Puget Sound Sunset

Puget Sound Sunset

Sunday, July 31, 2011

How to keep yourself entertained... (Day 6)

How to keep yourself entertained at forty weeks???
The "Last Supper," of course.

Now, if you're like us, and have been ready for the baby since week 38, you've probably had a FEW "last suppers" by now. No, but really, this better be our "LAST, last supper."

So what is a "last supper"? Well, for us, it mostly means our last night out as just the two of us. It was our last delicious meal out (for at least a couple weeks anyway,) until we have this baby, heal from the trauma (Matt too) and then feel brave enough to venture out again.

Truth be told, we are not the type to hole ourselves up in our house and become hermits once the baby comes. Yah right, I'll go bezerk. BUT... our next dinner out is TRULY never going to be the same again. We'll either:

A) Bring the niño, but potentially spend a majority of the evening tending to a fussy baby in a stroller.
B) Bring the niño, but spend the entire evening staring in silence at our beautiful creation.
C) Leave the niño at home with a close friend, but worry the entire time.
or
D) Leave the niño at home, but spend 1/2 of the evening talking about him and the other 1/2 trying to NOT talk about him. (I have a sneaking suspicion these discussions will include serious talks about frequency and consistency of diaper contents.)

SO, while you're DYING on day 6 of week forty waiting for your miracle to arrive... make some dinner reservations and GET OUT! It MAY just be your "last supper." Here are a few photos from ours. I wish I had remembered to snap some pics of our meals. I would have forgotten pictures ALL together if it weren't for Matt's reminder that we needed POD pics! :) Good Matty, Good boy.

Matty finishing up a glass of delicious red with our desserts. (Um yes, I was drooling on the other side of the table.)
Enjoying my tiramisu. Yummmmmmmmmmo.
The adorably quaint, La Dolce Vita, a new Italian restaurant in Rota.
The menu is small (just how I like it), but the food is absolutely wonderful: meats and cheeses shipped direct from Italy, freshly made pastas, and scrumptious desserts. Seriously, I cannot say enough about this place. The woman who I believe owns it (and waited on us) is SO sweet and kind and speaks perfect English. My appetizer, the bruschetta with pomodoros and burrata cheese, was the best I've ever had, and my dinner, the spinach ricotta ravioli in olive oil was DELISH!!! Here were the specials del giorno for last night.
Anyway, after our amazing dinner we decided to end our date night with a movie at the drive-in. If seeing Captain America is on your to-do list... cross it off. On a side note, maybe our child is a film critic wanna-be like his father and will be SO pissed that we ended our "last supper" night with such a horrible flick that he's going to come storming out today all like "WTF... really? Captain America???"!!!

:) So yeah, La Dolce Vita is my new favorite Rota restaurant. It really was a wonderful and a relaxing evening. Nights like that make being 5 days late a little bit easier.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

POD "How to keep yourself entertained..." (Day 5)

Pretty soon here, we're going to have to change the title of this series of posts to "How to keep yourself SANE at forty-ONE weeks" !!!!! Let's hope I don't have to do that.

Anyway, keeping yourself entertained this late in the game is sometimes just a matter of remembering to take time for yourself. After baby comes, who knows how much time I'll actually have to do that. So, if you're a night person, enjoy what's left of your free night time movie watching, book reading or facebooking without interruptions. Or, if you're a morning person, like me, take that quiet time before the husband wakes up and enjoy that coffee. And by "enjoy" that coffee, I mean SLOWLY, savor and sip on it. I have a feeling for the next 18 years I'll have a reason to gulp it down.

Baby needs to nurse. (Gulp, gulp, gulp.)
Baby needs a diaper change. (Gulp, gulp, gulp.)
Baby is now crawling... and then walking. (Seriously... who has time for coffee?)
Baby fell down and is screaming bloody murder. (Forget the coffee even exists.)
Baby needs a lunch made and a ride to school. (Where is that darn travel mug?)
Baby has soccer practice at 6:30 AM. (Is there a Dunkins on the way?)
Baby needs a swift kick in the ass because his alarm has gone off 3 times and he's still not up. (I'm about to dump the rest of my coffee ON him.)

I think you get the point.

So, this morning, I spent a good hour sitting outside in the infamous "do-nothing" lawn chair, just relaxing. It was a cooler morning, so for the first time in like NINE months, I opted for a good ol' hot cup of American Joe.

I found a convenient place to sit my coffee: (Yeah, it's sort of like a table these days.)

I stretched my legs out (We all did):
I watched the pups explore the yard, and together, we listened as the quiet Saturday morning neighborhood slowly came to life.
And while enjoying the gentle rolling and squirming of the chunk that still resides in my belly, I sipped that coffee, and I OWNED that time for myself. :)

Friday, July 29, 2011

POD "How to keep yourself entertained..." (Day 4)


We all know that I've been a bit of a slug the last few days, and we also all know that slugs need to stay moist. ;)

So, today's POD is just a pic of a big 'ol slug, staying nice and cool and shaded and wet on a hot summer day. :)

How to keep yourself entertained at 40 weeks and 4 days? Find a pool. Not only will it be refreshing, it will make you feel weightless! Like you never gained that 15 lbs! (Ahem... or maybe more like 50.)

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

How to keep yourself entertained at 40 weeks (Day 3)


How to keep yourself entertained at 40 weeks? Don't. Just do nothing.

Now, hear me out, because I know how difficult this is. The type A, go-getter, "there's shit to do" kind of a person that I am had a bit of a hard time with this one when first explained to me. But this is how it works: apparently, you... don't do... ANYTHING. I know, confusing. How is doing nothing going to keep you entertained? Well, the trick is, for me anyway, that if you do NOTHING for long enough, you WILL end up doing something. It's just that the SOMETHING you fill the void with is normally an activity you'd classify in the "laying around, not doing much" category.

Still not getting it? Well, THANKFULLY you have me. ;) And I will share a VERY helpful example of the proper agenda for "Do Nothing" sort of day. Now remember, this is ALL hypothetical. Of course, I didn't spend my Wednesday doing exaaaactly this. ;)

7:00 AM: Wake up. Kiss Husband good bye. (Make him come to you in bed, of course.)
7:15 AM: Decide you need to get up after all to empty bladder. Back to bed.
7:30 AM: Resume sleep.
9:15 AM: Wake up feeling rested and guilt free. You're 40+ weeks pregnant now, who cares if you sleep all day! DO NOT get dressed.
9:30 AM: Feed dogs and open window shutters. Let some light in. There's no need to be a vampire.
9:35 AM: Pour some cereal, and ignore the pile of dishes on the counter.
9:45 AM: Sit the empty cereal dish on the other side of the kitchen as to better ignore the pile of dishes near the sink.
9:46 AM: Sit outside and do nothing. Listen to cars, watch birds, smell the ocean... it doesn't matter what you're REALLY doing, but just SIT there and stare. Okay, you can let your mind wander a little bit, but don't start thinking about stuff you "should" or "could" be doing.
10:00 AM: Make an iced coffee.
10:05 AM: Return with icy beverage to your important doings outside in the lawn chair.
10:30 AM: Facebook stalking, status updating, and blog posting.
11:00 AM: Make yourself some toast. Avoid the dishes calling your name.
11:10 AM: Allow yourself to get the dishes done(if you want). While you're at it, throw a chunk of meat in the crockpot and call it dinner.
11:30 AM: Facebook check. Email too.
12:00 PM: Check in phone calls with family.
12:55 PM: Text your husband some random food request he should pick up for you on the way home. :)
1:00 PM: Feeding time again. Keep it simple, you wouldn't want to over exert yourself.
1:20 PM: Eat half a bag of peanut M&Ms.
1:30 PM: Bring a good, light hearted book to bed. Read... as long as you'd like.
2:30 PM: Shut the book, snooze.
2:45 PM: Wipe drool off your face. Resume snoozing.
3:00 PM: Look at clock, realize you have nothing better to do. Roll over.
3:15 PM: Zzzzzzzzz (Note that it took 15 minutes to roll over and get comfortable again.)
4:00 PM: Wake up feeling refreshed, possibly feeling a bit guilty this time... but ignore it.
4:05 PM: Back to the cabinet for more M&Ms.
4:10 PM: Start a bath.
4:11 PM: FB status update, photo commenting, homepage stalking...etc. while the tub is filling.
4:30 PM: TUB TIME!
5:00 PM: Husband arrives home! Yay! And it's time for Wheel of Fortune! Double YAY!
5:05 PM: Meet the contestants.
5:10 PM: Let your husband know how much you are DOMINATING this first round.
5:30 PM: Jeopardy.
5:35 PM: Listen carefully to the categories.
5:40 PM: Once again, let your husband know that you are DESTROYING him at this game.
6:00 PM: Feed dogs.
6:05 PM: Decide what you're going to do with the stinky pork in the crockpot.
6:30 PM: Feed husband, feed yourself.
7:00 PM: Settle into your corner pocket of the couch.
7:05 PM: Realize you forgot your water. Make husband get it for you.
7:06 PM: Small talk with spouse while you try to find ANYTHING watchable on television.
7:10 PM: Opt for an Oprah episode you've only seen twice before.
8:00 PM: Still watching random crap on television. "Resting"
8:15 PM: Time a few contractions to see if they are worth a shit or still those fake ones you've been having for days. ;)
9:00 PM: Take an evening stroll with the husband and/or dogs.
9:45 PM: Facebook check. Email check.
10:00 PM: Ready yourself for bed.
10:15 PM: Lay in bed thinking about your baby, thinking about tomorrow, and praying that tonight's the big night. Still, just in case, mentally prepare yourself for another day of "Nothingness."

:)

POD "Entertainment at 40 weeks"


The POD is a pic from last night. These summer days are hot, and it's hard to get any fresh air during the daytime. So, when in Spain, do as the Spanish! Relax during the day! Take a siesta in the comfort of your air conditioning! But at night, as the sun sets and the cooler air returns, THEN you can go for a nice stroll ("un paseo," the Spanish call it) and get your fresh air.

I've done lots of walking this pregnancy, but sometimes, a walk around the base housing just doesn't cut it. Last night we enjoyed some yummy tapas in Rota with a friend visiting from Sicily, and afterwards, we took un paseo along the beautiful shore. Walking just doesn't seem as much like work when you've got views like this. :) Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

How to keep yourself entertained at 40 weeks

I think now that I've hit the 40 week mark, everyday will require some sort of inspirational post. A post or POD for those pregasaurauses who will come after me; who too, will reach their due dates and think, "Well now what the hell do I do?"

No but really, when there isn't as much as a SOCK in the laundry basket, not a dirty dish in the sink, and not a dust bunny to be found... what is one to do??? By the way, 24 hour Fox news coverage, day-old baseball games and reruns of Two and a Half Men aren't going to cut it (sorry AFN). OH, and those pregnancy/year one books. No, I haven't finished them all, but I've been reading them straight for 10 months and the excitement has started to wear a tad.

So, until I pop, I will dedicate the next few PODs (let's hope today is my one and only post) to keeping yourself entertained at 40 weeks.

Day 280 (aka 40 weeks): How to keep yourself entertainted?

GET CREATIVE WITH DINNER!
You might as well, 'cause Lord knows you'll probably never be able to do it again. :)

Step 1: Lay around all day (you'll need to conserve some energy for this task).
Step 2: Choose a basic dinner dish/entree.
Step 3: Ponder how you can take the recipe from blasé to hurray! (Or just really screw it up. Either way, it will be entertaining and you will have learned something.)
Step 4:
Stand up and walk to the kitchen (I know you were sitting down and I know this can take a minute or two.)
Step 5: Have fun playing chef and creating your work of art!!!

I went with pizza, but I was NOT content with plain old pizza, NOR was I content with just one flavor. So, I used some 6 inch flour tortillas, made a bunch of different kinds, and sent Matt off to grill them! YUMMO!

Here, fresh off the grill, is a pic the "traditional" pepperoni and jalapeno popper pizzas I whipped up.
And here are my buffalo chicken and bbq chicken pizzas ready to go! Thumbs up to that!
We also made a mushroom, cheddar chicken pizza, but it was lacking something. I later realized that this "something" was bacon. Let's be honest, there isn't much that bacon CAN'T fix.

Anyway, this project I call dinner easily blew 2 hours of my time and the pizzas tasted amazing. I can't wait to make them again!!! (In 10 years...) ;)

Monday, July 25, 2011

POD "Forty Week Treat"

The photo(s) of the day today come from yesterday's lazy Sunday afternoon. As you all now know, I am due to "pop" any day, so as of late, Matt and I haven't been venturing TOO far from the house. Still, after a week of getting things accomplished at home and a chill Saturday laying around, I was ready to get out and do SOMETHING.

So, we didn't venture too far (only into Rota), but it was just what I needed. We had some tapas at Meson Galeon (one of my new favorite places for tapas) and then went for a nice long stroll on the beach.
The beach was packed (as it usually is on Sundays during the summer)! The gentle breeze was fantastic! The aqua blue water was warm on our feet! It was heaven!

We walked the whole way down the beach and around the corner to our favorite chiringuito: Las Dunas. Las Dunas, although a bit pricier than the others, has THE best atmostphere and is the only chiringuito with fun frozen drinks! Matt opted for the mojito. One of my favorite summer beverages, I think he did it just to make me jealous. ;)
That's okay. I got a delicious, refreshing, virgin strawberry daiquiri.
After our drinks were finished, we slowly made our way back the length of the beach, feet splashing in the waves and combing the whole way. Bending over to pick up my "finds" was a bit of a workout, but it was well worth it.
What a fabulous treat to kick off my fortieth week. :)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

POD "Snuggle Buddies"


Matt and Koda like taking the pillows off the couch so they have room to snuggle together. Silly boys. :)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Karma Chameleon

Matt insisted that I provide this music for your enjoyment while reading this blog post. He's been singing it since he saw the little creature. Feel free to NOT listen. ;)


SO, as many of you know (via my facebook post), we spotted a CHAMELEON yesterday! It was Matt's second time seeing the critter, but my first. Seeing a chameleon is sort of a big deal around here. Well, atleast it is for US anyway! According to www.Andalucia.com , chameleons have been in decline in the local area due to chemicals used to fumigate the local custard apple crop. The natural habitats of wild chameleons are also under heavy pressure from rapidly growing human populations. For this reason, the chameleon is now a protected species in Spain. There are even a few road signs here on the base that warn of crossing chameleons! AND STILL, we've lived here a year and a half and were YET to see one. Maybe it's that amazing camouflage??? :)

Yesterday on the way to lunch, we spotted the bright green guy crossing the road with JUST enough time to put it between the tires. I saw it swaying back and forth and I thought for sure it was just trying to determine whether it was going to run forward or backward. Matt, driving, yells "CHAMELEON!," I scream, and we swerve to miss him. There has GOT to be some sort of fine for hitting a protected species, right?

WELL, with my heart beating in my chest, I make Matt pull over and turn around to make sure we A) didn't kill the little guy, B) if he's still alive, escort him across the tar to safety, and C) once safe, get a PHOTO for the blog! :) (Priorities people, priorities.)

So we park the car on the opposite side of the road, a bit of a ways back from the busy intersection and Matt disappears behind a bush. He's gone for a few minutes, and cars are driving by, and I can't see him, and I'm thinking... "Oh no, this is taking MUCH too long. We either hit him, or he sprinted to safety and Matt is just searching the road to be sure he's gone." All of a sudden I see Matt appear on my side of the bush, SLOWLY walking toward the grass with a small creature wobbling back and forth just a foot or so in front of him. Apparently, the chameleon does NOT sprint. According to Matt, it has one speed and the "Oh, Sh*t, RUN!" speed is the exact same as the "Let's go for a stroll" speed. (It's no WONDER the thing relies so heavily on its changing colors to hide from predators!) So while I anxiously watched the clock tick ahead three minutes, Matt was just trying to prod the turtle-paced creature along. I've provided this helpful youtube video to further clarify the sloth-ness of this poor lizard.
I Love it! :)

ANYWAY, Once the green machine was back in the safety of the grass, Matt snapped a few quick pictures for me.
Seriously, this animal is pretty amazing. Why?

1. It's eyes can each move independently from each other a full 360-degree arc of vision around its body. You can see from Matt's pic that the lil guy has got one eye pointed backwards keeping an eye on the strange thing chasing him.
2. It's got neat feet. Acc'd to Wiki: "Chameleons are didactyl: on each foot the five toes are fused into a group of two and a group of three, giving the foot a tongs-like appearance. These specialized feet allow chameleons to grip tightly to narrow branches."

3. Its SUPER FAST tongue sort of makes up for its dreadfully slow body. Again, my trusty Wiki sources say that "The tongue extends out faster than human eyes can follow, at around 26 body lengths per second. The tongue hits the prey in about 30 thousandths of a second." HAH! Can you imagine being the prey of this creature. You're a bug and you see this thing coming, wobbling back and forth, and you laugh because you're like "HAHAHA, Like I need to be afraid of that thing... *WHAM* And then you're lunch. :)

4. Um HELLO?! It can freakin change COLORS!!!



So as you can probably tell, we were BOTH very excited to finally see this protected species. AND I'll be even more excited when Matt finally stops singing Karma Chameleon. :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

POD "Spanish Sunrise"

I was up early this morning so I figured I'd snaggle a shot of the beautiful Spanish sun just starting to come up over the horizon. G'morning! Happy Tuesday!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

POD "Spanish Brunch"

Matt and I decided to venture out into Rota this morning for our favorite Spanish Brunch: Bar Gomez' Guatanga Completa (AKA egg sandwich).

Now, I'll have you know, that finding eggs for breakfast in southern Spain is nearly impossible. Here, eggs are usually reserved for lunch or dinner. You can find a hamburguesa completa (egg topped hamburger) or a variety of yummy revueltos (scrambled eggs with all different sorts of ingredients) on many menus, but not before 2 pm! Typical Andalucian breakfasts include tostada (toast) with jamon (ham), queso (cheese), aceite (olive oil), mermelada (jelly) or zurrapa (a pate style paste only for the adventurous).

Anyway, we both ordered our guatangas as well as big glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice: room temp, pulpy and amazingly tasty! (It's actually about the ONLY way it's served down here.) Here's a shot of our simple, but delicious treat served up with freshly baked toast, butter, egg, cheese, American ham, and tomato.
The only thing that could have made this a more TRUE Spanish brunch would have been nice glass or sherry or beer! :)

Saturday, July 16, 2011

POD "Nuff Room?"



Matt parked the car. This is where he parked. Do you SEE the tree about a foot from my door? The picture doesn't even do it justice. Apparently he forgot I need a little more room these days? Believe it or not, I managed to squeeze through the foot wide opening. Just don't ask me to do it again.

Friday, July 15, 2011

POD "Where's Waldo"

Can you find my little friend in this photo? You'll probably have to right click on the photo to make it larger (Enlargement can't be done in email. You have to be on the blog page to do so.) These squawky creatures always make my day, reminding me what a "tropical" paradise we live in. If only I could get a good picture of them. They are SO hard to photograph!!!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

POD "Primero Paella"

Yesterday for lunch, I joined my friend Shelley and her daughter Brooklynn for a typical Spanish dish: Paella! Truth be told, we were headed to the Italian joint next door for pizza, but found it was closed on Wednesdays. :) SO we said, OK, let's try this Venta la Feria place that supposed to be the best around for Paella!

We ordered a Paella for two and the waitress asked if we wanted anything to start with. Paella, for those of you who don't know, when made fresh, can take some time. Alright, you twisted my arm. Bring us some chocos fritos to start. :) (Fried cuttlefish. Tastes a lot like calamari.)

Paella is a popular Spanish saffron rice dish that usually comes with assorted meats and/or fish. We went with the "paella mixta" so we could get a variety. I was pretty excited to try the paella, considering I haven't ordered it since coming here. Why? Well, because you don't order paella from a place unless A) you are in Valencia (the home of paella) or B) the place specializes in paella. Otherwise, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment.

And the paella arrived! HOLY that's a lot of food. Are you sure that's just paella for TWO?
Time to dig in! My lunch comrades, Brooklynn and her mom Shelley (AKA quilt maker extraordinaire).
It was soooo good! YUMMO! I highly recommend this restaurant for the paella mixta!
*Note, now I know how I got that oil stain on my shirt. Sighhhhhh. Yes... it's resting on the plate. No... I never dealt with this problem prior to pregnancy. ;)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

POD "Another Sundown as a Pregasaurus"



Last evening, as I was enjoying some quiet time at the computer (Matt was already in bed snoozing), I glanced out the window next to me and noticed the pretty sunset. The sun was already down, but the soft pink layers it left behind were so peaceful and calming. I raced to grab the camera (knowing how quickly these sky scenes change), whipped on the "distance" lens (not sure what its actual name is) and snapped a couple pics. I wondered many more sundowns I'll have to experience as a pregasaurus.

Turning around to head back inside, I caught the moon rising on the other horizon.
I fiddled with the camera, wanting to capture more of the moon than just a white blob, but of course, couldn't figure out how to adjust the shutter speed/exposure. Yeahhhhh, finishing reading the manual is on my to do list. :) Ah well, for now you'll just get a photo of the white dot in the sky. Soon, I'll have a beautiful, detailed POD of the moon, proving JUST how much I learned from reading the rest of the instruction book. :)

By the way, little man in my belly, speaking of the moon... it is NEARLY full. According to all the local Spaniards, that means you should be coming VERY soon. AKA FRIDAY. I know that's still a little early, but I'm sure you're MORE than ready... right???

I'll be waiting. VERY patiently. In the meantime, I'll use all this free time to finish reading that manual. ;)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

POD "Typical Mishap"


Today's POD is capturing something that has become a common occurance for me.
1. Put on something cute and comfortable.
2. Eat something de-lish.
3.(Unbeknownst to me) spill.
4. Have grubbace belly stain pointed out by someone who can actually SEE the rest of my lower half.
5. OR worse, walk around all day smiling at people (as they stare at my talking stain), only to discover the mishap later. Wait, do you NOT remember that Super Bowl commercial with the talking stain?! It was easily one of my favorites. I shall share it for those of you who missed it, or just need a laugh this morning:



Ah yes. Good times. Typical. (PS. Upon seeing this photo I JUST realized that there are TWO stains on my belly. The shake AND the huge water stain that is now an inevitable part of washing dishes. Nice.)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

POD "The QUILT!!!"

Soooooo remember this fun fabric my friend Shelley and I picked out back in April? Wellllllllll (drumroll please) the finished result is finally here!!!!!!
The baby's quilt!

I am absolutely in love with how it turned out. It's SO beautiful and so perfect for the room and SO extra special considering that we were able to design it all ourselves.

I LOVE it (started crying when I saw it... damn these hormones) and I am so appreciative of all the hard work my girlfriend put in! THANK YOU SHELLEY!!!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

POD "Our Nephew Has ARRIVED!"



Of course, the POD today has to be of the BIGGEST thing going on in our lives today: Isaac is here! (Although, Matt killing 71 flies this morning while filling the pool was a close second.)

We got the call at 8:30 AM (Spain time) that Rosemary was in the hospital, and by about 1 PM, the chunky monkey was here (10.5 lbs)! Seriously, that woman was just MADE to birth babies! She's a champ!

Now, these photos, of course, weren't taken by me. As much as I would have loved to be there in person, we are waaaaaaaay over here on the other side of the Atlantic. However, thanks to modern technology (iphones and facebook), we were recieving minute-by-minute updates and were able to see pictures of the little man JUST after he was born! I think this is the most appreciative I've ever been of the internet!

Yaaaaay ISAAC! We can't wait to meet you! :)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

POD "Sneaks for my lil Spidey"


The POD today is just a shot of the SUPER cute sneaks I picked up at the Gypsy market yesterday for only 2 euro! What a steal! Can you tell I'm ready for my lil Spidey to arrive already?!?!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

POD "37 Weeks"


The POD today is just a photo (or two, or three) of my 37 week figure. I donned my festive Fourth of July "get up" and decided that it was a perfect time for a photo (okay, so maybe it was just the headband). Well, Takoda decided he would join in on the picture, but upon sitting down, he tooted. Rather loudly actually. Matt, taking the picture, even heard it. Yeah, this is why I'm laughing in the pic. Of course, now we'd need a photo with Sultan too.
37 weeks down... 3 or less to go. Or atleast... we hope it's only 3!!! :)

Saturday, July 2, 2011

POD "Lounging Poolside"

Yesterday I joked with Matt... that I needed a pool. Not a big pool. Just a plastic little kiddy pool that I could get into and cool off in. Summers are hot here in Southern Spain, and although the beaches are very beautiful and relaxing, sometimes you aren't up to making a trip to the beach (ahem... 37 weeks pregnant). Sometimes you just want to take a quick dip to cool off and then get back to whatever you were doing.

I was pleasantly surprised when he agreed to my crazy pool purchase. So, upon finding that the NEX had little to offer us, we made the 20 minute drive to Jerez in search of my glorious bath. After stops at 2 stores... we still weren't finding what we wanted. Matt had decided that we could "upgrade" a bit from the little plastic tub to something a little bigger, but everything we found was MUCH too big, or too darn small. So Goldilocks, I mean Matt, continued on to the third store where he found the pool that was juuuuuust right. :) She was a beaut. Not only was she the perfect size... she wasn't your typical borrrrring blue pool. She had FLARE! Hehe

Anyway, I had a long list of things that I should have been doing yesterday, but with our exciting new purchase, they all went to the back burner. My new to-do-list included: blow up pool, fill pool, get in pool. Needless to say, it was a pretty fabulous afternoon. Enjoy the photos of "classy" me... lounging poolside. :)

Filling up the pool

Annnnnnnd I'm in. Check out the sweet decals.
It was a bit chilly with the water fresh from the hose, but it was a hot day... and I managed to slowwwwwly slide in.

What an ingenious purchase. :)

The Finished Nursery :)

I am SO excited to FINALLY be sharing the photos of our Nursery make-over! What started as a cold, white, empty room is now a warm inviting nook! :) Matt and I had a lot of fun making this place special, but I did feel it was truly important to make the space ... well... happy. Not just for the psyche of our lil man, but also for me! I'm going to be spending a lot of time in that room, so I'm thrilled it's feeling so cozy. In fact, just now, I took advantage of my insomnia and decided, for the first time, to scope out what the finished room looked like in the wee small hours of the morning. :) Of course, I took some photos for you. BUT, I don't want to get ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning.

We started the transformation in early April. Matt's first task of putting together the dresser was done, (used in these photos as a prep table!) and it was time to get started painting! Here are some photos of us setting up and getting ready to start. Side note: We were a bit nervous that our crazy idea of painting the ceiling was going to be a bust... but we were brave... and went with it! Here's the stark room before we got started! (You can click on any photo to enlarge it!)
Matt starting the measuring and taping.
And now for the paint test. Wait a minute... that doesn't look navy blue. That looks PURPLE! Our first setback! We had to wait for 3 different coats to dry in our little "test area" just to make sure we were going to be okay with this strange shade of purpley-blue. A day later, we decided with all the different shades of blue and purple we were going to have in the room, the color was going to be okay. :)

And so we got started! Well, atleast Matt did anyway. I erred on the cautious side, avoiding the paint fumes. :)
I couldn't beleive we were finally off and running! While Matt began slaving away, at 24 weeks, I shot our first ever video message to our baby.



Matt worked so hard!
Almost finished!
Ceiling COMPLETE! And our crazy idea was a success! WE LOVED it!
And so, the finished ceiling sat for over a month while we anxiously awaited the shipment of our crib and various other baby supplies. Finally, around mid May, we had a nursery! There were still some finishing touches that we needed (You know, like a mattress!) and other fun decorative gifts that wouldn't come until later, but all the main items were in place!
I just love the wall decals we picked out together off Etsy and Ebay!
I was also very excited to find the perfect place to display a very special nursery room item: Matt's very own tattered and worn baby blankie! :) It's now safe on display under the glass of the table. :)
Again, we waited over a month, and just yesterday, I decided now that the nursery was TRULY complete (Only awaiting the beautiful handmade quilt to come from our dear friend Shelley!) I needed to take a video tour. :) So here it is! Yes, it's 8 minutes long, but it's not just the nursery. You get a 36 1/2 week belly shot too!


As I told you earlier, I awoke with a bout of insomnia this morning and finally, at 5 AM, decided to just get up for the day. Little did I know, this would be my opportunity to creep into the nursery and take some "sleepy" photos. Still very dark outside, while Matt and Sultan snoozed away in the next room, Takoda and I clicked on the nightlights and enjoyed some peace and quiet. I just couldn't believe how cozy it felt all lit up with his solar system of stars. Yeah, there will be many sleepless nights, but how amazing is it going to be snuggling up in the corner of this room, gently rocking him back and forth while he snoozes and makes his cute little baby noises?



Well baby boy, the nursery is finished, and we are ready for you. We can't wait for you to get here. :)