38 Weeks and Counting

We sure do love our Maverick!

I'm now past 38 weeks, and I'm looking forward to not having such a big belly! It gets in the way pretty often, especially when I'm sitting at our dining room table.

We got Micah's changing pad last weekend, so now his room is complete and ready for him!

We also got his pack-and-play, so when we go places he can go with us!  I am a big fan of BabiesRUs, which we don't have nearby. We had to go in Spokane, and they have everything you could ever need for a baby! It's probably a good thing that we don't have one close to us.

One Last Vacation

David and I were very lucky to be able to spend a night in Spokane on Friday. His cousin, Sara, got married Saturday, so we were able to turn the trip up for the wedding into a little time away, just the two of us. We figured it would be the last time before Micah gets here that we'd be able to get away, and probably the last time for a while. The wedding was really nice, very pretty but unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures. We're really excited for Mark and Sara, and know that they're going to enjoy marriage an awful lot!

On Friday evening, after checking into our hotel, we went to the wonderland that is BabiesRUs! What a fun store! I'm so glad it's in Spokane, and not in Tri-Cities, because I think I would try to go there all the time, and spend WAY too much money! We were able to get some of the last things that I wanted to have before Micah gets here, like a pad for the changing table, a cover for the pad, and a Pack-and-Play.

After we were done shopping, we drove to downtown Spokane and ate dinner at Olive Garden. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cool, and we were able to eat outside on their patio. We walked around Riverfront Park after dinner, and I was really impressed by what a nice park it is! We looked at the old carousel and the big fountain, and enjoyed a nice evening walk together. :) I feel very blessed to be able to spend so much time with David, and to enjoy all of the time we have together!

Saturday morning, David and I were also very fortunate to spend some time with our good friend Matt Berard! It's been a long time since we were able to see Matt, and we had him all to ourselves for a short tour of some nice places in Spokane. We spent some time in Manito Park, walking through the different gardens (a rose garden, a Japanese garden, and a really pretty area with a fountain that was reminiscent of an English garden). Matt also took David and I to the lobby of the Davenport Hotel downtown, which was really pretty. Thanks for taking us around, Matt! It was great to see you!

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

"These aren't the droids you're looking for."
David and Matt in serious discussion in the lobby of the Davenport Hotel.

Watermelon Baby

I had my 36.5 week appointment yesterday with Dr. Rudd-McCoy. She said everything looked good; he's growing well and had a nice steady heartbeat. She thinks he's at about 6-pounds right now, and he's well on his way to being an 8-pound baby at birth! Right now he's about the size of a watermelon... which is pretty big! (Maybe that's why I've been craving watermelon so much...) He's not going to fit his newborn clothes for long! David keeps saying we're going to have to change his clothes three times a day to get him into each little outfit.

I've been able to feel him moving for most of this pregnancy, but it has really changed in the last few weeks. He's getting VERY strong, kicking me in the bladder, kidneys, ribs, and pretty much anywhere he can get his little feet. I can't believe how hard he can kick! I'll be glad to see him kicking the air after he's born, rather than my insides. :) I'm not anxious to get him out quite yet though, as I know he still has growing to do before he's ready. When it's time, though, David and I are both really excited to hold him, and see his little face!

Here are some pictures from our camping trip a couple of weekends ago with our college friends. We went to Memaloose State Park, near Hood River, which was a very pretty park. It was really windy though, not hard to believe since it's in the middle of the Columbia River Gorge... I just didn't think about that possibility beforehand. We had a great time with our friends!

In the middle of our camping trip, we also were able to go to Noah and Kirsten's wedding in Troutdale, which was beautiful. They had perfect weather, and it was in a very nice little park. The reception was inside the Troutdale House, which was very pretty. It was a very nice wedding!

Places to Sleep?

These are some of the places we have found our pets lately... (usually asleep) ...we're going to have to work on Taryn staying out of the crib....

Maverick is, of course, right under our bed... he barely fits under there, and has to crawl around to get out, but he's in there every night!

Granny's Chocolate Cobbler

I made the most delicious dessert yesterday for our small group! It's My Granny's Chocolate Cobbler, borrowed from the Pioneer Woman, at Tasty Kitchen. It ended up being very similar to thick, rich brownies with fudgy-puddingy-chocolate oozing out. Yum! We didn't have ice cream with it, but I think that would have made it perfect. :)

My Granny's Chocolate Cobbler

(courtesy of Tasty Kitchen)

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour

• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

• ¼ teaspoons Salt

• 7 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, Divided
• 1-¼ cup Sugar, Divided
• ½ cups Milk
• ⅓ cups Melted Butter
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1-½ cup Hot Tap Water

1. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.
2. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish.
4. In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.
5. Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!
6. Bake at 350degrees for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.
7. Let stand for a few minutes to cool. Serve with ice cream using the gooey sauce to spoon over all.

(The picture is from her website: here.)

34 Weeks: Only 6 weeks left!?

Well, as of last Friday (the 2nd), I am 34 weeks pregnant! That means that Micah could be here within the next few weeks, and not too much longer than 6 weeks from now... how strange! This time of being pregnant has really flown by, and I can't believe that we're already this close. It doesn't seem like all that long ago that I wasn't able to even tell anyone yet that I was pregnant! How time flies!

I was recently looking back at some pictures from when I was first pregnant, and what a difference from then to now! I thought I was showing at 15 weeks, and was feeling huge at about 20... look at me now... and I'm still growing. :) At my last appointment, my doctor said he was about 4 lbs., and would very likely be an average sized baby. He was already head down, and from the many, many kicks in my ribs, I think he still is!

(15 Weeks)

(Tonight, 7-5-10, 34.5 Weeks!)

We're also at a point where it's become much less scary to imagine that we could actually HAVE a baby and have what we need to take care of him. The nursery is pretty much done! Here are some pictures of it, in it's very nearly finished state:

This is his closet, from both sides... it's gotten very full!

I made this closet divider, and some for the different sizes: 3-6 months, 6-9 months, etc. They each have a different animal, like a zebra, hippo or giraffe, with the number indicating size.

We're so excited to have a little guy to sleep in this room! It's so much fun to think about what he'll be like, what he'll look like, and what he'll do with his life. David is really hoping for a little soccer star! His kicks to my ribs sure are strong, so it's a possibility. :) Even Maverick is getting ready for Micah to come... this morning when I got out of the shower, Mav was laying on the floor in Micah's room.