T's 36th Birthday Bash and a Fashion Show

Allison, Jamie, Meghan and I went to the swankiest fashion show in town at our local Lululemon.  They were debuting their fall line of overpriced exercise clothing.  We couldn't miss it.  

Remember how much our husbands love it?

That truly might be one of my favorite photos of all time.  Steve, Tim and Trinity in our Lulu wear, joining hands to commemorate crossing the finish line.

Beautiful.

Back to the show-  

It was fun.  I also had San Pelligrino Limonata for the first time in my life.  Delish.

I'm sad I discovered this at the end of my pregnancy.  It could have broken up the liquid boredom that I have experienced with only water and chai tea lattes.  

My gal Erin is one of my favorite instructors.  She is a Lululemon ambassador, and she rocked the runway.  

That is not my big finger in all of these shots.  That would be a bald man.  

I think.  Or maybe just my finger.  

We celebrated another big event recently.

My honey man is 36.  

Actually he will be 36 on Tuesday, August 28th, but we had a soiree for him at my parents' house on Saturday.

Lady G better inherit those bird legs.

My parents framed a poster from our favorite Nashville honky tonk bar, Robert's Western World.  

We've had many wild nights there!

I procured the cake, of course.

I tried to get Murray State on it, but my bakery said they couldn't replicate a trademarked logo.

You know what they can replicate?

Icing that looks like silly string has been squirted all over it.

I wasn't impressed with the decor, but it was delicious.  

T is also wearing his new heart rate watch that I bought him.  All of the cool kids have them.  

This photo truly shows my current size, which is of course, petite.

Megan brought her family over to rock the house.  

Nolan is almost 8 months and is a pretty cool baby.

Meg is one of those mothers who managed to give birth to the same child twice.

Look at how much they resemble each other!  

We knew that we were bringing down the house when Nolan went to work on the Loopdy-Loo accessory.  He knows how to work his jaw.  

Par-tay!

Naturally, Courtney would not be outdone.

Tequila shots!

Here is my final party shot.

Ryan and T are undoubtedly discussing their side jobs as "lords of the land, " and also how birthday parties for those in their mid-late 30s are quite different than they were 15 years ago.

I had a serious cake hangover Sunday morning.

Happy birthday, sweet husband!

The 9th Month!

9 months, what, what?

So yay for that, but another month to go.  I'm not sure why they say you are pregnant for 9 months, because that is a lie.  40 weeks=10 months=large woman.  

I jest!

I'm still feeling pretty great!  

I bought some heinous flip flops

(pictured above) to contain my fatty ankles that spilled over the tops of my tennis shoes last Friday.  The shame involved was bad.  That shall not be repeated.

I've worn them each day this week, and they are super comfortable and very supportive.  I have not had much swelling since I started wearing them with every outfit since Monday.  

My Mom and Dad returned home from Vancouver and brought some Lulu goodies from the outlet there.  

I think this bag will make a great diaper bag and the reflective edging on that jacket will prevent me from getting hit by a car during my Saturday prenatal yoga/bolster pillow rolling session, which of course takes place indoors. 

I believe it is probably intended for running outdoors, thus the reflective part.  

 Genevieve was not forgotten during the trip.  

iBob bought her this onesie and Hello Kitty crawling things.  

I find this funny because my mother always taught me that "bathroom humor" was disgusting and unladylike.  She has clearly changed gears on that.  

When we picked Mom and Dad up from the airport, we showed our gratitude by sending them home with a souvenir kitty.  I love the vet that they have, so I sent Kashmir to get her shots.  You know Benadryl ain't happening.  

Mom was concerned that she was in hiding.  She finally came out-

just in time to formally snub Finn, who desperately desires friendship.  

Silly puss!

Kashmir is friends with no one!

I got this text message last night,

so she has settled in.

I can't stand it.  I feel like a crazy person as I walk around my house yelling "Where is Mama's kitty?"

Not here, senile prego!

I can't remember that, so thank goodness she will be back in a few days.

I had my school baby shower today.

We used to host school showers in our LGI room, or Large Group Instruction room.  They were kinda lame with punch bowls.  My friend Cat broke the mold by having her baby shower at BW3s.  Guess what they have there that you can't have at an elementary school at 4 p.m. on a Thursday?

Booze.

Yes, booze at a baby shower.

Just because I can't drink doesn't mean everyone else has to be miserable as I open diapers!

We had mine at our favorite Mexican restaurant  that is just down the street from school.  I have downed more margaritas from there than I care to mention.  It was a fiesta theme and so we had some cake and margarita shaped cake pops!

O'le!

This is why I take bump pictures in the morning, because by afternoon my hair is frizzy and I look like a wildebeest.  

I'm a hot funky mess after teaching all day, but check out this cake!

Mom has finished the side table for the nursery, so I will post those pictures once I get it back, but her sheets arrived so her crib is complete!

T Minus 5 weeks and Kashmir on Benadryl

We're closing in on big girl status!

Now we are 35 weeks and two days.

Not that I'm counting days. 

Oh, but I am.

There are things about pregnancy that I didn't know that I won't discuss on here, as they are too private.  However, I'm not enjoying  that I currently leave the bathroom and feel like I should turn around and just go right back in.

My bladder is having a difficult time these days.

Trinity is also claiming G's room isn't a "baby" room, but a "Betsy" room.  He thinks it doesn't look like a child will reside there.  I'm not into the baby look.  I am trying to compromise though, and he suggested stuffed animals would make it more child friendly.  I drug out some bunnies from her closet.  

Oh, my.

They seem to have multiplied in there.

Like rabbits, it appears.

I have received several Itty Bit bunnies. 

Speaking of fluffs....

Hello, Kashmir.

You have a serious allergy issue.

Normally, she is pretty chillaxed.  

 Such as here, where she was watching the Olympics, as I so cleverly documented on the photo.  

She gets allergy shots several times a year, and she is due for one.  

I am super busy with bunny arranging though, and haven't gotten her to the vet.  We have a friend who is a vet, who assured us it was perfectly safe to give a cat children's Benadryl.  

This is when all hell broke loose in our house. 

I stopped at CVS yesterday to procure said drug.  I got the "dye free" version that was clear in color, and thank the sweet Lord Jesus I did that.  Why?  Because that sh** be all over my house.  

I also bought the "syringe" plunger tool to shoot it down her throat.  When I showed this tool to T he was horrified.

"Let's give her a pill version."

Oh, seriously, now.

This isn't my first rodeo. 

One doesn't give a pill to a cat unless one is wanting a feline performed appendectomy right then and there on oneself.  

His next suggestion..."Let's lace her water with it."

What?

First of all, who uses "lace" as a verb unless you are holding a shoe or are the assassin in an 80s Bond movie?  

Apparently, my husband.

No, no that won't work.  Only the syringe will do.

Trinity grabs Kashmir.

I grab the syringe.

I shoot.

I mostly miss.

There is foaming out the mouth and this-

that is a hole ripped through my husband's undershirt with a tuft of kitty fur hanging from it.  

We literally had to pull her from the fireplace mantel.

And we were standing by the refrigerator.  

The hacking, clawing, and gyrating that ensued was beyond description.

A foaming kitty, an injured husband and a Benadryl "laced"  mother to be.

The foaming mouth was quite similar to the foaming that ensued when Pansy June, my childhood Himalayan, decided to snack on some granules from the giant Tide box in the laundry room.

Mother discovered her frothing profusely and flipped out.

She grabbed PJ, ran next door and nearly beat down the front door of the Cardiologist who was our then neighbor.  

Upon opening the door he discovered mother clutching a frothing fur ball and screaming, "help me!!!!!!!"

His response-

"What is that?"

This didn't bode well with mother.

"It's a cat, dammit!"

"Well, take it to the vet."

Oh goodness.

Mother did, Pansy survived, and that fool man had the decency to take his highly degreed self and move elsewhere.

Jane never forgave him.

Kashmir will be going to the vet next week.  

Yogi Betsy

What a glorious Saturday morning.  It is only predicted to be about 79 degrees, which will feel like winter to my hotbox of a body.  As I have mentioned before, I have regularly continued my yoga and pilates routine throughout my pregnancy.  I have attended the same studio for many years and I just love it there.  It is definitely one of my happy places.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was determined to maintain my exercise schedule.  I had a friend at the studio who practiced until like the last week of her pregnancy and she said it made her delivery easier and her postpartum recovery easier as well.  I was sold!  Plus, I was sure I would look so adorable rolling around in downward dog with a bulbous midsection. 

Source: bebomia.com via bebo on Pinterest

I found this picture on Pinterest and thought this would be me, with a longer top.

Source: purplecircleyoga.com via Betsy on Pinterest

Oh, the glamour that would be me.

Now I continued to go to class, and everyone was so supportive.

"Betsy, you are looking so healthy!"

"You are doing so great!"

"Keep it up!"

I literally felt like I had a peanut gallery of little encouragers every time I went to class!  This was awesome!  

Now you have probably surmised quite a bit about my personality by reading my blog.  I am super snarky, and I'm not a competitive person, at least not when it comes to athleticism.  Pregnancy has allowed me a lot of grace to spend time just chilling on my mat when I get tired or actually when I just don't want to do what everyone else is doing.

So, let's finish up this story before Christmas comes.

Several weeks ago I attended a class, and there was a professional photographer there to take photos of the studio.

In my hormone induced delusion, I thought," wonderful!  Perhaps I'll finally get a photo where I look like the Pregnant Yoga Goddess from Pinterest."

Oh, silly, silly Betsy.

You is a fool.

See if you can find the Pregnant Goddess, or rather Large Lady Dragon.

*2nd row from the back, right smack in the middle

Now I recall not doing this ab sequence.

However, I do not recall putting myself in this position and giving birth to my daughter while hoisted up on my elbows with my eyes clenched shut.  

Oh, wait.  I didn't give birth yet.

I just practiced.

In front of a lot of people.

What in the h***?????

Hilarious.

I showed this to Trinity and the laughing that ensued was thunderous.

I love when I get smacked in the face with the humble stick.

34 Weeks and Rockin'

Wowzers!

Random children are patting my stomach on a daily, or perhaps minute by minute basis.  

Children love a pregnant teacher.  

My normal personality might make me want to pinch a kid, but I think I'm getting a tad more tender hearted.  

I only have one picture for this post, because I don't have a lot to share.  

I'm doing well with work, although there are a lot of 4:30 p.m. naps.  

I still feel great, aside from my stomach nose and black line of grossness on my torso.

We are closing in at less than 6 weeks from our due date.

Less than 3 weeks until I'm considered full term, which I don't understand for the life of me.

I'm having daily thoughts about actually vacating this infant from my body.

It's daunting, but I'm getting excited.  I will post pictures of the nursery soon.  Mother and I have a little furniture painting project to complete and she has to hang some pictures.  I don't hammer.  

41 Years

41 years ago on August 7, 1971, these two children were wedded in holy matrimony.  

They have had accomplished careers.  Dad is an attorney and Janey  was a teacher.  They have great friends and have taken amazing trips, but by far their greatest accomplishments in life have been these three-

Katie, Robby and I are so remarkable.  It's inspirational to think we started our young lives as a devil, convict and Pocahontas.  

We grew to be slightly less awkward, under the tutelage of Mom and Dad.  

(Spring 2003)

In December 2006 they became grandparents when Caroline was born.  

They have long been empty nesters now, but love when we all converge upon our childhood home.  

This usually calls for professional photography.

Their family grew two summers ago with the addition of Trinity, and they will meet their second granddaughter in about 6 weeks.  

Meghan joins the crew on September 29th.  

I shouldn't focus so much on us.  It's not all about their children and grandchildren.  They have loved  and supported each other for over four decades.

Their hobbies include iPadding, riding their bikes (hilarious), watching movies, ordering Starbucks beverages, and alternating who gets to shoot insulin into their fool diabetic hound.  

True and lasting love.

Congratulations!  

More Baby Business

I started teaching again on Monday and I am one tired lady each night.  I have stayed most evenings until almost 6, as I am trying to get the hang of my new gig.  This is year 12 of teaching, but year one of this particular job.  I only made it to pilates one night this week, but I'm getting my exercise each night by propping up my swollen feet and watching the Olympics. 

We've been playing with loads of baby gear.  Trinity got the car seat out and noted just how heavy that thing is!  

We went to that horrific place, Buy Buy Baby, and bought Genevieve a mattress.  

I was shaking with laughter as my engineer husband thought he could fit this mattress in the trunk.  I suppose years of teaching 1st grade and puzzles gave me far better spatial reasoning skills.  

I got those fabulous Aden+Anais swaddle blankets at my shower last weekend.  Of course I had to practice my swaddling techniques with 7lb Kashmir.

She was not into it.  

This photo reminds me of a routine I regularly performed at about age 11.  I would wrap my childhood Himalayan, Pansy June, in a blanket and drape one over my head as well.  I would then carry her around the house, pretending to be the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus.  Robby and I would sometimes say Mass in the living room too, using our piano bench as an altar.  

These are normal games in Catholic households.

At least that's what I tell myself.  

Genevieve's glider arrived.  

As you can see from the gigantic box, it was made in the USA, unlike the Chinese made American Olympic outfits.  

Snarf.

The chair has yet to make it into the nursery.  I can't lift it myself, and husband is claiming we should use it as a chair in the living room until she arrives.  Geesh!  

We also practiced tight turns with the stroller.  There may have been a timer involved, Supermarket Sweep Style.

We are so normal.

Lastly, 33 weeks.  Check out that stomach shelf.