Don't worry...

I missed Thankful Thursdays and didn't check in today, either, so I bet you guys thought Miss Grace made her arrival.

No such luck. :)

Just a crazy couple of days, but I promise to check in soon.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend

I'll probably regret this post someday...

... but I'm writing it anyway.  If only so that you guys can direct me to it after I have a child and end up doing all of these things myself. 

So because I just can't help myself, let's go ahead and call this post: "I'll probably make a liar of myself, but after I have a baby, you won't catch me..."

... posting pictures of myself nursing on Facebook.

I don't dispute that breastfeeding is a beautiful, natural thing.  It is.  And I have NO problem seeing someone nursing in public because, heck, if a kid's gotta eat, the kid's gotta eat.  Nor do I take any issue with informative breastfeeding blog posts like these, which sometimes contain pictures of cute babies nursing.  (In fact, I've loved the girl in the red shoes's breastfeeding diaries series!)

But the nursing selfies I sometimes see on Facebook just bother me because I feel like they're completely gratuitous.  If the world absolutely must know that you're breastfeeding at that precise moment in time, I suppose you can post a status about it (although I'll probably put you in the same category of people that use Facebook as a minute-by-minute update of their lives. ["Just ate dinner, and now I'll do some laundry.  Think I'll grab some ice cream in a bit.  Laterzzz!"])

... sharing pictures of Grace with food all over her face.

This one's all me, y'all.  I swear I'm not judging you when you post pictures of your kid with sweet potatoes all over them.  Most people probably think it's really adorable.  I just get weirded out by those kinds of pictures (particularly those involving savory foods), and I'm not sure why. 

... sharing pictures of Grace's (or my) boo-boos. 

Again, this is probably just me, but I can't stand it when I'm scrolling through my facebook or Instagram feed and I stumble upon a picture of a gruesome cut (or any other sort of bloody malady).  I'm squeamish, and so it's incredibly unsettling to have someone's injury visibly forced upon me like that.  So rest assured that if Grace or I slice something open, I won't be showing you pictures of it.  This one I can promise to abide by. :)

... talking in detail about Grace's bowel movements (or, heaven forbid, showing you pictures of them). 

There's a fine line, here.  I'll probably, at some point, lament the fact that she isn't yet potty trained.  And I'm sure I'll be quick to celebrate her potty achievements here on a very generic level. 

But, y'all. 

There are some things that our children won't appreciate us having blasted to the world when they're all grown up.  Their poop is probably one of those things.  (And you can probably be sure that no one is as interested in your child's poop as you are.  Take that for whatever it's worth.)

So there you have it. 

My judgy-judgerson post that probably made some of you angry.  If it did, take heart because I'll probably be judging myself before too long. :)

What I'm Loving...

Although the fact that my pregnancy countdown currently reads "22 days" is mostly all that occupies my thoughts and time lately, I did want to share a few things I've been digging recently.  Because, let's be honest... if I don't do it now, I probably never will. :)

Skin Stuff...

I've gotten several, "wow, your skin is looking great these days!" kind of comments lately.  And while I'm sure it's mostly just that the pregnancy hormones have finally calmed down enough such that my face isn't completely covered in blemishes anymore, I've also been doing several things that I think are helping even out my skin tone and keep me acne free.

Proactiv

Above all, I think the fact that I started using Proactiv has helped me keep the acne to a minimum.  I worried about whether it was safe to use during pregnancy, but everything I could find indicates that it's completely fine for the baby, and my doctor didn't see any problem with it, so I went for it.  My poor skin really couldn't have been any worse. 

Since I've started using it again (I used it for awhile in college), I've gone from having a face full of very visible acne to only a few, small trouble spots.  Hallelujah, y'all. 

Clarisonic Mia

I've also been using the Clarisonic Mia.  What I usually do is use a Neutrogena liquid cleanser to get most of the makeup off.  Then, I use the Clarisonic to cleanse with the Proactiv cleanser.  When I finish, my skin feels really clean and exfoliated.  Again, I'm not sure how much the Clarisonic is adding on top of the Proactiv, itself, but since I can't narrow down the improvement to one specific thing, I'm sticking with what I'm doing so as not to break the spell. :)

SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter

It's kind of unfair for me to even share this because this product is ridiculously expensive, and I don't pay for mine (thank goodness that my stepmom has the hookup!).  But in the interest of full disclosure, I need to tell you how amazing this stuff is.  It's technically for "mature," aging skin, but I don't care, y'all.  I've never put anything on my face that made it feel so soft, smooth, and generally fabulous.  I am convinced this is what's evening out my skin tone and keeping it ridiculously hydrated (I use it as my moisturizer).  So if you ever get a wild hair and want to spend $152 on a jar of miracle cream, this is what I'd recommend.

Honey Mustard Wheat Thins...

These are crazy yummy.  That is all.

Sharpie Pens...



With all of the thank-you notes I've been writing lately, good pens are essential.  I really love these because they write smoothly and don't seem to smear like other pens. 

Address Stamp...

via

Speaking of thank-you notes, I ordered this return address stamp on Etsy, and I'm in love.  It makes addressing envelopes a breezy breeze, and, in general, I've been pleased with how well it goes on (though the ink does seem to adhere better to some kinds of paper than others). 

And that, ladies, is what's floating my boat this week.  What are you loving?  Link up with Jamie and tell us!

Meal-planning Monday...

We made it to the grocery store this week, which means that I was able to plan for a few meals this week. 

So here's what we'll be having at our house for the next few days!

Crockpot Potato Soup and salad

Dorito Taco Salad

Tilapia with Shrimp Bayou Sauce and rice

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese (thanks for the idea, Charlotte!) and salad

Week Thirty-Six...

How far along?  Thirty-six weeks.  Insane.

Baby is the size of... a crenshaw melon (whatever that is?).

Best moment this week?  We've had a lot of good moments this week.   My work shower went fabulously.  And then this weekend, Micah and I went and basically bought all the stuff on our registry that we hadn't gotten yet:  bottles, side-snap tshirts, the changing pad, etc.  Our cart at Target was overflowing when we got to the checkout line. 

Miss anything?  Same old, same old.  Sleep.  Bending over.  Feeling my hands.  Being able to walk around a store without wanting to collapse from exhaustion/back pain.

Movement?  Lots this week. 

Sleep?  I don't want to talk about it... :)

Food cravings?  Ice, ice, and more ice.  I've been chomping away on it for about two weeks now.  I'm sure it's terrible for my teeth, but I can't get enough.

What makes you queasy/sick?  Nothing.

Morning sickness?  Nope.

Other symptoms?  I think I've officially started nesting.  My best friend gave me heck at my shower about how disorganized my pantry was.  I was bound and determined to leave it as it was, but I tripped and almost fell (again) over all the stuff on the floor earlier this week.  So we spent last night cleaning out all of the expired food and rearranging some things.  It's so pretty and clean now.

Gender?  She's still our little angel girl!

Looking forward to... finishing everything up in the next couple of weeks so that we're READY whenever she decides to arrive!