POD "The Perks of Pregnancy"

So Matt decided yesterday that it's about time we (yes, WE) start cashing in on some of the perks of pregnancy. Which is why you have today's photo of the day.

Oh yes. Matt picked me up and drove me to my 36 week appointment and upon pulling into the hospital parking lot, THIS is where he chose to park. We couldn't have gotten any closer to the entrance unless I was handicapped or being wheeled in on a stretcher. Can I just say that as a relatively active pregnant lady, who still walks a mile or two a day, I have not yet opted for stork parking. Which leaves us all to wonder... for WHOM did they create such stork parking? The women?... Orrrrr the men?

Yeah, he also called me "Storky" the whole way into the hospital. "Come on, Storky, let's go." Let's hope that one doesn't stick.

POD "A Motorcycle Fit for a Father-in-law"

A very proud Matthew found today's POD. It's pretty priceless. He had one simple message to accompany the picture he took:

"Tell your Dad I finally found the perfect motorcycle for him." :)

Well Dad, what do you think?

POD "Fields of Gold"

This time of year, the countryside of southern Spain is absolutely beautiful. The gently rolling hills of farmland are often filled with acres upon acres of girasoles (aka sunflowers). I, of course, noticed these vibrant fields of gold last year, but never took the time to pull the car over onto one of many small, eroding, dirt farming roads to take some photos. This year... I was not missing my chance! Here are just a few photos I snagged of the yellow beauties (and a lush, green vineyard) while Matty was in Germany. :)

Two Months in Two Minutes (or maybe longer)

Let's see what I can come up with for excuses.........
Nope. Nothing. Other than the fact that pregnancy= laziness and laziness= me no writey the bloggy. No, but seriously, it's been MUCH too long! In fact, I haven't written since my trip to MAINE! Man, I've got A LOT of catching up to do.

I know. Let's play a little game. It's called "Two Months in Two Minutes." :)

Maine: What did you miss?
I told my mom I was craving a Boston Creme Pie. I told her we could buy one. She said... "No, we don't need to buy one. They are easy to make." She might have even said... It's a piece of cake! (Okay... that joke was lame.)
Yeahhhhhhhhhh... umm apparently it's not as easy to make as she thought it would be. This photo was taken mid-cake creation and I caught her just as she was attempting to frost over and "hide" the hot mess she created. :) Hey, it might not have looked very pretty, but taste is what matters, right?
While home, my family and close friends threw me/mateo/the baby a fantastic shower. It was amazing to see everyone and the gifts were so so so above and beyond wonderful!

FERIA!!!
I caught a wonderfully comfortable C5 flight from Maine back to Rota JUST in time to make it to the Rota Feria festivities that weekend! Check out some of the great sights that can be seen every year at the fair!
The DRESSES!
The HORSES!
The HOT MAMACITAS!
The FLAMENCO!
The LIGHTS!

SNAILS!!!
I almost forgot. Do you remember from last year that springtime in Spain tis the season for caracoles? Mi amiga's mother hooked us up with some of her HOMEMADE snails. Which, I must add, were FAR superior tasting than those I sampled last year at the bar. I just had to heat them up a tad on the stove... and enjoy! :) YUM!

The Nursery!!!
I am going to do a WHOLE blog post on the nursery and how it's come from a stark white room to the warm, inviting place it now is. However, if I'm going to summarize 2 months in 2 minutes, I can't leave out the fact that we've been slaving away on our room for our little man!

The Last Hurrah: The Canary Islands
Matt and I decided before I got too big and before it came too close to our due date to travel, that we would take one last trip as "just the two of us." For this, we chose a 3 day get away at a gorgeous five-star resort on Gran Canaria island. It was only a short 2 hour flight away, and the resort was all inclusive, so we never had to leave! Our low-key trip was JUST what we both needed. Refreshing pools, sunshine, good food, and cold drinks. Ahhhhhh relaxation!






Matt's Work Trip: Germany
Early June, Matt left me for TWO WHOLE WEEKS for training classes in Germany. As much as I wanted to go, (still haven't seen Germany!) we both knew it was wise for my 34 week bellay to just stay home. The class was great, but he really enjoyed his evenings and weekends off! The highlights of the trip included visiting little villages in the Black Forest, Luxembourg and its American Cemetary and Memorial, and of course, the fantastic beer and food!




June Showers :)
While Matty was away, my amazing friends here in Rota threw me two more baby showers! The generousity of friends never ceases to amaze me~! Unfortunately I don't have the pictures from the shower the ladies of the NAVFAC wardroom threw for me, but when I do, I will share!!! The gifts, the cake, and the company were the best! The second shower was a quaint, intimate gathering of a few other women I am blessed to call my friends. Held right at one of Rota's summer beach bars, AKA chiringuitos, you couldn't have asked for a better ambiance! What a treat. How lucky am I?


Father's Day Surprise
Lastly, while Matt was away, I took the time to learn a bit about our new camera. I also took a few photos and had them developed before he returned home. Two days later, on Father's Day, I unveiled the surprise. I promise to post another blog about this self-photo taking adventure! :)

WHAT NOW?!
Okay, okay. So that PROBABLY took up more than 2 minutes of your time, unless of course you are one of those people who can read a whole page just by looking at it for a few seconds. The good news is, now you're all caught up on our lives!

School is out for summer, so that means, I'm no longer working. I'm loving the time off to nest, relax and prepare for our soon-to-be-arriving bundle of man, but I do miss staying busy. I'm 36 weeks now with only 4 more to go! I hope now that I'm all caught up, (and have lots of free time on my hands and not a lot of energy to go with that free time) I can plop in front of the computer every day or so to give you a new photo of the day or update on the good ol' pregnancy.

I must admit, my Blog Friends, it's good to be back. :) I've missed you.