snippets through photos

have i told you that i love October? well, i do. it's my favorite, favorite, triple favorite. because i love fall. i love pumpkins. i love crispy leaves and crispy fall air. i love halloween and creepy witches and cute witches. i love costumes (especially family ensembles). i love how orange and black and purple look together. i love wreathes. i love apple cider and caramel apples. i love my birthday. i love my mom's birthday and sister's birthday. and i'm about to love my daughter's birthday.

now, despite what the stereotypes say about this stage of pregnancy..and it being just a "waiting game," our lil family has been doing anything but that.

partially it's because we've been a big bunch of procrastinators (aka lazy buttheads) when it comes to getting our lives in order (aka ready for another human to claim her space in our fort)-- but partially, it's how i survive. be busy or be dead. (or in my case, either stay busy... or endure sitting on my booty dwelling on the facts that a) my body is too large for comfort no matter what position i am sitting/standing/laying/moving in, b) i am anxious about labor and (gasp!) the pain and recovery (ohhhh, the pain!) and c)  pining over the scary fate that infancy/newbornisms are just around the corner. heaven help. [aka: be busy or be cranky...which means everyone else around me may as well be dead.]).

whoa, i just re-read that paragraph. it's nutty. yes, we are rapidly approaching the due-date, folks.

so, i thought i'd give you some snippets through photos on what we've been keeping busy with (to prove that we are busy and not dead).

(unnecessary side note: i feel like i have used the word dead a lot in this post. it's kind of creeping me out).

laying sod:

(side note: thank you all who helped put that beautiful blanket of green in our backyard. i was getting sick of all the scrapes on my knees...which looked more like a 5 year old's knees than a twenty-whatever-year-olds' from falling in the rocks and trenches.  seriously, i am so thankful for men in situations such as these...for making the dirty sod burden light)

having joy school at our house:

having impromptu costume/dress up parties:

(i have a hard time keeping her out of her dance clothes-- i actually have to hide them or else she starts ripping her own clothes off to put on her tights and skirt and slippers. i wouldn't mind so much if they weren't the only ones we have...hopefully we'll be able to invest in some more in the near future :) )

(ooo, and check out this ensemble....Ellie loves to dress herself these days. "i wanna do it mySELF," says the queen. the result....... )

having impromptu dance parties, multiple times a day:

doing tons and tons and tons of organizing...including: organizing the garage (hallelujah! M is my hero), the pantry (it makes me so sad how fast food goes stale here), the fridge and freezer (i've been a total nut this pregnancy- the fridge has basically been the cleanest place in our house the last nine months because my sniffer has gone all bionic on me, so saying i organized it isn't really saying much), baby clothes, closets closets closets, and Ellie's toys...which turned into a big toy-play fest. we both kinda loved it.

 surviving a depressing season of BYU football:

spending lots and lots of time together- playing hard. have i ever told you how much Ellie loves her dada? well, she does. they are adorable together.

doing girly things like going to a Movie Theatre showing of Beauty and the Beast with my friend Jenny and Ellie's friend Kate. it was so adorable- it was a sing-a-long version of the movie...and Ellie was in heaven. she looovvveeess movies. and felt like such a big girl with all of her treats and drink and Belle doll sitting right next to her. i loved having her snuggle up to me while i explained a lot of it to her. is it just me, or do these Disney movies seem scarier than they did when we were kids? i mean Gaston is evil. and the Beast is freaky. just sayin'.

sewing sewing sewing. i don't know what i was thinking to take on a "time-sensitive project" for my first sewing project EVER...not that the bumper pads have to be done by the time the baby comes...but man, it'd sure be nice. i've always been a little too ambitious, i think. anyway, the last time, Ellie was pretty insistent on helping with the sewing (she's totally into Cinderella right now- and kept pretending the rest of the day that she was like the mice sewing Cinderella's pink dress. it was pretty adorable).

 waking up to a randomly sweet note from my M:

 

i mean, seriously? who thinks to write their groggy 9 months pregnant, snoring, stinky-breathed wife a note to say she looks beautiful? geeze this guy is a keeper.

taking several random trips to Costco...because it's our favorite place. and Ellie ALWAYS wants a hot dog or pizza. like, if i ask her what she wants to eat, she'll say, "Go to Costco? Hot dog & Pizza & nemonade?" and who can beat a $1.50 dinner?

and of course after eating dinner, we always go and play play play...check out the toys...(Ellie loooovved this horse the last time we were there) and stock up on a few essentials. yes, their dinner may be cheaper than dirt, but we're lucky to make it outta there having spent less than $100 bucks. dang Costco. 

going to Jack Johnson (crossing yet another musician off of my bucket list!). it was so fun to hear old faves and new ones too- and to cuddle up next to the hubs remembering so many dates and good times that Jack reminds me of. and can i just say, this concert made me love him even more. he seems like such a down-to-earth guy...talked about his kids and wife...how he's been with her for 17 years (wow!). aside from the constant cloud of marijuana that was everywhere (seriously, what's up with the amount of drugs at concerts?) and the uncomfortable lawn-slant that left bruises on my butt, the concert rocked and i'll definitely be seeing Jack again.

doin' lots of random shoppin'- where Ellie insists on trying on shoes everywhere we go. she is SO my daughter. (i LOVE these Minnie Mouse shoes SO much! oh my gosh, they were to die for).

spending lots and lots of time at the doc's office..which means Ellie getting to spend time with G&G Chapman. she loves Grandma and Grandpa. and their house. and loovvees wearing Grandpa's glasses. she's so lucky to have them. and so are we!

getting my craft-on:

i have a ribbon addiction and have been making lots of cute bows...matchy matchy ones that both Ellie and baby sister can wear. yes, i'm corny like that.

i spent wayyyy more time than necessary burning my fingers and gluing those silly beans on this wreath, following this tutorial...but i'm pretty excited by how it turned out.

and finally, my favorite crafty project--
turning this ugly raw rocking chair:

check out the gold lining on the bars along the back...classy.

into this beauty:

and of course adding lots of other beautiful fun things to our lavender nursery. someday i'll post some pictures of it. :)

getting haircuts: (i finally got one too...and i actually love it. layered. freshly cut bangs. now that i have a hot hair-cut, baby sister can come.) Ellie was so cute getting hers cut. she just sat there...admired herself in the mirror...and kept saying "Ellie's a big girl. my hair-cut is so pretty!" unfortunately, they cut waaayy too much off- but hopefully it will finally thicken up and get some bounce!

and so we're primped and pressed....
ready to party this week...
since M planned a week long:

like i said, he's a keeper.
anyway- so partying we will do.
even if it includes a two-night stay in a freaky hospital.
i just hope that part doesn't fall on my birthday.
selfish? maybe.
but i kinda want my own day.
so i will squeeze my legs tightly together all day tomorrow.
and hope to give you some photo snippets of a hopefully cute baby sister the next day..or the day after that...or the day after that.

xoxo