32 & 33 Weeks - Pregnancy Style

I'm getting big. There is just no denying it. And my clothing options seem to be dwindling daily. Okay, so not daily, but you get the picture. I think I am at the point that wearing non-maternity shirts is no longer a good idea. They just aren't long enough to cover this ginormious belly of mine. And I am just not confident enough to bare the bump all over town. So, it is maternity clothes (at least shirts) from here on out for me.

I joked with my father-in-law last night that getting dressed isn't hard because I only have 5 options to choose from (slight exaggeration). He said it was really only 3 because 2 are probably dirty at all times...so true. Because of this, I am sorry that these posts really aren't showing style anymore (not that I had any to begin with) and really are just showing the bump baby continuing to grow.  Which, by the way, the nameless baby is said to be somewhere around 5 pounds right now. How crazy is that?!? This whole human-growing thing boggles my mind every time I do it (you know, all two times!).

Shirt: Topshop Maternity

Gachos: Old Navy Maternity

Flip Flops: Reef

Hair: It's been so hot, wearing it back is essential to my livelihood these days...though I am thinking of chopping it all off. Completely gone. Well, mostly gone.

Shirt: Old Navy Maternity

Necklace: Pac Sun

Skirt: Banana Republic

Shoes: H&M

An Open Letter

This is an open letter to all the strangers in the world. This letter is necessary due to not one, but two different strangers making comments about my size today. 


Dear Ignorant Stranger:

Please, I beg of you, do not come up to me and tell me I look like I am going to pop. And to make it worse, you make a horrible face when I tell you I have 6 weeks to go. So not cool. Many women before me have been in this position. Let me tell you, none of us like the size of our bodies being commented on...and pregnancy does NOT give you that right. If you don't watch out, I may start saying things back to you. I am thinking something like, "well, what's your excuse for your stomach?" And I won't even feel bad about saying these things. You see, I have an extraordinary amount of hormones flowing through me right now, so it is no telling what I will do or say. Because of this, and because of common courtesy in general, if you have nothing nice to say, please don't say it at all!!

And in case you are looking for tips on what to say to a pregnant person, here are some good examples:

You look adorable.
I wasn't that small when I was pregnant.
Pregnancy looks good on you.
Can I help you with your bags? Or perhaps your squirming toddler?

See? There are appropriate things to say to a pregnant woman. I thank you all for your kindness and complements during the last 6ish weeks of my pregnancy. And if you do happen to say something not so nice, remember I gave you fair warning.

Sincerely,
Jessica


Note: I seriously don't get why all these stupid comments always come from women. And older women at that. Women who have most likely had babies back in the day.  They are probably the same ones that offer the stupidest parenting advice too.

21 Months

 

Weight: 26.5lbs (my measurements)
Height: 33 inches (my measurements)

Accomplishments:
Says many words
Makes animal noises
Knows many of his body parts

Favorites:

Foods - rice, corn, bananas, tic-tacs (is that even a food?), cheese

Playing in water

Going on a bike ride in his trailer

Playing with cars

Reading - both by himself & being read to

Since Connor can't really talk much yet, he screams when he wants something. Because of this, we are working hard at teaching him specific words and that he needs to say those words rather than scream. Because if he screams, he doesn't get what he wants! Mama doesn't like the screaming. Though Connor doesn't talk in sentences, here are some of the words he can say (at least the ones I can think of right now) - Mama, Dad, hi, cheese, banana, more, tic-tac (this is what I use to bribe him), one (while holding one little finger up...I kid you not), light, fan. If I ask him to repeat a word, he generally will, but those are the words that are actually in his vocabulary and he knows what they mean.

One of Connor's big things now is answering yes or no (by shaking his head) to questions. He started out with yes and I was excited at the thought of him not being a no kid. Then the no came. And of course, no became his answer of choice. So, I decided to brainwash him a little. I try to mostly ask him questions I know he has to say yes to. Things like "do you want out of your bed?" or "do you want this cookie?" It works. And it makes me happy knowing that Connor really does know the difference between yes and no, as he always seems to answer the questions correctly.

We had to put a lock on our refrigerator because we started having problems with Connor opening the door and helping himself. He pretty much stays clear of the refrigerator and heads straight for the freezer. His snack of choice? Frozen thin mints! Never had one frozen before? They are good. You should try it next year when girl scout cookies are out again.

Shoes used to be Connor's favorite thing. In fact, it stressed him out to not have them on his feet. I kid you not. We went to a friend's house and the friend tried to take Connor's shoes off and Connor freaked out. It was kind of funny. Well, now he has turned a corner and takes his shoes off at every opportunity...in the house, in the car, in his stroller, in a shopping cart. I can usually get him to put his shoes on by telling him he has to have them on if he wants to leave the house. But usually, as soon as we leave the house, he pulls them off. So, these days he goes shoeless a lot. Watch out if you are around him. Those dirty feet seem to get all over clothes and leave pretty little marks!

Reading has become one of Connor's favorite past times. It is cute how he even has his favorite books - Things that Move, Go Dog Go, A Crack in the Track, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I find him a couple times a day sitting in his chair in his room reading books. He also likes being read to. If you let him, he will bring you 10-15 books to read. My favorite is when he hands me a book and says "more". Melts my heart. As I have said before, I love reading and want my kids to have that same love. And it makes me happy that Connor seems to be taking that love on.

That Mom

Recently, I mentioned something about not being that mom in a post and a few of you commented on it. It got me thinking...

All of us have things we are and aren't willing to do. I have friends that would never consider leaving the house without a full face of make up, their hair looking perfect and wearing the perfect outfit. On the flip side, I have friends that put on work out clothes to work out in the morning and never change out of them the whole day. Me? I am somewhere in the middle. My typical get up is jeans and a t-shirt with flip flops. I consider myself "put together" when I decide to wear mascara. Now, I have gone through phases where I was different. There was a time I wore heels every day and wore a full face of make up (Ian wasn't too fond of this stage...he is more into "low maintenance Jessica"). And there were times (in college) where I didn't shower everyday and had no problem leaving the house in sweats. And, as I said previously, I now rest somewhere in the middle. I need a shower every morning to jump start my day. But you will rarely find me in heels. Dainty clothes don't have a place anymore as they will just get ruined around Connor. And I'll be honest, I am happy where I am at (of course I was happy with myself in those other stages as well).

And all of that brings me to my point. That mom. That mom is the mom that does stuff (or really, does less stuff) that we as parents are not comfortable with. I dress Connor every day. Even when he was a tiny baby, he didn't leave the house in his pajamas. I don't, so why would I make him? I usually have him dressed and ready for the day before I am even ready. If I have to change a dirty diaper, I may as well change his clothes, right? I even always keep a spare shirt with me so I can change his shirt if he gets real dirty. I don't care if Connor goes and plays in the mud and gets himself all dirty, he just has to be cleaned up afterward. It's just who I am. I am that mom. I would never even think of taking Connor somewhere in just a diaper or even a diaper and a shirt. I am the mom that always wants her kid to look presentable, bribes him with tic-tacs so he won't scream in public (I am not fond of the parents that ignore their screaming children in public...sorry if any of you fall in that category), always has toys and snacks on hand, and will NEVER let my child stick stickers all over the car windows. I really don't get why parents let kids do that to their cars.

So there you have it. Now you know just exactly what type of mom I am AND what type of person I am. Don't you feel enlightened?

A Day in My Life {Friday}

I have seen a few people do this on their blogs lately and thought it was a cute idea. Everyone likes to have a glimpse into someone else's world, right? It reminds me of when I turned 25 (all those years ago) and decided to do A month in the life of Jessica , except taking pictures every day for a month does get a little old. And I will admit, my life just isn't that exciting to document for a whole month again. Looking back at those pictures though did bring back some good memories and made me see how far call phone camera capabilities have come along since then!

Enough with the reminiscing, here was my Friday:

Connor woke me up about 7:45

He ate some breakfast, while I read the paper

A friend came over and hung out until about 11am

Connor and I trashed played in his room until Ian got home from work

Ian got home from work just after noon (Ian only has to work half days on Fridays thru the summer. Oh how I am going to miss half day Fridays.)

After lunch, Connor went down for a nap.

I Convinced Ian to take a nap with me while Connor was sleeping.

After we got up, I washed and changed the sheets.

After Connor got up, we went on a walk to the store. I needed some watermelon* for a pot luck dinner I was headed to.

From 6 - 9:30, I spent time eating way too much and chatting with some wonderful ladies from my MOPS group.

I got home and chatted with Ian.

By 11:30, the dog was tired, so I decided it was time to turn in for the night.

I then spent some time reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, trying to pump myself up about a certain baby's upcoming birth, before turning off the lights at about 12:30.

* Watermelon has become my all time favorite thing this pregnancy. It is just so dang refreshing.

Connor Lately

1. Where's Connor?

2. There he is!

3. Sporting his white high top Converse for the first time

4. Playing with dad in the backyard

5. Cuddling with mom & Scout before bed

6. Riding a quarter ride

7. Playing at grandma's

8. Sleeping in the car

Awkward/Awesome {two}

I have decided to swipe Rachael's idea (from In Goodly Colors Gloriously Arranged) and introduce an awkward/awesome series on my blog. I am in no way as creative or consistent as she is, but I figure when the mood strikes (and enough things have transpired in my life to make a good post) I will do an awkward/awesome post.

So, without further ado, awkward/awesome {volume two}:

Awesome: Its a nice night, so we opened our windows to cool off the house.
Awkward: Our neighbors are smoking pot and the smell is coming into our house.

Awesome: My OB is really cool.
Awkward: For the second time she has referred to me as Mexican**. I corrected her the first time, but this time I just let it go.

Awkward: Coming across the lowest toilet known to man in a public restroom. It was well below my knees.
Awkward x2: Because it was so low, I couldn't "squat" over it and had to sit on it.
Awesome: The toilet seat wasn't wet or anything, so sitting on it wasn't a problem. 

Awkward: See the toilet paper under my foot in the picture (I was trying to show perspective as to how low the toilet was using my leg)? It stuck to my shoe and took me a while to realize this.

Awesome: We went for shaved ice to cool off from all the heat.
Awesome?: Connor enjoyed himself so much, we had to take his sticky clothes off of him.
Awkward: While walking to the car, we ran into someone I hadn't seen since high school. I found myself trying to explain that I am not that mom...I don't normally let my kid just run around in public (at a food place, non-the-less) in just a diaper.

Awesome: We got a dresser for the baby's room from Ikea.
Awesome: The husband put it together. And being the great wife that I am, I sat in there to watch/talk.
Awkward: Said husband kicked me out of the room because he said I was a distraction.

Awkward: Stealing someone's blog series idea and hoping they don't mind. Uh, thanks in advance Rachael for letting me steal your awesome idea!



** I am just an olive-skinned white girl, in case you are wondering.

30 & 31 Weeks - Pregnancy Style

I believe that pregnancy and children are a gift. There are so many people that aren't blessed with children and long for them. Because of this, I really have never taken advantage of the fact that I can bear children. I don't like complaining about the downsides of pregnancy (well, except to Ian so I can get a back or foot rub out of it!) because all of it truly is a blessing. Being pregnant really is a miracle. Hearing that heartbeat for the first time, feeling those kicks and movements. All of it is truly amazing. But at the same time, none of it even compares to having that child in your arms. Playing with them on the floor. Raising them to be men and women of God. I am just so thankful for the blessings God has given to Ian and I in the form of children.

Enough with the mushy stuff (I get a little emotional when I am pregnant) and on to what I have been wearing:

 Tank Top: Michael Stars Maternity

Gauchos: Old Navy Maternity

Shoes: Reef

Shirt: C&C California

Sweater: Made Well

Jeans: Old Navy Maternity

Shoes: Rainbows (not shown)

I've determined that I need to take more pictures with the regular camera and less with my phone. They just come out better. And if I really want these memories to last a lifetime, they should be better quality. 

Speaking of pictures, I just booked my maternity photo session for in a couple weeks. I am really excited about that. I already can't wait to see how they turn out and to see pictures of us as a little family together. 

When Cultures Collide

Our friends from Scotland came to visit. Even though they live in Scotland, they are actually from Brazil. They were really good friends of ours when we were living in Aberdeen and we have boys close in age, so it was great to see them and catch up.

Having them here really allowed me to see everyday things around me through someone else's eyes. And I must say, it was interesting and entertaining at times. For instance:

* Food, food, food. So many differences involve food. Just something simple like corn on the cob. They said it tasted much different than Brazil. We also introduced them to tri-tip and In-n-Out.

* I now realize how we take advantage of walking into a fast food restaurant and knowing everything on the menu. I don't even eat fast food all that much, but at many places I know exactly what I want. With someone who doesn't know, there is a lot of explaining involved. 

* I forgot about how America has better customer service than most places. Our friends kept saying how everywhere we went, everyone was so friendly. They said the people made them feel special. Sadly, I don't even notice this most the time. Made me stop and think I should be happy for the good customer service I take advantage of on a daily basis. 

* While here, our friend mentioned a couple times that he didn't see many Americans around. You see, he thinks of Americans as white people. We explained to him that is not the case and the people he sees are in fact Americans. 

* Different stores are cool. Shopping in another country is always cooler than shopping at home.  Even a boring basic store like Babiesrus was cool to them...though we tried to convince them this wasn't true.

Here are some pictures from our adventures around California. We were horrible about taking pictures together and really only took pictures of our own families. Oops. 

Griffith Park Observatory & Golden Gate Bridge

 

Farmyard Fun

San Francisco - Cable Car

Saying Goodbye

Handwriting

I was tagged by Charlotte at The Daily Snapshot in a little handwriting, blog fun.

What I wrote about:

1. Name and blog title

2. Blog url

3. Write "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

4. Favorite quote

5. Favorite songs - right now and of all time

6. Favorite artist(s)

7. A phrase you say often

8. Tag new people to play

 

I have to admit,  when I think about it, I get quite insecure about my handwriting. I think it has to do with the fact that I never got stellar grades in it while I managed to succeed in all other subjects. Apparently I haven't let go of things that happened in elementary school. 

Here it goes:

I tagged Laurie at Our Life...Always Changing and Heidi at Life with the Paulsens.

Note: After writing this, I thought about what I wrote. Fix You probably isn't my all time favorite song, but it is one toward the top of the list. I just want to leave that open for other good songs! And really, Britney Spears is one of my favorites, but I didn't want to admit that on paper for fear of judgment. You are now free to judge.

Awkward/Awesome

So every Thursday at Rachael's blog, she does a segment called Awkward/Awesome. If you haven't ever checked it out, you need to. It practically makes my Thursday's. Yesterday I had something so awkward/awesome happen that I had to share.

We were walking around with Ian's sister in Santa Monica and stopped at a place for dinner. Ian put our name in and I ran in to use the restroom. While leaving, I noticed open seating at the bar. When I came out, I asked Ian how long the wait was (35 min) and told him to ask if kids could sit in the bar. Before I know it, we are sitting at a table in the bar. Awesome.

A couple minutes in to our sitting, a hostess comes and tells us we couldn't sit there because it was being used for a large party, but she would move us to another table. It turns out the bar area wasn't actually a bar area, even though it was in the bar and separate from the restaurant and they didn't explain this to Ian when he asked if kids could sit in the bar area. So, we had swooped in and stolen people's seats. Awkward.

The hostess moved us to another table anyway and told us she didn't care we cut the line and that she moved us because Connor was so cute. Almost on cue, Connor looked at her and smiled. She melted. Then we got him to blow kisses at her...and she blew them back. So, in an awkward and awesome time, we managed to cut the line at the restaurant and get seated right away. All due to Connor's cuteness. Awesome.

And here's a little video of Connor eating a tic-tac off the restaurant table using only his mouth. The kid is classy talented, what can I say?

Name

Picking a name for a baby is the hardest part to the whole life creating process for me. Pregnancy and labor have an end to them. A good end. But picking a name, it is so freaking stressful. I will have to say this name numerous times a day for the rest of my life. I better pick right. No pressure.

The thing is, I don't want to use a baby name book for inspiration. Thus I am left looking and listening to every name out there I see. I was never the person who knew from when I was a teenager what I would name my kids. I am starting to envy those people. They are obviously decisive people and don't have trouble making these life altering decisions.

Ian and I have differing views on naming babies. He is more traditional. I am more out there. As you can see, last time he won. My crazy name didn't make the cut when Connor was born (we decided on a name after he was born). I personally believe I am more out there about names because of my name. I recall there being 3 other Jessica's in my class one year at school. And most places I have worked had other Jessica's at it. That is one thing I loved about Scotland. My name wasn't as common. Anyway, back to the story...

At church on Sunday, this verse was used during the sermon:

A good name is more desirable than great riches. Proverbs 22:1

No pressure Jessica! You just need to pick the perfect name. Ugh.

Oh and one more thing, Ian and I aren't the best at sitting around talking about names. Thus we make up our minds under pressure. So in approximately 10 weeks, I am sure we will come up with something. Until then, Ian probably won't think about it and I will be stressing about finding the perfect moniker for my little bundle of joy but having no direction whatsoever as to what that name should be.

Wordless Wednesday

28 & 29 Weeks - Pregnancy Style

Its been hot and dresses have become my new best friend. They are so comfortable, stretch and help keep me cool. Its a win-win for everyone when I wear a dress.

Dress: Forever 21

Funny story about this dress. I have had this dress for years. When I first got it, I wore it at a party I was hosting at my house. The next week, paparazzi photos of Tori Spelling wearing the dress emerged. I sent them to my friends telling them how flattered I felt that Tori Spelling would wear the same $20 dress as me. Being the good great friends that they are, they responded letting me know how much better I looked in the dress. See? Great friends! Now here I am years later, squeezing into the dress while 7.5 months pregnant.

  

Dress: Liz Lange Maternity - Target

 Tank Top: Forever 21 Maternity 

This is another dress  I scored on clearance at Target, for $8. Such a deal. I would like to say that the second picture makes me laugh...my stomach is poking out on one side and my butt is on the other. Thankfully they aren't even with each other. That would look really tragic.

Tank Top: Topshop Maternity

Gauchos: Old Navy Maternity

Shoes: Reef

We started on the baby's room, which brings joy to my heart.  Actually getting prepared makes this feel real but also makes me feel prepared. We painted one wall in the baby's room red. The room is going to be done in red, white and brown. I found a Pottery Barn rocker on craigslist for super cheap and we picked it up this weekend. In fact, when we went to pick it up, the lady gave us a ton of clothes for Connor (good clothes) and gave Connor a ride on toy too. It was a score for everyone. Next on the list is finishing painting the crib, which Ian is doing. In the next week or so, things should start taking shape...maybe then I will be willing to share a sneak peak of the room.