Touches of Fall

Just so I don't feel guilty that I totally dropped the ball in the decorating & homemaking department because I'm thisclose to having a baby, I wanted to share my VERY minimal efforts for decorating this year.  Maybe it's just the innate Momguilt speaking to me, forcing me to provide photographic evidence to MoJo that See?  Mommy didn't totally forget about you guys or Fall or Halloween!

I really wanted to have some decorating done, have the kids' Halloween costumes decided & purchased, and their little PB treat buckets dug out of storage before the baby arrives.  Check, check, and check.  It's all about low expectations my friends.

Up first:  The foyer.  I still think the bottom shelf needs a little something(s)...

The front entrance:  I can barely keep these mums alive, I think they're getting way too much sunlight here.  But what do I know...I kill every.thing.

And the mantle:  I found this little package with a cute banner at Micheal's for 50% off.  So I snapped it up, not realizing all 168 pieces had to be assembled.  So that's how I spent my Friday night -- hating Martha Stewart.

I love seeing everyone's fall decorations and really hope to step up my game next year.  It was fun this year trying to decorate the new house with all my old decor -- I'll definitely have a better idea of what I need to be hunting for when the clearance sales hit post-season.

Counting Down

I am eagerly counting down the hours days til Baby #3 arrives.  15 days, or 2 short weeks from tomorrow.  It's hard to believe we're going to have a newborn baby in the house again, but then again, we have 12 straight days of call to survive between now and then.  And I'm not getting any smaller or faster.

This weekend was the last weekend I'd have my sweet husband around, free & clear, so I had big thoughts of getting stuff done, but not much of it got accomplished.  Oh well.

It was a lay-low-and-snuggle-in kind of weekend.  Full of flannel and punkin jams and doughnuts.  I can't seem to eat enough sugar and it's really grossing me out.  We also visited my MIL around dinner time (conveniently, lol) Saturday afternoon & evening so Joe could help her with some technology-related issues she was having.

He's been very snuggly lately, even when not sick.  I think he knows the baby is coming...

It was downright chilly most of the weekend  -- definite scarf weather, which me and my extra bun are L-O-V-I-N-G btw.  My feet and ankles are so swollen that NONE of my shoes or boots fit me, except one pair of ratty old TOMS.  I refuse to buy bigger shoes for the next two weeks.

By Sunday afternoon, the sun was shining and we had to get out of the house.  We decided to check out a stop or two on the Herbst Tour and ended up at Little Rock Farm, where the kids got to run around, go through a hay bale maze and we got to buy a 1/4 of a cow.  All my dreams are coming true.  But seriously, we have been looking for a local source of hormone/antibiotic free beef and we found it.  Just need to get my freezer space readied before Bessie gets butchered.

I don't even question her outfit choices any more.  

He insisted we buy just ONE MORE PUMPKIN.

37 Weeks - Large and In Charge.

At this moment, I'm avoiding cleaning Joey's car seat -- his almost brand-new Britax.  He vomited all over it last week as I was on my way to my OB appointment.  I had to reschedule my appointment, get him home & cleaned up.  Anyone have any tips on cleaning those things?  I hosed it  off really well, but it still smells and there is still...um....debris.  Ugggh. GAG.

He got a little stomach bug, which we think was something he ate because nobody else got it.  Long story short, he vomited and vomited all night long.  I went through every spare piece of bedding/blankets we had PLUS several towels.  So. Much. Laundry.  It took me 5 bed changes to realize I should've been laying towels down all along.  Live and learn.  Anyway, poor little guy was so sick and I ended up staying awake for 40 hours straight.  Can't say I've ever done that before, nor do I ever want to again.  So happy he's feeling better and thankful nobody else got sick.  Now....about that car seat....

Always with a ball in his hand, that boy.  We love him so.

Having Fun While Waiting

Another collage to remind me of the fun we're having while waiting for Baby:

We hosted visitors for a few days.  Brian & Jen from Florida (the newlyweds!) came to town.  I'm pretty sure after witnessing the craziness that is a house full of toddler shenanigans, they've changed their minds about wanting children.  We went out for Mexican food for my birthday and took the kids.  We sat outside so they could run around and that worked great - they could be loud, wander around a bit, etc.

We got a date night to go listen to my husband's uncle play jazz guitar on a gorgeous night.  (For any locals, you have to go to the Dilly Cafe over in Mariemont.  It's the CUTEST little place and the food was fantastic.  They also have a huge wine selection!)

We took the kids to the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center annual train ride fundraiser.  The day was gorgeous and the kids had a blast.  They each got balloon animals, a pinwheel, jump time in the bouncy house and suckers.  They thought it was pretty much the best day ever.  I wasn't feeling the greatest that week, my blood pressure was going crazy again and I had a lot of swelling, so I tried to take it easy.  But it's hard to do when there are so many fun things happening, the weather is perfect, and the husband is off work ;-)

The last two pictures at the bottom of the collage are my favorite.  The one of Morgan I snapped in the late afternoon; we have blinding sunlight that comes in our front windows.  Her eyes have mysteriously gone from blue (well after she was a year old!) to a honey amber brown.  She is so beautiful.

And that picture of Joey makes me laugh - he stared at his balloon animal like "Umm....what the heck IS this????"  FTR, it was a teddy bear on a heart.

35.5/25

35.5 Weeks and 25 Days til my c-section:

This baby is hanging "real low", as confirmed by my doctor this week.  Once again, "Baby's head is RIGHT THERE."  Side note:  It's 2014.  Haven't they figured out a less painful way to check your cervix?  Yowza.

I've been having a lot of shooting nerve pains in my groins that almost drop me to my knees.  I try to avoid places with a lot of walking for that very reason right now.  I can at least lean on the cart at the grocery store.  Maybe I need a walker? #oldmomproblems

My blood pressure is totally wacky but I think we've got it under control since I went back on medicine for it.  Sleep is nonexistent.  I'd rather have a newborn keeping me up over pregnancy discomfort & insomnia any day of the week.  Plus this little angel is liking to party in the womb all night long, so juuuuust when I'm dozing off I'll feel a big stab in the rib.

In other non-baby related news, we finally closed on the sale of our condo!  It was the biggest rollercoaster of a sale.  The closing date got moved several times and was even off at one point.  (In addition to our buyer trying to back out a few times)  When it was all said and done, we lost more than we wanted to on that deal, but we're relieved to just be done with it.

My hospital bag is half packed.  I've been washing baby blankets and I've located all necessary pieces of baby gear, except my pump.  I sure hope it turns up and still works, just in case!  I've frozen approximately 2 meals, lol.  Overachieving every day here folks.  We haven't touched the nursery since we are waiting to buy furniture.  I feel so much more calm with the 3rd baby, just knowing it will all be fine if all that stuff isn't done.  We'll survive.

We have a girl name picked out (this is HUGE for us!) and so of course, it will be a boy, right?  Morgan is insistent that baby is a girl and we shall name her Cara.  If it's a boy, she wants us to name him Bryson (?? maybe the name of a boy in her class?  But not happening)  Joey has changed his name recommendation from the aforementioned "Baby Swings" to "Joseph Michael Kremer".  Boy or girl, that's what he wants.

All in all, I feel ready.  Ready to meet this sweet little baby who will complete our family.  Dying to know if baby is a boy or a girl.  I make small babies with full heads of fuzzy hair so I'm looking forward to seeing if this baby will follow suit.  Ready to dive into the crazy that is 3 young children.  I know it's not going to be easy.  Every person who has 3 kids tells me going from 2 to 3 was a game changer.  Actually that's me putting it nicely...most of them say a lot worse!  I'm also ready to wear the cute fall clothes I've been ordering, drinking wine, and working out again ;-)

Whereabouts

Time is flying by.  I'm made more aware every time I stop to look at all the pictures I take of the things we've done lately...

September came and went.  It was hot and sunny for the most part.  We hit up the park many times to get our wiggles out.  Morgan started weekly dance class (her date with Daddy), I turned 38 (eeek!) and my favorite people gave me THEE sweetest card ever.  It was signed with the kids' painted handprints, and created by my thoughtful husband.

We made a trip to the Levee and the Aquarium where nobody wanted to cooperate with Mom's plea for a family picture.

We broke our "We're never taking the kids to a restaurant again" rule.  We lasted well over a month with that.  Anyone with toddlers knows what a painful experience that can be!  We then hit a spurt of eating out a bunch and I wouldn't say it got any "better"...at least not yet.  There's still hope.

We watched my belly grow and the excitement and anticipation of whether we will be having a little baby brother or baby sister continues to build.  Morgan keeps asking "When is the baby coming?"

Collages seem to be the easiest way for me to condense and organize my photos, so collages it will be!  I'm double-dipping from my Insta and I'm OK with that. #loweringthebar