great.

I'm looking forward to the rest of this week and the weekend, but mostly in hopes that we'll find plenty of time to relax and just hang out together!

 

Don't mind Milo. He thinks he is the baby.

 
 
 

Five years.

in

The older I get the faster time seems to go. I'm sure this is true for everyone, but I can't get over it. It seems like just yesterday I was this goofy little nineteen year old trying to casually flirt with my shift manager at the movie theater, and here we are, almost six years later, married for five years.

We've had a lot of fun lately thinking about all the things we have done/accomplished in our time together. We've lived in three different cities, had 14 different jobs between the two of us, have taken 14 trips together, bought two houses, adopted two cats, and now are just a little over 10 weeks away from meeting our first child. We always joked that we would be waiting seven to ten years before we started having kids, and even though that was definitely not true, it would have been so easy to continue spending time just the two of us. We have so much fun together regardless of what we're doing, and we've loved traveling, trying new things, and just exploring together. We don't intend to slow down once we have the baby, but I will always cherish these past five years that we've had to ourselves!

Onto the sappy stuff: 
I honestly couldn't have asked for a better person to hang out with for the rest of my life. He is smart, silly, hard working, adventurous, funny, sweet, and so many other things. I love how hard he works to make sure we never have to settle for anything, and I know that when it comes to providing for our family, he will never let us down. I love how he is always willing to do things for others. I love that he never complains when I ask him to help fold the laundry, vacuum, or switch sides of the bed with me six times throughout the night. I love that I can never stay mad at him for too long, no matter how hard I try, because he always either does something nice or makes me laugh. 

He really is the best. Anyone that can put up with as much sassiness, tears, and bad jokes as he does from me is someone special, and I'm glad I snatched up a good one before someone else did. Love you, B.

 
 

Friday again??

in

It seems like just yesterday I was complaining about having to go back to work, and  now here I am, three weeks done already. The last few weeks have been a little busy, which is normal for us, but also so fun! Brandon went to New Orleans for the first few days but since he got home we have been trying to soak up the last little bit of summer before the cooler weather starts to hit. We went to Aggie Night at the Bee's baseball game, went to a balloon launch and the glow later that night, made smores, and went for a nice little walk around the lake in Daybreak last night. It's finally not blazing hot, so I can actually stand to go outside at night for longer than five minutes, thankfully. I have been so tired lately, and I feel like all I want to do after work is lay around and then just go to bed at like 8:30, so I'm grateful for the nights that we can venture outside!

We also have been busy busy busy getting the babe's room ready for him! The crib and dresser were set up before the end of July, but since then we have bought some art for his walls, a changing pad, and an 8 cube shelf for his closet with some cute bins. I can't wait to stuff those bins full of toys. We already have a few books for him on the shelf, and I just am getting more and more excited every day. We're kind of in the home stretch now; third trimester, and Wednesday next week means we only have ten weeks left!  It's so crazy. All the teachers back at work keep telling me how cute my bump is, but I just am more excited to see how cute our little guy is. We don't have another appointment for a few weeks, but I know it will come quick with our busy schedule coming up. 

This weekend is our five year anniversary! I can't believe it has already been five years; where does the time go? We're celebrating by picking up the rocker for the nursery, probably Costa, and maybe a movie. My little brother is relocating to Logan on Sunday, so we're going to meet my family there and help him move in! Next weekend we have a wedding to go to, and the weekend after that my other brother is getting married (!!!) and honestly before we know it, it's going to be October. Life is crazy, but I can't wait for everything we have coming up!