Bailey turns 17.

Last weekend, we had Bailey over for the weekend (Oliver's schedule got all goofed up) and in honor of Bailey's birthday a couple of weeks ago, we had the family over for a big celebration...complete with an asian stir fry dinner and vanilla on vanilla cake per the birthday boy's request.

 Of course, I was negligent and only took one picture of him blowing out his candles... but, at least I got one, right?

After a rather low key weekend, we ended up having to drive Bailey back over the pass to meet his mom. The mountains were actually quite pretty. All in all it was a great weekend!

14 weeks

Wow, another week down... The weeks are going fast. Let's just dive right on in, shall we?

The lovely belly picture at 14 weeks.

And at 13 weeks for comparison sake. Still looks about the same to me.

How I'm feeling?

I'm feeling pretty good, still, really. However, I had a resurgence of sickness this week which was totally weird... and by the way? NOT COOL. I thought we were over that... come on little peanut, I know you are in there, I don't need this nasty reminder. Otherwise, I'm still a bit tired off an on and have had a couple of headaches but not too bad.

 

How I'm changing?

Pants continue to get tighter and tighter. It's such a weird thing to continue to workout the same as you always have but things don't fit... especially on the days where you really have 100% of your energy back and don't feel sick. So essentially, you don't feel pregnant at all. Then the non-fitting clothes are just odd and you can definitely NOT suck in anymore... your stomach is hard and not as in rock hard abs.

I also bought some cream (mama mio) that helps as your skin stretches out. So far it's awesome and I will post a full review in another post.

I had a couple of hormonal freak outs this week but still nothing as major as in past weeks. Progress!

I also realized this week that I get full REALLY fast. I get excited to eat and then I'm full 2.5 seconds later. What is that all about?

What I'm eating?

NOT eggs. I'm pretty sure I may never be able to eat eggs again. The one day where I felt particularly bad for an extended period of time (like the whole morning) was when I did not eat some sort of carbohydrate in the morning and instead opted for broccoli/spinach eggs. It sounded good but as soon as I ate them and headed to work, I knew there was going to be trouble. I felt AWFUL and so sick. I've learned that this kid only likes carbs in the morning so from now on I am sticking with toast or something of the sort. I did have a dream about a healthified english muffin which was bizarre (and that we made after a craving of mine a few weeks ago) but once I woke up the idea repulsed me.

Weight I'm gaining? 

I forgot to weigh myself this week. Whoops. If I had to guess, I'm probably at 122-125 (last week I was just over 121). I really tried to eat more consistently throughout the days this week to gain a bit more weight as I could probably use it right now. I don't know that there's any "normal" you should be but based on how I'm looking versus other people who are 14 weeks, I could probably stand to up my eating a bit.  

How I'm sleeping? 

Great, no issues here right now. Still peeing every night but I'm getting used to it.

What's the baby doing?

-The baby is about 3.4 inches long, about the size of a lemon

-The baby can make facial expressions, pee and possibly suck his/her thumb

-The baby is stretching out and the body's growth continues to catch up to the head which now sits on a more distinct neck. By the end of this week the baby's arms have grown to a length proportionate to the rest of his or her body

-The liver starts to make bile and the spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells

-Some babies have started to grow hair on the head or face (like eyebrows... we aren't talking a little mustache)

What we are doing to prepare for the baby?

Well, this week I talked to my boss at work as well as HR to figure out the time off I will have, and also just to let everyone know what's going on. Pretty soon it's going to be blatantly obvious. I will most likely be taking at least 12 weeks of maternity leave. After that I will probably come back to work part time for the 4th month to transition back in (it will probably be around December anyway so a great time to work part time). I feel better getting that ironed out, of course, there are some bigger decisions that still need to be remain for post- baby as far as baby care goes once I am back to work full time.

We are also still considering what we can do for a "babymoon"/30th birthday trip away. Stay tuned for that one. We'll probably decide this week.

Random thoughts on pregnancy (pregnancy brain?)

This week I decided that pregnancy lasts FOREVER (and also: patience is not one of my great qualities). You find out you're pregnant and of course have the "oh shit!" moment and then you keep it a secret forever and ever and then you finally tell people and you realize that you still have 6 months left of being pregnant. It really seems like it's a long time. All relative, I know, and it goes fast, I'M SURE but at times it just seems to last forever- especially when you're sick, feeling chunky and just ready to meet the little turbo all ready and get all of the scary stuff (IE: labor) over with.

13 weeks

Well, another week down. I am now officially in the 2nd trimester which is marked by the start of the 13th week of pregnancy. I'll take it! 

Thirteen weeks.

Above: the dreaded belly shot at 13 weeks (on the top). The prior week (12 weeks) is on the bottom for sake of comparison. Looks about the same to me, but who knows. 

How I'm feeling?

Still much better now that I'm out of the first trimester hell. My boobs have decided they want to hurt a little bit again (really, are you kidding me? COME ON), I've been peeing 2-3 times a night still (annoying), but really I don't have much to complain about. I've been really tired off and on even though I am getting plenty of sleep so it's possible the baby is going through a growth spurt this week. I only had one hormonal melt down this week which is definite progress. Essentially I feel like my old self again minus little hints of being pregnant here and there. Nothing like the constant reminders that you have in the first trimester.

How I'm changing?

My pants still don't fit (guess I should get used to his, huh?) In fact, I went through a massive closet overhaul last weekend to weed out clothes that I probably will not fit into until next year at this time. The pants above (top photo) were just barely manageable without a bella band. I squeezed into them but by the end of the day I was MISERABLE. I don't imagine I will wear them again until post-pregnancy. 

What I'm eating?

Anything and everything although I decided this week that I'm pretty grossed out by salmon. We tried to make it for Valentine's day and I ate it but I was totally grossed out. I'm not sure what that's about. I'm also strangely grossed out by raw vegetables which is SO weird given that salads and raw veggies were pretty much my staple for, I don't know, YEARS? I can only eat cooked vegetables so I'm sauteing vegetables pretty much every night to eat in some form to get the nutrients and then I'll take leftovers for lunch. The thought of a salad makes me want to puke which strikes me as absolutely hilarious since I've lived on salads for years and they were always my favorite things to eat/order, etc. I'm hoping my love for them returns eventually. I'm still also grossed out by eggs so every day for breakfast I'm eating toast with a banana and peanut butter. It's pretty tasty. Also: la croix water is AMAZING. It's basically just carbonated water but it tastes so good. 

Weight I'm gaining? 

I was 121.3 pounds on Friday. I will weigh myself weekly just to see where I'm at. This is about .5 pounds higher than last week (last week I was 120.8). I think that's about normal and probably no real change week over week since water weight can contribute greatly to small fluctuations. I started this whole thing off at around 115 pounds in the November time period (I'd gained 5 pounds through diet and lifting weights since the wedding in August. It needed to happen). 

How I'm sleeping? 

Pretty good, other than the whole getting up to pee thing. I don't think that's going to get much better, either. I think it's your body's way of training you for a newborn (maybe I just made that up but it makes sense).

What's the baby doing?

-The baby is about the size of a peach, about 3 inches long and weighs an ounce

-The baby's body is starting to catch up to its massive head which makes up just a third of his/her body size now (up until this week, the head has been proportionally larger than the rest of its body)

-The motor skills are starting to work and the baby is able to move and flex the arms and legs

-Fingerprints have started to form and veins/organs are visible through its skin

-If it's a girl she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries (I still think ours is a boy)

What we are doing to prepare for the baby?

Well, we bought a new car (click here if you missed that post).  Other than that, we really haven't done much. We don't know the sex and are still undecided if we are going to find out the sex so we haven't started in on a nursery or buying anything yet. Plus, I am absolutely clueless about what I even NEED to do so perhaps that should be my first step. 

We are currently trying to decide on a couple of trips pre-baby. We are going back to Kansas City in late May or early June for one last pre-baby trip there and then we are trying to decide what is feasible for a trip away (a babymoon of sorts) around my birthday. It IS my 30th birthday and we had previously had grand plans of a big party involving wine tasting with a bunch of friends to celebrate. Well, those plans have to be changed a bit so it seems like a good opportunity to go away somewhere on a last pre-baby trip and to celebrate a new decade. I want to go somewhere warm so we are thinking either California or Hawaii. I'm just not sure how much I'd be able to DO in Hawaii which might drive me nuts. I'm still undecided. Or southern California for it's proximity and (hopefully) warm weather. April down there can be hit or miss. I think Phoenix would be too hot for me at the end of April. Too bad, as I love Phoenix and that would be fun too. We shall see! Part of it depends on how much we owe in taxes this year (stupid IRS...)

Random thoughts on pregnancy (pregnancy brain?)

I sort of freaked out this week about the whole labor thing. The more I am pregnant the more real it feel and I'm just not sure how something that is 7 or 8 (or god forbid, MORE) pounds is going to come out of me. I mean, granted it happens but this week it hit me like a ton of bricks that something is actually IN me and has to come OUT. I know this seems ridiculous but I also think it's something that all pregnant women experience- the reality of giving birth, especially for first time moms. I think it's hard to get your head around since everything is so new and unfamiliar and while there is comfort in the fact that you are not alone and bazillions of women have done it before you, there is still some shock in the HOLY HELL. HOW is this going to WORK? (And in 6 months, I'm sure my daily mantra will be GET THE HELL OUT OF ME). Again, coming back to the adage: pregnancy is weird. 

What I like to call LIFE.SAVERS.

As I mentioned both here and here, this stage of pregnancy is really weird. You don't really feel outwardly pregnant anymore since you no longer have the urge to puke 24-7 nor are you eating jars of pickles. You basically feel like your normal self, only all of your fat has gone directly to your stomach as if you have been on a 3 month binge of thanksgiving day type meals 4 times a day. You aren't even that much heavier, maybe, say, 5 pounds but it feels like more because EVERYTHING has gone directly to the center of your body. It's not even blatantly noticeable to anyone else, you definitely do not have a bump yet but still, every morning as you go to button your pants? THEY DON'T BUTTON. Hmm. It's so perplexing. And so awkward. You don't fit in your pants anymore and you aren't big enough yet by any means to warrant maternity clothes. 

What's a girl to do especially a girl that would like to maintain some sense of style and not spend $1000 every month on a new wardrobe times 6 for the next 6 months? (although I must say sweatpants and a giant sweatshirt is how I spend most of my weekends...thank god my husband still finds me sexy despite this.)

Enter the LIFE SAVER: Bella bands. My girlfriend told me about these and they are seriously amazing. 

This is what it looks like. It's basically just a tube of material that holds your pre-pregnancy pants together. It comes in different colors and different styles (there is some lace trim on the bottom to look like a lace tank). I have a plain black one but need to invest in more (and stat). Basically,  you put it on over your unbuttoned pants and under whatever shirt you are wearing and it allows you to still wear your pre-pregnancy clothes but it just looks like you have a tank top or something on under your shirt. The outfits flow seamlessly, no one can tell at all, and YOU feel like a million bucks because a) you aren't trying to suck it in without success (seriously, you CAN'T suck it in anymore at this point, it's so weird) and b) you still get to wear your clothes without having to buy new clothes yet. It's great for this "transition" awkward phase and seriously? Amazing. I actually think that having these on hand would be great for those times that you drink too much wine and can't button your skinny jeans at the end of the night. I might just keep it on hand for post pregnancy days.... I could definitely see the benefit.

Quiet weekend.

It's been a fairly uneventful weekend around here, which is kind of nice for a change. No new cars, no kids, no real agenda, just Justin and I hanging around. 

Friday night we decided to head over the water to Seattle for a date night at one of our old stand bys, Japonessa. It's sushi, but of course, I didn't eat the raw stuff. Only the veggie rolls and a couple of tempura rolls (all still incredibly AMAZING).  While we were waiting on a drink for Justin and a few rolls, I decided to take a few shots of my handsome date:

All in all, it was a great time! 

Yesterday we decided to go on a walk to Bellevue. We'd left Justin's truck in Bellevue Friday night when we left for sushi and we (well, at least I) wanted to go on a walk so it seemed like a good idea to walk to Bellevue to the truck. I used to run home from work all the time which was not a big deal. It ended up being a great (albeit long) walk... about 6.5-7 miles. That was fine, the only issue was that it was FREEZING. Like 40 degrees with really strong winds so the windchill was probably in the 30s. We made it, though, and of course had some great views along the water on the way. After a few errands, we made it home and settled in for the night. Today is similarly low key... some cleaning, Justin is working a bit, I imagine there might be a couple of errands and a much smaller walk later. Love weekends like this! (and also: I think this might be the first February in, I don't know, eight YEARS?, that I haven't worked on a Saturday. It is AWESOME). 

Ego boost.

Being pregnant can really screw with your head sometimes, especially in this first part when you don't really "feel" pregnant especially after all of the horrid first trimester symptoms pass. You essentially feel like you are back to your normal self, but honestly like you are just getting chunky. Clearly you KNOW you are pregnant and I'm not discounting that. But, ask any pregnant lady and they will say that this phase when you are feeling good between actually having a true "bump" is not the most pleasant, at least in terms of body image.

So, today, as I was riding up the elevator to my office, I got hit on by some guy. It was both hilarious and rewarding at the same time as I told him how much I appreciated his kind words but that I was both happily married and pregnant. He said, "there's no way you are pregnant," to which I said, "I can assure you I am" as I waved my wedding ring around. As I got off the elevator, I said, "Thank you, I hope you find what you are looking for but thank you for that little bit of an ego boost for me today. I needed it."

Hey, I'll take what I can get right now.

The day of love.

I think anyone that has been reading this blog for a few years probably knows that I don't get too hopped up on Valentine's day. It's always seemed to be a silly "holiday" to me. Shouldn't the point be to tell your spouse or whoever is important in your life that you love them everyday? Or surprise them with hearts and kisses and gifts on just a random day just because? That's what I like, anyway. 

That being said, Justin and I had no real plans to do anything big for Valentine's day this year. We just laid low, spent the afternoon and evening together and got each other little presents. Of course, Justin did go a bit overboard but I am not complaining. It was so sweet (there I go falling prey to this sappy holiday....)

I walked in the door and there is a big cardboard box with writing all over it of all the reasons why Justin loves me (aww, I know, go barf now). Inside the box were canvas pictures of ours that he'd had blown up and formatted. They are absolutely beautiful...now, we just have to find a place to hang them.

So very cool. What a sweet and thoughtful husband I have. 

I got him a little bag of goodies for the day including little heart cakes, candies, books, wine, energy bars, and a variety of things I know he loves. 

His loot from me.

Later that evening we went on a sunset walk and it was absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, that was our view looking over the water towards Seattle with an unbelievable sunset. It was a great celebration of this day... simple and sweet, just the way I like it. 

In other news, today is Bailey's birthday- the big 17. Holy COW. I remember turning 17 like it was yesterday (does that mean I'm old now?) I remember feeling SO old then, and like I was on top of the world. Crazy how ignorant I really was, how young I really was, and how much growing up I had left to do. Also crazy that Justin was only a few years older than 17 when Bailey was born (I cannot even IMAGINE being that young with a newborn). Life is so interesting, sometimes. We are having a birthday party for Bailey when he is over here next in a couple of weekends but until then, we'll send lots of happy thoughts his way on his big day! 

Big news! (or perhaps more appropriate would be HOLY SHIT BIG NEWS!!)

In August 2012, we will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary. Last year we were drinking wine and then heading to Hawaii...

This year? 

We will be welcoming this little guy or gal, SAY HI little baby V! (And on a related note, holy shit that little peanut is INSIDE OF ME)....words I have repeated to myself about 4 million times in the past couple of months. 

We also think he/she has inherited his/her dads dance moves. Look at that leg rocking around already...straight up in the air. He/she does not inherit flexibility from me. 

Let's back up a bit, shall we? For the sake of documentation and the blog, I will post belly pictures even though I find them sort of revolting and not something I think people really care to see. But, for my mom and anyone who does care, and just for sake of memories, here is my growing belly (note that the pictures start at around 9 weeks...why so late? More on that later):

At 9 weeks.

At 10 weeks.

At 11 weeks.

At 12 weeks (yes, I am very well aware of the fact that over the next few weeks the belly button ring is going to have to come out). And also: Apparently I didn't rub my lotion in very well that morning. Whoops. And one more note: holy CRAP it is weird how big my boobs are. I have never had boobs but holy hell... (sorry to draw attention to that feature but if you're reading this post about a pregnant lady, you better get used to TMI or don't read. Seriously, WOW).

And to back up further, here's rundown of where we are right now and where we've been and how the hell we got here...well, not the nitty gritty, you guys are smart enough to figure that one out:

When are you due? 

August 24. This is BIG news to us. Remember how I said the picture started at 9 weeks? We thought originally that this picture was at 5 weeks. I had JUST taken a pregnancy test in early January after several signs pointed to um, HI, something is up (you know, like thinking I'm getting the flu every day at the same time, or being unable to wear shirts because my boobs hurt so bad and then liking weird things I have never liked like blue cheese and bacon and being revolted by foods I love like peanut butter...and the final straw? I realized I ate a whole jar of dill pickles in a day. A DAY). So, after a couple of weeks of this, I took a test, figured it out and I figured I was newly pregnant. That being said, we thought when we originally found out that I'm pregnant that our due date was in September. Nope, apparently that "period" in November was not a period, it was implantation bleeding.  So I guess I am the weirdo that doesn't have a period for oh, I don't know, NINE MONTHS and then just gets pregnant. Cool? I need to let the shell shock wear off on that one before I fully decide myself.

Will you find out the sex?

I originally said no way, I wanted the surprise. Now I'm dying to know. This remains to be seen. Stay tuned. (As a sidenote, I think it's a boy. We can take bets on if I have any instinct whatsoever).

Surprise or planned? And, how did you know?

SURPRISE! We were just trying to get me to have A period, much less regular cycles, we had no plans of getting pregnant this year, nor did we even think it was possible (in fact, we were told it was blatantly NOT possible). Like I said, I had very sore breasts in December but thought it was my body trying to figure out my cycles (as did my doctor). We went to New Year's with friends in Oregon and I was feeling nasty each day (remember that brutal pacific coast highway run? Apparently it wasn't a hangover...which makes sense since I hardly drank at all since I thought I was coming down with the flu). And like I already said, after we got back from Oregon, when I STILL had sore boobs, was repulsed by peanut butter, loved blue cheese and bacon, ate a whole jar of pickles, and was feeling sick every morning, I decided it was time to take a test "just to make sure." And guess what, big fat plus. (insert minor, er, major freak out!) The freak out as a result mostly because I had literally JUST signed the offer for my new job and was all set and reved up to go get em this year in a new firm I was excited about...

While Justin and I have always said that we'd like to have a baby, we just didn't think it would be this year for a myriad of reasons, one being that we were told it wasn't possible. In fact, I had just told my friends in Oregon that I didn't think we'd get pregnant in 2012 and that it would probably be a year or two before I was even able to get pregnant. This conversation also happened while sitting in a hot tub, sipping on a cocktail...all while I was pregnant, unknowingly, clearly. WHOOPS (hot tub and drinking are clearly both pregnancy no-nos). So yeah, total surprise. A good surprise but a surprise nonetheless...it definitely alters the plans a bit for this year.

How I'm feeling?

Much better now. Much of the 1st trimester I had no idea I was pregnant, I just thought I was getting the flu and that my boobs were incredibly painful as a result of my body trying to figure out my cycle (WRONG)! It definitely sucked and there were some rough days but I definitely didn't have it the worst of the worst. Made it even better when I realized that I didn't actually have 4 weeks left of my first trimester and instead, it was essentially over! I actually never really dealt with feeling super tired until now. Now I've been feeling exhausted in a way I've never felt before. Maybe it's the whole getting up 4 million times a night to pee two squirts (ANNOYING and also? I don't get this...it's not like my bladder is being crowded yet).

How I'm changing?

My pants don't fit. Lately the new thing is that I become hormonal pregnant crazy woman around 7pm every night. My boobs don't hurt anymore even as close to as bad and feeling sick is fleeting now. Still happens but not twice a day and not every day. I can deal. I can (finally) eat peanut butter again! I'm still totally repulsed by runny eggs. And I'm totally over pickles. Gross.

What I'm eating?

Pretty much anything now. I WAS having massive cravings for beef, raisin bran, pickles, olives, and macaroni and cheese (I literally could only stomach mac and cheese for about 2 weeks straight. That was it. I ate about a box a day for those two weeks figuring I would just get the calories I could. It was the Annie's organic kind so I figure that made it a little bit better). Oh yeah, and bread and butter. I could NOT eat chicken, peanut butter, eggs or anything sweet whatsoever (weird as I typically LOVE peanut butter and have an incredibly intense sweet tooth). Now that I'm in the 2nd trimester, my cravings have settled and I'm eating more normally, although I am eating a lot. I don't understand women who say they don't have cravings. Holy hell, mine were INTENSE. As in, nothing could satisfy them except exact things. 

Weight I'm gaining? 

I've gained about 5 ish pounds which is right in line with where you should be 1st trimester. Like I said, though, my pants are slowly getting tighter. I'm still working out 4-5 days a week. I'm not running as much as I was (duh). They say that people who run before pregnancy can still run during, but it definitely feels different. I only do 2-3 miles at a time now and disperse it with walking. I am definitely NOT doing a marathon in July as I had originally planned. Other than that, I've been lifting weights 3 times a week and doing yoga and long walks. I've found that when I am most exhausted, going on a walk helps most. It really messes with your head when you feel like you are still as healthy as you always were but your pants stop buttoning. Clearly you KNOW you are pregnant but it's still an odd feeling.

How I'm sleeping? 

Pretty good, though I've noticed some positions are starting to get uncomfortable. I typically sleep on my stomach but now it hurts my boobs and my back gets more sore now too. Guess I will have to start learning how to sleep on my side. And the whole pee thing. Again, annoying.Other than that, by about 9pm every night I totally crash in a way that I have never experienced before. It's pretty funny.

What's the baby doing?

-The baby is about the size of a plum and is considered a fetus

-This week (week 12) the features on the baby's face become more defined

-The fingernails are forming

-The heart and brain have already formed but this week the brain continues to develop (note that our baby's heart rate was 186 at the ultrasound.... people have theories on what that means but I don't know what that means)

-Reproductive organs have formed

-All other vital organs have formed (this happens by week 10)...seriously?

Random thoughts on pregnancy (pregnancy brain?)

Pregnancy is WEIRD.  Everything listed above is just odd...the cravings, the places that hurt or feel weird, the things that you can't do because they feel different. It's all just strange. Granted it's beautiful and it's cool but it's just so surreal that there is something growing inside of there. Seeing the ultrasound and hearing the heartbeat were pivotal moments for me... it was as if everything was all worth it. That is our baby in there, growing and moving and eventually going to be moving around in this outside world. It totally messes with my head a little bit but I love it and we couldn't be more excited. We'll be tracking the journey here, of course, along with all of our other happenings. I'll make random posts about this whole thing and then (cross your fingers) I will try to do a post similar in format to this one with a weekly update. Cheers (with sparkling water, of course) to what is probably going to be quite the adventurous ride!

Post #1000

Just thought I would note that I have hit 1000 posts on this humble blog. A milestone of sorts. To start this new milestone, stay tuned for some exciting news in the next couple of days...

A productive weekend.

We have had quite the productive weekend. What was going to be a low key weekend turned into quite an exciting weekend. We have been thinking lately about getting a bigger car since we drive the mini a lot (much better efficiency than the truck) but when the four of us are together, the mini gets understandably cramped. As much as I have loved my mini coopers, we decided it was time to move on. 

So, last weekend we test drove some cars and yesterday we went back and drove some more after narrowing the field down. We ended up at BMW of Bellevue where, at the end of the day, it was basically our second home (SIX HOURS there, people). 

We test drove a 335d that had all the fancy packages that Justin had researched (premium, sport, la la la- I have a tendency to tune this stuff out as I just decide if it's a cute car or not and then, if it's zippy. This one was. I loved it. And also, I don't like to dwell on making decisions like this...my theory? Just do it.) So, we had decided to run the numbers to see where we'd end up if we decided to purchase it. Here is Justin as we are waiting on the sales manager and all of the head honchos to decide what they could do for us. After about an hour of back and forth arguing, we ended up with a compromise we were all happy with. I like to think we came out ahead especially since they accidentally plugged in the wrong sales price to all of the calculations (it was about $1500 lower than the actual sales price)... we all didn't notice until the end but it was their error and it worked in our favor! 

FINALLY after the arguing and the waiting and dealing with the finance people, the car was ours. Isn't it pretty? I wish I could speak more to the features it has but honestly? I really don't care a whole lot. All I pretty much all I know is that it's a 2011 335 diesel which means it has more torque/is faster (and apparently diesels are pretty highly regarded in the car industry... Sidenote: my dad used to have a diesel Mercedes so when Justin first told me diesels were cool, I remembered his clunker with a cloud of black smoke going down the highway and I thought NO WAY. I was FLOORED at how quiet, efficient and fast these new diesels are). Anyway, it also has some sports package, cold weather package (seriously, I was sold on the heated steering wheel), and premium package (which, to me, basically means it has navigation which I probably won't use much anyway). But, it's really fun to drive- in the test drive I was going 95 not flooring it and felt like I was doing 60. Again, I'm really not the person to speak to the specs of a car, like I said, Justin can say more in much more technical ways. I just think it's pretty and fun. 

A front shot. 

Me in front of the new car (name to be determined)...it's got to be some studly name, I think. (And also: it was FREEZING yesterday). 

A picture of Oliver, Justin and I with the new car and poor little Alfred, the old mini (bye little mini cooper! You will be missed! Although I do have to say, it needed about $2000 of work on it- new tires and some strange noise it was making... I don't deal well with "car problems" so it was a good time, in my opinion, to make the move for the new car). I'm a pretty lucky girl, I must say. Boys that I love and fortunate in life to be able to get cars like this. 

Me sitting in the new car (sidenote on this picture: at this point I was OVER it. We had been there almost six hours and were starving. I just wanted to go home). 

After all of the excitement of the car thing, we headed to the grocery store quickly (because we were all starving!) and then home to make homemade pizzas. Yum! 

This morning Justin and I got up bright and early before Oliver and headed out on a walk. It was a pretty nice morning out but the thing I (still) couldn't believe, was all of the buds on the trees. Um, it's mid-February? 

A shot of the lake- always beautiful. 

And one more... 

I just finished completely cleaning out my closet which was LONG overdue and Justin did some home improvement stuff as well... now, I just need to get motivated to do our taxes but that seems to be a daunting task (or scary... I know we owe!) I'm thinking curling up with a good book sounds much better. Maybe I'll go read it in the new beemer just to soak in that new car smell! 

All in all, a great weekend! 

Once again, Seattle gets confused.

As typical of Seattle in February (or so I've noticed over the last few years), typically we have a few days that feel like spring. 60+ degrees, sunny, the trees and flowers start budding. Everyone gets happy with the spring-like weather, so much so that when we are plummeted back into rain and cold for the next 4 months, we tend to be quite monstrous assholes because the weather fooled us once again! (Welcome to Seattle folks). Well, this past weekend was our "spring" fix. True to form, the trees were budding, it hit 62 degrees on Saturday and 65 on Sunday.  A few picture of the gorgeous days:

As a result of the spring feeling, I decided to go back to my roots aka: my blonde hair. I'll blame it on the sun.

I also chopped several inches off of it. Truthfully, I love it. Blonde feels so much more like me and I like having all of the dead stuff cut off at the bottom.

One more attempt at a self portrait... at least I know that a part of me will carry on that spring-sunny feeling vai my hair. Especially considering that we are forecast to be 40s and rain for at least the next week.