the great outdoors

Spring has sprung, and we have been very productive over here. Believe it or not, we aren't just consumed with all things baby boy. Wanna see?

One of the first projects Scott wanted to tackle this Spring was replacing the rotten planter box around our front tree. Now, mind you, we've been advised by a certain double-degreed MSU graduate that this is unhealthy for our tree, and it will most likely cause a slow and painful death. But it sure looks nice, doesn't it? Painstakingly built to be perfectly square and level. And the hostas love it! Besides, how would you find our house without this landmark?





Here's a shot of my crowded garden, planted just yesterday. Come harvest time we'll have beefsteak, roma and cherry tomatoes, green peppers, yellow onions and carrots. The cucumbers, not seen here, are still waiting for a sunny home somewhere in the yard. I'm going to make an attempt at training them up a trellis in an effort to save space. We'll see how that turns out! I'd also like to find a place for leaf lettuce and cilantro, which the farmers at the market told me would be best from seed if I planted some every couple of weeks throughout the summer.



Scott is hesitant to give me any more of his green grass, so I'm trying to be creative in where I finish my planting. But I've been inspired by this great book (another little gem from our local library): You Grow Girl by Gayla Trail. Definitely not your grandmother's suburban gardener! If this gal can make things grow on a fire escape, then I should have no problems in our 80'x100' lot, right?

Now what would Spring be with all work and no play? Here's some shots of my new and improved outdoor girl on Memorial weekend. Contrary to last summer, Morgan is constantly asking to play outside. I never thought I'd see the day!









And to start the summer off with a bang, we've got a brand new addition in our back yard. When Morgan caught wind that a swing set was being assembled at her very own house, she was consumed with most of the build. She loves to be helpful, especially when it comes to Daddy and his tools.





Not waiting for the finished product.



Why won't this swing?



Finally able to try everything out!

What we had before... and the big after:

So June? Bring on the sunny skies and warm breezes. We're ready for you!

28 weeks

I'm sorry to bore you with yet another week of belly shots. It seems all of that nesting energy and motivation has been lost again. While the back pain has completely subsided, my overall well-being is best described as "blah".

I find myself these days staring into the same pantry and fridge, looking at the same food, and staring into the same closet, looking at the same clothes. Nothing has changed. I don't know why I open those doors and expect there to be something more wonderful on the other side.

My contributions to my favorite social outlets have been few. Less chatter at MOPS Bible study, less chatter online. Not much to really say.

And so the journey continues. One foot in front of the other. I hope to have some pictures down the road of Morgan's new digs; right now, we're only gathering the pieces to make her new room a reality. In a 14-point checklist (designed by the master planner, of course), only one thing has been completed. And Scott insists on having everything gathered into a nice pile before the actual work begins. So, we will gather.

In the meantime, the growing belly is our mark of progress. At least this week.

27 weeks

I'm so over maternity clothes. At one time, it was exciting to have new things to wear, a brand new wardrobe to pull from. Now? Just the same ole pants and shirts (as you can probably see each week in these shots).

26 weeks

He's on the move. And while you might not be able to tell from the pictures, I sure can. For the last several weeks, I've endured incredibly low punches. Low enough for me to think my little guy was upside down, and that the pucnhes were really kicks. Last night, however, the movement returned to my mid-section and sides. What is he up to in there?

on sisterhood

"So, Morgan, do you think we should get a baby at our house?"

Long pause with distracted stare. Then eye contact, and...

"Some-peen to eat."

mommy of two

As I was putting on my make-up this morning, Scott was trying, with a mouth full of toothpaste, to scold Morgan for pulling clothes off all her hangers onto her closet floor. We were getting ready for church, and I said to him as he walked back into the bathroom, "I keep trying to imagine getting ready with two kids running around, not just Morgan. What do you think it's going to be like?"

The question wasn't rhetorical, but he never did answer. Too busy, I imagine, to stop and contemplate that thought in that moment.

Today, I get to celebrate as a mom of two. One on the outside, with a personality all her own. One on the inside, punching me like a boxer, growing stronger every day. Both very much loved by their mommy.

25 weeks

It's just hit me. It's going to be a long summer. I hate to admit defeat already in this first week of May, but I'm seeing how my occasional moments of sluggishness are going to quickly turn into a daily occurance.

Just two hours today of household chores (picking up, dusting, vacuuming, dinner prep and clean-up), combined with a handful of Morgan lifts, has landed me on the couch this evening with the heating pad. I keep telling myself, "You're currently wearing three bags of sugar on your belly, of course your lower back hurts." Those extra 15 lbs. seem to intensify everything my body feels.

24 weeks

The weekend got away from me, thus the late posting pictures. Our weather here was gorgeous, and the past three days have entailed lots of work and play outdoors. I definitely overdid it... turning the garden over by hand, weeding the beds, and trying to keep up with Morgan while Scott was occupied with tree trimming, planter box building, gutter cleaning, bug spraying and grass cutting. Looking forward to enjoying the fruits of our labor this week and the rest of the summer.