beckett's nursery

thought i would share a few (terrible) pictures of beckett's room! the lighting in there is awful (there isn't a light fixture), and the color of the walls is gross (and we can't paint) but i love this little space of his.

i looked for a glider for a long time. kameron actually didn't want to get one! i ended up picking one out for my birthday :) i had the "hooray it's today" garland custom made from yellow bird yellow beard and the gold one is from land of nod. i love this little corner :)

i (sort of) made the crib sheet, changing pad cover, blanket, and pillow cover out of a sheet set i found at land of nod. i couldn't find anything i liked (and i hate those theme-y sets from baby stores), so i bought a set of twin size sheets and got to work. it was fun and i had only thought i would be able to make the crib sheet and changing pad cover, so the blanket and pillow were extras! :) 

rhino is from finkelstein's center, and letters are from land of nod. crib is babyletto modo in grey and white :)

i also hated the idea of a changing table that can't be morphed into something else later. my mom let us have this dresser from my sister's old room and kameron repainted it. i found all the pictures on google and bought random frames from target. this could probably still use some work! the mobile is by the alison show.

i love how his room came together- even though it is totally different than what i had in mind at first. i hope he loves it too!

xoxo,

e

beckett's birth story

well, this is a little late! tiny humans are very demanding :) i had intended on writing this a week or two after we got home from the hospital, but i have been busy snuggling my little guy!

as a disclaimer, there might be some things that you don't care to know in this story. if that's the case, here is the short version: beckett was born on october 25th via c section. he weight 7 lbs 11 oz and was 21 and a quarter inches long.

now for the real deal.

i had my 39 week dr appointment on friday, october 24th. i was hopeful that my dr would give me an end date at least, but wasn't counting on it. kameron hadn't been to my weekly appointments with me because they are so short, but for some reason he decided to come to this one last minute (as in, set his alarm to go to work and then shut it off and told me i had to take him after the appointment). my appointment was the same as usual- cervix check, belly measurement, any questions? any contractions? she also told me we could schedule an induction for my due date (the following monday) if i wanted. yes please! before she went to schedule me, she said she wanted to put me on some monitors to check out the baby- i had been to labor & delivery the previous monday because i had a terrible headache and some timeable contractions and she wanted to rule out pre eclampsia. she sent me with the nurse to be monitored and went to schedule the induction.

once i was hooked up, the nurse told me i was having contractions about every 4 minutes- i felt nothing! she said "wow you must have a very high pain tolerance!" at which point both kameron and i laughed out loud because...no. after i was hooked up for a few minutes, she brought me in my scheduling slip and then checked the monitor tape. she was quiet and said she would grab the doctor because she thought she might want to see. the doctor came in and watched for a bit, and then said "we aren't waiting the weekend to see what happens, you can go to the hospital now." and just when i thought i was all prepared to have this baby, i wasn't. she told me she thought my placenta had stopped functioning because the baby's heart rate was dropping with each contraction, and that i could go home to get my stuff only if it was on the way to the hospital, and that she would see me soon. i called my mom in a panic, kameron drove us home to let the dogs out and grab my bag, and off we went!

we got to the hospital at 11 am and i was admitted to a labor room right away. they started me on pitocin to strengthen my contractions and help dilate my cervix. this was the most boring thing. the nurse came back every 30 minutes to turn up my dose and check on the baby, and then my doctor showed up at 1 to break my water. it was so, so gross. after that, the contractions began to get a little more painful, but they were still tolerable. our nurses had a shift change, so i got a new one and she was so nice. my mom also got there around 2 (i think) and hung out with us. she made me get up and walk the halls a few times, which i was not a fan of, but it was nice to get out of that room for a bit! my nurse told me i could get an epidural any time that i wanted-just to let her know and she would call for the anesthesiologist right away. i had planned for an epidural, but all of a sudden i was really nervous about it. i kept putting it off and saying i would wait another 30 minutes or i would do it at 5:30. eventually at 6:30 i asked her to call for it. i asked her a million questions and started to cry because i was so scared! when the anesthesiologist got there, he explained what he was going to do and had kameron sit in front of me. it honestly was not nearly as terrible as i expected. i got really cold and shaky afterwards, which he said was normal, and then it was magical. such a weird feeling- to be able to feel your legs but not really feel anything. after that, i was stuck in bed until delivery!

the nurse had been checking my progress every few hours, and it was going sloooow. she mentioned that my doctor was only on duty until 8, and that it wasn't looking like anything was going to happen by then. i was nervous because i hadn't met any of the other doctors from my clinic and i love my doctor (so much!). the nurses changed shift again and my new nurse was really quiet. i wasn't sure that i liked her and it bummed me out that the other one had left. then my mom left to go to our house for the night and take care of the dogs. so surreal to say goodbye to her knowing (well, hoping) that when she came back the next day, i would have a baby to show her! a few hours went by and i drifted in and out of sleep, and the nurse checked me again. she said she was going to call the on call doctor because i wasn't progressing very quickly, and she thought she might need to give me a higher dose of pitocin. a while later she came back and said my doctor was actually following me and would be here for my delivery! such a relief. things get hazy around here. they turned up the pitocin and my contractions got so strong that they turned the pitocin back off. then the contractions all but stopped completely, so back on it went. beckett's heart rate was slowing with the intense contractions also. i was having to rotate from side to back to side every 30 minutes so that my epidural didn't settle, and at some point, every time i was on my back, beckett's heart rate dropped enough that they had to give me oxygen. the nurse called my doctor and told her not to put me on my back anymore (duh). so rotate rotate repeat. after what felt like 100 more cervical checks, i still wasn't where i should have been and beckett's heart rate was still not stable, so the nurse said it was time to call in the doctor so that she could check it out. it took the doctor an hour to get there because there was an accident on the interstate, but once she was there she checked me and said they would give me an hour and then make a decision on what to do next. two hours later, she says she will give me another hour. at that point, i was frustrated and tired and anxious, and i started to cry. i was so overwhelmed and i just wanted to know when i would be holding my baby. shortly after, she came back and said she thought it was time to do a c-section. the baby wasn't tolerating labor well and i wasn't progressing, and we had given it plenty of time to make reasonable progress. i was okay with that and waited for a few minutes to get the paperwork to sign.

side note- about 30 minutes before my doctor decided on the c-section, the anesthesiologist on duty came into my room and said "so you're heading for a c-section!" and began to introduce herself. i was caught off guard and confused, and then it turns out she had gone into the wrong room!

after i signed the necessary paperwork, the anesthesiologist came back (into the right room this time) and dosed up my epidural and chatted with me. kameron put on scrubs and got ready. this was about 3 am. they wheeled me into the OR and prepped me while kameron waited outside. i was not a fan of him being outside of the room- i wanted him there to calm me down! i was strapped to the table with my arms straight out at my sides and a drape up right below my chest. the anesthesiologist and kameron stayed up by my head and talked with me, and before i knew it, my doctor was holding up beckett and saying "emily, this is your baby!" they cleaned him up and kameron was allowed to go take pictures and hold him while they stitched me up. beckett was born at 3:45 am on october 25th! he weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz and was 21 1/4 inches long. kameron and beckett headed to our recovery room, and i was wheeled in shortly after. it was about 4:30 before i finally got to hold him, but it was the best moment. i kept saying "he's so soft!" and i couldn't believe how much i loved him! we sent out some texts to our families and close friends (kameron's sister first- we promised her if the baby was born on her wedding day, she would be the first one we told, and her wedding was later that afternoon!) and then got some sleep.

i'm actually pretty happy with how everything went. i went into pregnancy with no hard opinions about birth- however they need to get the baby out was fine with me, as long as we were both safe and healthy. my doctor actually told me after my surgery that there was no way beckett would have made it out on his own. he was getting stuck in my pelvis and had marks on his head from where he was hitting my bones! my c-section recovery wasn't terrible either! i was allowed to walk about 48 hours after the surgery (i tried to stand 24 hours after and the nurses decided i wasn't ready), and after i was out of bed i felt really good. we got to go home on tuesday, and the first few days were a little rocky. beckett was a lazy eater, so he wasn't gaining weight, and i was an emotional mess. i cried almost every night for a week! i knew about baby blues, but of course had no idea that it would affect me. i felt better pretty quickly, and it helped to have kameron at home with us for a few weeks.

i still can't believe i'm lucky enough to be this little guy's mama. he is the coolest!

i will try to keep this updated with stories about him and get back to regular blog posts, but i haven't decided if i will post pictures of him here or not. i'm feeling a little weird about sharing them here where anyone can read. (look up baby role play on instagram if you need validation for my feelings. or don't if you're easily creeped out) i am happy to share photos in texts or email though :)

xoxo,
e

39 weeks

how far along: 39 weeks!
weight gain & stretch marks?: probably close to 20 gained, no stretchmarks
best moment this week: buying 5 bags of halloween candy and going on a little scenic drive with kameron :)
worst moment this week: general lack of sleep. i haven't been able to fall asleep before 1 am most nights, and then i am up by 6 or 7. i know it's not getting any better once the babe gets here either ;)
miss anything?: fitting in between cars in the parking lot, sleeping, breathing, etc, etc.
symptoms & movement: no labor symptoms (so you don't have to call or text me to ask :) ), movement all day- trying to convince the kid that there is a lot more room to move on the OUTSIDE.
cravings & aversions: nothing specific for once
looking forward to: meeting the baby & halloween! i know i said that last week, but i love halloween! 
things to add: i really hope this is my last update...one week until i start charging this kid rent!

38 weeks

how far along: 38 weeks (!)
weight gain & stretch marks?: probably close to 20 gained, no stretchmarks
best moment this week: officially starting maternity leave! my company gives you two weeks before your due date, and everything that i have read says if you get that opportunity, you should take it. i have a feeling i will be bored in about three days.
worst moment this week: we started watching american horror story (why??) and i couldn't sleep after that. yet...we are still watching.
miss anything?: sleeping! fitting into normal clothes.
symptoms & movement: i feel sore pretty much everywhere, all the time. no signs of this babe making their appearance anytime soon, either. lots of movement...even kam can feel elbows and knees!
cravings & aversions: i've been craving carbonation the last couple of days, and yesterday i had a major sweet tooth. meat still doesn't sound great.
looking forward to: meeting boo and halloween!
things to add: nothing to add :)

37 weeks

kind of looks like my pants are unbuttoned, but you're kidding yourself if you think i have on anything besides leggings these days.

how far along: 37 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: probably close to 20 gained, no stretchmarks
best moment this week: i came home to flowers & the sweetest card on friday :) also opened my gmail to a giftcard to replace my favorite slippers...see below
worst moment this week: kameron sent me a picture of my slippers on friday...apparently the dogs got bored & hungry while he was getting a haircut. i was so bummed & even had them on my list of stuff to pack for the hospital.
miss anything?: having a normal appetite (i am either starving or not hungry at all) and sleeping
symptoms & movement: everything hurts. lots of movement still.
cravings & aversions: i pretty much don't want anything to do with food at this point but sometimes i get super hungry and want something really specific
looking forward to: meeting this baby! so surreal that it could happen pretty much anytime now!
things to add: last week of work, wahoo!

36 weeks

how far along: 36 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: 16 gained, no stretchmarks
best moment this week: kameron came to my office last week & surprised me! i work totally alone since the rest of my team is in colorado, so it was a fun break in my boring week :)
worst moment this week: waking up at 3:45 am on saturday morning for no reason at all, and not being able fall back to sleep.
miss anything?: SLEEPING.
symptoms & movement: everything hurts. lots of movement still.
cravings & aversions: i needed a brownie sundae yesterday- not really out of the ordinary for me ;) i want absolutely nothing to do with meat.
looking forward to: october. it starts on wednesday, just sayin! 
things to add: i feel exactly how i look in the picture this week. like crap. 

35 weeks

how far along: 35 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: 16 gained, no stretchmarks
best moment this week: finishing up my "to get" list for the baby's room! and having a fun little weekend. spending time with kameron when we have nothing specific to do is the best.
worst moment this week: nada. it was a good week.
miss anything?: fitting in between my car and the trash can in the garage...looks like the trash needs to move until further notice.
symptoms & movement: rib pain and headaches mostly. i also don't sleep anymore (or it feels that way). but every time i feel a little jab to my ribcage, i smile :)
cravings & aversions: no specific cravings, but aversions to meat again
looking forward to: the next 35 days! i know that due dates are just an estimate, but it feels so close.  wahoo!!!
things to add: only 3 weeks left of work until i go on maternity leave! not that i'm counting. 

34 weeks

how far along: 34 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: 13 gained, no stretchmarks
best moment this week: beating iowa on saturday :)
worst moment this week: nothing i can think of specifically!
miss anything?: just the usual
symptoms & movement: rib pain, headaches, sleeplessness, and braxton hicks. movement has slowed down a little but i still feel it plenty...i think boo is running out of room in there!
cravings & aversions: craving fried rice and cold things again. no specific aversions
looking forward to: our hospital tour this week
things to add: need to go apologize to the t-shirt in this picture...clearly it needs to be retired until further notice. 

33 weeks

how far along: 33 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: 13 gained, no stretchmarks
best moment this week: seeing boo for (maybe) one last time on the ultrasound screen!
worst moment this week: when we were tailgating, someone told me that they didn't like capone. you know my mama bear claws came out.
miss anything?: feeling normal
symptoms & movement: rib pain, being constantly hungry, being incapable of putting on my own shoes. so much movement that sometimes i feel like an elbow is going to come busting out of my belly button
cravings & aversions: craving pumpkin pie blizzards from DQ...so good. aversions to brats still, and spaghetti maybe.
looking forward to: watching the iowa state game this weekend & my friend annie's birthday party!
things to add: currently taking bets for how long my belly button can hold on to it's "innie" status...we are looking pretty shallow and it's freaking me out

32 weeks

how far along: 32 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: between 12-15 gained, no stretchmarks so far.
best moment this week: the return of college football! 
worst moment this week: feeling the aftermath of not drinking enough water after tailgating for a whole day
miss anything?: just the regular things at this point- not getting winded so easily, sleeping through the night, etc.
symptoms & movement: being constantly tired and rib pain. still lots of movement, especially the past few days!
cravings & aversions: not craving anything specific right now unless you count lots of ice water. major aversion to brats all of a sudden...super inconvenient for tailgating!
looking forward to: our ultrasound on thursday
things to add: our due date is officially next month!! eeek i am so beyond excited! :)

31 weeks

how far along: 31 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: i think about 12 gained & no stretch marks
best moment this week: seeing so many of my friends & family at my baby shower!!
worst moment this week: finding that we have house guests in the form of mice. barf.
miss anything?: dressing myself without getting out of breath, sleeping
symptoms & movement: shortness of breath, rib pain, being tired all the time! so much movement...i love it! hiccups all the time :)
cravings & aversions: i could really go for some enchiladas. aversion to beef this week, so make those enchiladas chicken. (nice change of pace after 800 weeks hating chicken)
looking forward to: the first iowa state game this weekend! and starting our childbirthing class this week. is it weird that i'm kind of excited about that?!
things to add: i am so grateful for each and every person that came to our shower/called or texted to let me know they were thinking of me/sent a gift! boo has so much fun gear now, i can't wait to put it to use! 

and i am terrible at remembering to take pictures, so this is all i have! (and thanks to whoever i stole this picture from!)

30 weeks

how far along: 30 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: 9 lbs gained, no stretch marks
best moment this week: kameron took me on a date on friday- it was a total surprise and so fun! 
worst moment this week: i can't think of anything particularly bad :)
miss anything?: putting my socks on without an epic struggle
symptoms & movement: rib pain, headaches, total exhaustion. movement all the time!
cravings & aversions: still craving cold things, also sweet corn (we got some and it was soo good that i can't stop thinking about it). aversions to onions and chicken.
looking forward to: seeing some of my family and friends this weekend at my shower! and cake...because i wouldn't be me if i didn't add that.
things to add: nothing this week!

29 weeks

how far along: 29 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: 9 lbs gained & no stretch marks
best moment this week: seeing so many of my friends that i hadn't seen in a long time
worst moment this week: driving so much and feeling like this kid could come busting out of my ribcage at any moment
miss anything?: sushi! sounds so good lately. and sleep. 
symptoms & movement: so much rib pain. and headaches.
cravings & aversions: craving sushi and lemonade (but only the kind kameron makes because i'm snobby like that). aversions to lasagna, meat, and anything that smells fried. 
looking forward to: a low key weekend!
things to add:  i cannot believe i forgot to add this last week! there is a dairy queen within walking distance of my office and while i was in line the other day, a random man asked if i was pregnant (which you should never ask unless someone is like...crowning). i said yes and he asked if i was having a little boy or little girl. i said i didn't know. then he said "so does your baby have a dad?" EXCUSE ME WHAT?! i wish i could have seen the look on my own face. the guy making my ice cream was laughing so hard and i didn't even know what to say. i'm pretty sure that it was a lame (the lamest) attempt at a pick up line...like hey does your baby have a dad, cause if not i could be it!i swear the weirdest things happen to me.

28 weeks

how far along: 28 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: up 9 lbs! no stretch marks
best moment this week: watching kameron put the crib together
worst moment this week: headaches! thought we were done with those for sure. 
miss anything?: doing normal activities without feeling like i just ran a marathon
symptoms & movement: rib pain, headaches, and general discomfort
cravings & aversions: craving cold things (popsicles), lemons/lemonade, and pasta. aversions to fried food and chicken.
looking forward to: seeing my friend lauren this weekend at her baby shower- she is due two weeks before me with twins!
things to add: i have reached a whole new level of discomfort. as in i almost burst into tears on the way home yesterday because i was so uncomfortable sitting in the car for that long. i also ate an entire burrito and half a quesadilla when we got home...oops.

27 weeks

apparently 3rd tri starts either at 27 or 28 weeks depending on what book/website/doctor/neighbor you ask. apparently also when you ask your husband "does my hair look okay" for the picture and he says yes, you should double check for yourself.

how far along: 27 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: official weigh in tomorrow...my guess is +100. jk but it feels like it. no stretch marks
best moment this week: my mom visiting :)
worst moment this week: the headaches are back & they're trying to make up for lost time
miss anything?: sleeping through the whole night
symptoms & movement: headaches, shortness of breath, and waking up 8,000 times a night. lots of movement! i keep wondering when boo is going to run out of room to move & groove in there!
cravings & aversions: craving anything that doesn't require effort...kidding. kind of. anything cold and "light"! aversions to rich foods and meat still. briefly considered making tacos for dinner this week and just as quickly decided that is not a good idea.
looking forward to: seeing my family for a bit this weekend
things to add: boo officially has a little wardrobe going! my mom also brought our car seat & stroller that we had sent to her house and it was so fun to get them out of the box and play a little. so surreal that this kiddo will be here in 13 or so weeks!

26 weeks

how far along: 26 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: guessing +5 & no stretch marks
best moment this week: getting some of the crib bedding made! 
worst moment this week: more headaches
miss anything?: sleep!
symptoms & movement: waking up all the time, shortness of breath, and the headaches that have come back to haunt me again. boo moves all the time & i cannot get enough of it
cravings & aversions: coconut popsicles and chips & salsa. aversions to meat & the smell of fried food
looking forward to: my mom's visit this weekend 
things to add: nothing this week!

25 weeks

sparkly sweatpants & topknot brought to you by the fact that i am lazy & nothing else fits me at this point. ask kameron how much he loves these pants.

how far along: 25 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: i would be surprised if i wasn't at +5 by this point...definitely feeling like i had a growth spurt in the past couple weeks. no stretch marks yet! :)
best moment this week: sleeping a little later than normal on sunday...sleep is gettin weird so it's so nice to sleep in a little!
worst moment this week: thinking i could still squeeze into some under armour shorts when we went grocery shopping. i was regretting that about 3 minutes after stepping foot in the store. cue maternity shorts shopping & finding only things that i would wear...never. the hunt continues.
miss anything?: sleeping normally & not asking for kameron's help every time i need to get out of bed or off the couch...it only gets worse from here, right? :)
symptoms & movement: waking up at night, struggling to move like a normal person, fatigue, and round ligament pain...weeeeee. still tons of movement!
cravings & aversions: still craving cold & fruity things. still hating meat, especially the buffalo wings that kameron ordered the other day...woof.
looking forward to: my mom coming up to visit soon & going to bed every night this week. 
things to add: i'm not exactly sure what the definition of nesting is, but i 409-ed the outside of our house this weekend. i also built a little shelf (which i am super proud of). just had to share that i do more than sit on the couch and watch criminal minds ;)

23 & 24 weeks + update

i know, i missed last week! sorry for the lack of picture, my chalkboard was packed and i was in no condition to be photographed ;)

can we talk about how much i hate this picture? we chose this spot on the wall for the chalkboard & it turned out to be a terrible idea. the lighting sucks, the wall color sucks, and if i stand on the other side, there is a giant shadow. here's to hoping i can convince kameron to move it before next monday.

how far along: 24 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: probably at least +1 or 2, no stretch marks
best moment this week: knowing that we are done driving long distances for the forseeable future. in the last week, we have driven a total of about 24 hours. and when i say we, i mean kameron because he is the sweetest and doesn't make me drive. and finding a dairy queen right across from my office...stay tuned for more weight gain, folks. and also my birthday ;) oh! and getting a surprise ultrasound at my new doctor- boo had the hiccups and we got the most amazing pictures.
worst moment this week: unpacking. do you see a trend here? i hate packing and i hate unpacking. i'd rather just leave all my stuff where it is, thank you.
miss anything?: knowing where things are. seriously, i have no idea how to even get home if i go anywhere, including the mailbox.
symptoms & movement: i have been getting worn out so easily lately. not sure if it's all the excitement of the last few weeks or if the babe is slowing me down. movin & groovin all day long! it's especially weird at night when i lay down...i can usually feel exactly where boo is hanging out in my belly!
cravings & aversions: craving the giant ice cream cake in my freezer & ice water. still hating meat.
mood: happy! i had a bit of a meltdown this past week over moving & getting everything organized. change is hard for me to begin with, but add in the pregnancy hormones and consider me a basket case. i feel better now though.
looking forward to: finally having everything unpacked & in it's proper place. we are getting there, but i still have a ways to go!
things to add: 7 years ago today, my grandfather passed away. it was really difficult for me and i think about him all the time, and especially since i have been pregnant (both times). in my first pregnancy, before it was officially labeled a miscarriage, my due date got changed a few times. the final date they gave me was today. i think the dr (and myself) both knew at that point that the pregnancy was not viable based on dates, but it gave me a little bit of peace to have that date line up. & now with boo, today is viability day! that doesn't mean much to anyone but me probably, but it basically means that if i were to go into early labor, the doctors would try to save boo. labor before 24 weeks is not considered viable, and the odds of the baby surviving are very slim. the odds of survival at 24 weeks is just slightly over 50% & those odds climb each week from here on out. i like to think that somehow my grandpa has a hand in all this. so, thanks for viability & taking care of my angel, grandpa :)



how far along: 23 weeks
weight gain & stretch marks?: probably +1 & on my way to +2, no strech marks
best moment this week: going to fort collins one more time before we move & hanging out with kameron's parents. they are so much fun & i am so lucky to have joined their family!
worst moment this week: packing and packing and cleaning and packing
miss anything?: not living out of a suitcase
symptoms & movement: waking up at all hours of the night, always feeling hungry! lots of movement- boo is super active right before bed!
cravings & aversions: craving sweets & cold drinks. not loving meat or pizza randomly for a day this week.
mood: happy & anxious
looking forward to: getting to minnesota & getting settled
things to add: nada



well, we are officially minnesotans! i'm not sure how i feel about it. but i felt this way when we moved to colorado and grew to love it, so i am sure i will adjust at some point. our new house was really underwhelming for me at first, so i know that didn't help. luckily, as we put things in their places, i am starting to really like it. our little yard backs up to some woods & capone is in heaven checking out the noises and trees and dirt. i can tell how much happier he is that he has stairs to run up and down and a yard to destroy. juneau is not sure what to think yet. her birthday was yesterday & kameron fed her an entire banana (her favorite treat ever) and she kept taking the pieces hesitantly, like "why are we in a new house and you are giving me this whole banana...what are you about to do to me?" it probably doesn't help that we moved in last tuesday and then left on wednesday night for our friend's cabin. we have spent only 3 nights in our house!

for the 4th we went "up north" (someone pinch me if i start saying that for real...gag) and spent some time at kameron's best friend's cabin. it was just kameron and i & shawn and his girlfriend (and all of our pups!). i am so thankful that i get along well with her, because i can handle about two hours of shawn and kameron together before i start to lose my marbles. the boys fished every day & we shopped a little and kept the puppies entertained.

my birthday was saturday & after we returned home from the cabin, i made kameron take me to the mall of america (which i have had enough of for the time being) and then we went to dinner. it was nice & i was thankful to have some down time after pretty much a week of non-stop activities.

otherwise...we are still unpacking (obviously, since i can't stop bringing it up), we have eaten pancheros twice in the three days we have actually been in the cities (what? i missed it a lot), and i passed my minnesota driver's test. i have started sort of working on the nursery, and there is not an ice maker in our new freezer, which really pisses me off. and my mom comes back from vacation today, which is so exciting for me because i can call her at my regular time every morning & not feel bad about it. sorry mom, your vacations are rough on me! :) enough rambling, maybe i will be back next week with a little house tour!

xoxo, e