This Post Brought to You by the Number 35

I am 35 weeks along today (well, technically 34 weeks and 3 days or something, but we're counting to the c-section date). I have five weeks to go. Five weeks sounds like a decently long time. MOS asked how many days until the baby is here, and I said 35 days. And promptly freaked out. 35 days is nothing and will fly by!

In 35 days I have much to conquer. Our house is a barely contained clutter-bomb waiting to explode. There is so much to be done and everywhere I look I see a project or task waiting for my attention. But it is so overwhelming that I don't know where to begin. I really wish I had a laptop that I could tote around the house with me, so I could pretend my Twitter friends were chatting with me while I was cleaning. Otherwise I just feel bored and lonely.

For the next 35 days I will be wearing the same 5-6 shirts it seems. I tried on a few of my summer shirts from previous pregnancies and I don't think they will do the job this time around. I'm NOT buying new shirts for such a short time, so I guess I'll continue to wear the t-shirts I wore all winter, just without the long-sleeve shirt underneath. This makes me a bit sad, because I really love clothes (no surprise there) and I was looking forward to having a few more things to wear now that it is warm. Oh well.

This has nothing to do with the number 35, but I must share. Husband had all the kids at CDS's tee ball game last night because I was at a meeting. TJS (4 yo son) was playing on the playground with his sisters. Husband looks over to count heads and spies a certain little boy with his pants at his ankles and a 4 foot stream of pee shooting through the air! He was so embarrassed (Husband was, TJS didn't care) as he walked over to collect his wayward child. I laughed when he told me, but I would have died too. Parenting is all about humility, at least sometimes.

Plans

I planned to write a post today, something meaningful and insightful maybe.

I need to make a menu plan for the week. We have a game or practice every night this week.

We need to do some planning before BTS gets here.

But all of my plans were changed today.

LCS came to me and said "Come on, Mama. Lay down." And we did. And we took a nap together. And so my plans were put aside for her plans. I can't always do that, but today I could. And it was perfect.

Friday Faves March 26

Yea for Friday! We have couples study tonight, followed by dinner at a yummy seafood restaurant, and I am so excited. And not just because I love fish and chips.

Today I am sharing some of our recent Etsy/online finds.



This adorable pinafore is from Lassie Girl. I have admired and wanted something from this shop for a while, and when select styles went on sale I snapped one up. The pinafore is reversible and the other side has a darling owl print on it, that will be great in the fall. I think LCS will be able to wear this for the next year or so.



LCS's birthday outfit was from Ju Ju Bee Creations. I won a gift certificate in a blog giveaway months ago and used it toward the purchase of her dress. I love that it has a monogram on it (that the picture doesn't show). I love that it will fit into next year, at least. She can wear it as a dress this summer, and into the winter, then a tunic top next year. While the prices are a little higher than I normally pay, it is well worth it if she wears the dress for the next two years. It is good quality and lightweight, perfect for all seasons.

I also just bought the most adorable onesie from Two Peas in a Pod on Etsy. I can't show you a picture though, because it is for my soon-to-be-born goddaughter and I don't want her mom to see it yet. But the onesie is great and unique and it shipped very quickly.

And finally, I am hoping to get BTS a few onesies from Birch Modern, also at Etsy. I love the applique ties for church, and I know I want to get the airplane one. I bought a tie onesie for a friend's baby and it turned out great. So fun! The options for boys are so much more varied online than in stores.

Disclosure: No one paid me to write about these shops. The only thing I received at any point was the gift certificate to Ju Ju Bee, and that was from a giveaway, not a promotion. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way to write this post.

Join Hillary at The Other Mama for more Friday Faves!

Titles are Overrated

Hello! A friend practically begged for a new post, and I like to keep people happy. So you can blame her for this poor excuse of a post.

I'm at the 34 week mark. Here are two photos to show where things are at. I took the one in the bathroom, TMS took the crooked one in my doorway.





Some days I feel like a whale and other days I feel pretty good. But that is not limited to pregnancy, as we all know. For the first time ever, I think I am experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions. I've never had them before, but I think now I am. Mostly at night when watching TV. There will just be a moment of tightness and stillness, and then BTS resumes his mad movements. If his activity in the womb is an indicator of what to expect outside the womb, I'm in trouble. I can barely keep up with LCS as it is. But of course every movement is reassuring and welcome.

Okay, friend, I hope you're happy. On Friday I'll be highlighting some recent Etsy/online shop purchases that we are loving.

This post is part of Larger Family Life's pregnancy roundup.

Friday Faves March 19

Hello Friday! I'm joining Hillary again in her Friday Favorites carnival. Today I will share with you some of my favorite songs that my kids also love. There is nothing I love more than hearing/seeing my kids rock out to a good song, especially when those songs have a positive message. No links to the songs though, that is what Swagbucks searching is for!

"Alive Again" Matt Maher
"Christ is Risen" Matt Maher (this one gives me goose bumps)
"This Is the Sound" Switchfoot

Those are my kids' top three picks right now, I think. But I'll share a few more that I really like, some are not new, but are well worth the listen.

"Miracle Maker" Delirious
"Resistance" Muse (not Christian, FYI, just awesome)
"How He Loves Us" David Crowder Band
"Thief in the Night" Leeland

I am sure I could think of more, but any of those are worth checking out and adding to your mix. Enjoy your weekend! Even though spring arrives this weekend we are looking at temps in the 40s and a chance of a rain/snow mix! Thank goodness we can know it is likely the last such cold mess for a long while.

Where Have I Been?

Hello! I have not fallen off the face of the earth, nor have I gone into early labor or anything. Spring break is here in the great state of Texas!

Spring break brought with it some intense allergy issues. I'm not sleeping well at all because I'm finding it hard to breathe through my nose and then I wake up with dry mouth and can't get back to sleep and it is just a vicious, vicious cycle.

We have already had friends over to play twice this week, which is always fun, but sometimes a little exhausting too. My five kids plus friends makes for a busy house. Thankfully, my girls went to a sleepover last night, so there were just three kids to give breakfast this morning. I cheated and gave them Cheerios, instead of the usual scrambled eggs plus more protein. Momma needs a break every now and then.

All of this company plus illness had made me more tired than usual. Yesterday, I was too tired to even read! Y'all--that is rare indeed when talking about me. I just didn't have the mental energy to do anything besides sit and stare vacantly at my surroundings. But today I'm feeling closer to normal, and I have a coffee date with my girlfriends tonight to look forward to, so I'm done complaining.

I came across this picture while browsing my Flickr photos and I just had to share it. My biggest girl, TMS, still has a hint of chubby baby cheeks. TJS has a real haircut, instead of the buzz cut he has now, and he looks so little. And in this photo, they are looking at the pictures together, whereas now TMS would be reading aloud to her brother. This picture is more than two years old, probably about 3 years old. Crazy.

Quick Takes March 12

Hello Friday!

1. This was my dessert last night.



Twix Pie (great recipes with pictures at that blog) with homemade whipped cream and coffee. Delicious! I even put a little of the whipped cream in my coffee, since I made too much and had to use it somehow. I served dessert after serving the simplest meal ever. Frozen peas, instant mashed potatoes and sliced ham browned in the skillet. My kids ate it up! I need to keep it simple more often.

2. I made myself a necklace. This is the best picture I could get. It is a button glued to a bail. I got the idea from Julie at Joy's Hope. My selection of materials was somewhat limited, so I'm hoping to find more variety online and maybe make a few more. It was so cheap to make that I can share with my girls and if they lose it, no big deal.



3. Spring is here, or oh so close to being here. We've had temperatures in the sixties more often than not the last couple of weeks. This makes me indescribably happy. I am just not a winter person at all. Of course, with the change in weather comes annoying allergies. Thank goodness Zyrtec is okay for the pregnant woman because I don't think I could function otherwise. I have had to resort to sleeping on the couch at night, so that I can sit up and breathe.

4. Spring Break is here too. We have several things planned next week, so hopefully none of us will go too crazy. Sleepovers and play dates and a trip to see my parents are all in the works. I suppose I could try to work in some cleaning/organizing too.

5. With the spring weather comes my desire to look at pretty spring clothes. Right now Old Navy has a sale on skirts, which makes me very happy. I am almost never in shorts anymore, and skirts are perfect for the hot weather here. I feel feminine and the air can flow more easily around them. All of the skirts Old Navy has on sale are 15 dollars and come in a variety of colors and lengths. And they have elastic waists. What more could a pregnant woman want to look forward to, postpartum? For more spring fashion talk, visit Big Mama and Musings of a Housewife.

6. One of the things Melanie (Big Mama) discusses is the fabric necklace. I am kind of obsessed with these right now. I wish I possessed the craftiness to make one myself. For now I just mark my favorites on Etsy and dream about wearing them. Since I'll be wearing a lot of plain t-shirts this summer (everything has to be nursing friendly), things like this are the perfect accessory to make things more interesting. So take note if you're feeling like a new mother of six needs a pick-me-up! ;-)

7. Finally, I think BTS might need something like this for a coming-home present. If you haven't already developed an addiction for Etsy, I suggest you stay far away. Nothing you see in the stores will be as cute as it used to be when you know you can find something unique instead.

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

Happy Things (and a belly shot)

I'm kind of double-dipping with this post. The sweet Elaine tagged me with an award/meme that calls for me to list ten things that make me happy. And then of course there are other instructions, but I'll be a bad participant and not actually do them.

Also, Tania at Larger Family Life is hosting a weekly pregnancy post round-up, and while I won't participate every week (she has much more time to go than me, for one thing), I wanted to join in this week. So here we go.

Things that make me happy:

1. Sunshine! It is lovely and warm here today, after a quick thunderstorm this morning. I am wearing capris and I finally painted my toenails again. Yea!

2. Baby movement. Okay, so sometimes this is actually painful. I think little BTS is huge and likes to make me wince with his movements. But it is by far the best part of pregnancy.

3. Baseball has started. Well, spring training games have started anyway, and that brings immeasurable joy to our home.

4. This should be #1. The Mean Green are going to the NCAA tournament! They won the conference championship last night in a close game and will go to the big dance next week! Woohoo!

5. Chocolate makes me happy. And I don't think that requires an explanation.

6. LCS is sleeping in the big girls' room now! This is a good thing, because it means the master closet (with a vent, there is circulation, don't worry) is now available for BTS to enjoy upon his arrival. It is not without its challenges though, as she is still adjusting and not getting quite enough sleep. We'll persevere though.

7. March is making me happy because we do not have sports on Saturdays until the last weekend, so it is a break from getting up just as early on Saturday as we do on weekdays. Much relief.

8. 8 weeks to go with this pregnancy! I'm a little freaked out about having six kids, but I'm also ready to not be pregnant, more so than with other pregnancies. I just want my body back, and my cute clothes.

9. My Sports Illustrated came in the mail today. I like Wednesdays for that very reason.

10. My son's teacher (CDS--kindergarten) said he was one of her favorites. Yea! We like him too.

Here is the picture, sorry it is blurry, I'm not good at self-portraits obviously. 32 weeks!

No Menu Plan Monday

It is Monday, and I suppose my family will eat this week, but so far I do not have a plan. Husband reminded me of leftovers needing to be consumed, and I quickly agreed that was a good plan for tonight. I suppose I must cook the rest of the week. I'm going to try to just use what we have on hand. Various pastas, rice, some soups, broths, beans, etc. should make a few meals.

Husband was gone Thursday through Sunday for a retreat. This is something like the 10th or 11th time he has served as part of the team. I'm pretty used to it by now, although this is only the second time he has done it since we had LCS. He also had to go to training for two days at the beginning of last week, so we only ate dinner together on Wednesday. I did not like that, but that is life. In the past, I would have used that as an excuse to get fast food or pizza or just make sandwiches every night. But oh how things have changed. Well, kind of. I actually cooked most of the nights, and we only got one meal from the drive-thru, and that was Saturday after t-ball practice (let's give praise for the playground and big sisters supervising LCS).

My attitude this time around was much better I think. Instead of letting myself be all stressed by being on my own, I decided to take things as they came and try to stay calm. Sure it was a bit stressful to have a tired toddler at softball evaluations after being at t-ball practice, but we survived. I got some major cleaning/organizing done in the boys' room, so that we can start to get out spring clothes and figure out where we will put the clothes belonging to BTS. I took all the kids to the special service at the retreat Saturday night and they did fine. We're blessed to have lots of friends looking out for us and helping me keep LCS in line. ;) All in all, it was a much nicer weekend than I anticipated, and I like to think my attitude had something to do with that.

Okay, this might be the most boring post ever, but I felt like I needed to check in with my readers. How was your weekend?

And, are you using Swagbucks yet? Why not? Do it!

Friday Favorites

I'm taking a break from Quick Takes to participate in another Friday carnival. The Other Mama wants to know what your Friday Favorites are, so tell her!

I'll be linking to a few things. I would love to include pictures with the links, but Blogger doesn't like me and doesn't want to upload my photos. Sorry!

I bought some pink leggings for LCS because the ruffle on the cuff makes me happy. If I could, I would buy them in every size so she has them to wear until she gets old enough to tell me she won't wear them (which could be next week for all I know). I only wish they had more color choices. And of course I can't find them on the website, although they do have some cute leggings with ruffles that are similar to what I purchased (Target).

What else is a favorite these days?

Can I count the weather as one of my favorite things? After a cold and rainy Monday the week has been absolutely gorgeous and that makes me very happy. So happy that I bought new nail polish (Orly Blushing Bud) for my toes. If only I could pay to have someone else paint them.

One more favorite for Friday. LCS (2 yo girl) and TJS (4 yo boy) playing in the living room, laughing those big belly laughs that only kids seem capable of, for the moment at least getting along.

What is making your Friday great?

She Turned Two!

LCS had a birthday Saturday. I guess the fact that I'm just now writing about it shows what happens when you are fifth in line. The good news is, she had no idea what a birthday was, and she has no concept of time, so it is absolutely fine with her that this post is being written today.



The above picture is obviously not from her birthday, since we didn't have snow this weekend (thank goodness!). I just had to post it because I like it.



She did not get the idea of blowing out the candles. The look on her face seems to say we are all crazy for sticking fire in front of the face of a two-year-old, and she might be right. Eventually she started eating the cupcakes, very neatly.



Yes, she really did try to eat them with a fork. She got most of the frosting off, which is all she was interested in anyway.

She got presents.



She obviously liked them. She had a beautiful day for her party and all the kids in attendance were able to play outside, which was good for everyone. She loves her baby that crawls and makes noise (seems to be motion sensitive, which is a little creepy) and her tea set. Little girls are so fun!

We might have a problem when baby brother arrives on the scene though.