34 week update

Taken at 34 weeks and 1 day

Can't believe how close we are to meeting him!

And yes, he officially has a FULL name-

will let you guys in on it next week

:)

I'm not sleeping well here lately.

I sleep, but the quality of that sleep is lacking a bit.

Instead of organizing and cleaning at night, I find myself reading, dozing, or watching movies-

I just finished watching the entire Sex and the City series (all 6 seasons) tonight.

I guess that's what happens when Tim isn't here to save me from myself.

Oh, and thank goodness for Redbox!

I'm off to watch a $1 new release. I have 8 pillows waiting for me, since that's what it takes these days to keep me good and comfortable.

Canning with Mom

My mom, cool lady that she is, insisted on learning how to make pickles and salsa yesterday!

You know I'm happy to oblige!

She bought the pretty "Better Homes and Gardens" jars

(seriously, they're adorable and textured!)

and we went to work!

Here are a dozen quarts of dill pickles!

4 quarts and 4 pints of medium salsa!

While she was in town, we went to Babies R Us to check out carseats for the new baby.

All I can say is- thank goodness I have a mini-van.

I am so serious about carseat safety... and the carseats I choose for my kids would not fit 3 across in my station wagon, so thank goodness for the Honda!

Since the kiddos were so precious in the store, they asked to "steer with the worm" and so fork over $0.50 we did!

Today, I tried to use up a few more cucumbers.

I made 7 quarts of bread and butter pickles.

This picture was taken after I sent home a quart with my dad!

He stayed with the kids for an hour so I could run a couple of errands in silence!

It was some much needed quiet time.

This is part of what Tim gets to haul into the basement and shelf when he gets home from work!

I've been busy this week!

:)

Canning with Kate

My friend Kate brought over an entire farmer's market worth of veggies and we canned on Saturday!

Well, that isn't entirely true...

it was mostly grown by the two of us-

and it was a perfectly reasonable amount for two people!

Kate's pressure canned goodies!

-corn

-green beans

-salsa

Up close and personal with our delicious salsa!

What is left for Tim of my part of the salsa...

The one with the white lid?

That one went in the fridge-

and it is gone now!

I only put up 3 quarts of pickles

-2 dill

-1 bread and butter

But I put up 8 pints!

All bread and butter.

A shot of Kate's goodies, minus...

her pickled peppers!

her quarts of dill pickles!

her pints of bread and butter pickles!

I told you my friend had a TON of cucumbers :)

We were on our feet for 8+ hours prepping and canning, but it was so fun!

Nothing beats waiting for things to process in the canners and eating salsa that is so fresh that it's still warm!

33 and a half weeks (and general family update)

Well, things are changing quickly here.

I am spending lots of time organizing, purging our storage area, working on our house-

There is so much going on, but I always forget to take pictures and blog about it!

Keelin starts school in a couple of weeks!

I'm 33 1/2 weeks pregnant!

Tim is gearing up for a lot of time traveling for work-

so we've really just been spending a lot of time together; some of that time productive, some of it just enjoying being a family of 4 for a little while longer.

This afternoon, Keelin read to Jackson from her Dr. Seuss collection of stories!

This picture just turns me to mush.

Those kids are so precious!

A picture of Keelin from August 2008.

I was pregnant with Jackson and she was the age he is now!

How the time flies...

(Kate, do you remember taking this picture?!)

Our garden kicks butt!

And our chickens are getting with the program!

This is our first 4 egg day!

Unfortunately, the critters that we don't own (primarily birds and squirrels) have realized that we have a garden.

*sigh*

So we've started having to pull off our tomatoes a little earlier than we'd like in order to save them from certain doom.

Speaking of tomatoes, I am SOOOO making my first batch of salsa this week!

I finally have enough tomatoes to make it worth whipping up.

I already have enough dill pickles put away. Hoping my cucumbers hold out a while longer so I can make some bread and butter pickles before it's no longer prime cuke time!

The uterine toner that  my midwife gave me today!

I won't start taking it until 35wks, but it's full of good stuff to help tone your uterus!

What does toning your uterus do?

Well, it can make your real contractions a lot more effective!

It can really help minimize some labor discomfort.

It can minimize your postpartum bleeding!

And those are just 3 off of the HUGE list of benefits

:)

No, it won't put anyone into labor!

It just helps your uterus to be at it's best when it comes time to get things done!

So to speak.

Blondie looking ready to go out to lunch!

Max wanted to go, too.

I said no.

He stuck out his tongue at me.

;)

My aunt and uncle were in town!

They live in Virginia and we don't see them near as much as we'd like.

Keelin LOVED her time with her great aunt!

Me at 33 weeks and 2 days.

Last night, one of my childhood BFFs and I decided to go out to dinner!

Tim, being the amazing husband and father that he is, made a great dinner for the kids.

What would I do without him?

Kate helped me record the belly!

We went to Boba House (a yummy vegetarian and vegan restaurant) for dinner. Went to Red Mango for dessert (frozen yogurt, anyone???). Went to Starbucks on the way home. I hadn't slept well the night before, so I decided to forego coffee. I had a green tea and lemonade, instead.

And by the way?

Last night, I slept like a rock.

I only slept from 2am to 8am...

I was too busy reading a good book.

:)

But the 6 hours I got were just what I needed.

I was super productive today and was in a fantastic mood all day long.

AND after the midwife left, I snuck in a power nap.

Stats from my midwife appt today:

I've gained 26 pounds total so far!

(No shame in my game)

I'm measuring on the small side, since he's wedged in my right side.

He's head down and very low in my pelvis.

My belly is 40" around at it's biggest point.

Canning fun!

My husband is a funny guy. He told me recently that he finally figured out why I love to can. He says that it's a healthy and productive way for me to satisfy my obsessive compulsive tendency to organize!

At first, I was a little confused- then he elaborated. He told me that with canning, I get to take all of the unorganized fruits and veggies on my counter, then organize them into jars, process them, and have a full pantry of healthy, delicious food for when we can't get them fresh.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right, in a sense. I do get satisfaction from naturally preserving fresh, in season, local, organic produce for my family to use when we would otherwise have to get it in a can or import it from Mexico. (gag!) I like seeing the rows of delicious pickles, to die for jams, fresh fruit just waiting to be put into a pie, fresh veggies just waiting to be the centerpiece of a meal- and more than that, I like knowing that I am honing a really cool skill! I am so thankful that I took an interest in preserving food. SO thankful that I enjoy it!

And yes, I like to organize.

Here are some pictures of the veggies and fruits that have been put in their place today!
 ;)
(Love you, Tim!)

On the left: new red taters

On the right: summer squash medley

After I finished the potato canning and squash canning, I did some more peaches!

With the pressure canner, I'm trying out smaller than usual batches of each new thing (beans/squash/taters/etc.) just to see how it turns out. Hence, the two jars of everything new!

The yummy sweet corn!

And holy cow- it takes 6 large ears to make 1 quart!

Will have to put them in pints from now on- we can't eat that much corn in a sitting,

no way no how!

More beautiful green beans!

When Tim gets home from doing stuff with his motorcycle (yes, he got one for Father's Day / his 29th birthday next month!), he gets to carry all of THIS down to the basement!

Keelin's room-

Wall color: Safflower

Sheet set: Target

Bed: Ikea (painted white by us)

Custom organic bamboo velour blanket at foot of bed: Jenny, Very Chic Baby on Facebook

Custom rug: clothestohome on Etsy

(She took my photo of Keelin's bed set, found thrifted tees to match it perfectly, and made her beautiful rug!)

Funny sign- handmade and purchased in Eureka Springs, Arkansas in 2008

Painting: heavensearth on Etsy

Handmade bow holder- can't for the life of me remember the name of the WAHM that made it. Will update the post when I can find out...

The closet door is an old, fabric shower curtain my dad had! I'm a terrible photographer, so I didn't straighten it out before I took the photo, but it's perfect for the room!

Lovely curtain rod chilling in the corner...

Telephone table for my girl!

I searched high and low for one of these beauties with pretty legs (a lot were just too heavy looking to match my vision of what should go in her room) and FINALLY got a call from a lady who owns an antique store in Charlotte, NC.

I went to check it out, looked great-

got it home and realized that it wasn't an antique, but it was Ethan Allen!

I laughed for the longest time- I didn't even look at the bottom.

Fine with me, either way!

A better picture of the gorgeous low water immersion dyed blanket from Jenny, the genius behind Very Chic Baby. This organic bamboo velour blanket is just to die for- the softest thing EVER! And she dyed it perfectly to match the sheet set... which perfectly matches the rug!

I have yet to:

-hang curtains

-move her toys back in the room

-put her books in her bookshelf

-hang up her pretty light

She comes home in the morning, so I will do those things by the end of today!

She's waited so patiently :)

I hope she's as happy with it as I am!

Busy day with no pictures :)

Today, I canned corn and tomatoes!

Dad gave me some yummy peaches.
Not sure yet what I will do with them...

I did a TON of dishes.
I was recently given a bunch of canning jars
AND
I just bought a bunch-
hence the dishes.
*sigh*
I'm talking, like 4 loads today,
in a high efficiency washer that takes an hour and a half per load.
(head + desk)

I did 5 loads of laundry-
mostly baby clothes!
They are soooo teeny.
Can't believe that we should have another little person in this house by the end of next month!
(SCARY thought!) ;)

Got the letter from Keelin's school about her official start date!
August 4th.
That is exactly 3 weeks from today!
I ordered a backpack for her,
have purchased most of her school supplies,
(and extras for the teacher)
and really, she's about ready to roll!
:)
Where did my teeny baby go?
I can't believe she's 5 and starting kindergarten!
The time flies, I tell ya!

Tonight, I'm going to finish up some laundry and hop into some stretchy pants with a glass of Earth Mama Angel Baby 3rd Trimester Tea!

Tomorrow, Tim is picking up his Father's Day/Birthday present-
it is red, has two wheels, and requires that we add it to our insurance.

Guess what it might be?
LOL! :-p

Using my pressure canner!

Here is The Beast!

My new water bath canner-

it's bigger than my old one!

My first pressure canned item-

green beans!

Pretty, preservative-free,

some grown by me, some bought from the farmer's market.

I will make sure to plant more beans next year!

Jackson being squishy!

Gotta love a cloth diapered booty.

He's quickly potty learning, so he won't be in them much longer!

Bittersweet.

Recent Happenings (pic heavy!)

Hi, hi!

Here are a bunch of random photos I've taken over the last week or so, but none of them warrant their own post. Anyway, here is the gigantic, somewhat random, catch up post!

We got a new duvet cover and bedside lamps.

The grey paint is on the wall!

I just started reading, "The Help."

Anyone read it yet?

Jackson is potty learning!

He likes to "play choochoo's" while he goes

:)

We have a neighborhood peacock

(no joke!)

and I took this on the day he spend at our house!

Gorgeous blueberries!

I learned how to can whole blueberries!

mmmm-

And ya know, I think they were the messiest thing I've ever canned.

Lovely okra!

Used a recipe my father in law sent us!

It's pickled okra, totally spicy!

Can't wait to try it :)

He's such a squishy 2 and a half year old!

Ordered some organic goodness from Bambino Land for the kids!

Jackson got a yoga outfit!

What happens when Kate and I were making pickles in the kitchen while the kids were painting in the dining room! We knew it would get messy (and that's cool with me, honestly)- but I didn't expect teeny footprints EVERYWHERE! lol

I am thrilled with my garden.

Jackson eats every yellow cherry tomato that ripens.

Keelin KILLS some green beans!

Our first big, red tomato!

A bare belly photo at 32.5wks!

Jackson is showing you where Finn is-

Finn, otherwise known as "Bitty Brother!"

I measured my belly yesterday- I am 40 inches around at my biggest point!

I am much smaller than I was with either of the first two babes-

I'll find out at my midwife appointment next week how much weight I've gained this month.

Speaking of my belly, I am in love with "real waist" maternity jeans. They have the elastic and buttons on the inside of the waistband so you can loosen or tighten them. You buy them in the size you usually wear (I ranged between a size 4 and a size 6, depending on the length since I'm long legged) and they can take you through a whole pregnancy and transition you back to your pre-pregnancy pants.

These were clearanced at Target for $12. I'd say they were definitely worth it!

Me and my sweet little boy!

He wanted me to stop taking pictures of my belly and take pictures of him.

Fine with me!

By the way, Keelin is at the beach with her dad ALL week.

I've been working my tushy off on her room!

Can't wait to post pictures.