Showers of Blessings

I had to add this cartoon afterward. I'm so glad I don't have to live up to these standards!I want to thank my mother, Carol & Megan Comstock, Barb & Anna Takahashi, and my aunt Kathi for all working together to make my baby shower so wonderful. The setting was so beautiful, the games were fun, and the food was yummier than it should be. Thank you everyone for making it such a special day for me!

Adorableness!!

I know what you must be thinking. Yes, I am just tickled that we are having a boy; however, I still love seeing pretty girl goodies. I found this adorable cardigan at ON, in size 0-3 mo. So cute! It just reminded me so much of Kath Kidston or ModCloth.
Now here is the fare for us! Men aren't known for going crazy for baby clothes, but lately, Ridge has been having a great time picking out togs for our little guy. As many of you might already know, Ridge has a fairly unique, not-your-run-of-the-mill style, and he is looking forward to dressing Sean in a similar fashion. Plaids, cables, argyle, cords, khaki, and all other vintage collegiate attire. Ever seen A Beautiful Mind? That's it.

Gotta love a man in a tie & sportcoat. I'll have two! :-)

Pregnant, Petite, Peeker

*the woman in the above picture is not me. Ok, glad we're clear on that.
Well, I'm almost to the half way mark in my pregnancy, and am finally approaching that dreaded point that every expectant woman reaches: facing the prospect of spending a good amount of money on clothes that you think are cute now, but inevitably you will hate by the end of your term. Add to that being petite, and it's become clear that finding comfy- yet stylish maternity wear is going to be a challenge. Am I up for it? Do I pledge to avoid polyester tent-like dresses like the plague? And to keep wearing my (modestly high) heels? And to eat (mostly) right, stay active, and exfoliate regularly? Yes, yes, yes, and yes!
One of my main concerns has been my weight. When I was fourteen, although I never developed an eating disorder, I went through a phase of constantly weighing myself (3-4 times daily), and I know that I don't want to be neurotic like that again. I've always been slim-but-not-skinny, and given that and my healthy BMI, height, age, and maternal history, my goal for pregnancy gain is 20-25 pounds. So far, I'm right on track.
I'd say secondary to that is the concern of clothes. Right now, I finally fit the pair of CK sz 2's that were my too-big jeans prepregnancy. I already have a pair of maternity capris, and I plan on getting one or two pairs of jeans, three or four dresses, numerous tops, stretchy skirts, and the holy grail: a modest and relatively inexpensive swimsuit.
Ridge and I have finalized our choice for a girl name, so now we are prepared for either/or. My next ultrasound is next week, and we *might* find out the little M.'s gender. It's getting pretty tempting, and to be perfectly honest, I'm rather alarmed and appalled at the fact that we've succumbed so soon to the seemingly universal urge parents develop to check out their offspring's privates. Shame on us. Pervs.

Many of you might already know, but last Wednesday, our Jeep Cherokee was stolen. It was already having problems, and when it was found a couple days later, the engine was toast. We were able to get a '96 Ford Taurus on Sunday at the Creston Auction. Our mechanic, Mike Shelley, is going to replace the transmission, and then it will need only a few cosmetic fixes. We are so thankful to Jason Ferguson, for finding our Jeep, Dad Vestal, for letting us drive his Suburban while in limbo, Dad Mallery for bidding for us, Mike, for his expert advice and help, and most of all, to God, for making a way for us.
So that has been our life lately.
And now I need to fold laundry and unload the dishwasher.

Peachy

Is 'e really now? My baby bump ticker tells me that our child has grown to the size of a peach. Somehow, I don't quite buy it. If there was a peach-sized person inside, I think I would take due notice when bending over. True, some of my jeans are fitting a bit tighter, and I know my bladder senses something invading its space, but really? A peach? May be he or she is still a lime or plum. However big our little person is, I'm sure they are just fine.

1/3

Yay!! I'm almost done with the first trimester of pregnancy! Not that it's been all that horrible, just the normal food aversions/cravings, digestive malfunction, sleepiness, mild nausea, and a suddenly way-too-sharp sense of smell. I've been wishing for summer so much, and it would seem that many hold the same yearnings. Mental trips to cherry orchards and peach stands are intervened occasionally by dreams of cool grass and juicy watermelon.
I recently reread Mireille Guiliano's book, French Women Don't get Fat, for about the third time. She includes so many yummy sounding recipes, and lots of practical tips for a healthy lifestyle. One I tried today for the first time was plain yogurt with honey. Yum! And this afternoon, I'm making bagels.
Something else I've been up to is lots of knitting. My latest project is a little lacy pink baby cardigan from Debbie Bliss's book, Simply Baby. My knitting has come along way, but anything with "simple" in the title is automatically a running candidate as to whether I'd actually finish any projects. But why make girl clothes when we could be having a boy? Well, we decided long before that we want to keep our little person's gender a secret until the big day. So, to even things up, I'm planning to make a manly ribbed jacket from the same book, in blue or green.
One of each, just in case.

Can I Live

I'm not a fan of rap, but this music video is different. It's a song by Nick Cannon, and it's about a woman facing her choice in an abortion clinic.



It's based on Nick's life, and how his mother decided to keep him. It isn't very well known, but Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood and early pioneer of the Pill, was a vehement eugenicist and racist.
Today, African American women make up 36% of abortions, while blacks overall are only 18% of the American population. Looks like Marge got what she wanted.
Thankfully, the message in this music video is to girls of every color: their baby is a gift; either for them, or an adoptive family.

Ten Things That Make me Happy

After seeing what Nicole posted on her blog, I was inspired to write about ten things that make me happy. There are lots more, but these are some of the biggies.

10. knitting

9. coffee (I'll take it up again after the baby's born)

8. socks!
7. 7 for All Mankind jeans

6. heels. enough said.
5. lazy mornings
4. de-luscious foods, like the fish tacos we had today. Mmmm
3. our baby (this is about what he or she looks like right now) :-)
2. his love
1. His love

Baby Treats

I LOVE baby clothes!! I've always been a fan of anything small, and "big people" clothing reinterpreted in a miniaturized scale is way too scrumptious cute! Here is what I found at Twilite Moon:

Little boys are awesome because you can throw together just about anything for an outfit, and they somehow end up looking fantastic. And vertical stripes are a must.You can stone, burn, and red-letterize me, but it is my firm belief that all guys should wear cords. No particular reason, other than I think they are the coolest thing left behind by the 70's, and they always look great.

Itty bitty laces. Miniscule stitching. Way too cute.

They're red, and they're Mary Janes. I totally envy any little girl I see wearing these.

I love this dress! It looks so grown-up and pretty, and would match those Mary Janes perfectly.

I'm not too hot on the idea of women wearing suspenders, but it works for this little throwback.

Ok, enough for today. More style at a later date.