something's in the water

I love Rhett. Not sure if I've mentioned that in a while. He makes me happy. And I know he's going to be such a great dad. I don't know who's more excited for Baby Birtha's arrival, him or me.

Last Sunday, at 33.5 weeks.

And the Sunday before, at 32.5 weeks.



And holy pregnant ladies, Batman -- check out all my hot pregnant friends! And had we had the baby shower just 2 weeks earlier, then Megan on the far left would have had that little guy inside too! From left: Megan (with Henry), Marina, Courtney, Emily, Venessa, and yours truly.

And the high school reunion on the couch moment- thanks for coming to the shower, ladies!

Lydia, Nat, Shanna, Angie, Lacey, Michelle, and Haley (the little girls are Lacey's and Michelle's)

Brunch was amazing. Melanie, your homemade quiche is basically the highlight of my life. And thanks for sharing your gorgeous home with us. Skyler was a real champ given that we went OVERtime.

Seriously, guys, the generosity was out of this world. Thanks again! Maybe I'll get the thank you notes in the mail, maybe I won't. The stars will have to align.

And kudos to Holly for staying up all night to finish this masterpiece of a quilt in time for the baby shower! Would you get a load of all those darling ruffles?? When I think of the hours and hours she must have spent on this quilt and the astounding amount of joy it brought to me, I realize that I'll never be that domestic, and I'm most likely a bad person for it! ;)

And again, Melanie, thanks for all the darlingness oozing from every inch of this baby shower. I realize the bad lighting in this photo doesn't do it justice, but she spelled out 'baby girl' with onesies on a clothesline.

And to all the picture-dodgers who intentionally stepped out of every photo op - you know who you are - next time I have the chance, I'll snap a really unflattering photo of you when you're not ready. And I'll post it right here for the world to see. And that will teach you to mess with me when I'm trying for tender group togetherness shots!

Someone is soooo grounded...

I died laughing. Please enjoy.

{and please pardon the expletive.}

Birtha does Lake Powell, and other such nonsense

We went down to Lake Powell for the few days prior to and including Conference Weekend. And it was probably the most perfect trip of all time. The weather was incredible!
It was not too hot, not too cold, and it never got windy like it usually does down there. The water stayed glass the entire time - which translated to very comfortable, non-bumpy boat rides for little ole me and the Fetus, whom we affectionately call Birtha {for now}.


I've been repeatedly pestered to post belly shots. I truly love to see belly shots of other people. Turns out, I like them much less when they're of my lovely largeness. But, your wish is my command. Above and below, Birtha at 30 weeks, enjoying a little boat ride.


We found the coolest canyon with this "fire dancing" on the canyon walls the entire time. It was one of the coolest canyons I've ever seen in all my days of exploring Powell. At the back of the little canyon, another boater informed us that if you hike up a little, there is a waterfall. So off we went, over the river and through the woods to find this mystical waterfall.
We had to overcome many obstacles - including climbing this creatively rigged ladder made of old ski ropes and driftwood.

The men tested it out before I attempted it.

Tell you what, Birtha loves an adventure. Best part of the adventure is a tie* between finding a little frog hopping around the wet sand, and watching Nate try to scale a slimy moss-covered wall. He failed miserably and ended up leaving a sliding butt trail down the steep mossy slope and doing a back-flop into the freezing pool of water below. The adventure ended when we realized that the little drizzle next to the scary ladder actually WAS the waterfall. It was breathtaking, I assure you.

*Not a tie at all. Not even close. Sorry little frog, you can't compete.

And in other news needing updates:

The nursery is coming together!

Rhett, my manly man, set up the crib like a pro.

He's so stinkin cute I can't even stand it.

We had a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Venessa last week. I'll let you guess just by looking at our bellies who is further along. And if you guessed me, well you'd be wrong. She's a whole month ahead of me. It is beyond me how she's got a nearly full-term baby inside there. Where does she put it? It was at this exact moment that I realized the honest truth of my hugeness. But aside from that, so SO excited that we are having kids just a month apart! And they are both little girls, so I can't wait for them to have a cousin their age to be buddies with! I know my cousins were my absolute best friends growing up. I would love to see that happen with our kids.


And one last belly shot to bid you farewell - 31.5 weeks and counting!