The CAT days of summer

You know it is summer in our house when Loco strikes his "dead kitty" pose on the kitchen floor:He has been a pretty good cat lately. He has stopped "marking" our walls - at least for now. He has enjoyed trying out our new baby stuff, like jumping into the crib and hiding underneath the bassinet for a snooze. He is not as crazy about the baby swing, however (yes, I tried to make him sit in it much to his and Kedron's chagrin).

(Sigh)

So, I'm meeting with a client the other day. We have this serious discussion where I tell her in great detail what she needs to do to comply with the state so she can keep getting her state aid. I felt like I was very thorough in describing her options, the consequences of her actions, etc. So when I get done explaining everything, I ask her if she has any questions for me.

She responds with, "I notice that your belly button is popped out today."

What a difference a day (or two) makes

Last Friday:

• Severe weather in Des Moines led to my car sitting in at least an inch of water in Target parking lot.
• We discovered our cat has been "spraying" on the wall in our lower level (due to mystery girlfriend cat exposure in our backyard). This led to Loco's confinement in our laundry room.
• We decided to purchase a crib at Target and drove up to Altoona, only to find that the crib box didn't fit in the car.
• Kedron tried various methods to rid our carpet of Loco's scent (after purchasing blacklight that revealed the extent of the damage), including pet odor remover spray (2 kinds), vinegar, and baking soda. He tried to purchase special cat pheromone scent at Petco; drove up there but they were all out.
• Our computer crashed.
• The anti-lock break light came on in my car.
• Needless to say, we were a little stressed. . .

However, by Saturday/Sunday:

• Kedron purchased a beautiful, safe crib at a garage sale for a great price (saving us $160 compared to Target crib).
• Anti-lock break light in my car went off (probably a temporary thing due to wet tires).
• Kedron also miraculously fixed our computer, saving us $500-700 (he really is a handy guy!!).
• The cat has stopped spraying; the odor is less, but we're still dealing with that situation. Let us know if you have any suggestions there. . .

Are you KIDDING me?

Disclaimer: This post contains descriptions of pregnancy-related bodily functions, so if this isn't your thing, feel free to turn back now. . .

I am forever surprised by all my new, weird functions of my ever-changing body. I am now burping uncontrollably like never before. I burped out loud during a home visit yesterday (fortunately the mom said she was belchy during pregnancy too and laughed at me). And don't even get me started on gas escaping from other places. . . Seriously, how much worse is this going to get??

And, I woke up last night with the WORST leg cramp in history (by "in history," I mean in MY history, I guess). I actually screamed/moaned a little bit, which of course woke up Ked and the baby, who proceeded to kick for a good 10 minutes or so, so I couldn't fall back asleep (the baby, not Kedron. Ked's a good sleeper).

28 Weeks. . .

Here's a pic of me at 28 weeks. I am now 31 weeks so I'm a bit bigger, but I'll keep sharing pictures as I grow. I am still surprised by how many people have an opinion on my changing shape. I had a stranger (a client's grandma) ask me the other day if my butt had gotten big yet. Umm. . . first of all, couldn't you just look at my backside and pass your own judgement in your head and not ask me out loud? Second of all, is it REALLY OK to ask a stranger this? Apparently she thought that if you have a big butt, it means you're having a boy. Judge for yourself (just don't tell me what you decide, please!).

Blogging Bandwagon

That's right; we are joining the 21st century with a family blog! We probably won't post too much before the baby is born; but plan to share lots and lots of pics of Baby Bardwell when he/she arrives. Happy reading!