Let There Be Light!

When we first moved into our new room, there was one minor flaw - no window. We didn't realize how much we needed a window until we slept in the room the first night and had no idea what time it was when we woke up because it was still pitch black. We started adding electronics to the room and they provided tiny bits of light, e.g. the clock, the light from the printer, etc. But, still, we needed more light. And more air, since it was starting to get hotter. So, about a month after we moved in, we (meaning my dad) started construction to add a window to the room.

The "before" view

Time to punch holes in the wall

He ripped out the insulation...

...and the studs...

...and moved the outlet down and added more studs

Clean-up on Aisle 3

Where was the screwdriver?

More holes

Ripping out the wall

We were tempted to leave it like this

Does it fit?

Putting in the window

Hooked up the outlet and replaced the drywall

It stayed like this until last week...

...until Douglas and a friend finally finished the drywall and paint and added curtains. And, we have a window!

Homemade Donuts

My dad made homemade donuts last night. They were so yummy! Toppings of choice included homemade frosting, canned frosting, nutella, powdered sugar and sprinkles.

Like the donut holes?

The first attempt. We joke that burnt food is "chocolate" so this is the lovely chocolate donut

Stuff

I haven't really been doing much lately that's blog-worthy, due to the fact that I'm expecting this baby to arrive any day now and I can't really plan anything fun to do. Plus, babies are EXPENSIVE, which leaves us with little money. I know most of my posts have been about the baby and pregnancy, but that's what's on my mind. So, there.

Here, enjoy a random picture:

Fun at the Mall

Last Friday, I had Jared duty and I was craving Dairy Queen's new Tagalong blizzard, so I decided to take him to the mall for some ice cream. When we got there, we discovered Dairy Queen is GONE! I was so bummed! We went to a build-your-own frozen yogurt place in the food court instead, which was good, but not quite the same. Then, we decided to go to the pet store. They let you hold the animals now, which is so cool! We held guinea pigs, bunnies, kittens and puppies. We talked to a parrot and watched the hamsters trying to share a wheel. It was fun!

This is on the door as you leave the mall. Not sure the point of it.

Just a rant

If you see a pregnant woman, whether you know her or not, please please don't tell her she looks miserable. It doesn't matter how miserable or crappy she looks, don't tell her she looks miserable. Tell her she looks good, even if you have to lie. It will make her feel better.

Yes, I was miserable. Yes, I am hugely pregnant in 100+ degree weather. I probably looked miserable. Do I need a reminder? No. I so wish I had told the "well-meaning" lady, "Well, you look miserable, too. What's your excuse?" Instead, all I could come up with was "Thank you."

Beach!

Ah, a perfect day at the beach! Got to relax, wade in the water, visit with great friends... and get burnt... AGAIN. Even though I put sunblock on. I apparently missed my arms and feet. My left arm was under an umbrella so my right arm is burnt and so are my feet. And they're also swollen from being pregnant. *sigh* But, it was worth it. Next time I go to the beach, I am slathering myself with sunblock.

Maternity Photo Shoot

Last Friday, my friend Bree and I went to the park to take some pictures of my pregnant belly. She's a talented photographer and she got some great shots. It was over 90 degrees and my hair was down, so it was pretty miserable. But, they turned out great. BTW, the blanket in some of the pictures is the one my mom made for the baby. Here are some of my favorites:

Full Term

Today, I have reached 37 weeks, which means I am FULL TERM! I can't believe how fast time flies!


I have just about everything I need. I found a travel system off craigslist this morning that I am in love with.

I just have to do a few last-minute preparations and I am ready for baby! It's scary to think that she could come any DAY now. It might be a few more weeks, but still... Ah, I'm so excited!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Last night, we went to the midnight showing of the new Harry Potter movie. It was incredible! It was accurate and very well done. Of course there were a lot of parts cut out, but you can only fit so much into a 2-and-a-half-hour movie. There were tons of funny parts and a couple very creepy parts (making me wonder why it's only PG.) But, I LOVED it! I can't wait to see it again! (I didn't go to bed until 4 and woke up at 8. *sigh*)

Bree's Farewell and Potter Fest

Tonight we said goodbye to our good friend, Bree who is going on a mission to Texas for 18 months. She had an open house with tons of people and great food. We'll miss you!


And then we watched the 5th Harry Potter movie to end Potter Fest.

Final Baby Shower

Tonight, I had my 3rd and final baby shower. The invitations didn't make it out (thanks to the post office) so most people had very short notice, which meant there wasn't a large turnout. Nonetheless, it was a very nice shower. I got some great things, ate delicious food catered by Souplantation (after arriving an hour late due to some miscommunication, but now we get another free catered meal) and played some fun games. One of the games was where everyone wore two safety pins and if you caught someone saying the word "baby", you got all their pins and whoever ended up with the most pins at the end of the evening won. I ended up winning that game, despite my absent-mindedness due to pregnancy (funny story, I forgot the word I was going to use and ended up sitting here trying to remember. Oh, the irony.) For the other game, people split into teams and rewrote Primary songs so they were about pregnancy and babies instead. There were some really funny ones. What a fun evening!

Pretty decorations

FOOD!!!


Yay, presents!


They forgot to take a picture of the cake until it was already cut. It said "Congratulations, Nicole" instead of "atulations l"


My prize for winning the safety pin game. Chocolate! Doesn't get much better than that.