Flash-forward...

...and I'm suddenly at 36 weeks! Can't say that the "morning sickness" ever really passed, unfortunately. I've left little bits of myself in the bathrooms of Starbucks, Taco Time, in the designated "puke cup" in my car, in public parking garages, along the West Seattle Bridge- I've been very generous. A part of me fears that this baby will come and my body still won't realize that it's okay to stop puking. I guess we'll cross that bridge when the time comes.

It's a girl! My instincts were way off (and I may have asked the woman doing the ultrasound to double-check) but we've got a little lady on our hands! I've had a great time putting together the teal and deep pink nursery with the help of my seamstress mother making the gorgeous curtains and bed skirt. With a new chandelier, teal walls and white furniture, it's a pretty happy place to be.

Phil and I took a couple birth classes which I found to be pretty helpful. It's good to have some idea of what to expect when she decides to make her appearance. A lot of the class time focused on how our partners can support us through the process so you'd better believe I was loving the back massages from Phil. We also practiced holding ice in our hands for minutes at a time to simulate contractions and how to get through them. Clever.

I've also had two amazingly well-planned and executed showers - one back in Wenatchee in September and one more recently in Seattle this month. It was really neat to have so many women come to the Wenatchee shower who have known me since I was a wee little redheaded sprout. Jenny and Lindsey Burke did an amazing job decorating the shower in my teal and pink nursery colors and adding personal touches like pictures of me from when I was a baby and diapers where guests could write a message to me to read in the middle of a 2am blowout.

My "Black and White and Read All Over" Seattle shower, hosted by Jen Largent, was also incredibly sweet. Harvey's adorable face made it's appearance not only on the invites, but frosted sugar cookies as well. There was a black and white candy bar that also blew guests away and provided treats for a few weeks after. How lucky and blessed am I to have so many amazing women in my life?!

Our house really does look amazing after all of the renovations - a warm, brown living room, and updated kitchen, Phil's pride-and-joy downstairs office and a (still)small, but much more updated and appealing bathroom. They actually started just this week on a new fence, deck and back stairs which should all turn out pretty cool when finished. Not to mention we won't have to worry about breaking an ankle on the last two rotting steps of the back stairs.

It's been a wonderfully lazy and rainy day on the beloved brown couch reading the second book of the Hunger Games, but it's time to go. Hope to update again before the little dudette arrives!

ps. yes, I'm quite large by this point.