Twenty-Two Weeks...

(pardon my eyebrows...I've really got to start filling them in so I don't look like a ghost...)

How far along?  Twenty-two weeks.

Baby is the size of... a spaghetti squash.

Best moment this week?  By far, it was getting to take another peek at her during our high-resolution sonogram and hearing the doctor tell us that her heart is 100% perfect.  (Well, that and the part where he assured me that she was, in fact, a girl.  Our regular sonographer wasn't completely positive...)  It was such a blessing, and we loved getting to see our girl again.

Miss anything?  Not this week.

Movement?  TONS.  This little spaghetti squash is moving.  Sometimes her little kicks and jabs are so strong that they make me jump out of my seat!

Sleep?  Finally the jet lag seems to have disappeared, so I'm sleeping pretty well.  Although, I'm still getting up a few times a night to pee...

Food cravings?  No real cravings this week.

What makes you queasy/sick?  Still just strong smells.

Morning sickness?  Just a little, like last week, and it's mostly in the morning before I've eaten.

Other symptoms?  I've had a few headaches this week, and I got a weird rash on my arm (probably completely unrelated to the pregnancy), but it's mostly gone now.  And this is TMI, but, although I haven't had any full-fledged nosebleeds, things haven't been quite normal in there.  I'm told this is pretty common.  My skin has also been super itchy.  It seems I've been on weird symptom overload this week. :)

Gender?  It's a GIRL!

Looking forward to... her movements being strong enough for Micah to feel them.  (Y'all, he's so adorably in love with her already, it makes me want to cry...)  And I'm ready to hammer down her middle name.  We thought we had it figured out, but a new name popped into our heads this weekend, and now we're unsure.  I swear, you guys, I'll share as soon as we decide for sure. :)

An open letter...

I wrote this post way back in November 2009, but my experiences with the public toilets in Paris brought it to my mind, and I thought I'd share it again with you guys.  Just in case... ;)

Hey, you!

Yes, I mean YOU. You girls who think it's perfectly acceptable to squat and hover over public toilets, leaving a fun little mess for the person behind you.

I realize this isn't exactly the kind of thing people like to talk about, but I've got a bone to pick with you.

I understand that public toilets aren't exactly sanitary, but if you are that bothered by sitting on them, use a toilet seat cover. And if you can't find one of those, put some toilet paper down.

But it is completely un-fun when I come into the stall after you, sit down to use the restroom (because I don't seem to have the issues that you have with public toilets), and realize that you've apparently squatted and missed the mark, and that you failed to clean up after yourself.

SERIOUSLY un-fun.

So to all you squatters out there, let's get this problem under control. Stat.

Hugs and Kisses.

Thankful Thursdays...

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Good morning, y'all!  Hope this week has flown by for you as fast as it has for me. 

{I'm thankful} for a very well-behaved little puppy girl. 

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We picked Lilly up from training on Monday, and we were so pleased with the results!  Before, she was incredibly fearful of other dogs and people.  While she'd usually obey our commands if we were at home, she wouldn't while we were out for a walk, and certainly not when other people/animals were around.  She now sits, lays, stays, comes, and heels without trouble.  We're still working on her jumping when people come through the door, but I'm hoping we can get that down soon. :)  (And isn't her little graduation cap just the cutest?)

 

{I'm thankful} that Micah seems to be feeling a teensy bit better.  This bug is lingering, though, and I'm ready for him to feel 100%.  It's rough seeing my strong man look so pitiful...

 

{I'm thankful} that I finally broke down and called the doctor so she could confirm that I don't, in fact, have listeriosis.  :) 

 

{I'm thankful} that, although the jet lag is still going strong (I fell asleep at 7:30 last night and woke up at 4:30 this morning), I've made myself get up and just go to work so that I can leave early.  I'm bound and determined, though, to make myself stay up until at least 9:00 tonight.  Fingers crossed...

 

{I'm thankful} that I finally started Christmas shopping.  Although I bet most of you are done or almost done already. :)

 

Alright, y'all, what are you thankful for this week?  Link up and tell us!

 

 

Also linking up with black tag diaries, The Fontenot Four, First Day of my Life, kate says stuff, and  a punk a pumpkin and a peanut.

Nursery Inspiration...

When we found out that I was pregnant, one of the first things to pop into my brain (after the initial, "Holy crap, we're going to be parents!") was that I was going to need to decorate a nursery.  As you probably know, I enjoy decorating our home, but the idea of furnishing a room for a baby was a bit daunting.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to color and furniture, so I spent a long time poring over Pinterest and my favorite furniture stores' websites (ahem, PBK) for ideas.  Eventually, but before we even found out it was a girl, I stumbled across this nursery, and it made my heart go pitter-patter.

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I loved the yellow Jenny Lind crib, the turquoise-ish walls (which give a lovely, fun pop of color without being obnoxious), and the vintage-y, bright colored accents.  Micah ended up vetoing the yellow crib (and, after I gave it some thought, I agreed that it would probably be smarter to do the big pieces in neutral colors and bring the pops of color in elsewhere), but otherwise, I decided to try and recreate the look and feel of this space. 

Here's what I've come up with.

clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I originally started out planning on doing a bright bumper, but I had heck trying to find one that wasn't either (1) too bright, (2) too understated, or (3) too cheesy-looking.  I'm not really a theme-y kind of gal, so I focused instead on finding colors I couldn't live without.  I pored over Etsy's crib bedding for what felt like days before I found this rag crib quilt and fell in love.  It was exactly what I was looking for.  I think I'll pair it with a simple white crib sheet and a crib skirt in a solid color (maybe coral?).

The idea of a waterfall curtain in a pretty yellow as a sort of replacement for the yellow crib just kind of came to me, and I'm now pretty stuck on the idea.  The crib is from Restoration Hardware, and if I can find a suitable replacement that's a little cheaper, I'll consider myself a very lucky woman.  Otherwise, I'll just have to justify the cost by telling myself that, since this bed converts to a toddler bed, and then to a full-size bed, it can grow with her up until, and maybe even through, college. 

The rocker is gorgeous, but I'd probably rather have a glider.  I just can't get over the lovely tufted upholstery.  I'm still on the hunt for a stylish, yet comfy glider, but until I find one, this is the plan.

I've still got some work to do, as far as a dresser/changing table and accents go, but I'm happy to finally have a plan.  Hopefully our little love will feel at home in the space we create for her. :)

What we {loved} about Paris... Part Two

More Paris for you guys.  (I swear that by the time these posts are over, you're going to be sick of Paris... :))  We're continuing on with our {We loved} and {We didn't love} list.  I wanted to save this one for last, but I just couldn't wait. :)

{We loved} the Eiffel Tower.

Nothing screams Paris louder than the Eiffel Tower.  I just couldn't get enough.  I literally squealed the first time I saw it peeking through the skyline.  We managed to wait until the second day to go see it up close, with the thought that we'd also ride up to the top and get pictures from that perspective, as well.

Just breathtaking. 

There was something about standing there, in front of one of the most famous monuments in the world, that made me feel so incredibly small. 

I snagged this shot while standing on top of a moving double-decker tour bus, and it ended up being one of my favorites.  (We decided to take a bus tour of the city like I had done in London and loved it.  Even though we nearly froze to death...)

{We didn't love} the fact that the line was RIDICULOUSLY long to ride up the elevators to the top.  So we didn't.  Two days later, we got up at the crack of down and made it to the ticket line 30 minutes before the elevators started running so that we could be first in line.  But then it started raining.  And we had no umbrella.  And it was 35 degrees outside.

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  We toughed it out for about twenty minutes, and even managed to have a little fun.

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But then the rain really started coming down and we couldn't take it anymore, so we dashed for cover under the nearest building, losing our place in line.  While we stood there for about 5 or 10 minutes, trying to come up with a plan for getting to a cafe without getting soaked, the rain pretty much quit, and we felt like idiots.  So we decided to go ahead and go up and got back in line.  I whined and complained the whole time.

But then we made it up to the top (the VERY top), and all my frustration disappeared.

I took this picture with a zoom lens, so it's a little misleading.  We were way up there. 

And then I crossed off one of the things at the top of my metaphorical bucket list:

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Kiss the love of my life at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Magical, y'all.  I wouldn't have traded that moment for anything in the world.

We also took a riverboat tour on the Seine river (which runs through the heart of Paris) on a different night.  After the tour was over, we grabbed dinner at a riverside restaurant with a direct view of the Eiffel Tower as the sun went down.  If it's possible, the tower was even more beautiful at night.

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At the top of every hour, the lights started twinkling, and it was so incredibly gorgeous.

So there are about a billion more pictures of the Eiffel Tower than you probably ever cared to see, but I'll treasure them forever.