Blueberries. 

Peaches.

And the view from here.

Thirty Three.

Baby Love was about 17 inches long last week
and weighs over four pounds,
kind of like a large purple cabbage.

 

Last week was just one of those weeks. I should have done a lot of things, but I didn’t. It was too hot. Instead of cleaning the kitchen I read baby books. Rather than folding the laundry, I sewed baby burp cloths. While I should have been making dinner, I rearranged the nursery three times and then, in the end, put everything back where it had been originally. I wasted two fresh tomatoes in an attempt to make homemade ketchup, only to taste it and toss it out. I drank Izze’s with a straw and I watched out the window for the UPS man to bring me boxes of online ordered baby treasures. I spent hours resting in bed (Tim came home from work twice to find me sleeping – oops!), just feeling the baby kick, kick, kick… and daydreaming about our future as a family of three.  

 
I purposely rearranged our schedules to accommodate our 33 week belly shoot, but the photos remained untouched on my camera for days. I’m already on to 34 weeks and am finally posting them, because my 33^rd week was really just one of those weeks. Nothing accomplished but all the silly little things that make life the sweetest.  

Pinklepurr Still Needs a Home.

Blog Readers, I'm still desperately trying to find a home for Pinklepurr. I absolutely cannot and will not take her to the humane society, so finding her a new family is of utmost importance. Please, please, please! If you know of ANYONE who might be interested in adopting a kitty, let me know as soon as possible.

Tim and I have been putting up flyers and sending out mass texts and emails. It's a kitty campaign, and we are hoping and praying that a new home can be found for my sweet Pinklepurr.

Two Bits of Fun News:

#1: Timmy found and bought me non-toxic, all-natural nail polish in a pretty shade of purple. I haven’t painted my nails in years, after learning about the toxicity of regular polish.
(The brand is called Piggy Paint and it looks just like regular nail polish. Only this stuff doesn’t have the ability to kill you with its harmful ingredients.)

#2: I can still reach my toes.
(Timmy did offer to paint my toesies for me, if I couldn’t manage to get past my ballooning belly. I almost let him, because I think lots of giggles would have resulted from his attempt.)

Cloth Diapers Made by Me.

I like cloth diapers.
I like them for a number of reasons, some of them being:
*They're good for the environment.
*They don't have any icky chemicals.
*They save money.

 
Timmy and I have always planned on using cloth diapers for our babies. When we got pregnant, I started really researching cloth diapering and realized that there are MANY options, and it got a little overwhelming. Luckily, my Mom used cloth diapers for my sisters and I, and she had a lot of advice on what to use. After talking to her and a couple other cloth diapering moms - including my older sister - I made the decision to use prefolds and then buy diaper covers. Covers are the waterproof part.  

However, the really nice, really cute covers cost anywhere from $16-$20 EACH. And when you figure you need approximately 8-10 covers in all sizes (newborn, small, medium, large), that adds up to a lot of money. It almost feels like you're not actually saving any money, which is part of the idea of cloth diapering in the first place! 

But a friend pointed out to me... cloth diaper covers can be made. SOMEONE obviously makes them, so why not me? I then found a pattern online and was further convinced that this was a good idea. So I recruited Mom's help, bought some PUL waterproof fabric for the insides, elastic binding, and strong velcro, and dug through my fabric stash to find scraps big enough for the cotton outside of the diapers. 

 
The cloth diaper covers were surprisingly easy to make. Both Mom and I were a little nervous about sewing on PUL fabric, especially because you can't use pins since that would poke holes in the waterproof part, thus making them no longer waterproof. But paper clips easily replaced the pins, and the elastic binding was a cinch to sew on, too! We made and completed 8 before running out of elastic binding, and we have 12 more almost done. The approximate cost per cover is just about $3, saving us lots of money!!
 

I never would have thought I could get so excited about diapers. Seriously... I have become a mom! But I'm literally bursting with glee when it comes to my cute, cute covers! Baby O'Brien will have the cutest little bum in town. 

Thirty-Two.

Baby Love is still 15 inches long this week
 and weighs about 4 pounds,
which can be compared to four navel oranges. 

 

32 weeks pregnant in July is a pretty place to be. As the amount of clothes that fit me becomes less and less (due to both my expanding belly and increasingly swollen feet), I’m relying more and more on simple sundresses, comfy capris, flip flops, and sandals. This is made possible by warm air and bright summer-blue skies. Fresh summery organic fruits and veggies – bought from Amish stands and farmer’s markets - have been filling my plate with color and nutrients - sun ripened tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, zuchinni, and boiled baby red potatoes. Cherry tomato plants are thriving on our porch, thanks to Farmer Tim, and we peek out nightly to check on their progress. My anticipation of sweet corn leaves me breathless. Long walks at twilight, accompanied by twinkling fireflies and my favorite boy, are delicious summertime pregnancy treasures. Windows left open to sweet breezes, cool sheets to slide into, and the music of fans blowing create a summery symphony to fall asleep to, all the while rubbing my tummy and whispering the joys of the world to Baby Love. I am thankful for balmy thunderstorms, tank tops, and the carefree feeling that comes with the month of July. 

 
With less than eight weeks to go, I’m treasuring each wiggle and kick and trying to ignore my sore back, swollen fingers, and the return of an all-day-every-day lingering queasy stomach. I’ve been reading some good books, “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” and “On Becoming Baby Wise”, and learning and planning and preparing for the ever-approaching arrival of our little love.  

Soon.
Before the hot days are cast aside for crisp temperatures, before the leaves fall
– Baby Love will be here soon. We can’t wait.

Happiness Happened This Week…

 (cute wooden baby toys)

The car seat I have been stalking at Target went on sale today for $100! It is normally $159.99. We snatched that deal up within ten minutes of me texting Timmy with an opening line of “Oh my goodness!”
 
Rynn and Caleb came over for our weekly dinner date. After we all admitted that none of us felt like actually cooking, we high-tailed it to Chipotle for a leisurely supper of burritos and chips. As we enjoyed their company and they talked of missions trips to foreign countries, I was reminded afresh of how special this time is. We may not always live in the same city, and I like having our little lovebirds nearby.
 
Tim and I both got off work early one day to go to a midwife appointment. Hearing Baby Love’s heartbeat always puts a smile on my face, and getting Tim to myself for the whole afternoon and evening put an extra bounce in my step. We opted to go to the Budget Cinema for a matinee viewing of “Jane Eyre” – a movie Timmy agreed to without really thinking about what he was getting himself into. The result was a bored husband pretending to make out with me and whispering hilarious comments during all the most serious parts. Meaning we were cracking up while everyone else was wiping away tears. I think we looked like ridiculous high-schoolers on a date and for some reason, that was fun.
 
My friend loaned me several big bags of maternity clothes. Getting dressed in the morning feels like Christmas, I have so many cute new things to wear. Also, I have duly noted that actual maternity clothes are probably worth the expense, as it’s much easier to breathe now…
 
We visited Barnes and Noble with the intention of buying a book. As we moseyed past the toy section however, I squealed. I had no idea that B&N carried my favorite line of baby toys, HABA. They’re wooden, all natural, and European (and that makes everything seem more glamorous, no?) and THE CUTEST TOYS EVER. They are simple and gorgeously painted and honestly, even I would be entertained for hours with some of them. In conclusion, we left B&N with two unexpected treasures.
 
Our mailbox was stolen last week, but it has now been replaced with a shiny new model. Tim also gussied up our post with a fresh coat of paint. We now have the prettiest mailbox on the block, thanks to my handy husband. (Our new mailbox also appears to be a little more spider-proof, so getting the mail no longer involves cautiously poking my hand in and shaking if off each piece as soon as I pick it up.)
 
Jamie has been doing a cute series of outfit posts this week, and her amazing style has me taking notes and pre-planning post-pregnancy outfits. Daily blog posting from Jamie is definitely a reason to smile. 

I don’t eat eggs and I don’t typically like touching them. But, organic, free-range brown-speckled chicken eggs nestled in a recycled egg carton – those little guys make me happy happy happy. Timmy says they don’t taste too different, but I’m convinced they add some special magic to a dinner of scrambled eggs on English muffins.  
 
There’s a new Winne the Pooh movie out this weekend, and I want to see it. Does anyone else have a sweet spot in their heart when it comes to that silly old bear?

Bibs for Baby Love.

Baby bibs are as easy to make as:

1. Trace a store-bought bib onto heavy paper to create your own pattern. Using the pattern, cut out two pieces of fabric, one in waterproof PUL and one in any 100% cotton print. 

2. Sew around the perimeter of the fabric, wrong sides together, using a simple straight stitch. Pin and sew on double-fold binding to finish the edges.

3. Add a snap to the top of the bib to complete it. (You could also use velcro.)

My favorite part, as always, is how quick, easy, and cheap this project is. I used scraps of PUL fabric (leftover from a different project I've been working on) for the back and leftover scrap fabric for the pretty fronts. I think you could definitely use cotton for the front and terry cloth for the backing, rather than using PUL. (You can find PUL fabric at Jo-Ann's.)

Adorable. I have two more almost done and many more ideas in my head!

Babymoon Part 4: Switzerland

The final chapter of our Babymoon 2011 adventure. When we booked our tickets - purposely choosing the option that would give us an 8 hour layover in Zurich - having a day of adventuring in Switzerland seemed thrilling. But on Saturday morning, exhaustion from a week of walking in Greece plus getting up at 3AM to catch our flight out of Athens made this suddenly seem like a VERY BAD idea. I stubbornly announced that I just wanted to spend the entire layover sleeping on the airport chairs. 

Luckily, I’m married to a man who often has VERY GOOD ideas. He procured a rental car for our brief window of time, and we set out from the airport at 10AM, needing to be back by 2:30 to catch our flight to Stockholm at 4:30. 

After some debate of which direction to head, Tim decided a sightseeing drive would be best and turned our rental car toward the Alps. We drove to an alpine village called Interlaken, a place Tim had been to before and had fallen in love with. The drive to Interlaken was breathtaking. We took a country road through sweeping hillsides in glowing emerald green. Little Swiss cows grazed contentedly, dotting the landscape and existing under perfectly blue skies. Swiss cottages and villages spread out in clusters. 

The Alps loomed ahead for almost an hour before we actually began to enter into the foothills. Twisting roads wound us higher and higher, with the views becoming more and more glorious. 

We stopped our car at a lookout point, and I emerged from my seat to snap photos of THE MOST beautiful view I have ever seen in my life. I’m not even kidding. The photo doesn’t do it justice. We finally arrived in Interlaken, after driving through many tunnels that brought us back down the mountain and we emerged into the bright sunlight and a cool lake the most extraordinary shade of teal. 

Because it had taken us two hours to get to Interlaken, and we had to be back in two and a half hours, we only had about half an hour to wander around the lake and get going. As soon as we got back in the car I hit “Airport” under the saved favorites section on our GPS (just like the rental car attendant told us to do), and fell asleep. Tim woke me up an hour or so later, asking me if I was sure I had put in the right airport. I kind of laughed and said, “How many airports could there be?! Of course I put in the right one.” But half an hour later, I wasn’t so sure. After a quick search, I learned that there were SEVEN airports in the nearby area, and we suddenly had no idea which one was the right one and we were definitely headed toward the WRONG one. Ahh!!

After a quick debate, we chose one of the airports in Zurich and prayed it was the right one. Our GPS had us getting there at 3:40, giving us less than an hour to return our rental car, get into the airport, through security, and on the plane by 4:30. Talk about stressful. As we got closer to Zurich we got stuck in horrible traffic, and we began to panic. (Ok, I was the only one panicking. Tim rarely panics, and when he DOES, you can bet I’m fainted on the floor.) I felt sick as I watched the GPS predict a later and later arrival. 

In the end, we got to the RIGHT airport at 3:45 (whew!) and managed to make it to our gate with ten minutes to spare. This only furthered Tim’s belief that there is NEVER any reason to panic.

Our whirlwind adventure in Switzerland was amazing, and definitely one of the best parts of our trip. It was a life changing experience and the perfect ending to a fabulous vacation. 

Thirty & Thirty-One

Baby Love is 15 inches long this week
and weighs about 3.5 pounds.

Her *weight can be compared to a cabbage.

I totally missed out on the 30 week photos, which really is a bummer.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity
and have included super fun things like
painting the downstairs bathroom,
gardening the jungle in our front yard,
and our mailbox being stolen. (Why?!)

Not only has my nesting instinct kicked into full force, but it's swallowed up Timmy as well. He has been in a frenzy of activity that I can only describe as the male version of nesting. Suddenly it is of utmost importance to have the garage organized before the baby comes. I totally understand, because suddenly it is of utmost importance to have the downstairs closets cleaned out before the baby comes.

Not like the baby will care if either is done. But, if we have anything to say about it, both will be done. As well as all the other things that occupy our to-do lists.

Luckily, I'm still feeling great enough to spend hours crouching on the bathroom floor, painting behind the bathroom sink. (Don't worry Mom, I didn't breathe the toxic fumes.)

The Final Ten Countdown has begun.

*Now that Baby Love is mostly just fattening up, we're switching to weight comparisons for a while.

A New Home for Pinklepurr

Wanted:
A good home for one fuzzy orange kitty named Pinklepurr.

Pinklepurr is five years old and likes to be called Pink. She is a very snuggly cat who loves to chase catnip mice, sleep in sunbeams, and purr on your lap. She is pretty and petite and very well mannered. Pink is clean and fastidious about using her litter box, and she never ever sneaks up on tables to eat “people food”. Her favorite thing is to be held close and to have her ears rubbed.

Pinklepurr is both declawed and spayed.

Any happy individuals interested in adding this pretty kitty to their family should contact me at rb.obrien7@gmail.com 

_______________________________________________________

It hurts my heart to announce that my parents have developed allergies to my sweet kitty, Pinklepurr.

Pink and I have been buddies from the moment we met, just hours after she was born. I used to carry her around the house in my sweater pockets, her little orange body nestled cozily inside with just her little face peeking out. When I left for college, she came with me and kept me company during my late night studying. She always slept curled up near my head, purring me to sleep. After college, the two of us moved to Madison together and she was my little companion, keeping loneliness away with her ever-loving snuggles and purrs. When I met and married Tim, I couldn’t take her with me into our new house because Tim is allergic to kitties. My parents graciously volunteered to adopt my orange baby, and she has lived with them for two years now. Unfortunately, it’s become obvious that they are both allergic to her fur, and it’s quite necessary to find a new family to adopt her. If you know of any loving people who would be interested in a beautiful, sweet kitty, pretty please let me know!

 Watching me get ready in the morning.

 Cuddling with her buddy, Buzz.

 Celebrating her birthday.