32 Weeks: Fingernails, toenails and hair oh my!

For a short week it seriously seemed like the longest ever! Lots going on at work and home but each day brings us closer to meeting our baby girl, so really - how can I complain? There is still quite a bit to do around the house but we made some serious progress I think. I scheduled a pickup from goodwill for all the furniture and other stuff that has been sitting around our house and big trash pickup is also this week for the items too "loved" to be donated. So excited to finally declutter and start having more rhyme, reason and decorative theme in our house. 

Mac is going to pick up the crib and changer in a few weeks (valentine's weekend actually) so that will be here and setup soon. Then we can install the chair rail around the room, get a glider, find a toy chest and some sort of storage for all her accessories and shoes that are already piling up. I think I want to get a cute little end table and window seating for her room too - but I am still undecided.

I did start a new blog post series (well I posted the first one last week) if you missed it. I'm starting slow with a fashion round up series since I have to get dressed each day anyway and this keeps me motivated to keep it fashionable. Eventually it will turn into a blog to include Miss McKenzie and her impeccable style too! I am hoping to add more posts about products and maybe even recipes - if I ever get those going regularly. I did cook dinner 2 nights last week, so that is progress - go me!

Wardrobe Wrap Up: Styling the Bump 31 Weeks

My intent with this blog was always to be a little more than just blogging about my life and, now, pregnancy progress. I have always been interested in beauty, fashion and ... well ... pretty much anything fun/fabulous. :) 

However, because I write the occasional product review for AZ Spa Girls, I am hesitant to write reviews or blogs that conflict with what I do for them and have tread lightly when deciding how to expand. So, bear with me as I slowly explore new regular post opportunities. For the first experimental series, I am keeping it simple (gotta love the K.I.S.S method) and showing a compilation of recent outfits. 

There are really a few reasons for my wanting to try out a series like a Wardrobe Round Up 

1. (and probably the most important) To keep me from getting lazy with my outfits. While I just don't have the effort to get all dressed up every single day, I do not want to use my expanding waistline as an excuse to get frumpy/lazy with my outfit assembly. So, holding myself accountable a few times a week by snapping pictures should help keep me on track.

2. Whenever pregnancy round 2 comes around, I hope to have the same dedication I currently have to not lose my sense of style. But, being an occasional pessimist (or as I like to call it, realist) since I will have miss McKenzie running around my heels and occupying much of the free time I currently enjoy, I can use these posts as a cheat sheet of what to wear.

3. To make sure the outfits that I am putting together in the morning look as good on film as they do in mirrors. Do you remember that part from Clueless where she takes Polaroids of her outfits because "she doesn't trust mirrors"? It's kind of like that I guess.

4. When McKenzie finally arrives I can share the spotlight with her and feature all of the adorable outfits she is sure to wear just once or twice. :)

5. Last but not least, this picture really says it all:

31 Weeks: Hiccups

Single digits?!? Yes, that is right. We are just a mere 9 weeks away from little one's due date. Hopefully she takes after her mommy and comes in around 7 pounds 2 weeks earlier ;) but since I do love little chunky baby thighs I'll be okay with her staying in until her due date to get nice and chubby. Speaking of putting on the pounds - according to my baby app, she is getting her chunk on this week and packing on the pounds. She should gain about a half pound each week from now until she is born. I have a doctor's appointment this week, so hopefully they can tell me how big she is now (rather than relying on the apps) and maybe a prediction of how big she will be. Every time I have been in so far she measures o the smaller side. We shall see. 

Mac and I took a mini staycation this weekend. We had a nice hotel room downtown and official decided we could totally be a city couple, if we didn't have out 80-pound fur baby who would go stir crazy in an apartment or condo. Something about being downtown (even with our minimal existence of one) makes me so happy, just walking out the building and having so many options just steps in front of you. I can only imagine how in heaven I would be in a bigger city that had a true downtown and city life. Ahhh ... 

OK back to reality and onto the weekly update.

30 Weeks: Baby Girl Has Furniture - Kinda

30 weeks? Really? Not that is has been speeding by, by any means, but 30 weeks seems so much further along than 28 and 29 did. I mean, if you think about it, this little one could be here as early as 7 weeks from now. Scary and awesome, all at the same time. 

It's been a long week trying to push past this lingering cold. the whole things has given me little patience with people and I find myself annoyed easily,by everything. I can just say, I wouldn't have wanted to be around me this week ;) 

We did sit down and discuss the nursery more and decided on a crib and changer. We are going with some custom pieces from AFK Furniture, the place that is owned by our friends' family and has done several celebrity nurseries. I blogged about them in my 22 week update. There is also a glider that we are looking at, but it would require me to change the bedding I picked out and I haven't really found anything else that I like ... I am torn.

I also sat down with my friend Chrissy, who is planning my baby shower, and we talked about all the details - I am so excited! My invites have been ordered and should be in the mail to everyone by Tuesday. It is all getting so very real and exciting.

I also did a ton of research into photographers for both maternity and newborn sessions, so I have to sit down with my list and make a decision. There are so many talented photographers in Phoenix, it is going to be difficult to decide.

Well, I guess that is all for now, I could have sworn there was something I was actually intending to talk about in this blog, but can't remembered causing it to turn into the usual rambling - sorry. I blame pregnancy brain ;) So, on to the weekly update.

29 Weeks: Our Little Night Owl

I successfully made it through New Year's Eve! The alcohol thing didn't concern me much, but I wasn't certain how long I would be able to stay out. Turns out, I hung the whole night and closed the bar down with our friends. It is quite a different experience through sober eyes. Haha. It was really nice knowing all my friends had safe rides home, but finally curling up in bed at 3am was heavenly. 

The rest of the week wasn't such a victory however, as I was pretty much bed ridden with a nasty cold. Mac was so great taking care of me and doing everything he could to relieve some of the discomfort, but pregnancy is quite the downer when it comes to medicinal cures, so i relied heavily on my humidifier, plenty of liquids and lots of rest. One night, when the sore throat and coughing were just unbearable, I tried some hot water with lemon and honey, but boy oh boy did that get McKenzie all worked up. We are talking serious tumbling and kick sessions for at least an hour. So, while I got some relief from the coughing, I still wasn't able to sleep because little miss was on a sugar high from the honey. Oh well - I am slowly getting better and was even able to get out and about a bit today. 

While out today, I did notice the whole heightened sense of smell that is supposed to come with pregnancy was definitely in full effect. From chocolate on Mac's breath to bathroom cleaning chemicals through closed doors, it was quite an experience, and not necessarily a pleasant one. That said - check out this belly! Granted, most of my photos are done in the morning and I did this one at night (which I swear the bump grows in size by every passing minute and resets itself while I sleep).

Oh and guess what - this week's photo gives you a nice sneak peek at the nursery in progress. 2 walls are painted like this and the other 2 have a light grey on top. The white line in the middle will be a chair rail in a wood stain to match whatever furniture we select!

A Look Back At 2012

This year has been quite an exciting one. Lots of fun with friends and family and, of course, the big news of a new addition to our little family! A blogger who I absolutely love, does a year in review with some highlights and pictures form each month and I think it is really great, so ... I am copying her. I am going to try to keep it to just a few so it;s not the worlds longest post, so pardon me if any special moments are missed. I have a horrible memory. I should probably prepare for next year's as I go this year ;)

JANUARY

"All dressed up ... and nowhere to go!" Started the year off with a bang at the Anderson cabin in Pinetop.

Photo Challenge Wednesday

I was a pretty big slacker this week and missed a few days. Oops. Looks like this update will be a bit short. Sorry!

Day 28: Words

I think this love manifesto is just precious