Bumpwatch Week 33

How Far Along: Just finished week 33! BBG is the size of a durian, and though I am pretty sure I can tell you where the head, butt, and feet are, I am not sure I could tell you which is which! His eyes can stay open, he will turn toward strange noises (not that I know this because his dad makes a tyrannosaurus rex noises at him to see if he will do it), and his brain keeps developing. Also, he is up to a solid 4-6 pounds! What a chubber!

 

Best Moment of the Week: Apple week was fun as always. I have been less brave about testing new recipes, but this week we tried Apple Curry, and it was pretty delicious. We have resolved to put more food experimenting back into the schedule, because it is fun and sometimes works out really well. We also hosted a big group of The Boy's work friends at our Apple Pancake Breakfast, so that was the closest we will get for a test run of Thanksgiving. I was glad it went really well, and we have been bumming out and getting work done the rest of the weekend (also, I am way bigger, but the big baggy sweater isn't doing anyone any favors. I apologize).

Most Interesting Prego Quirk:You are hot, literally! In the third trimester, your temperature gets high, and even though the weather is getting colder, I am not really hankering for layers. It is the first time in 11 years that The Boy has been the cold one. I don't have any complaints about this, but it is one of those weird things.

I Would Really Like Some: I am pretty happy, but this week had a lot of apple pie! The Boy is making the mobile, I am making our Christmas ornament gifts, and HGTV is on Netflix. I have no complaints!

 

Bizarro Thing No One Warned me About: It feels like every week, the whole thing gets a lot more real, and I am having a bit of a freak out now. The end of pregnancy just gets scary, and you aren't supposed to talk about it. You are supposed to be full of majestic joy and glowing from all the anticipation to meet the beautiful majestic child that is just going to change everything, etc. Maybe this happens to other people sooner, and maybe I am going to lose some mommy card for saying this, but I feel a little like I am in mourning for our life as it is, which in general I have really liked a lot. I hear I will love him a lot, but basically everything I have read suggests that when right after he stops hanging out in my uterus, he will be a bit of a jerk (I kid, sort of)

These feelings are weirdly coupled with the excitement you are "supposed" to feel (really, no one worry- I basically always go into change kicking and screaming), but I keep reading one article after another about how children change anything, wreck marriages, keep you from fulfilling your goals, etc, and I really just need to stop. Other pregos are perhaps wiser that way. It's like knowing you have to walk through a door in 6 weeks, and you just spend the entire time reflecting on what horrible thing is behind the door. On the other hand, you are bound to be pleasantly surprised (not to mention I think I will actually really be good at being a mom- I have always wanted to have kids, it's just weird that the time is here). This is probably one of the most epic dives into something new a person can take, and it seems alright to be afraid. In the name of preparedness, you learn about things you will never have to deal with and I know a lot of the challenges we will face are not even on my radar. At the beginning of pregnancy, they tell you every possible horrible that can come out of it, and you will actually experience about 5% of that. Yes, you feel weird or worse on some days, but the vast majority of your pregnancy (unless you have a really problematic one), you are just setting priorities and pushing through. It's just the prep for the big game, right?

No one warns you about this, because I am sure once they come and they are cute and have tiny feet you forget all about it, or something. But I am not worried about it, and if you are feeling this way, I don't think you should feel bad about it either. Maybe the reason other pregos all seem kind of sour is because they are also mourning their Saturday morning sleep-ins, but I feel a renewed energy to go and see movies with the Boy and have a few adventures that aren't poop-related.

And The Boy?: I think he is also grappling with the crazy reality that we are not that far out from being parents/ real adults. This week he turned on the name he has been fighting for the whole pregnancy, and I think a huge part of that was realizing that this name is not assigned to a theoretical person, but a real one who will have to live with it. Suddenly he wanted to give Bumbo Baby a really wimpy name. We worked it out, and the name is officially decided! One thing off the list!

Looking Forward to: My mom is coming to visit this week! I am excited to have her here, and we are going to put her to work (Poor woman always gets put to work) helping us move the furniture I am currently unable to help with, which means the nursery will actually be arranged, and we can get some storage and finish it up! Woot woot! Also, this week is the baby class blitz, so by the next time I do a bumpwatch, I will be a car seat, newborn care, and relationship expert (ish). 

Read more

Fourth Anniversary Inspiration- Fruit and Flower Inspiration and Fun

By your fourth anniversary, it sure can be easy to phone it in. Just head out to dinner and call it a day. I know we did that here way more than I would have liked, but we are also 9 months into a pregnancy, so I forgive us. Some years you just aren't going to nail it.

On the other hand, I think this anniversary (and it's fruity theme) actually lends itself to TONS of cool and fun ideas for activiities and decorations. You can do this one WELL, my friends. Do better than we did.

 Make this year a fun memory, not just a throwaway.

What to Do

The ideas on Pinterest for this anniversary are particularly lame. Basically, just fruit puns. I have nothing against fruit puns, but its no inside tent or leather den or really anything fun. But clearly, they have missed the boat here, because I think so many great ideas are waiting to happen!

1. Berry-picking- I know it sounds cheesy, but we have had the best time doing this. Living in Northern California, we could actually go pick strawberries right by the beach. Can you hear the sea lions when you look at this picture? Needless to say, it was cool. Lots of areas, rural and urban have picking farms nearby, and dependent on your anniversary date, you could do whatever is seasonal and available. Then go home and make something with it. It's an activity that is out of the ordinary, but it won't break the bank either.

2. Start a garden- Are you a late-spring/ early-summer couple? You got this. Plant something. Plant a bush or a tree in the anniversary's honor, and every year you can see how much it grows. Don't have a yard? Plant an herb garden you can use at home OR look and see if there is any planting that needs done in your neighborhood. You could even volunteer together for replanting somewhere or to work for a day in a community garden. It can be so fun to get your hands dirty, and isn't it always somehow better to do this kind of thing for someone else?

A good way to revise the flower/ fruit theme is "Growing." Your marriage isn't new anymore, but now we all know the secret that things don't stop growing just because they aren't saplings. Think about things that grow in your life and build your anniversary plans around keeping things growing.

3. Go to (or Make) Dinner Together- We went out for a fancy dinner this year, and when food is part of the theme, a dinner makes sense (otherwise, it can feel a little bit like the easiest possible answer).But I do think food in general makes sense, and if you have a fruit that especially resonates, you could pick it as a theme for food for the week!

Do a fun fruit salad. Or carve something out of fruit? I want to see some anniversary- themed watermelon sculptures!

I mean, come on. From Seasons of Joy

Maybe try a whole week of new recipes? Could you make a whole week of mango meals? Or try all the weird fruits in the grocery store you never go near? I think there is a fun adventure here waiting to happen. On that note...

What to Eat

This anniversary screams cake, so I am kind of freaking out that I haven't picked a cake (or its toppers yet). How do you pick when there are so many good options? Two years ago I made a lemon cake, and I will be honest with you, it wasn't that good. I obviously didn't pick the right thing. So this year I am looking for some fruity inspiration:

from Design Sponge

Pie! I love this anniversary pie from Design Sponge. So simple and chic, and it might be a good choice if you aren't a cake couple. I love this heart pie crust as well.

from Eat Spin Run Repeat

Fruit Cake. You can do an actual fruitcake for a Christmas anniversary, but how cool is this for summer anniversaries? I love Eat Spin Run Repeat's step by step tutorial, but you really could make an amazing cake with whatever fruit you like (or matches your wedding colors).

Just a Regular Old Amazing Cake. There is infinite pinteresty goodness around cakes with fruit. This is a goldmine, so you only have to find what idea fits you best. I had all sorts of ideas, and our cake was jank. I mean, really jank. Such a mess that I won't even put it up here, which I am never above doing. So let's look at other people's successes and ignore my 4th year failure:

from Baker by Nature

Baker by Nature has a recipe for a seriously beautiful lemon and blueberry cake. So nice, and it looks so pretty.

from Dagmar's Kitchen

This chocolate cake by Dagmar's Kitchen was the vision I had in my head when I thought about the cake. So pretty with the chocolate and the berries. Someday later I will make this cake. This one from Tastes Better from Scratch looks like a nice combination of the two.

from Plain Chicken

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake from Plain Chicken looks less fussy but still very pretty. Might be a good route if you don't have a ton of time.

Ok, these are my best fruit and flower ideas! What did you do for your 4th anniversary?

Read more