TTT: Season 2, Episode 24...and InstaFriday Too!

1. So tomorrow is the big day--thirty-six weeks pregnant! Actually, I guess I should say that Sunday will be the big day. You know, the day I officially make it farther than I've ever made it before in a pregnancy. Thirty-six weeks and two days. You're all cheering for me, right? Of course, there's still those thoughts in the back of my mind that I'm somehow going to spontaneously combust some time between now and then. But hopefully not. Hopefully I'll make it! Cautiously optimistic. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and she basically told me to just keep on keepin' on--taking my blood pressure several times a day...especially if I feel weird, have any headache, start seeing spots, etc. She doesn't believe in doing scheduled C-sections any earlier than the 40th week, so unless things go awry, I could be in it for the long haul. We'll see. Heck, three more days and I'll be satisfied!

Kolbe was sitting on my lap after nap time a few days ago and out of the blue said, "Mama, he moved."

"What?" I asked.

"He moved. Baby Grant moved. I felt it under my arm. There's a real person in there, you know."

Yes, there is, little fella. A real person. I proceeded to ask him if he was ready for Mama to not be pregnant any more, which he replied yes to. When I asked him why, I got:

"So your belly won't be so big and you can go outside for a bike ride again and you won't have to say, 'Guys, Mama needs to sit down for a few minutes.' "

Uh, hate to tell you, Kolbs, but with nursing a newborn, I'm probably gonna need to be sitting down for a few minutes a lot more often instead of less. Just another transitional phase for our little guys. It'll be so much fun though. These two can't wait to meet their new little brother. And neither can I!

2. Last week I reported on our completely unpleasant summer colds. Of course Kolbe picked it up too, and for the most part it's cleared up. But it's definitely been the lingering, annoying kind where in the morning and evenings it magically comes back to haunt us. Better go replenish my Kleenex inventory. I haven't checked with Brian and Cristi yet, but after their fun visit this weekend, I'm hoping they didn't get it too. We really enjoyed hosting our first weekend house guests at our new house and we're so glad that we didn't cancel at the last minute like we debated. Sadly, other than going to the free outdoor symphony, I don't think we did much more than eat out. Which, hey, I'm not complaining, but I would have loved to do a few more "touristy" type things with them. Hanging out and eating isn't exactly entertaining. Except to a pregnant person. This weekend we're looking forward to my sister-in-law Abby and our godson John swinging by for a little visit on Saturday while they're in town visiting her family and then two weekends from now, Mark's mom will be here for a full week to help out...either with an end-of-the-road pregnant lady or a brand new baby. Who'd have thought we'd have someone here for at least a visit five weekends in a row!?! Anyone else want to travel to Houston any time soon???

3. I thought I'd try something new this week, taking cues from two different blogs. I'm a habitual blog stalker. There's a handful of blogs out there that I read all the time, and then a ton more that I stumble upon and check-in on from time to time. Of course I always read up on the blogs that several of my friends and family members keep. My sister-in-law Abby started a new weekly post a while back where she shows off her favorite picture of the week. So much fun getting to keep up with them weekly now that we're so far away! Another blog I love is called Life Rearranged. It is written by a lovely lady named Jeannett and she has recently started a weekly post called InstaFriday. It involves posting pictures of your week in review using only photos taken on cell phone cameras and primarily using the free app Instagram. Really, it makes pitiful phone pictures look cool with just a few taps! So I thought it might be fun to do more than just tell you about my passing week as a mom and give you a little visible peek as well! Here we go!

I was strugglin' somethin' fierce on Thursday afternoon so instead of Mom doing the entertaining, the old beat up kiddie pool got the nod. Stick it beside the deck, add a slide, and wha-la! Instant fun!

This poor little guy couldn't be readier to potty train. He's totally catching on and wanting to "get it"...but only for Mama. That being said, I'm having a heck of a time just going for it with him. Especially when I know a big hospital stay is around the corner. Idn't he precious, though!?!

Ah. The ol' pack-n-play. Kolbe and I got it out and all set up on Mama's side of the bed a few days ago. Ready for a new little brother!

The boys made beautiful pictures and we opened a few gifts for an early Father's Day this week. I wanted it to be special for Mark, even if I wasn't available for celebrating on Sunday.

A daily ritual: kicking up the cankles. Elevation does nothing to help. Neither does drinking tons of water. Though I still do both, in hopes...'cause these things aren't cute.

And what would a week be without squeezing in a little sewing? I've cut off sewing for my shop, but I had to whip up a cute new crib sheet for Grant's future room. I know, I know. He won't be sleeping there for a while, but I'd hate to introduce him to his new home with an un-made bed! Ha!

A new little somethin' I'm trying out with Kolbe. He seems to do well with incentives and consequences instead of me just flipping out when he acts up (like my impulsive, hormonal self feels like doing at this point). I added pictures with the words since he can't exactly read, though he knows exactly what the charts say by now. He earns magnets for each good and bad behavior and when he gets three good magnets, he gets to pick a treat, whether it be a tootsie roll or an extra book with Mama. And for each bad magnet he gets a timeout. If he earns three in one day, he loses a privilege. Ironically, the ones that matter most to him are things like "If you get one more magnet on your bad chart, Mama won't be able to sit on your bed when I sing bedtime songs tonight." He flips out. Seriously.

Have a great week! Pray for me, friends!