Tales of Me and the Husband

taking stock / 05

Making: birth playlists, Christmas playlists…
Drinking: still apple cider, and orange juice, and water, and all with a lot of ice (pica!  it’s real!)

Reading: Nothing much, these days.  (But, this is one of my favorite books, Mom or not, hands down.  I resonated soooo much with her.  I might reread it.)
Wanting: this jacket!  this jacket!  40% off!  And already sold out in my size!  Dammit!  (Did you know they have a section called long?  Is this music to my long-torsoed ears?!  YES.)  That didn’t make sense.  Music to my ears, and I have a long-torso.  Clarification is everything.
Watching: Elf.  We’ve watched it twice already!  I think I’m going to start Cosmos too.
Listening: Diana Krall Christmas music and Gregory Alan Isakov
Eating: iron-rich foods!  Or, I should be anyway!  (Trying to, really.)
Smelling: Coffee brewing in the morning
Wishing: I could snap my fingers and have things hung on walls just right… (but we (Steve) did hang a hook in Parker’s room!  See above!  Progress!)
Enjoying: these final days before the baby comes.  They’ve been really quite nice and I’ve felt fairly relaxed lately.
Loving: these hats.  Stocking stuffer for basically any boy/man in my life.  The price?!  I’ll take ten.
Hoping: my body keeps feeling good; I hope I don’t jinx it, but the past few days, my pelvis has felt way better.  Baby is bigger yet I feel better?  What’s that?
Needing: warm pajamas for Parker.  The boy will not keep blankets on him ever.  All the one-piece fleecy ones seem to be flame resistant though, which I am not a fan of.  Recommendations?
Feeling: baby jabs all the time.  I freak the kids out by putting their hands on my belly during serious elbow/knee jabs.  Second time around, it’s still the craziest thing that there’s an actual human in there.
Wearing: these sweats, which we all already knew… (and again… and I’m wearing them again right now…) — here’s the link for my Instagram friends asking!
Bookmarking: this!  I could do this!  Gimme some greens and a hot glue gun!  Watch me go!

{past taking stock posts}
{above backpack: an old gift from kendra at swankaroo!}

bridget’s christmas list. also known as the post that steve should definitely pay attention to.

i know this is all a bit premature, but when your due date is a few weeks shy of christmas, it seems that one moves the whole season up in one’s head.  i’m talking about myself here, of course.  decorating must happen sooner, christmas presents must be bought and wrapped up sooner, and christmas music is already on (sometimes; right now it’s janet jackson’s escapade.  throwback!).  it is what it is.  so here’s my list.  if you do the addition for it all, it’s like $2000+ worth of stuff which is more than we spend on each other by… a lot.  but here it is in print so steve can continue referencing it for years to come.  i’m doing him a favor here!  



one. this gorgeous, gorgeous piece of leather (+ then some) has been on my list for a few years now.  a camera bag, a whatever bag.  move over steve, i would sleep with it.  (and yes, this was mentioned on my birthday list a few weeks back too.) // two. sort of the perfect sneaker.  and under $100!  what is with sneakers over the last year or so, btw?  i mean, we always knew they existed but suddenly they were everywhere.  whatever.  i can get down with comfortable footwear that’s also stylish because i’m generally a form over function but these… these meet both! // three. this fabulous lens.  i’ve heard such great things about it, and if it’s even a smidgen better than it’s much cheaper cousin (the 1.8–and it is) then it’s unreal.  cause the 1.8 is a lot of bang for your buck, people. // four. boxwood wreaths.  now that we have these lovely white doors in this house, i just want to put a boxwood wreath on every single one of them.  and keep them up all year long. // five.  these boots.  sorels meet both the form and function test too.  there are a ton of versions, but these are probably my favorite (love that dark green with the pink laces).  i have an old pair (going on almost 10 years) and i tell you, they pass the longevity test too. // six. these mugs!  perhaps the perfect enamel mug (and on sale right now too!  $4!).  now that we have a fire pit, these would be great for hot toddy’s, hot chocolate, hot anything, all around the fire pit (and to take camping too.).  i love them.

what’s on your christmas list?

36 weeks.



{top: c/o emoi emoi}
{scarf: h&m}
{pants: h&m}
{shoes: nordstroms}

it feels a little like we’re in go-time even though i could have a month (or more) left.  i was checking out at costco the other day and the lady goes, “getting close!”  and i said, in agreement, “yeah!  i’m 35 weeks!”  and she was like, “oh gosh, i thought it was sooner than that.”
and in august… in auuuugust, a man said, “you got your bags packed and ready to go?!”  i said, “due in december.”
silence.
i can’t say i’m someone who gets really mad at those comments, though i can understand how they rub some pregnant women the wrong way.
but now we’re 36 weeks and based on how my body feels, it feels like any day now.  remember this post?  i was all, “take forever, sweet baby!”  this pregnancy is much different.  i don’t know whether this baby is much lower in my pelvis or what, but i am sore.  i went for a 2.5 mile walk (a slow, meandering walk.  don’t give me too much credit.) yesterday and said to steve, “i don’t remember feeling this sore on the walk we went on the day i gave birth to parker.”  at all.  it’s all in my pelvis, and at night it makes me move like an 80-year old.  so while, yes, sweet baby, take all the time you need… i also wouldn’t mind if you came nearish your due date.
(and also because i really, really want to meet you.  not just because my pelvis may break in two.)

More questions answered.

Let’s just get right back to this.  No introduction necessary.

(I answered one in its own post here for those who missed it.)  Onwards and upwards!

// I know you use a camera for your blog pics.  What about your IG pics?  If you use your phone for those, what camera apps do you use?

I use VSCO Cam or Afterlight.  For VSCO, my favorite filters are 05 or F2!  For Afterlight, I love Russ (in guest filters).

// How do you manage it all?

I really don’t!  I really enjoy cooking, I really enjoy vacuuming.  So, I’m good at those things and I keep up with them.  I also really enjoy certain TV shows so I find time to do that too.  You can bet if I’m doing some things well, other things are being neglected!  Like my bedroom.  My bedroom is a perpetual mess.  Bathroom isn’t far behind.  I shower two to three times a week and rarely do my hair.  I think “managing it all” is a ruse.  And yet, I have the same question of certain blogger-Moms who look like they have it all together.  So, I guess we all put on a good show?  (Or they really have more hours in the day then the rest of us.  Yes, that’s it.)

// Do I have a day-to-day routine that I stick to with Parker now that the big kids are in school?

Yes and no.  This is all very weather dependent.  But for a long time, we would have our breakfast (usually an apple and peanut butter or yogurt with granola and blueberries or egg and cheese on toast or cereal) with Steve after the kids left for school (they leave around 7–so early!).  Then, we’d go to town and play on the playground for awhile, run an errand, then head back for lunch (or grab some lunch while out) before naps.  Naps are soooort of being pushed out right now so the schedule’s changing yet again!  Plus, it’s getting colder and we’ve had a lot of rainy days lately.  So, I guess to make a long story short, there’s no day-to-day routine!  I do much prefer the days when we get out of the house, or have a playdate.

// Do we have a name picked out for the baby?

I think so.  Not sharing it till he’s here though!

// Did you have any serious relationships before Steve?

Yes, I did.  I know I’m giving no detail, but that’s just how it’s going to be!

// How do you feel about sharing stories/pictures of your children?

Good question.  Obviously I’m fairly comfortable with it, otherwise this blog would look a lot different.  This changes all the time though.  These days, I don’t share a lot about William or Lindsey  (and I should make it clear that that’s my own decision and not because they’ve ever asked me to refrain.  I think, in fact, that they really like being on the blog.) because I want to give them their privacy whether or not they’re asking for it.  As for Parker, there’s a lot I journal about him that never makes it on the blog.  But there’s a lot less at stake sharing a cute or silly story about him at three than as a teenager (though, can we all agree that the internet is no place to share pictures of your naked children, pleeeease?).  So, there’s no real rule of thumb I follow, you figure it out as you go.  When in doubt, don’t share it?  I hope that, above all else, when my kids look back on this blog they’ll see that I loved them a whole heck of a lot and that’s they’re grateful for the memories that are here.  And if I did make any mistakes, I hope they’ll forgive me.

// How do I shake criticism I receive on the blog?

Ah.  I think a lot of criticism stems from misunderstanding and insecurity and that, more often than not, it’s more about the person giving it than the person they’re giving it to.  I suspect that, if I had the chance to actually meet someone who decided I should go to hell based on my blog/the things I write here/the pictures I post, we’d get along.  Maybe that’s way too simple-minded though.  Maybe they really aren’t misunderstanding anything and they really aren’t at all insecure and they really would like me to go straight to hell.  So to that I say, you can’t please everyone?  Don’t even bother trying?  And yes, criticism hurts but it doesn’t hurt forever.

//   Do you ever feel burdened by needing to post regularly?

Yes!  Sometimes I have little to say, so that’s probably a day I skip.  Or I don’t and you can tell that it was a half-assed post that you probably didn’t enjoy very much.

// What’s your relationship like with the older boys?

It’s changed so much over the years, it’s hard to even answer this question.  When we first were married, the age difference seemed much larger than it does now.  Now they’re entering adulthood (21 and almost 20) so we’re on a more even playing field than we were when I was 21 and they were pre-teen!  Thus, it’s always sort of shifting and finding its new normal.  They’re also out of the house in college living independently for the majority of the year.  So, I think they’d agree, I’m something of a person they respect and who has their back?  But they certainly wouldn’t think of me as Mom in the same way that William and Lindsey do.  (They have always called me Bridget, too.)  And, for those wondering, they’re both doing very well!  I just saw them last weekend!

// If Nathaniel came home and said he was marrying his professor with four children, how would I react?

I’d throw him out.

Just kidding, obviously.  I’d support him.  I’d tell him it’s going to be really, really hard and then I’d support him.  And yes, I might even wonder why in the world she was interested in such a younger guy.  The irony here is not lost on me.

That’s just about all of ’em.  Thank you for answering my questions, for asking a few of your own, and for reading my blog!  I read every single one.  Now I’m going to catch up with the first half of Parenthood.  Thank you to the DVR, too.

{pictures from my IG account}

Things around here lately.

Every morning when I come downstairs I need (need, need, need!) to guzzle an enormous-almost-chokes-me gulp of apple cider, straight from the bottle.  Before coffee, before anything.  Last week it was so fast and furious that it ended up coming out my nose.  This isn’t the best way to start the day (something about protein?  I don’t know.  I don’t care.) and I suppose it’s a blood sugar thing, but to hell with it.  The elation my mouth feels is worth every drop of sugar.  And ice!  Give me ice to chomp between my teeth, I love that too.  #Pregnancy
I wore one of William’s shirts today because virtually all of mine are at the stage where there’s always going to be lower belly showing and as much as I would prefer to go entirely clothes-less, I don’t think I’m ready to reveal my nude pregnant body to the world just yet and I really don’t think the world is ready for it either.  But, yes.  Clothes, for the most part, all suck.  I walked downstairs in Steve’s pajama pants the other day and he barely glanced up from the computer.  It is what it is.  Going up and down stairs?  Almost huffing and puffing, my friends.  What’s my deal?  I don’t remember feeling this ridiculously… pregnant? with Parker.  I am regularly astounded by people who have many, many children.  Is each subsequent pregnancy more pregnancy-like than the last?  Nonetheless and despite the lethargy, I did like six loads of laundry and hauled them all throughout the house which then earned me not only a swig of apple cider but a whole glass with a lot of ice (bonus: a lot of baby kicks after all that cold apple cider; some jabs to the bladder).  What a treat!  (I wish I were being sarcastic.  That is how good cold, sweet things taste to me lately.)
Today was voting day so the kids had off.  William, Parker, and I went for a bike ride, hot chocolate date, and a library visit.  Typically Parker grabs books willy-nilly off the shelves while I try to sneak some of the less desirable ones back to their respective places.  But this time he didn’t do that!  He built a Duplos castle and I filled our bag with books that looked really good.  I was excited to finally get this one after seeing it everywhere.  It’s fun, just like one would think, and I enjoyed watching him and Steve tap the pages, turn the book left, turn the book right.  He went to bed with this classic which I imagine he’ll flip through, again and again and again, until it’s time to return it to the library.  Sometimes, bless him, he’ll go through an enormous stack of books one by one for an hour (Am I bragging?  I think I’m bragging.  We could bring him down a notch real quick by talking about naps/bedtime lately.).  He flings each book off to the side where it lands with a bang when he’s done.  Sometimes he does this upstairs in his room (we’ve recently implemented “quiet time”) and every few minutes or so I hear a bang.  Ah!  Parker is starting a new book.  
The weather’s totally turning and my jacket won’t zip over my belly.  I refuse to buy one that will because there’s only a few weeks left, but I am ensuring my outdoor warmth with cowl neck scarves and hats and things (as an aside, winter headbands are a nice alternative for when you don’t want to totally have hat head the rest of the day.  I love this one, though I do wish they’d model it on an actual human head.  Come on Zappos.).  I hate being cold, I’m a grump when I’m cold.  Scarves are the greatest and if I were adding to my collection (or maybe I am?) I’d get this one.  It’s fabulous.  (And, can I ask, do any of you have one of these?  Are they really worth the price?  I have heard they are unreal in the warmth department.  I’ve sort of had my eye on the brand for years, never able to actually pay that kind of money.)
What are you guys making for dinner lately?  I don’t want to get in a chili rut.  I mean, a chili rut is a pretty good rut to be in if one must be in a rut, but I’ll still take a few recipe ideas.  I’ll give you a few of ours too–last night was chicken fajitas (chicken, peppers, onions–add a lot of lime and Tony Chachere’s (yes, that brand and no other; I’m serious.) creole seasoning while it cooks.  Restaurant good.  Add your other fixings in and voila!), and a few nights before that was Ina’s Winter Minestrone.  
And, be honest, are you already listening to Christmas music?
(Last night I played the Nutcracker while we ate.)

rapid-fire questions with a three year old.

favorite movie: planes + dus-shee cropolla  (translation: dusty crophopper) + cars + knights (no such movie, that he knows of anyway)
favorite food: pancakes + waffles (we just had yogurt pancakes this morning.)
favorite number: two + fwee
favorite show: toolbox (??)
favorite game: tools
favorite place to go: town
favorite sport: running + football + soccuh + baseball
favorite song: me don’t have fay-wit song!
i tried for some more questions.
he wasn’t terribly forthcoming.
next time, parker.  next time.

his cool (and comfy!) outfit c/o shop the little things
(i’m into this new-to-me brand)
use HUNT15 for 15% off your purchase!

halloween! and a surprise birthday party!



it’s a bright and cold monday morning and are you exhausted?  just me?  (i will NOT be another parent to complain about daylight savings time and how it’s really just a massive way to test our patience and weed out the weak (i am the weak!  i am so weak!).  see?  i’m not doing it!)  we had family up since last week and it was a really nice treat to hang out with everyone.  we went to a halloween party at my sister’s, trick-or-treated, and ate delicious food.  i guess i was a zebra?  it was low-key, let’s just say.  i know i really could’ve played up the pregnancy-halloween thing (exhibit a) but… lethargy is big these days and energy is small.  william was a nerd and lindsey was a legit starbucks barista (complete with one of their real aprons) but both were off to their own parties before i was able to get a picture of them!  my family was superheroes and my other sister was… a pink cowgirl?  it was fun.
on saturday, steve was busying himself with decorating the first floor of our garage with string lights everywhere, heaters, our outdoor furniture.  i knew he was planning a small early 30th for me since my family was up, but that’s all i thought of the whole thing.  i spent most of the day moody and stressed, and with him encouraging me to nap (i had been up almost the whole night before).  little did i know he was planning a big birthday party for me, with lots of friends (one of my high school friends even drove in from nyc!), neighbors, family.  surprising me is no small feat–i typically figure these things out (or, if i suspect there is a surprise on the way, i get really anxious about it.  yeah, i’m a peach, ain’t i?!).  so i was completely caught off guard and so impressed.  it was pretty special.  he’s had one of the busiest and most stressful semesters ever and still managed to pull it off.  he’s quite the guy.  there was tons of good food and sides and drinks.  i’m still in disbelief.  and feeling awfully loved.  thanks to everyone, especially that handsome husband of mine!!!  (still regretting not grabbing my camera for some pictures of the night!)
hope your weekends were awesome and that you’re managing to stay well-rested better than we are!  cheers to hot coffee!

things i love. and a giveaway from me to you.

things i love:
1. good hair days
2. the fire pit we got steve for his birthday 
3. the game we played around it
it started tame and got hilarious.
the idea was to say things you liked about each other.
me to lindsey: “i love how much you laugh.”
her to me: “i love how it’s easy to talk to you.”
and then…
her to me: “i love how my hair always looks better than yours.”
me to her: “i love it when you go to bed each night.”
we were dyyyying.
4. this whole shop
3. how serious parker takes working outside along his dad
4. my morning coffee whisked with some butter and cinnamon
5. this sweater, so much.  and this gorgeous jacket too.
6. reading a good book
7. when i have the energy to tackle the day and feel accomplished
8. friends who just get you
9. being a mom
10. dreaming of a bundled baby, hot chocolate, snow
11. this video of jimmy and bradley cooper unable to stop laughing (the best when that happens)
12. cereal at night
13. toast with almond butter slathered on it and then a drizzle of honey
14. passports (they just hold so much promise, you know?)
15. fleece lined pants for little kids
16. felt balls; the options are endless!
17. a clean home.  so much love for that.
18. writing long letters to faraway friends with uniball pens (william got me hooked)
19. a stocked refrigerator and pantry
20. and… YOU.  seriously, thanks for reading, always.
can you tell me some things you love?
there’s too much crap in the world.
let’s share the good news.
i’m sending some of these–reader’s choice–to the person with the best answer.
(they’re legit from me, this isn’t a sponsor post of any kind!)
(u.s. only… sorry!)
update: shelley smucker wins the felt balls!  woohoo!

a halloween party for the little ones.




this weekend we went to a little halloween party at a farm geared toward young ones and it was such a sweet little scene to witness.  something about little kids in costume– throw in a healthy sprinkling of hormones and it’s all warm fuzzies.

i’m discovering more and more of parker’s personality as he develops his vocabulary, his opinions.  he’s a very timid fellow, and i really don’t mind that.  he likes his inner circle, but if you’re not in it, he’s side-eyeing you a bit until he gets to know you, however long that takes.  so, arriving at this party, he wasn’t sure about wearing the costume, he wasn’t sure about everyone else being in costume, he wasn’t sure about this party at all.  i had prepped him beforehand and told him about the fun in store, but he was still skeptical.  we eased our way in, him not letting go of our hands for the first big chunk of it.  i picked him up so i could get a better feel for what he was thinking.  i could tell he was uncertain and i knew if i held him and talked him through it, talked about what we were seeing, he’d feel a little better about things.  he began asking, “what is her?  what is her?  what is he?” about every little kid in costume.  there were a lot of kids.  dragons, fairies, olaf, policemen, ghosts, spidermen.  costumes of all kinds.  he wanted to know every one.

within about a half an hour, he was having a really good time, was loving the costume he was in (both warm and ridiculously cute — shannon made several costumes, including this one, which have been well-loved in this house and are some of the most fabulous costumes ever.  nathaniel even wore this costume!), and was really glad to be there.  he drank some warm apple cider, and went to different trick or treating stations, and picked out a mini pumpkin from a makeshift “pumpkin patch.”  we went through a haunted barn that was so tame and sweet and at the end, he got a twizzler.  it was one of those events that’s just so nicely orchestrated with the little ones in mind that it’s just really precious to watch.  is this the hormones talking again?

and, what can i say, i’m pretty proud of my guy for giving this party a try.  he told me when we got home that he was really happy we went, and when i asked him where he’d like to put his pumpkin, he said he wanted it on his tool bench.  so, there it is, and there it will stay (for awhile).  a little reminder of our party.

Rainy days and pomegranates.

Today is so, so, so, so rainy.  Like typhoon rain maybe?  I’m not actually sure what’s going on but the winds and rain all night long have blown down all of our leaves–you can’t even see the driveway.  It is positively covered in leaves (I feel like that sentence should be said with an English accent.).  And this is day two (or three?  They’re all blending together.) of rain.  It’s only 9 am and Parker has done painting, play dough, and a tackle-session with Steve who has since rushed out the door to work.  At 7 when Parker cuddled into our bed, it was nearly pitch black outside.  What is happening?  Steve said it’s “apocalyptic”.  I’m not apt to generally believe his nonsense, but he does teach religion.  So maybe he’s right.

The days lately have been easy, aside from the occasional lethargy one feels at the end of their pregnancy, I guess.  Parker and I have a really nice thing going, on the nice weather days especially.  We head into town, he plays on the playground, we look at the Halloween decorations, maybe grab a coffee for me or a yogurt for him, chat about “our baby.”  We go to the library, fill our book bag.  It’s been smooth and simple and I’m really enjoying it.  I’m not overdoing plans.  Is this what hibernating looks like?  

Most nights, as long as they’ve finished their homework, William, Lindsey, Steve and I watch an episode of Modern Family.  We only recently introduced William and Lindsey to it and they think it’s hilarious.  Phil, mostly.  Cam too.  While we’re lounging across the couch, me taking more than my share of space, I beg for foot rubs, even pay William $5 to scratch my back.  It’s pathetic.  We eat some Haagen Dazs ice cream, cereal, or pomegranates.  The last one is mostly for me.  I am obsessed with them this pregnancy.  Like I dream in pomegranates.  The other day I opened one up, foolishly, while Parker was awake and sort of needing my help?  I was like, “Kid, you are on your own for the next hour.  I just opened a pomegranate.”  Do you remember the skit Ellen does with the go-gurt?  I always think of that when I have my pomegranate, split in front of me.  But, unlike yogurt, pomegranates really do have you down for the count.  I come upon them in their enormous cardboard box at the grocery store like they’re surrounded by angelic light and singing to me.  I just love them.  I have to end this post so I can go eat one.

I spent most of last Saturday unpacking Parker’s clothes and baby clothes.  I have the closet organized now now, each shelf with some rhyme and reason, and can sleep a little better at night.  This baby’s onesies will not be quite as white as Parker’s were (breast milk spit up really does a number on things) but he will not go naked!  I’m glad to have gotten that out of the way.

*pictures of Parker and I torturing each other while he watches Sprout.  His eye contact is barely broken with the television, despite it.  Such determination!  Now I’m going to go take a cue from yesterday’s post and do something with my face.  Black and white filters can only do so much.

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