step 1: bring front of diaper up through legs

step 2: fasten right side

step 3: fasten left side

remember – dirty fingernails are a must.

step 4: pat down REALLY hard to ensure everything is secure

step 5: show off your handiwork

phew. it’ll be nice to have an extra set of hands to help out when the new baby girl gets here.

i mean, she’s totally got it down pat.

Well, folks … we are tooling right along with this pregnancy. Only 9 more weeks to go. Can you believe we are in single digit weeks?

Me either.

I’ve been working “hard” on a quilt for the baby girl’s room, and I am loving it. I’ve got most of it finished, but I’m waiting on an even-feed foot for my machine to arrive in the mail any day now.

Mail just came … not today.

Anyway, here’s the top of it …

I have the back finished, and it’s all sandwiched – just waiting to be quilted. I haven’t decided on binding, yet. I think I’ll go with a solid pink or yellow\r, but I need to get my butt to the fabric store to get that.

Since a lot of you have asked how I’m doing … I’m fine. Baby girl is moving lots and doing just great, as far as we can tell. Luckily, the only things I’m craving this time around are salads and water with crushed ice* unlike my first pregnancy when I lived off of fried mozzarella sticks and oreo mcflurries.

* So my teeth may fall out from crunching ice, but at least I’m not gaining 50lbs! I only gained 34lbs with Emma, but I consider that a miracle from above.

Unfortunately, I’ve got myself a pinched nerve in my upper back, which is making sitting, laying down, bending and pretty much any other movement not so much fun. It’s crazy how 20lbs can totally affect your body. Thank goodness for heating pads.

And fans, since heating pads are hot, and it’s like a million degrees here.

Ahhhhhhhh ……..

Jen noticed that I hit 30 weeks today.

Yeah. I might be panicking just a wee bit.

Panicking about the nursery (JUST painted it this past weekend … still not done … we have no decorations … Emma’s still sleeping in the crib converted into a toddler bed …I still have to make a quilt … YIKES!)

Panicking about natural childbirth. I really really wish I was one of those amazing women who imagine natural childbirth being magical – so far, I am NOT one of those women. I am scared out of my mind. I have moments of peace and feelings of “I can do this” and a lot of faith … but most of the time? I am shaking in my flip-flops.

Panicking about having two kids. Emma has days. Days where she leans against me all day long, crawls up in my lap all day long, snuggles into my neck all.day.long. And while I love it, I wonder how I’m supposed to fit two. So many of you told me not to worry about this, and I thank you for that. Mentally, I know it will work. It will. I totally get that. So I’m trying not to think about it too much.

Of course, there’s that nagging voice in the back of my head … you can barely go to the grocery store with one, how in the world do you think you’ll be able to do it with two? And then I get the answer … do it after Ken gets home.

Problem solved.

Oh, just look at my girls.

*happy sigh*

Every little thing gonna be all right.

That’s how much money I found inside.

Apparently, it’s a pay phone.

with her

Canon 50D • 50mm (!!!) • ISO 200 • F4.5 • shutter speed: 1/640

with summer

Canon 50D • 50mm • ISO 200 • F4.5 • shutter speed: 1/1250

with mornings by in the pool

Canon 50D • 50mm • ISO 200 • F2.8 • shutter speed: 1/4000 

with our neighborhood (even on trash day)

Canon 50D • 50mm • ISO 400 • F3.2 • shutter speed: 1/2000 

with caterpillar hunting

Canon 50D • 50mm • ISO 400 • F2.2 • shutter speed: 1/8000 

with dreaming

Canon 50D • 50mm • ISO 200 • F1.8 • shutter speed: 1/1600 

What are you in love with today?

{if you’re in love with my blog}

I don’t know if I’ll actually turn this {our life} into a series, but I would like to consciously try to capture more of our real life. Our daily ebbs and flows. The stuff we do without dressing up or putting on makeup or brushing our hair.

This is a series of images I took WAY back in January but never edited or uploaded. I tend to only upload one or two images a day onto my Flickr account, so there are tons of pictures that never get attention. I feel really bad about that, especially since there are family functions, holidays, and fun excursions that no one ever sees. So I may try to input those into my blog over the next few weeks and then try to keep up with it.

We all know things are going to change come Sept/Oct, so I might as well make the best of my “free time” now, right?

If some of you are wondering what in the world all that gobbledygook is below each picture lately, I’ve been inspired by Beth to post my camera data for when I shoot in manual mode (which is pretty much 100% of the time, now). Honestly, going through images on Flickr and looking at their EXIF data was one of the ways I learned how to shoot in manual. So I’m trying to remember to include my data as much as possible for those of you who are curious or still learning.

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 640 • F1.8 • shutter speed: 1/250

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 640 • F1.8 • shutter speed: 1/250

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 640 • F1.8 • shutter speed: 1/250

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 640 • F1.8 • shutter speed: 1/250

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 640 • F1.8 • shutter speed: 1/250

i love these beautiful moments … so quiet and serene …

it’s almost magic …

… oh yeah. there’s my girl.

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 400 • f3.2 • shutter speed: 1/4000

i was a much better wife and mom before i actually became a wife and mom.

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 100 • f2.5 • shutter speed: 1/8000

it just makes me smile.

inspired by Beth to start sharing the exif data for my photos since I shoot in manual

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 400 • f1.8 • shutter speed: 1/250

99 days.

ninety. nine.

less than a hundred days until we get to meet this little girl.

the guest furniture has been moved out of HER room, and we have less than 100 days to paint, decorate, clean, organize, sell clothes, buy clothes, take our natural childbirthing class and prepare to go from one easy-to-tote-around kid to one easy-to-tote-around-kid and a newborn.

less than 100 days to get emma to give up her converted crib / toddler bed for a big-girl bed … which may be the biggest battle of all.

miss E doesn’t like change.

i have a sneaky feeling she’ll be okay once she meets her future best friend.