The Moment You've All Been Waiting For

Self-photography is hard.

Especially from a sideways angle.

But nevertheless, due to popular demand, I endeavored to persevere, and all that.

I clicked the camera no less than 49 times and still didn't get one I liked.

But I quit because I had to go to the chiropractor.

And my trigger-fanger was gittin' sore.



So without further ado:






Oops. Missed.






Missed again.

Hey, at least part of my belly made it into that one.





Here, Nathan came in and started making me laugh. (And I.... missed.)

Well, he mainly rolled his eyes. Then he suggested I wear something lighter for better exposure.

I told him that this was the cutest thing I have to wear.

He rolled his eyes again.

I told him to be glad I wasn't posing naked. He rolled his eyes even more.



Awwww... I give up.

This'll have to do.



(Yep, that's my cute lil' bump at 33 weeks. Aieee.)

On Maternity Clothing: A Rant. By me.

First of all, I'd like someone to explain to me why men's pants, jeans, drawers, britches and other lower articles of clothing are all sold in every permutation of waist/inseam measurements in inches, while women, whose bodies are surely more complex in variations, are stuck with basic sizes-- 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, etc. And then we it gets down to maternity clothes (where you would imagine that greater variation can occur) we get Small, Medium, Large. All of a sudden, my hips don't count any more because my belly overshadows them?

In fact, even men's dress shirts and suits and such are sold in chest/neck sizes, and women get... Small, Medium, Large.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find maternity clothes that fit decently? I can take any article of clothing in a medium, and it's almost guaranteed to be either baggy, or tight around my hips. Am I a plain ol' medium? No, I am my own version of medium, and in order to find a medium-sized article of clothing that actually fits me, I have to try on no less than 957 to find one or two that stay on and are comfortable. (Add to that the difficulty of finding something that fits AND is affordable... aiee. I can't see spending $30 on a pair of jeans that I'm gonna wear for a few months. I don't spend that on jeans anytime. So I have to go with second-hand and that? Even fewer options.)

And then there's the style. What is it with people who make maternity clothes? I get pregnant, so now my usual style counts for nothing? According to them, I have a baby belly, therefore I have to be relegated to either shlumpadinka or frumpy. Cutesy pastels and little ties around my midriff, flowers and polkadots and stripes, all arranged in such a ways as to scream, "FRUMP!". Make no mention of the high necklines that only make me look like a whale. And forget about stretch-- shirts are just made into tents.

Now I will admit that I'm not much into style. I'm really a t-shirt and jeans kinda gal. I'm pretty much home most of the time, so I don't need to really dress up, but I still like to look neat and decent. However, I'm also pretty picky about clothes. Perhaps this is an unfortunate shortcoming in my character, but there it is. I drove my Mom nuts when I was a kid. Someone would give us some handmedowns, or Mom would get me something, and I would more often than not be unable to wear it. Too tight here, too scratchy there... whatever. How many packages of socks my poor mother bought for me that went unused because the toe-seam bugged me? Sigh. I have a lot of rules. No high-necklines, no constricting armpits, no short shirts that accent my butt. No high-waists (oh, don't get me started on how much I despise those over-the-belly-panel maternity pants!), no extra-low-waists, no constricting hips, and give me a slight flare at the ankle, in just the right length, thanks. Also, no pink or pastels or flowers or busy patterns. I prefer a trim fit with a bit of stretch for comfort.

(Sheesh, maybe I'm the one with the problem here. No matter-- it's my body and my post, so I'll keep ranting.)

So when it comes to maternity clothes, my options narrow considerably. People have given me some things, but most of the time they don't fit (see "small, medium, large," above). I do have to say that I am VERY thankful for the current style of long shirts. I've been able to find quite a few non-maternity clothes, perhaps a size or two up, that I can wear because they're long enough to cover. I had thought I had several pairs of belly jeans, capris and shorts, only to find out that they don't fit (see "small, medium, large," above) when I go to try them on. So I currently have one well-fitting pair of jeans, one of capris, and thanks to a good friend, a few pairs of shorts (and it's getting hot here!). I have a small handful of shirts. So I'm pretty much going to wear the same few outfits, depending on weather, for the next 7 weeks (give or take a couple) until I can start all over again trying to find something to fit the post-baby flab.

Sigh.

Sack-cloth, anyone?



(P.S. I'll try to get up the guts to post a belly pic soon. Really.)

Greased Lightening

Jonah was demonstrating to me how he shoots lightening from his eyes.






Evidently, the sunglasses are to protect us from the harmful heat and radiation which emanates from his uncovered eyes.





Because as soon as he removes those glasses, watch out! Sparks and fire are let loose to the accompaniment of strange sound effects and flying spit.




Ever triumphant, the lightening-eyed boy!





Oh, and can I just mention?


Apologies for the blur, but this photo demonstrates it most--
he looks so. much. like. his Daddy. Some days the resemblance is heart-stopping for this smitten Mommy.

Two Things from Nature

These Two Things have nothing to do with each other, but I'm sharing them anyway, in one post, without much to say about them.

---

1.



Yesterday as I sat on the porch listening to the birds and enjoying the perfect sunny day, I pointed my camera up into the trees in attempt to capture the sun. It didn't work, of course, but I like to try.

---

2.

Around supper time, an Amish neighbor told us about a wild honeybee swarm just down the road in a honeysuckle bush. Jonah and I walked down to take a look. It was a very neat thing to see! The neighbor told us he would try to capture the swarm later and put them in a hive.

Poop Deck

Common Grackle

Also known as:

Crap Shooter
Awwww... gross!
Raffa-muffa-schnigga-frigga bird!
$#!& @$$ Bird
Heeeeere kitty, kitty, kitty!
Grr! I stepped in it again... and what's this on my shoulder...?!!
BB Gun Target Practice

Say Whaaaaa...?

I just came across a blog that is both hilarious and horrifying at the same time.

My OB Said WHAT?

It's a collection of misguided quotes from doctors and nurses to pregnant and postpartum mothers. Like this gem:

“There’s no proof that vaginal birth doesn’t cause some sort of brain injury! It compresses the baby’s head!” -OB to mother prenatally.

...or this:

“Well, we should go ahead and schedule you for a cesarean section. Baby is measuring a week ahead and going to be big.” -OB to mother at 26 week prenatal appointment.

Yeah. Whoa...

(Just for balance, they do post some kind and considerate quotes as well. I'm not saying OBs are all bad or anything... but ya gotta admit, there is an awful lot of misinformation being perpetuated out there!)

And I Was Wondering What Happened to My Other Brown Dress Sock