Paleo: for the free range birds?

Oy. This Paleo thing is do-able but expensive. I can't even write what we spent on groceries this week, it blew our budget to bits. Today I started feeling resentful about it after Dave and I hit up the QFC (or the QFer, as I like to call it). We filled our cart with sockeye salmon, steaks, free-range chicken, bananas, avocados...beer, champagne, and chardonnay (okay so we have already modified).

Dave helped himself to a pepperoni-cracker snack that some grocer was making in the cheese aisle. Here's the dialogue that followed:
Me: You know you can't eat that.
Dave: What? I told him to hold the cheese.
Me: Yeah, a cracker is not Paleo. Let's go find the fruit n' nuts aisle.

Anyway, we're four days in to our diet and we've eaten bacon every day. How healthy is that? Today I made zucchini-bacon-egg scrambles and chimichurri sauce to pour over grilled chicken. Tomorrow I'm going to make chicken chili soup. Hopefully that'll serve us for a few days because I've been cooking like it's my job. Good thing we're only doing it for two weeks; otherwise we'd need to take out a small loan.

Yesterday I thought I'd try rice-less sushi. Not so good. It's like...all raw fish.

Which way is home?

Although we love snow, I'm happy to report that we narrowly escaped the blizzard of oh-10 yesterday. Our plane departed Hartford at 12:05pm, and the flight attendant announced that all flights after 2pm were cancelled. They de-iced the wings and off we flew. Honestly, it felt like we were escaping in a getaway jet!

Edie is a great traveller but we had a hard time getting her to sleep and staying asleep. At five months old, she is already aware of her surroundings, she knows when she's in a new bed, and she knows how to take a stance. Dave, my mom, and sister took her in the early mornings so I could get a few more hours of sleep but it was pretty brutal. Last night we all crashed in our own beds, and for the first time in a week, got some much needed ZZZss.

We are finally gonna try to eat Paleo. I always make excuses about why we can't do it (how can I give up the cheese!?) but Edie's having some unfortunate (and persistent) skin issues, and her pediatrician recommended I restrict my diet. She says to cut out wheat, dairy, corn, soy, and eggs. It pretty much aligns with the Paleo lifestyle (which prioritizes meat and veggies). My one modification is I'm not cutting eggs, because I really haven't been eating them, and I'm sure they're not the culprit. Today we had to give Edie baby Benadryl to ease some crazy skin reaction, and I figure why not try Paleo? So tonight I made bacon-wrapped chicken strips with sun-dried tomatoes, and kale sauteed in olive oil. SO. GOOD.

I just ordered a bunch of groceries on Amazon Fresh that fit within our new menu. I not a huge fan of Amazon Fresh, because I can get cheaper food at our store up the street, but with a baby in bed and work in the morning, ordering food while looking at Paleo recipes online is damn convenient. And that's what I'm paying extra for. It's gonna be on our doorstep before we even get up!

It's great to be back in Seattle. We had a good trip home, spent time with our wonderful friends and families (and they got some QT with Edie), but it's just so nice to sleep in our own beds and fall into our familiar routines.

Kitzman Family Snow Day!

Seattle gets hit with a snowstorm once a year, and even if they're not big storms, they bring the city to its knees because there are like, two snow plows. And no one knows how to navigate Seattle's steep hills in the snow. And many people do not even own shovels. So when the snow gets packed down and the temperatures drop, it's a snowpocalypse.

Well yesterday was such a day, and I might've scoffed at Dave when he pre-emptively checked for school closures in the morning, but the joke was on me when I tried to get a bus home at 4pm. Ever the weather optimist, I thought the snow wouldn't stick and I was playing it safe by leaving the office early. I heard a fellow public transporter mention that he'd been waiting for the #5 for an hour (not my bus but generally a good bet), so I hopped on a local bus a few minutes later. This one takes a roundabout route on an average day, and I figured it'd take a while, but all buses would. After inching through a few intersections, we waited in gridlock a mile from downtown for two hours. Two painful hours. I tried to pretend I was on an airplane, to just sit back and enjoy my book. But after an hour and a half I said 'Cuss this' and got off and walked.

It was frig.id. And my phone was on the verge of dying, so I walked into the nearest establishment (Jillian's) and asked Dave to pack up the baby and pick me up. Now I know why I never go to Jillian's. For one, they have a dish called Chicken Fettucheesy. For two, they have waiters who neglect your freezing ass unless you are wearing a Seahawks jersey. My hero Dave arrived with the girl, in my warm chariot and we were home in 7 minutes (3 hours after I left work). Curse you, Seattle Metro!!

Dave's school was cancelled today, and I decided to work from home. In between naps, we bundled Edie in her new snowsuit and braved the cold but beautiful day. Dave took a snooze, I actually got some work done, and we made grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. I think Edie was wondering, "Hey, why are we all together? I'm supposed to be at day care". But she was happy and so were we.

For dinner, Dave made "Indian Spiced Kale & Chickpeas" with pork chops, a recipe from our CSA, and it was awesome. We finished it off with some hot cider and rum. Snow days are good as long as you don't have to be anywhere.

Eatin' good in the neighborhood

So last week I wasn't lying- we did go out to celebrate my newfound initials. Edie and I walk a lot, and we keep passing this little place called Eva in an micro-neighborhood called Tangletown. I've been there once before, a few years ago, but I didn't really remember the food and wanted to check it out with Dave.

We went for the 'early bird special', meaning the prices are the same but hardly anyone is eating dinner yet, so we picked our own seating. I've been hearing about their lamb burger which is on their bar menu, and thought that was a good antidote to a cold and rainy Seattle evening. The menu recommended some sort of red wine so I ordered that too. Dave got a manhattan, and the $30 three course dinner. What high rollers we are!

So my lamb burger arrived with juices flowing on a ciabatta roll, surrounded by a green salad. I cut it in half ('cause that's what ladies do), and took a big ol' bite. Let me just say this burger was off. the. chain. Best lamb burger ever, complemented with caramelized onions and blue cheese mayonnaise. And I don't even like mayonnaise. Dave ordered a chicken thigh with sweet potato mash and creamed collard greens. He licked his plate clean, too.

Yesterday Edie and I were kickin' it, and while she napped, I decided to find a recipe for parsnips, which arrived in last week's CSA. It's a root vegetable that looks like a squat albino carrot, and beyond that, I couldn't tell you much about this homely guy. I searched on epicurious.com and found a cream of parsnip soup recipe that boasted to be low fat, easy, and delicious.

'Easy' on epicurious is a relative word. To me, 'easy' means making a box of risotto, chopping up some grilled chicken sausages, and throwing in a handful of broccoli for a one-pot meal. This required slicing and dicing of shallots and onions, reducing white wine, simmering for 45 minutes, and it ultimately involved an immersion blender. But I didn't have anywhere to be, so I could deal. And Edie is now sitting in her Bumbo so she's my little sous chef.

This parsnip soup was, thankfully, really good. Because there was a lot of it. When Dave came home I told him he had to eat it. He made some turkey sandwiches and dipped it in the soup. He was into it. I had a mug full as an appetizer, since I was going out to dinner with some girlfriends.

My friends and I met at a pizza place called Delancey. Apparently it's all the rage, but I guess I'm out of the loop, since I'd never heard of it. It's possible to find good pizza in Seattle, but it doesn't come cheap and you gotta do a little searching. This place is part-owned by a former Brooklynite, and true to form, it's some authentic New York-style pizza. We ordered the Jersey salad followed by a crimini pie and a sausage pie. They each rocked my world. We were discussing meeting up next month for dinner again, and I was like 'Hey, have you ever heard of this place called Eva?". He he. Gotta get my hands on that lamb burger again.

Hot damn and hallelujah!

I haven't been writing about my efforts to study for the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) exam, in the event that I failed. But, I took the test today and I passed! I passed. I'm so happy to be done with the studying. Ask me anything about the 2000 U.S. Census, I crammed it all in my brain last night.
I started studying when Edie was 3 weeks old, and would sneak in some reading or online course participation while she was asleep. Now I can go back to watching old episodes of 30 Rock while she naps without the guilt. Or maybe I'll find some recipes for the new and unusual veggies that keep appearing in our fridge. Or perhaps I'll read my New York magazine, which brother-in-law Jeff bought me for my birthday. That subscription comes once a week; keeping up on my New York-centric happenings is a part-time job. So many other fun things to do!

Some friends and family wrote me to say good luck today, and I'm just so relieved to tell people that I PASSED instead of ::shuffle shuffle:: failed. What does it even mean that I'm AICP? I'm a certified planner. It looks good on a resume, and perhaps will give clients or future employers a bit more confidence in my abilities since I don't have a planning education. The exam covers a very broad range of topics, so candidates have to overstudy in the event of getting one or two questions on a certain subject.

Over the past three months, I had to learn a lot of random info, but I also got more familiar with the role that planners have or should have in society. Honestly, I'm happy to be a planner. I think I picked a good career. Professionally, we're responsible for protecting the environment, mobilizing citizens, revitalizing under-utilized community assets, and fosteing economic development (among other things). Did I just get a little teary-eyed?
I think we'll have to raise a glass tonight. Not sure where we'll go but I definitely feel the need to celebrate!

Workin' 9 to 5

I'm back on the work trolley and all's well so far. There were no major meltdowns or stressors, and work is pretty mellow right now. On the first day, I woke up to torrential downpours, and since we walk to Edie's daycare I was slightly put off by the weather. But no worries, while on maternity leave I bought a sweet Patagonia jacket that laughs in the face of rain. And Edie has a big ol' canopy on her stroller.
I got up and got ready, then woke her up for 'school'. Once dressed in her cutest first-day-of-school outfit, she immediately had a panty blow-out. I changed her and did all the other necessary baby stuff and we got on the road. Over the past few weeks, Dave and I have been visiting the daycare with Edie so we could all to get used to it. The caregivers seem to know what they're doing (I mean, they're professional baby people) and Edie is so young that she doesn't seem to care one way or another about being there.
Marianna, the self-proclaimed Grandma of the establishment, welcomed Edie with open arms and I felt that she was in good hands. I got a bit choked up leaving her but had to catch my bus, so off I went without tears.

When I picked her up that afternoon, the ladies said she was great, but how do I put her to sleep? I was thinking 'I thought you might be able to tell me, he he'. She was plum tuckered though, because as soon as I got her outside she was snoozin' away in her stroller. That night she slept like a little log- she must've been so worn out from taking in all the new things to do and see and smell, and all the new babies to meet. The next day when I picked her up, she was babbling a lot. I think she heard all the other babies chatting and wanted to get in on the conversation.
Last night after two half-days of work I was so beat! I went to bed at 8:30, true fact. I hope I can swing three full days starting next week. It feels good to be back in the real world. Although today I met a mom with a three-week old at the coffee shop and thought, wow Edie was three weeks old just a minute ago!

the changing leaves

This is my last week of maternity leave. I can't believe it's time to go back to work! I have mixed feelings about it. I like my job and am looking forward to interacting with my adult-sized buddies again, doing something productive on a professional level, and getting a paycheck. And I'm only going back 3 days per week, which I think will be okay.

But I also really enjoy my mellow days with Edie. We sleep in, we get dressed, she plays on her little playmat (aka jungle gym) or we have a dance party, we read books. I take her to the coffeeshop and we go on a long walk nearly everyday. Today was cool and sunny after three days of blustery, dark coldness, and I welcomed the chance to get back outside. We hunt for spiders, which are all over the place, and I explain to her why changing leaves and blue skies are things to be happy about. Someday she'll understand.

It'll be really hard to have to get up with an alarm. For the past three months, Edie has been my alarm. If I'm up multiple times a night with her, it may suck, but at least I don't have to be up and at 'em the next day. Now I'll have to juggle the nighttime feedings with getting out the door in the morning and being a productive employee.

But most importantly, it'll be hard to leave her with someone else all day. It'll probably be easy for her, just heart-wrenching on me. A whole day of Edie will pass while I'm at work. While I was pregnant, a colleague told me that each of your baby's first is monumental, and it's true. The littlest things make me proud. For example, last week I noticed Edie started to grab a ring on her octopus rattle. She used to just bat it, now she holds it and swings it around! That doesn't seem like much to someone else, I'm sure, but it's a window into Edie's development for me. And it's little things like that that I'll probably miss.

We'll see how it goes. I'm getting a little sad writing this, so wish me luck.

lookin right at ya

Here's Edie at PEPS. She's the one looking right at the camera.

Expanding our (produce) horizons

Two months ago Dave and I watched Food, Inc and the next day did something we'd been meaning to do for a while: we joined his cousin Kim's organic CSA. (Actually we went out for brunch, wolfed down a plate of not-free range bacon, then joined. But I digress.) Kim and her husband Dan own a farm outside of Seattle, and they operate Terra Organics, a delivery service that brings fresh fruits and veggies to our doorstep bi-weekly.

We never know what we're going to get in the box, except that it's mostly local and in season (the farthest stuff comes from California). What I like about our CSA is the inclusion of recipes that incorporate one, two, or three of the items in the box. Some of the items really are a mystery...especially for Dave who is basically an apple-man. He's like "Look we got a squash" (it's a melon) or "Check out this cucumber" (it's a rare breed of eggplant). Hey, we're all learning. I have no idea how to cook tomatillos or what to do with arugula, so the recipes help me out and get us eating new things. And we are eating healthier.

I will say that it's kind of odd timing to start delving into culinary adventures. If Edie is awake and it's around dinner time she wants to be held or played with or taken on a walk. Simple recipes are probably best for this time in our lives (i.e. dump a jar of sauce and a pound of meat in the crock pot and come back in four hours). And you know I'm not too proud to nuke some Trader Joe's chicken tikka masala for dinner. I do feel pressure to use these new ingredients, which all have a pretty short life span and I like cooking and eating new things, but some days I really don't have the time and Edie doesn't have the patience for me to toast spiced walnuts for our roasted beet and goat cheese salad! Those are the days we look at each other and decide it's gonna be a soup and sandwich night.

My PEEPS

We started our PEPS group tonight, which stands for Program for Early Parenthood Support. Dave insists on calling it PEEPS, so that's what I now consider it. A group of six or seven couples who have babies the same age get together once a week for three months to share the highs and lows of parenting, talk about life with baby, and shoot the breeze, all while missing Monday Night Football. We rotate hosting each week, and the whole deal is run by a volunteer facilitator.
[Dave wasn't even in attendance, I might add. He was playing his supposedly last softball game of the season. Edie shed one tear for her absentee father.]

Tonight was good. We shared our birth stories (which is like crack for pregnant ladies and new moms), discussed our pre-baby expectations for parenthood compared to how it actually is, and divulged our expectations for PEEPS. In a nutshell, we want cameraderie. Or the moms want cameraderie and they made the dads join. At least that's how it went down in our house. I also wanted to see other babies Edie's age, and maybe get her some baby friends.
Of course Edie wanted to eat five minutes into our introductory circle. I'm pretty modest about breastfeeding, and reluctant to feed in front of thirteen strangers. So I slinked off to the host's stairs to feed her. Meanwhile, the facilitator is explaining the ins and outs of PEEPS, and says that it's okay to feed/change/comfort your baby at PEEPS. Obviously I assumed since we all live in liberal, natural birth-centric Seattle, it was okay to feed your baby at our meetings. I just didn't want to be the first one to bare a boob. But I came out of hiding and went back to the group, where some other moms were feeding too. All in all, Edie was a peach and very interested in the host's designer lighting.

I'm looking forward to seeing our PEEPS again and introducing Dave to the group.

She smiles!

Edie has started smiling and cooing. We thought she was adorable before but this just clicks it up a notch. This morning I went in to her room and she smiled when I leaned over her crib. Her favorite place is on the changing table. She's just happy as a clam when she's there.

And here's Edie playing with her Crinkly Friend butterfly toy.

All in the Family

The last few weeks have been family-tastic. My jet-setting sis and Jeff flew out to meet Edie over Labor Day weekend. On par with Seattle's lame summer, the weather was grey, so we were all pretty content hanging around the homestead, taking turns making googly-eyes at the baby and playing Boggle on Jeff's iPhone. We also ventured out for daily Americanos, my first Bloody Mary in a long time, and some world-renowned bar-b-que down in Olympia, WA. It was a mellow but thoroughly satisfying weekend.

I get sad when I have to say good-bye to my family, but it brightens me up knowing that I'll see them again soon. I'm flying home in October with Cookie, my mother in law, to introduce Edie to our East Coast people. I'm also thinking of our trip as a trial run, because Dave and I are planning on going home for Christmas. I expect traveling with Edie at Christmas to be a little nutty.

Dave's parents have been coming down on a weekday afternoon to spend time with Edie. Cookie lets me take her car to run errands, so I've gotten a haircut and went running at Green Lake. These are the things that become a little trickier to accomplish with a little nugget. The first time I left Edie, I was going over the finer details of how to warm up her bottle and fasten a cloth diaper. Meanwhile, Art and Cookie couldn't get me out of the door fast enough. I will say, it's nice to get some time off, even if just an hour or two. Everyone wins!

Lastly, Becky (Dave's sister) came by on Saturday afternoon to whisk Edie off our hands. I used the time to study for a professional exam, while Dave vegged on the couch and watched college football. Dave suggested we go to our favorite cocktail bar, Oliver's Twist, (pending I change out of my stretch pants) and again I could see Becky thinking, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" (in a nice way).
We ponied up to the bar and realized that we hadn't been alone in a loooong time. It felt nice to have an adult conversation and a glass of wine out. After our drinks, Dave didn't twist my arm too hard to convince me to go out to dinner. I texted Becky, who swore everything was going well back at home, so we headed for some Oaxacan tapas in Ballard. When we got home at the late hour of 8pm, Edie was fast asleep in Aunt Becky's arms. Becky weathered Edie's evening freak-out session like the veteran parent that she is. Thanks Aunt Becky for date night!

More and more, Dave and I appreciate the value of being close to family. What does this mean for our move back East, I wonder?

Crossfit glory!

Our Crossfit gym posted a blog about me and my post-due workouts. I had stopped working out around the end of my 8th month, but then started going again right around my due date to get things moving along. I thought that some moderate activity might initiate labor. Plus I was getting bored. Unfortunately for me (but fortunate for my instructors and fellow gym goers, who were keeping a healthy distance) exercising didn't do the trick. (FYI, I ended up getting induced, and even that didn't go very quickly).

Being 42 weeks pregnant was a bummer, but at least I got some Crossfit glory, plus lots of fist bumps and encouraging words from people who thought it was awesome that I was still working out.

Dave and I went to Crossfit last week for a pot luck BBQ and to introduce Edie to the crew. Here's a great photo of Dave with our little girl.

Now when I'll return to Crossfit to workout is another story...I think I'll start with some bootleg home workouts first.

License to Chill

Well, well, well. What do we have here? The end of summer? But you're here so soon....

Maybe it isn't the official end of summer, but it sure feels like it because Dave's going back to work, which means I'll no longer have a daytime companion of the adult variety. Someone I can talk baseball with and hand the baby to when I want to eat lunch. Looks like it's just me and the little sack a' taters from now on...which is fun, she's just not one for conversation.

Edie's favorite hobbies include sleeping on me (which is the most awesome), sleeping while moving, and eating. She has no interest in being held without undivided attention. She's like "You think you're gonna check your email but I see you're not looking at me-WAAAAH!". It is pretty interesting to see how newborns communicate with very limited means. Crying= I don't like it, try something else. Not crying= I guess this is okay. It'll be cool when she can smile so we get some positive feedback.

I am thoroughly enjoying time home with Edie. It's a completely new pace of life for me. The last time I had three months off was after graduating college. I was looking for a job in NYC, had a lot of time on my hands and a dwindling savings account. That combo sucks. Furthermore, I was raised under the impression it was a sin to be inside on sunny days. But now I have the license to stay in all damn day if that's what Edie and I want. Guilt free!
(picture above: me using the sound of my hair dryer to get Edie to sleep)
It's nice to have a job to return to in a few months, but in the meantime I'm under strict orders to take it easy, enjoy my new baby, and lavish her with attention. As much as I like to get out and do stuff, we don't venture far because she eats so often; errands are highly efficient. We've been watching a lot of MLB with Dave, we go on daily walks and get coffee around the corner and we've introduced Edie to the wonder that is Sunday brunch. Feeding and singing and dancing and reading and changing and bathing her...the days just seem to pass, no problem.

So that's our life in a nutshell. We gotta say goodbye to Dave each morning now, which is a bummer. But someone's gotta bring home the bacon!

Welcome Camden!

Edie doesn't know it yet but her new best friend was born today. Michelle and Jay welcomed Camden Aster Edmands to the world after another looong delivery. Michelle and I grew up together (with my sis, Ashley, of course). We were in the same grade and have gone together like peanut butter and jelly since 1980. I hope Edie and Camden have as good of a relationship, especially once we move back east. Think of all the shared birthday parties! Cheers to Michelle and Jay!

Here's Edie, no pics of Camden yet. Dave requested her excited face, but this is what she gave us instead:

At long last!

After enduring two weeks past my due date, four days in the hospital, and four methods of induction, we finally welcomed our beautiful daughter, Edie Harper, to the world on August 1st. She is a peach and we are adjusting to life as a family. I suspect this blog may be high jacked by Edie-related ramblings. She's just the coolest little bean!

10 days overdue

I had my suspicions that our baby would be late, since most first timers arrive post-due. Not sure why they take longer to bake, but that's the word on the street. But! I didn't think I'd be 10 days late...or more. Here we are, bags are packed, house is cleaned, baby stuff is ready to go and no baby to speak of. There are some strategies you can try to get things moving but most have been traced back to folklore. Bottom line, the baby comes when it's ready.

I like to view this as my first test as a mom (I'm on the baby's clock, not vice versa). Meanwhile, I'm getting bigger by the moment; people can't avoid looking at me at Green Lake or the grocery store. And my parents have been truly good sports; they've been here for 2.5 weeks now, and I know they're getting antsy.

Honestly, I was more anxious 10 days ago when I felt like labor was gonna start AT ANY MINUTE!! The best way I can describe being overdue? It's like coming in for a landing, then the pilot pulls the plane back up, and while you're ascending and the flight attendant announces that instead of landing, you're gonna circle the airport for 2 more weeks. Ten days ago friends and family were calling me, Dave, and my folks for updates; my phone hasn't made a peep in a few days. It's pretty anticlimatic for us all.

Full term pregnancy is 37-42 weeks; the 40th week is the due date you're generally assigned, but it's not an exact science. The baby can arrive two weeks before or after and still be considered "on time". I chose to see the midwives at my hospital rather than an OB/GYN, and those lovely earth mothers take a more holistic approach to pregnancy and birth. They tell me that the latest research doesn't call for induction until 42 weeks unless there are complications. Since there aren't, I'm looking at next Saturday as the last resort. I hope it doesn't come to that...

Make Lemonade

My parents' cross country journey in a borrowed Minnie Winnie did not quite pan out as planned. After many months of planning and preparing and stocking the Winnebago, they climbed aboard and pointed it westward on July 3rd with Aunt Kitty and Uncle Steve, only to break down in Buffalo, NY. The engine was shot; the mechanic estimated it was going to be quite expensive to fix. Despite the change of plans, they kept a positive attitude. They packed only the necessary items into a rented extended cab and continued on. They visited the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Lake Erie, and then Chicago to meet up with family friends.

While Kitty and Steve returned eastward (as planned), my folks weren't sure how to best get from Chicago to Seattle- plane? train? automobile? (great movie, by the way). A one-way flight was ungodly expensive, so they booked a couple of the last remaining seats on an Amtrak train. The rest of the journey would take about 2 days.

Originally, my parents were going to help out once the baby arrives and sleep in the parked Minnie Winnie in our driveway. With no RV, that meant no place to put them. Dave and I had an idea- the upstairs apartment is vacant, and our landlords have been slowly preparing it to rent. Why not rent it to my parents? Or better yet, have them do the repairs and painting in exchange for room and board? Genius, I know. The landlords were game.

We moved our futon upstairs, along with some essentials (coffee maker, chairs, a laptop, and towels). Okay, so it's a little too minimalist, but how convenient (not to mention incredibly lucky) to have an available apartment upstairs and parents who are ready and willing to do home and yard maintenance?

A few days ago, Kitty called my mom to tell her they'd returned to the Minnie Winnie and salvaged most of the stuff they'd left behind. How awesome!? My mom is notoriously lucky. Actually, we all are.

Now that I'm done with work for a while, I'm just gonna sit back, wait for Little Kitzman, and drink lemonade.

The High Fidelity Issue

Nick Hornby's High Fidelity is one of my Top 5 all time books (and the movie's pretty good too). The protagonist, a lovelorn record shop manager, makes Top 5 lists for all sorts of things (i.e. dream jobs, songs for a Monday morning). I play this game on road trips or when conversation gets stalled at a bar with friends... but we often get distracted so we shorten the game to Top 3. In honor of two weeks to go, here's my pregnancy-related Top 3s.

Top 3 businesses that I might've single-handedly supported:
1) Molly Moon's Ice Cream
2) Dahlia Bakery
3) Chutney's Indian Bistro


Top 3 things I will miss about being pregnant:
1) Baby kicks- it really is cool to feel my little buddy move around
2) Farrah Fawcett-worthy hair...or at least that's what it feels like compared to my pre-pregnancy mane
3) Extra friendliness from strangers

Top 3 things I will not miss:
1) Limited physical ability and energy level
2) My maternity wardrobe. Most of my shirts are now belly shirts and I've started wearing skirts as tops. Holla!
3) Restless nights (although I suspect that will continue for a while...ha)

Top 3 things I'm looking forward to consuming one the baby arrives:
1) Sushi!
2) A summertime margarita (on the rocks, with salt)
3) Turkey straight out of the package

Top 3 things about being pregnant in Seattle:
1) It's not ridiculously hot or humid (but I want it to be once we have our little baby)
2) Over-abundance of prenatal yoga options
3) Cherries!

Top 3 inventions that have come in handy:
1) Skype
2) Tennis balls (for my DIY back massages)
3) Barca-lounger

Top 3 annoying people I've encountered in the last 9 months:
1) Militant natural home birthers
2) Old bags who ask "Are you sure it isn't twins?"
3) Casual acquaintances who ask if it was planned. Really?

Top 7 awesome things you can say to an expectant mother:
1) "You move well for a pregnant lady"
2) "Can I get you anything?"
3) "You don't even look pregnant from the back" (thanks Dave!)
4) "You are gonna be the coolest mother"
5) "Do you want me to order a pizza?"
6) "You look beautiful"
7) "You are a rock star. There's no way I would've worked out like that while pregnant. I bet you're gonna have an easy recovery".

Welcome to the fox den!

Okay so we're pretty proud of our fox den. We've been dedicating some time to it each weekend (when I get a burst of energy I retreat to the den and see what I can do). For comparison purposes, here's the fox den a month ago:

Luckily, our landlord offered to paint the room before we moved in, and we'd already picked a color. He also installed the overhead light I custom ordered, saving us from a crash course in electrical wiring.
First Dave put together the crib:

Then he hung some curtains:

(I always know when Dave is doing a home project because I hear some drilling followed by "sh*t".)
I put up my foxy wall decal, which I bought from Blik and, unfortunately, didn't hand paint myself. Flexing my artistic prowess while perched on a ladder isn't on my agenda these days.

We had some art to hang, and I scored a sweet letterpressed fox clock at my baby shower.

I've been washing sheets and folding little blankets like it's my job.

I also cleaned up this dresser that we scored for free from the neighbors, lined the drawers with contact paper and filled them with baby stuff.

And now we just need a happy little baby to make the room complete!