Totally Bogus Tubular Rad 80s!

Three things you shouldn't do when you are 9 months pregnant....
1) Buy a dozen day old donuts for $1 because "they are such a good deal and I'm only going to eat one and then throw the rest away." Riiiiggghttt....immediately even I knew I was lying to myself. Half a dozen donuts later I proved it :)
2) Start panicking about your two year old's streak of EXTRA bad behavior, read on babycenter.com how ALL of your parenting/disciplining techniques are wrong, lose all confidence in your mothering skills, and wonder how many things you are going to do wrong with this next one.
3) Wear leopard print spandex leggings to a party and allow your picture to be taken over and over again! Probably something you should never do!

A couple weeks ago I went to an 80's themed party, hence the leopard print leggings (Miley Cyrus collection, Walmart if you want some!) I think I was tired of trying to hide my largeness. We all know it's there, it's time I embraced it! My outfit was by far the mildest though. These girls know how to theme out a party! TAB, twister, Rubix cubes, hairspray, mohawks, and best of all, some awesome leg warmers were in abundance! Coincidentally I just don't seem to have any pictures available to post of me in my leggings :) Be honest, isn't there a small part of you that wants to start wearing those leg warmers routinely again?!

My Christmas Card to you

I have really loved getting your Christmas cards in the mail these past few weeks. I'm sad that I didn't get cards out to YOU this year, so here's my substitute Christmas card! Just pretend you got it in the mail, all neatly addressed and in a fancy envelope. And while we're pretending, imagine I also included a fabulous family picture where I'm NOT sporting 30 extra pounds, where Aubrey's hair is not messy, and where Zach looks like his usual handsome self!

Was it worth it?

I finally finished the baby's crib set. It was a little bit of work to say the least. I was still okay with the whole project until I thought I was done and put it on the crib to realize a) you couldn't really see the crib skirt, and b) I would need to make and attach double the amount of ties to feel safe putting the bumper in. With Aubrey I was too afraid to use a bumper and of course the day I "finished" the bumper I got a copy in the mail of "Parents" magazine with an article about SIDS that said bumpers were a no-no. The additional ties brought me to a total of FORTY FEET of hand sewn ties. Forty....FEET....Only did then I start to wonder, was this really worth it? :) I think I might cry the first time the baby spits up on any part of it, and heaven forbid a blow out (shudder)!

the dang ties

Piping....I think I only had to make 14 feet of this, thank goodness

Aubrey immediately set about disrespecting the bedding. After once resorting to extreme measures to keep her IN her crib (crib tent) now I don't want her near it and she won't stay out. Get a load of her skinny legs though! They are so cute.

So I'm HATING this list right now. Usually I like "To Do" lists because I actually DO them and love giving myself a big check at the end of a completed project. But there's no way I'm getting the majority of this stuff done before the baby. The holidays always make things a little busier and this pregnancy isn't being as kind to me as my first. Also, I have a whole other "To Do" list I've made for myself involving making a ridiculous amount of photo props for photos of this baby that I probably won't have the energy to actually take :) And yes, I do realize all of this stuff isn't actually important and no one but me would care if I didn't get any of it done! I hope I'm not the only one who feels stressfully busy only to realize "wait, this stuff is all OPTIONAL, and I brought it on myself!" Duh! So baby room to do list, you have no power over me anymore!

1)Crib Bumper - done
2) Crib Skirt - done
3) Crib sheets - done - I made 2 sheets, had hopes of making 4, but I would rather just stick with 2 and do laundry more often!
4) Photo board using what's leftover from above fabric
5) Decorated letters of baby's name
6) cute fabric liners for wicker baskets that I'll use for diapers, wipes, burp clothes, etc
7) Gerber daisy balls to hang from the ceiling
8) Doily banner
9) Pink antiqued frame with Audrey Hepburn's "I Believe in Pink" quote
10) Gads of flannel blankets - I never defined "gads" so does 1 count?
11) quilt - forget this one, for real, forget it. I'll get one done by the baby's first birthday, that's my new timeline

Walking in Memphis....

Two of Zach's sisters were in town to run the St. Jude half marathon with Zach. I wish I had some pictures of the race, but I didn't have it in me to go brave the crowds with the cold and mostly with the Aubrey. She's getting almost impossible for me to carry and hold. They said the race was a really special event. I hope to do it next year! We did spend a night walking around Beale street with his sisters and without Aubrey, so that's when my camera usually comes out!

So...Beale Street....the famous Memphis Street. Here's the extent of my knowledge on it. Lots of blues legends got their start here. And that's about all I know! Once on Beale Street, we didn't know what to actually DO on the street, so we just walked around and looked at all the neon lights.

And of course, some Christmas lights! I can't wait to have more visitors so we can go see more of our local sights :)

I'm proud of Zach and his sisters for running the race, especially on an exceptionally cold day! The race is for such a good cause and 13.1 miles is no small distance. They were able to run through the St. Jude campus and be cheered on by some of the patients there. His sisters also said it was one of the hardest courses they've done and in a way, that feels appropriate for the cause it's for. 2.5 million dollars were raised for St. Jude that day. Thanks Zach, Kara, and Kris!

Just a moment worth recording....

When Aubrey was an infant, a bath was often times the only thing I could do to get her to stop crying. She would calm down, I would calm down, and then those warm fuzzy, it's great too be a mom feelings would return. I think that's why I still feel like this is a bonding time for us. Although I'm generous in letting Zach have that bonding time too :) Lately she will only have a bubble bath, which makes for more appropriate pictures, so it's a win win! I know I'm biased, but I think she's a doll!

Just wanted to give you an example of a before and after processing photo in photoshop. If you look closely, Aubrey's face is covered in scratches and red marks, she had some sort of itchy allergy thing going on. Some clone stamping, gaussian blur filter, preset actions, and black and white conversion (and about 20 minutes of my time!) made this snapshot into something a bit more memorable. Teaching yourself photoshop is one of the most frustrating things next to having a toddler who pulls her own hair out when you try and put her down for a nap, but it's been worth it! Teaching myself photoshop that is, ok and having a toddler too!