all quiet on the homefront

Not much has been happening on the blogfront lately. This is not due to any baby activity. In fact, yesterday the doctor said that Emma Taylor seemed very content and happy in there. Its been pretty quiet because we have been car searching and researching for the past week. I wrote this about the cutlass on Monday thinking that it might be more than we want to, but that in the end it wouldn't be a big deal to fix it. Little did I know we would have to replace the engine on a car that is not worth anything. So as of now we are car searching and hopefully purchasing soon.

Before we decided we wanted a baby, I remember telling Glen that before we had that baby I would like to replace the cutlass. I forgot about that until now. Although it seems like bad timing, God's timing is good, and He has said yes to my forgotten request!

oh, the cutlass

I currently drive our oldsmobile cutlass ciera s (when its not in the shop). I feel awesome in it. Yes, maybe you would think it fits a 90 year old, but its been my car since we got married. Okay so I don't feel awesome in it. We just got it free from my parents and it ran. That's all. We have had some problems with it in the past but the last 2 years its been doing good. Friday it shut off on my in Five Points in the middle of an intersection while I was turning left. Great. I was able to turn it off and then start it back up to get it out of the intersection. This happened about 3 more times until I was able to get it pulled off on the side of the road. Usually I don't really mind these situations. I have dealt with them in the past. I don't love breaking down, but I know pretty well how to handle it. This time was a bit different. I was almost 38 weeks pregnant in the sc summer heat. I really thought for a second that I could go into labor while waiting for my car to get towed. Luckily, I didn't, and luckily we have AAA so towing was free. The cutlass is now in the shop and we are waiting to hear the diagnoses. The cutlass couldn't have better timing...

Multitude Monday, Week 60

688. last week of work
689. keeping busy during the last week of work
690. day at the lake
691. good free food not prepared by me
692. an upcoming long weekend for glen
693. we only had 1 1/2 four year olds at church with broken a/c
694. we have AAA
695. my car broke down on a relatively cool day
696. a freezer cassarole for when baby e.t. comes
697. baby e.t. has been blessed with more than we could ever ask for or imagine (her closet is pretty full!)
698. chikfila with my Bible study girls tonight!
699. a month or less until we KNOW baby e.t. will be here (hopefully sooner!)
700. about 2 weeks till the due date

Week 59

a book for glen

Glen's father's day gift came in the mail yesterday. I got him a book. That's right, although Glen doesn't read, I got him a book. He told me about a book his co-worker got, and it sounded perfect for him.

The Baby Owner's Manual

This book is written by a Doctor and his son, gets right to the point, and seems to be geared towards guys(especially the engineering type). I have flipped through it, and it is quite entertaining. The language is humorous. I just hope it contains some helpful tips too!

In honor of Father's Day

I baked Glen a red velvet cake (per his request). However, I left out the nuts (sorry sweetheart). If I wasn't pregnant I would have gone for it and added the nuts, but at this point I am being super safe and staying away. Also, I only baked half a cake because technically Glen is not yet a father. Just kidding! I only baked half because we don't need to eat a whole cake by ourselves!

Multitude Monday, Week 59

To be honest, it's been difficult for me to find things this past week that I feel thankful for. At this point in the pregnancy I am pretty uncomfortable all the time and don't do much of anything. So the list might be short, but I am trying to challenge myself to find things because I KNOW that God has blessed us beyond what we could ever imagine.

683. I am still sleeping pretty well
684. dinner with friends
685. leftovers that stretch farther than I thought they would
686. 9 days of work left
687. a pool to swim in

Week 58

bench update

The benches that we ordered came in! Glen tried to pick them up last week, but due to limited space in our tiny civic he couldn't fit them in. He borrowed his uncle's truck this morning to pick them up. When we got them in the house, we put them at the table to try them out, and they cracked...Glen and I are not huge people. They really shouldn't have cracked especially when we planned for more like 4 people to be able to sit on each bench at one time. So back they go, and we are back at the drawing board. I think Glen might try to build some himself (with the help of his uncle who loves doing woodworking).

bbq truck

I thought artisan food trucks were only in big cities or in California, but about 2 months ago on my way home from work I came across the Bone-In Artisan BBQ truck. It's been haunting me ever since. I finally decided to stop by today for lunch. Although my pulled pork sandwich plate cost $9 which is a bit pricey for lunch, it was amazing. The bbq was served on a foccacia roll and it was a huge sandwich (almost more thn I could eat). The homemade chips were great too. I will definitely be visiting this truck again!

36 weeks and counting

4 weeks left. I am ready. My feet hurt, and I have heartburn. Heartburn is aweful. I am so sorry for those who have it on a regular basis. I am glad that this is just a pregnancy symptom, and the end is in sight. Our house is clean (for the most part) and I am planning to *try* to keep it organized for the next month so that if Emma Taylor decides to jump the bandwagon and come early that we will be able to come back to a clean and organized house. This week I will pack hospital bags and make all my lists (i.e. important phone numbers for the hospital and how to take care of Abby while we are gone). It seems real but I still cannot get a handle on what it is going to be like after we bring our little girl home. I guess nothing can prepare me short of it actually happening!

all dressed up

All dressed up and ready to go to our friends, David and Kara's, wedding. I think this is the last time I am really going to try to dress up. After a weekend full of stuff, I am ready to do nothing until Emma Taylor comes.

Multitude Monday, Week 58

670. a new dress
671. eating at our dining room table
672. Sunday lunch with family
673. my 3 yr old niece
674. the pool
675. lower 90s this week
676. glen cleaned the showers
678. plans to do nothing
679. only 4 weeks left
680. leftovers for lunch
681. laid back work dress code
682. crocs

Week 57

changing table

Emma Taylor's room is finished! The last thing to finish was her changing table area. Glen repainted the changing table that we had gotten free from a daycare that was going out of business. It was black initially! I got both the boxes/baskets on the shelf and the hanging wall flowers at Hobby Lobby. Despite the weird shadows in the picture that the flowers make (it looks better in person), I really love how it turned out! Glen is not sold on the dark brown changing pad cover so I am still on the lookout for another....white maybe?

Also, check out Emma Taylor's crib friends. They are just keeping the crib cozy until her arrival...

the table (finished product)

Glen finally finished our table! I am so excited to finally have a dining room table back and not have to lean over our coffee table with might slightly large belly to try to eat. One problem- we ordered 2 benches and 2 chairs to go with the table and the benches had to be specially ordered. Good thing we have folding chairs to fill in while we wait!

its official...almost

Nothing is really official until you are doing it or have done it. We could always change our minds, but we are already knee deep so we are going to jump in feet first!

Cloth Diapers...which we plan to start after her first month or two after we get our sanity back. I got a great deal on some online, and although we might find we need more than we have, I am that this gives us a good start.

shoes

I have written on here before about my slight obsession with shoes. However in the last couple of years my taste has slightly changed. This past year I got a pair of loose canvas ankle boots and some red toms that I will forever be a fan of. I used to prefer heels. I might still prefer heels in the summer. However, the pregnancy has kept me from wearing them in quite awhile.

I used to make fun of Glen and his crocs. Well today I gave in and got a pair. My feet have been killing me lately due to the extra weight, and I can't wear tennis shoes (which are actually supportive) because then my ankles swell. More supportive than flip flops, crocs save the day.

Lastly, I used to hate Keens, but last weekend we were checking out the new Mast General Store in Columbia and I couldn't help but love these...

I also have a strong desire to go running since it is something I haven't done in 8 months. That along with eat sushi and feta cheese. I am not necesarily a runner, but I would like to be. These running shoes really intrigue me. If I really get back into running maybe I will invest and get some...

current favorite snack

First of all, I have been in kind of a blogging funk. I blog certain posts because I feel an obligation too, but otherwise I feel like I have gotten away from my everyday, random, just for fun posts. Maybe its because I have been tired or busy or because I find myself spending a lot of time in Emma Taylor's room getting stuff ready. I would like to get back to "fun" blogging. So here I go...

I used to hate dark chocolate. I would hate when Glen and I would get those miniature candy bar bags (the ones with krackel, milk chocolate, special dark, and something else with nuts). Glen could eat everything in them, and I would only be able to eat 2 out of the 4 choices. However in the past year or 2 I have really enjoyed dark chocolate (especially with a little sea salt). Maybe my palate has matured? I even would now prefer dark over milk now. So here's my newest snack obsession- a slightly grown up version of cheerio snack mix. Cheerios, craisins (however this mix was made with raisins for Glen), and dark chocolate m&ms. Yum!

An answer to prayer

Last week I posted about my parking issues at my work. I am glad to report that after some real frustration and some emails to higher-ups, that they have issued me a temporary parking pass until June 30th (my last day of work). This might not seem like a big deal, but there is no way that I could continue to walk 1/2 mile uphill in the summer heat everyday. I am so thankful for this answer to prayer!

Multitude Monday, Week 57

659. unexpected visit from h, k, & c
660. yard sale finds
661. God protects
662. summer storms
663. a storybook Bible for Emma Taylor
664. things are coming together
665. evidences of God's grace in our community
666. handicap parking passes
667. decaf coffee
668. we are in our final weeks of waiting
669. hearing Glen call our little girl by name

Week 56

Yahtzee

What do you do when the internet goes out and you can't watch anything on Netflix?

Play Yahtzee with the cat...

I got this brand new/never used at a yard sale last summer. Best game find ever. Also I won so it was a pretty good night! Miriam-2. Glen-1.

Black Bean Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Randomly today I decided to try making stuffed green peppers. They were on sale, and I was feeling a bit daring. I made them vegetarian with black beans instead of meat but you could easily use ground beef or chicken in addition. They turned out amazing, and I will keep this in my pile of make again recipes...

Black Bean Mexican Stuffed Peppers

4 green bell peppers

1 cup of brown rice

1/2 small onion

1 can rotel (drained)

1 can black beans (drained)

1 Tbs. taco seasoning

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

Sour Cream (optional garnish)

Cook brown rice according to directions on package. Saute onion. Mix together brown rice, onion, rotel, black beans, taco seasoning, and 2/3 cup of cheese. Cut tops off peppers and remove insides. Fill peppers with rice mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. The peppers will remain crunchy so if you prefer them to be a bit softer consider baking the peppers for a bit before you fill them. Enjoy!

frustration

My 1 week handicap pass ran out yesterday. So while I was at the doctor's office today I had them write me a note that said I need handicap parking until my due date. That apparently was useless since USC won't issue me a longer term pass unless I am high risk. Apparently having to walk 1/2 mile from my parking lot to the building I work in in 100 degree weather while being 8 months pregnant isn't high risk enough. The DMV won't issue me a temporary pass for less than 4 months and since my due date is in about 6 weeks they won't issue me a pass. So if I was irresponsible and asked for a handicap pass 3 months ago when I didn't need it I wouldn't be having this problem. So I will be walking to and from work 1/2 mile each way in blistering heat for another month.

Also, I have had enough people tell me how big I am getting. Trust me. I know that I am getting big. It doesn't need to be said. Note to everyone interacting with a pregnant woman: don't say anything to a pregnant woman that you wouldn't say to a non-pregnant person. For example, "you're huge", "you're really sticking out there", "you must be ready to pop". Its not very nice.