Friday

It's Friday and this is what is on my mind. After a week like this....a month like this, wow, would this be refreshing? I guess a little lemonade and some ice cream will have to do the trick.

25 Weeks

Another week goes by. I cannot believe how quickly things are going.  I still feel good, I actually have stopped reading the pregnancy books for a few weeks since reading all the possible symptoms just makes me anxious.  For now I will just enjoy the fact that I feel relatively normal. Work has been really hectic lately and it is almost like Peanut knows.  I'll be sitting in a meeting, stressing about one thing or another and Peanut will give me just a little nudge.  Just a nudge to say "Mama, remember me, this stuff really doesn't matter, keep it in perspective. " - and so I do.  Loving this little baby more everyday.

Seattle: Then & Now

A couple of weeks ago we went up to Seattle to visit some friends.  Brian has two buddies from college that he remains close friends with and they are both married to ladies I always enjoy.  When Brian and I first started dating Seattle was one of our secret getaways.  A fun place to go where we could act like a couple in public and we wouldn't get discovered.  Well, at least until we ran into our bosses' boss on the train or randomly 3 people from work throughout the weekend....clearly we were not meant to be a secret for long!

The first trip I made with Brian was in January of 2009.  At this point Erick and Natalie were the only married couple.  Court and Danielle were engaged and Brian and I were only a few months into dating! Now that I am sitting here thinking, there really were a lot of good stories associated with this visit - a race to the train station, finding out Danielle and I were in the same sorority at Boulder, and I am pretty sure Brian told me he loved me for the first time too. 

Anyway, the point of this entry is not for all these old stories.  The point of this entry is take a look back and see how much has changed in just a few short years.  During our trip to Seattle this last weekend when I was following Erick and Court down the street, both pushing strollers, I just wondered - what happened to us?

JANUARY 2009

OCTOBER 2009 - OREGON VS. UW FOOTBALL

Yes, Court is shot-gunning a beer in the front yard with a helmet on.  He is a married man now, but that is about where the responsibility ends.  

A little rivalry makes for a fun day of football watching and day drinking.  Not to mention flip cup and boat races at the dining room table. 

MARCH 2010  

I am pretty sure it wasn't more than a month after this picture that Court and Danielle found out they were pregnant with Cruz.  Brian and I were also engaged by this point, getting married in August.

 JULY 2012 

And here we are today. 

We had a great weekend with good friends and with two little kids in tow I would say it didn't slow us down too much.  A little spit up incident on the way out the door called for a new outfit and it was hard to find a place to go outside for a drink at a street fair that would allow kids and could fit 2 strollers...other than that, we are just older and wiser. 

Court and Danielle's son Cruz is now 18 months old and the sweetest, cutest little thing ever.  Check out that head of hair, look out Bieber.

 

We are expecting a baby in 3 1/2 months and will celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary in a month!

And no time for boat races at the dining room table with this precious new package, Cooper is about 11 weeks old. The beautiful son of Erick and Natalie. 

I think we are ready, don't you?

Not as many bloodshot eyes as there used to be in these shots!

24 Weeks

Yesterday I had my 24 week appointment and all still looks well with Baby Lanter.  Since we are not finding out the sex of the baby then our doctor will not find out either.  We all get to have a surprise in November! 

Baby Stats:

Size of Ear of Corn

Moving all the time, most active on the commute to and from work and when I lay down at night. 

We saw my tummy move from the outside for the first time the other night.  

Mama Stats:

No weight gained this month.  The doctor didn't seem worried as I was still measuring at 24 weeks and clearly larger than last month.  She said that can happen and also blamed the use of two different scales.  I am eating a lot and not at all watching the scale so I am sure this month I will pack a few more on. 

I am still running about 3 times a week, but I literally have to stop 2 to 3 times to pee, that is pretty annoying, but nice time to rest.  I'll keep going until it is uncomfortable. 

All in all I don't have anything to complain about.  I feel good, baby is growing, and in just 3 1/2 short months I'll get to meet this little one.  For now, I am just going to enjoy being pregnant and growing a human!

I don't look very happy in the below picture, which is kind of a long story, but a funnier story is the ridiculous look of my shirts.  On this day I decided to workout at Nike so I packed my clothes the night before.  I hadn't tried on the long sleeve shirt before that morning and was a little surprised to find how "fitted" it was when I tried to pull it down over my tummy in the locker room.  I felt a little super-sized all day.  I blamed Brian when I uploaded these pictures for not telling me my shirt was riding up, but then realized it was perfect because that is just what kind of day it was!  

4th of July

It was so weird having the Fourth of July on a Wednesday this year, but it actually was the perfect break in the week.  We spent the day with some great friends and enjoyed the first day of Summer weather for a while.  

We went over to a friend's house in the morning to enjoy a little breakfast and chat on their patio before two other families joined us and we walked up to be part of the annual neighborhood parade.  After a few blocks around the parade loop, the whole loop was only a few blocks, we made it back to the house to fire up the grill.  A delicious bbq lunch and play time in the backyard.  Between me and Brian we captured several great pictures of the kiddos on this beautiful day.  Next year we'll have a little one in tow with the rest of the neighborhood.  They probably won't know what is going on, but we will!

Lucy Cameron

Lucy with a little 4th of July spirit

How much do you just want to squeeze those precious cheeks?

The Powell kids.  The lady on the right, Viola. The little man is Hugo. 

After Viola it was hard to imagine another Powell that was so irresistible.  We found him. 

Parade 

"This will be fun, hide my baby brother under the feather boa...."

It was pretty bright out, but the shades just were not working for her. 

Lovely lips just like his Mama.

Holiday spirit on those chunky little legs. 

Just chilling out with Minnie and the guitar after a busy parade morning. 

Hugo has the right idea. Bring the bed to me, not me to the bed. 

22 Weeks & 23 Weeks

Since I missed week 22 this is a combo post to cover 2 weeks.  It is so much fun to feel Peanut moving around.  It seems it is the most active when I am laying in bed in the morning or at night or when I am driving in the car.  It definitely enjoys a good meal, like baby - like mama.  I am sure I am going to look back on these pictures in a few weeks and think - oh geez, I was so small then, but for now it is so weird to have a once flat stomach turn into something so round.  I really enjoy being pregnant, I hope it stays that way.  Just under 4 months to go!

NYC for Sissy time!

I can't believe it has already been 2 weeks since I was in NYC with Steph.  We had the best time and it was so special to just spend the quality time with my sister.  It is great to see her so happy and taking on NYC in her own way.  We captured mostly iPhone pics throughout the weekend, but here are a few of my favorites. 

I took a red-eye on Thursday night and Friday morning got in at 7:30 am.  I went straight to Steph's office at Macy's Herald Square.  I saw where she spends her days, the latest in the body wear world, and met some of her friends.  I love being able to picture her at her desk, talking with vendors, joking with them the way I used to see her do at Williams-Sonoma.  We met up that afternoon in the East Village after she got some work done and I could nap and shower.  She gave me perfect subway directions and we found each other in the middle of a serious thunderstorm.  She was wearing a white dress with no umbrella. Of course.  We quickly found dry ground in a Taco joint for a "snack" and then spent sometime shopping around the neighborhood. After a little happy hour we had dinner at Peasant, a perfect Italian restaurant in Noho.  We scarfed down bread and cheese, a little wine for Steph and speculated about all the couples in the restaurant.  Home to bed early, probably a first for Stephanie. 

Taking shelter under the scaffolding

Happy Hour #1

Saturday we got an early start.  Thanks to pregnancy brain and thinking it was Sunday all day we headed over to the upper westside to checkout the Farmer's Market.  No market, it was Saturday so we started our trek down the westside.  Meatpacking, the Highline, West Village, market on Bleecker, all the way to Soho where I was begging Steph to get a drink so I could put my feet up.  For a girl that prides herself on walking everywhere, that was a big deal! Dinner at Tacombi, a great spot we stumbled upon that literally made our tacos in a VW bus that was parked inside the restaurant.  Delicious.  The night wouldn't be complete without dessert.  We stood in line on the sidewalk for a "Salty Pimp" from the Big Gay Ice Cream.  Worth every minute. 

Sunday we spent the morning in Brooklyn - breakfast and a craft fair and the perfect end to our weekend.  I don't remember the last time we had that kind of time together.  I had so much fun living Stephie's world for a few days.  Sissy will be an aunt next time I see her.  Boy is that little baby in trouble, many adventures ahead with Auntie Stephie.  We planned a trip back to NYC in February.  We'll bring Grandma for that one so she can keep an eye on Peanut too.  It will either be a girl's weekend with a little man or a full on girlie weekend. We'll see!

Beautiful Saturday morning crossing the park

Magnolia Cupcakes 

the end of the Magnolia cupc

Happy Hour #2

Steph was pretty excited about her cup of spicy pickles...until she started sweating

Really needs no caption

Just read the description of a Salty Pimp and tell me you wouldn't have waited in line

Peanut's loot from a weekend in NYC