Aww Baby

Ultrasound appointment today was a success! She said that his amniotic fluid is in fact a little bit low but nothing to be alarmed about. She took extensive measurements and she estimated his weight right now at almost 7 pounds. Good boy! What great news to a mommas ears!

My Mama Monday

 

 This photo of my mom makes me laugh. I don't know what the heck is actually taking place but I think shes pretty damn cute! 

And the most exciting news is that she is going to be visiting us in just a few days! She was scheduled to see us last month but ended up getting really ill with bronchitis. SO I have been super anxious for her arrival for weeks now! Since neither her nor I have our usually energy we will probably end up at a few thrift stores but mostly lots of home time together. And fingers crossed that baby M arrives while his nonnie is here! Oh, how exciting that would be!

Papa!

My sweet man! He has been such a dream and I can't imagine going through this pregnancy with out him. I am so thankful for his unconditional love, support and the gift of our son! Cheers to many many years of friendship and love!

I am officially on maternity leave (!!!) and have the fine luxury of doing little to nothing except sitting on my yoga ball, taking naps and making jewelry. I have been having really unpleasant Braxton Hicks contractions the last few weeks so being able to stay home and relax has been great. Steve and I met with Miles pediatrician today and she is WONDERFUL! We are really excited to have her look after our boo's health. I also went to my weekly check up with my midwife, Holly, and she said things are looking great but his amniotic fluid looked a bit low. She said it could be a number of things that are not to worry about but just in case she scheduled another ultrasound for tomorrow morning. Holly said that if in fact it is low that I may have to be induced. Ehhh, damn, damn, damn! But Miles is looking and sounding healthy and that he is most certainly going to be a big boy. Phhhew! Ill have more to tell on this subject tomorrow.

Christmas tree is up and gift shopping is almost finished! Im not normally crazy with being this organized about the holidays however this year with a tiny new born in my life, I'm not so sure how easy running errands are going to be. Our tree is darling and we can usually find one of the cats napping under it during the day. So far no stray ornaments found around the house. Impressive, cats!

Our Wish List!

Thanks

 

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Happy Thanksgiving!

 I am so thankful to have a belly full of baby this year! Steve and I are truly the luckiest!

Big baby boy

 

I'm so excited to have my body back soon! My stomach is so uncomfortably massive that thinking about having to carry my little boo around for three more weeks makes me want to cry. I keep waking up in the middle of the night nervous that my water is going to break. Silly! But I cant help but feel anxious that baby M will be here any day and at any time. Its just wild to wrap my head around it!

My Mama Monday

 

So for today's Mama Monday I wanted to show you this photo of my darling mother at 28 years old. Did you happen to see that bird on her arm? This may look bizarre but if you were to know this woman at all, you would definitely say that this is absolutely normal of her. My mom has always had an interest and love for birds so naturally our home had aviary's with large macaws and other bizarre birds making the neighbors (and us) insane from the noise. She extended her interest to study wild birds at UCLA and at one point was an importer of exotic birds to the Los Anegels Zoo. Having her as my mother has been extraordinary! 

Growing up our house was filled with cats and dogs running around and not to exclude the lizards, tortoises, rats, German hamsters, angora rabbits, birds, ducks, chickens and a peacock that one time... The animals only enhanced the unique childhood my sister and I had. My mom had a really magical way of making things special and memorable for us kids. Even now, although she has downsized dramatically, I receive text messages from her exclaiming the new animals she brought home. Recently there was a message about the four baby white button quails she got from a bird show and last week she sent me a photo of a rescued Chihuahua she is going to keep "temporally" along with another photo of a sweet baby tortoise she was gifted. I think what is funniest about all of this is that after all of the exposure to so many different pets growing up, my sister and I have chosen to only own cats!

Steve and I can't wait for Miles to meet his grandma! I'm so excited to hear about all of the kooky adventures hes going to have at nannie's house. 

Mom a few years ago with Angel (or maybe that's Paco?) and Penny

Men that make me laugh

Today on Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR, I was listening to a short story about Woody Allen's upcoming documentary on PBS American Masters about his life and career.

Well, anyways it got me thinking about how much funny men rule! These gentlemen have been wooing our hearts for years with their incredible wit, timing and charm.

Here are a few of my favorite funny fellas

 

Woody Allen (duh!) 

Steve doesn't get it but I think you either love him and get his dry comic brilliance or he annoys the hell out of you. His movies are charming and his acting is awkward but that is what makes a film trademarked with his uncanny style.

 

David Sedaris

David Sedaris is a stitch! Seriously such a great writer. My mom and I listened to 'When You Are Engulfed In Flames' and laughed our asses off together, Plus hearing his sweet squirrel-y voice narrate it made it even better! Plus his sister Amy Sedaris is a knockout. If you haven't checked out her craft books yet, I highly suggest you do!

 

 Bill Murray

Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Scrooged, What About Bob?, Groundhog Day, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, Lost In Translation, Coffee and Cigarettes, The Life Aquatic, Broken Flowers, Get Low, Fantastic Mr. Fox... C'mon!!

 Larry David

You had me at Seinfeld!

I want, I want!

Ohhh Baby Blackbird showcased their sponsor Little Vida this morning. Very cute boys and girls clothing but I fell in looove with this ridiculously adorable Stella McCartney jacket! I knew that Ms.McCartney had a clothing line but hadn't stumbled across her children's line till today. These military jackets are amazing but at 200 bones I will be forced to find a more affordable alternative or make my own for Miles. Regardless, So damn cute!!

Gods away on business

Tom Waits... swoon!

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Enjoy Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes if you haven't seen it. 

Easy Rider

So Im making a plan and trying my hardest to stick with it. Since Ive made the choice to cut back dramatically at work Im going to actually enjoy my time off. Instead of filling every day with errands and appointments till im absolutely pooped and cranky, Im going to really try and stay home more and work on jewelry. Obviously those million errands still need to be done however I am going to just take on a few every other day versus all at once. Im going to relax.  Did y'all catch that... RELAX! Going to try at least. And as for today, I will finally wash baby M's clothes, Go through our baby shower gifts, make jewelry (a must!) and hopefully a snooze and a movie in between!
In other news...
Christmas!! Holy smokes, I'm so excited for the holidays this year. My heart may be exceptionally swollen with festive cheer because I know Ill be spending it with my new main squeeze, a handsome little fella named Miles! Ive promised Steve that Ill wait till after Thanksgiving to put our tree up but that hasn't stopped me from sneaking in a few of my favorite classic Christmas albums. Wow, Am I really this nerdy? I can't help but feel all fuzzy and nostalgic of my childhood while listening to Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald. Gifts this year are going to very slim to nada so I thought Id like to (if time permitted) hand make cards or ornaments for Steve, my parents, sister and kiddos. 

Snowglobe Cards

Who the hell am I kidding! The only gift I have time to make this year is Miles. 

36 Weeks!

 36 weeks!

I went to see Holly my midwife today and she said that baby M has dropped! Hell yes! The other night I was dealing with really bizarre pelvic pains and I read a few sites that said that it could be the baby "dropping." One step closer to baby time! Phhhew! Anyways Holly said hes measuring big but healthy and that from now till delivery Ill be having OB visits every week. We can not wait to see his sweet face!!

(Read More for more photos of the belly!)

My Mama Monday

Meet Corrie, my mom! 

Im not sure when this photo was taken but I'm pretty sure she is in Jerome Arizona. 

Did you see that hair? Yup, pretty amazing right.
There is so much to say about how awesome she is but a bowl of cereal and 30 Rock is calling my name. More next Monday.

Lets get real

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Its 4:46 AM and Steve and I are both under layers of blankets laying on the couch. Hes watching a war documentary and I'm surfing about the internet. Leaving the bedroom obviously interrupted the cats sleep so now they are piled on the couch with us. We both woke up around 3 and realized we were both suffering from an over active mind that wouldn't let us sleep.
Today was an exceptionally difficult day for me. I'm still working at the restaurant but am down to only a few day shifts but unfortunately I came to the realization that working at all is just far too difficult for me this far along in my pregnancy. Usually I take breaks when working to relieve my body and I have plenty of time for nourishment but today there was no chance for either. The restaurant was packed to the point that I was serving 7 to 8 tables at a time all day. I was making mistakes on orders and soon became short and irritable with costumers. My body was pushed too hard. My stomach was extremely uncomfortable and twice today I had to stop and compose myself from standing there in tears. At this point in my pregnancy I want to not work. I want to be able to relax and not push my body or mind too hard. Unfortunately Im letting money rule the inevitable. Steve has had a dramatic loss in work in the past few months and construction wont pick up much during the winter season. We foolishly dont have any money squirreled away for when Im not working and now we are going to deal with the real reality of my loss of income. This issue has put a heavy amount of stress on us as a couple. The weight of change, pressure and finances is so overwhelming at times that we lose focus of eachother. I know I need to give him more strength and support versus the constant heat and intensity I lay on him. At nearly 40 years old he is having to make huge life changes and responsibilities and for a life long bachelor, he is finding that being the head of the family is a bigger task then anticipated. He is truly trying and I need to remind myself that no matter what he will always find a way to provide for us. I called my mom today after leaving work and unraveled myself to her. I uncontrollably cried and explained how difficult it is for me to work and like a good mother, in the midst of her birthday dinner, she listened and simply told me no matter what I needed to stop working for the sake of my baby and health and that money is not worth either. In mere weeks we are going to be this little boys momma and papa and it will be the most gratifying and beautiful thing we could experience together. We have a beautiful home and healthy bodies and best of all we have one another. Miles is arriving soon regardless of how prepared we feel. Plain and Simple. I ultimately must let go of our financial burdens and instead enjoy the extra quiet time we have together in our home.

Mother

I have been trying to think of a subject to weekly write about and I finally have it! Every Monday post will be about my mom. Thinking that since Im on the brink of becoming a mother myself, I wanted to share the person who Im influenced most by. Her strength, style and love are endless and Im so excited to share a bit of her with you. Not to mention the photos of her as a young woman are INCREDIBLE!

There she is with my sister 1981

For Miles and Me

Hi, Hello! I've been a little slow on getting in the groove of updating. I think about things all day that I'd like to write and then by the time I get home Im too tired to collect those thoughts or they've slipped my mind BUT Im here now. The last few days Ive been working on new earring designs for the holidays. Very soon Midnight Riders will be sold at Branch and Birdie here in Portland. This store is amazing for adults and children and Im really excited to have my jewelry be apart of this shop.

The past few weeks I haven't quite had the energy nor enthusiasm to do my weekly picking at thrift stores and estate sales however I did find these sweet treasures a while back that are too special not to share! I have been on the hunt for an attractive but large pitcher for watering my plants and couldn't be more pleased with the price, size and southwestern print of this beauty! OH and did you happen to check out that crazy cute anchor get up for Miles? Adorable!

Yesterday

 

There's Steve and his sweet face and here's me and my belly at 34 weeks!

Relax!

I've been too tired to write anything the last few days. I've been too tired to make jewelry (even though I really really need to be!)... I feel as if theres always something I need to be doing or some errand I need to be running. and I'm pretty sure it's kicking my ass! 

My Birthday was really lovely. Steve and I had the day off together so we took advantage and did very little but pile around watching movies and snacking on delicious food.

George, our ginger cat, had a cold last week and gave it to Willow, our older girl. Shes sneezing and sniffling and has sad little runny eyes. I was up with her all through the night petting her and touching her belly to make sure she was breathing alright. My emotions are a little wacky lately and in this particular case are making me very sad and heartbroken for my sick cat! Whaaaah!

Birthday Girl!

 

Steve made me this amazing card! Such a sweet way to start off my Birthday!