an update: 5 1/2 weeks

Alright, let's ignore the nasty hair and the sweatpants/stripes combination and focus on the fact that I'm already showing, people. And I swear to you, this is not part food baby. It is blowing my mind. I wasn't showing this early with Josephine at all.

Just so you know, I've done all the fancy superstitious tests, specifically the pencil test and the key test and both are saying twins. Another thing that is freaking out this pregnant lady. And getting Eric really excited, to the point that he'll say "I really hope it's twins" randomly. But with no family history and no fertility treatments...I'm not getting my hopes up.

Regardless, everything is pointing to boy, so I'm jumping on the boy bandwagon.

As for everything else, the morning sickness has stayed away so far, which it did with Josie as well. Hopefully it stays away for all 40 weeks. For the most part, I'm not really feeling pregnant, except I'm really tired all the time (2 hour nap every day? yes, please). Also, I'm back to eating my weight in fruit, which was typical with Jo as well.

Everyone is feeling super excited that we'll have a new addition to the family. I don't think Jo's quite figured it out yet, but she loves babies in general, so I'm hoping she enjoys having one in the house all the time. I am still trying to convince myself that we're really going to have two (or three? lol) kids - it all seems a little dream-like right now.

Other than the baby stuff, things are kinda crazy around here in general. Eric's parents get into town tomorrow, graduation is on Saturday, and then we're driving up to Spokane on Monday and Tuesday. After that, it's house hunting, moving in, and getting settled. It may be a little quite around the blog, but I'm hoping to do the occasional pregnancy update, because  I never did them with Josie.

Has anyone else done those superstitious prediction tests? They all predicted Josie right, even though I was convinced she was a boy...

things my mother taught me

It never hurts to put your heart into something you love.

You can do hard things.

If you just don't want to do it, then you should probably get up and do it anyways.

Don't sell yourself short.

Love unconditionally.

Respect others and yourself. And expect that they will respect you as well.

Hard work pays off.





































Eat good food.

You can do anything for a month. Or a year.

Read your scriptures and say your prayers. It's the key to happiness.

You're never too old to learn more. (Not that you're old, Mom. Not even close. :-))

Also, you're never too old to be smokin' hot. :-P

Serve others.

Take care of yourself. This is the only body you get. Treat it well.

Be true to who you are and what you believe.

Above all, my mother has taught me how to be a mother myself. I wouldn't be able to do this without her example and without the lessons she taught me over the last 25 years.

Eric and I are about to embark on a new adventure - we're going to be parents of two!! I am so excited for this new change, but a little scared as well. When I feel overwhelmed by the concept of multiple children, though, I just remember my mom. And I remember that if I just follow her lead, I will be alright. I can only hope I can be half the mother that she was to me.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thank you for your love, your kindness, your service, and your sacrifice. Thank you for teaching me how to live. I love you!

Pictures courtesy of my dad, my sister Kenzie, and my mom. 

my little mozart (and some weekend reading)

Nowadays, one of Josie's favorite things to do is play the piano. She'll run up it and call, "Mama! Song! Lalala! Peeez!"

How can I say, "No" to that?



I loved Ellie's new post last week that collected links from around the interwebs. I figured I'd join in the fun and share some of my own each week!

- I found this lovely post through Stacey's blog, Veggie Mama. It's beautifully-written and is a must-read for any mother. All about stopping the comparisons and cherishing the beauty of the race that we run together.

- Atlas Obscura is one of my most favorite sites right now, and it makes me want to travel everywhere. Right away. I especially loved this post about Cerror Fitz Roy in Argentina.

- Bill Clinton tried to get Led Zeppelin back together. It didn't work, but that's still pretty rad. Also, gotta love these pictures of him having the time of his life.

- Loved this article from Darling Magazine about finding the beauty in life.

- And finally, I don't even like hot dogs, but I am dying to make one of these.

Oh, and by the way - Eric and I had the most amazing dinner last night. Asparagus with prosciutto and poached egg (fancy, right?) followed by the most amazing halibut I have EVER eaten. I want to hire the chef to cook for me every night.

And has anyone else seen The Great Gatsby yet? We saw it last night (hooray for date night!) and I was thoroughly impressed. And it's not just because I have a teeny little crush on Leo.