Fall is here

My favorite time of the year! Although I'm having a really hard time with it getting dark so early in the evening (not sure why it matters, I'm usually in bed by 9 anyway!) and staying dark so much longer in the morning. I love waking up with it light out at 5am! I wont complain though, pumpkin spice lattes are out, Halloween stuff is starting to appear in stores...LOVE this time of the year!

Yesterday was a perfect day. I woke up early, got dinner ready in the crock pot before Joe got home from work and then took off to run errands. First stop was the social security office. Talk about a great place to people watch! I entered as a Katie Brooke Vincent and left as a Katie Brooke Vincent Sanderson. Finally! I had lunch with the girls at 12:30 and it was the most relaxing lunch yet. I didn't have to rush back to work and we got to sit and talk for 2 hours. It's amazing what friend time can do for your mood! After that I met Kim and Sophie at Starbucks. A perfect ending to a perfect day! Oh! I even squeezed in my first load of baby laundry. As the picture at the top shows, I was so too worried to put them in the dryer so I hung them up. :) So cute to see a rack full of tiny clothes hanging up!

Today is another busy day. DMV to get a new license, coffee date, we have someone coming from the life insurance company to give Joe his physical at 1 and then we have a doctor appointment at 4. How did I ever fit all of this in when I was working?!

Weekend re-cap

Another busy weekend! Friday we went for dinner at Nostrana in Portland with Kim and George. It was SO good! Then we went downtown Vancouver and had ice cream at Ice Cream Renaissance. We'll definitely be going back there. All of their ice cream is homemade. Yum!

Saturday Joe and I had an all-day child birth class. It was a lot to take in but we both walked away feeling a lot more confident about everything. There were some pretty sad people in the class. Three single moms with their moms and a couple of girls who looked like they MIGHT be 17. One of those girls was at the class for her 4th time. Already has three little ones at home. The teacher asked why she decided to come for a 4th time and she said, "Gets me away from the kids for the day." Nice, huh? Joe was a great sport and handled all of the videos and discussions about what's about to happen to me great. I think he's definitely more at ease with everything than me! I didn't have any problem watching the birth video but I did have a problem watching the birthing of the placenta. Everyone says I wont remember it or see it but on the video it was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen! I guess I didn't realize that once the baby is out I have to keep pushing to get that out....hopefully everyone is right and it will be painless and memorable-less!

Yesterday was a pretty lazy day since Joe had to work all night. I read, grocery shopped and got stuff done around the house. Sundays are so different now that I don't have to be stressed about getting everything on my to-do list done before Monday. What didn't get done yesterday is on my list to do today!

Happy Monday!

Loving the 'retired' life

Ahhhhh....it feels so wonderful to be writing this at 9:15am from HOME. I thought on Friday I was making the biggest mistake ever, quitting my job. So funny how fast that feeling changed. I was worried I would wake up on Monday in a funk not having 'work' to go to. I haven't felt that way all week. In fact, I haven't even thought about work at all! Even though it hasn't even been a week since my last day, it already feels like a long time ago. I keep thinking, "I don't want to go back to that place" and then I remember I don't have to.

Monday Joe had the day off so we went and picked up our crib and rocking chair. Joe was so excited to put everything together when we got home! The crib is gorgeous! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Vincent! And our chair is perfect too. Everything is starting to come together in the nursery and it makes me feel so much more content and ready for baby. I love going in to the nursery and just sitting in the chair and imagining what it will be like in 7 weeks, holding our sweet little boy and rocking him. I get teary eyed just thinking about it, I can't wait!

Happy Thursday!

A work filled weekend

I'm definitely going to need a few days to recover from this weekend, we've been working all weekend. I came home for lunch on Friday and Joe had most of the flower beds pulled up in the front yard prepping them for new bark dust. We needed it bad. My mom helped him weed while I was at work and after we went to pick it out. We ended up hauling and using 4 1/2 yards for the front yard. It looks SO much better! I can finally look out the window and be happy with what I see. That project took all day Friday and most of yesterday.

While Joe was finishing up yesterday, my dad started in on the back yard. We haven't been able to successfully grow grass ever. Our back yard looks like Iraq. Tons of sand and no life. Dad cut the dead grass into squares and this morning Joe started pulling it all up and hauling it to the dump. 4 truck loads later it's almost all gone. Now we have a fresh start, going to plant new grass and can once again enjoy our back yard. Yes!

I helped as much as I could but stopped when Joe yelled at me for lifting and throwing 30 pound pieces of sod. If it doesn't hurt I feel like it's ok to do but per his demands, I stopped. I did more of the light work like weeding, pressure washing, spreading bark and best of all, watching. :)

We decided last minute to not go camping. The weather made a turn for the worst and although it never rained, we would've froze at the lake. And it definitely wasn't nice enough for boating. I'm glad we didn't go though, we got so much accomplished. Our little guy will have a beautiful yard to come home to now, not one filled with weeds and dead grass!

Joe's off tomorrow. And so am I! Best. Feeling. Ever. Our plan is to go pick up our glider for the nursery as well as the crib. So exciting!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

TGIF

Had to title this post TGIF. Will I still think TGIF after today? I definitely think Fridays will be less exciting when I'm not always waiting for the weekend. Or maybe I'll be even more excited for weekends---Joe will be off and can relieve me of some of the baby duties? We shall find out!

I can't believe today is my last day of work. I'm so excited yet scared at the same time. Scared because I have no idea what to expect now. Quitting has been so far off in the future and now it's here. In less than 2 months we'll have a baby and I really have no idea what to expect with that! I dreamed all night about the new girl and her taking over my job. I'm worried she's going to go in on Monday and not have a clue what to do. I don't want that to make me look bad but then again, she's only been there 3 days after today. There's a lot to learn, especially since she really has no idea what she's doing. I honestly don't think she'll be there long. But maybe I'm wrong.

Went to the concert at the lake last night. Joanna---JOE WENT WITH! Probably only because he knows I would've given him a big guilt trip had he not gone. Especially since he had just finished golfing and motorcycle riding and doing whatever he wanted all day. :) I don't think it was as bad as he thought it would be. Can't wait for next summer! Such a fun thing to do on a nice summer night!

Ok, off to finish my last day of my 3 1/2 year career. It might be sad today, especially with everyone saying how much they'll miss me (haha, liars?), but next week it will be like I never existed. Such as life.

Happy Friday!

32 Weeks

32 weeks and getting bigger and bigger by the minute! I had a dream (or nightmare) last night that I looked in the mirror and my belly button was totally popped out. For some reason that just creeps me out....hopefully I can make it another 8+ weeks without that happening!

We had a baby appointment on Tuesday and everything is still looking great, right on target for 10/14/10 due date. I think Joe and I are both kinda hoping Mr. No Name will make his appearance a few days earlier and come on 10/10/10. :)

Tomorrow is my last day of work and I couldn't be happier! Especially now that new girl has started. It's exhausting trying to train someone and explain every little thing I do. My throat is sore this morning, I think it's from talking every minute of yesterday. I signed her up for some webinars today so that will be nice. For both of us! She was never told she'd be doing all of the stuff I do, she thought she was strictly going to be a title clerk (and I never deal with titles) so it should be interesting. Don't think she was a very happy camper yesterday and I can't blame her. Apply for a title clerk position and end up doing everything but that.

Tonight: last concert at the lake! I'm still trying to convince Joe that he should go but he's not very excited. And I really know he wont want to go when I tell him the music tonight, "The Smilin' Scandanavians." The description says they promise toe tappin' Midwestern polka, Scandanavian folk, traditional country western, Dixieland and big band swing. Not exactly his style. I'll report back tomorrow how it goes. If he ends up going!

7:16?!

Another beautiful day! I must say I'm looking forward to the cool down tomorrow. There's no AC where I sit at work so it's been a miserable few days at work.

Had a great lunch in the park with Joanna, Alyssa and Kendra yesterday. It went way too fast but that's ok. It was my last Monday lunch that I have to rush back to work! Hopefully we can do it again next Monday---I'm sure there will be lots of good stories from the MM Class of 2000 reunion! I wish Kendra, Joanna and I could crash it! I can't believe our reunion will be next summer. In some ways it doesn't seem like it's been 10 years, in other ways it seems like a lifetime ago.

My replacement at work still hasn't started yet. I was told she'd be starting yesterday but she still hasn't shown up. It's a bummer (for her) because I could've trained her how to do payroll and a lot of other stuff that I only do twice a month. I'm also busy getting ready for a big promotion that starts Friday and I'm working with all media outlets to coordinate everything. It would be nice if she could be there to watch and see how I do it....but no such luck. I guess it's not rocket science. I never had anyone train me and had to figure it all out for myself. Kinda weird though....

Happy Tuesday!

Last case of the Mondays.......

My last chance to complain about it being Monday and having to face another work week! I don't think it's really hit me yet....see how I'm feeling next Monday!

We had such a great weekend! We left our house at 7am on Saturday and headed north. The Sanderson side of Joe's family has a big family picnic/reunion every year so that was our main reason for going up. It was such a fun day! We were at the most gorgeous house right on Lake Sawyer.

Possibly my new favorite dessert to make...isn't it pretty!?!

Gorgeous view of Lake Sawyer.....wish we were still there!

After the bbq we got to meet our new nephew, Weston. They got released from the hospital Saturday evening so we went to Matt's in-laws to visit all of them. He's such a cutie! Can't believe we're next in line!

Yesterday Joe and his cousin Gil went mountain biking at Crystal Mountain. 7 miles up and 7 miles back down. I don't know how he does it! The biked up the double blacks that they normally ski DOWN. Going up those hills sounds miserable! While he did that I hung out with my in-laws and got to see baby again.

We got home at around 10 last night. Tired this morning but I'm starting to get really excited for Friday so I know that'll keep me going! 5 days!

31 Weeks

I really didn't like my 31 week picture today so you get a picture of shoes instead! One of my drivers brought me a gift yesterday, a tiny pair of Nike's. His daughter works at Nike headquarters so he brought them in for me. Aren't they adorable? I got home from work last night and Joe had them sitting by his shoes. So cute!

Happy Thursday!

Read!

Yesterday after work I went to the Longview Public Library. It's an amazing place! We spend (what seems like) so much money on books, why haven't we been using this place before now?! I checked online before I went to make sure they had the book I wanted. How easy is that? And it gives me motivation to really read since it's due on the 31st. The book just wont sit around for months....and when I'm done I can give it back, don't have to have a huge pile of books sitting around!

The picture above is our library. It's one of my favorite buildings in town. Isn't it gorgeous? It might be my new love. :)

I did it! After stressing for days about doing it, I finally gave my two-week notice at work yesterday. My original plan was to work until August 25th, the last day of the pay period, but Joe has his long week off starting the 19th so we decided to have my last day be the 20th so we can spend time together on his break. I was SO nervous all day yesterday. I decided to go tell my boss at 4:30. After stressing for 7.5 hours, I went and got one last pep talk from my friend Robby and then went into his office. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He told me all about my replacement (I've known about her for months) and said, "Her name is Katy, does that make you feel bad?" Let me think about it.....NO.

My last day will be the 20th, unless they decide they don't need me that long. Katy is starting on Tuesday now that they know I'm done soon. Maybe they wont want to keep me until the 20th with her there. We shall see!

Anyway, I'm so relieved I did. A little bittersweet though too. I'll definetely miss some of the people that work there. I know I'll still see those people after I'm gone, it's just not as easy as walking from my desk to their desk. I think the hardest part is grasping the fast that I wont be working two weeks from now. It's all I know! We've known I would quit when we had a baby even before I had got pregnant but everything has just come so fast. Including working there for almost 4 years. It doesn't even seem possible. Lots of life changes have happened to me since I've been there. Diagnosed with cancer, engaged, a marriage and now a baby. All in 3 1/2 years!

I'm so glad I'll have time to get rested up and spend time getting things ready before baby comes. As my mom always says, in a few weeks I'll begin the hardest job I'll ever have. I can't wait to start my new adventure!

Concert at the Lake

Last night we all went to the concert at Lake Sacajawea. Had I known how much fun they are, I would've gone to all this summer---now there are only 2 left! Definitely be going next week and the week after. Need to soak in all summer activities before it's too late! Next Thursday The Buckles will be performing. Heard of them? Me either. Apparently they blend "classic honky-tonk" with the Beatles. Can't wait to see what that's like!

After the concert we went to Cold Stone...my first time there. I got a 'like it' size and I'm pretty sure baby loved it. He kept me awake longer than usual with some pretty vicious kicks and moving around. Can't imagine what those kicks will start feeling like in the weeks to come as he gets bigger and stronger!

This weekend: Breann and Tylor's wedding tomorrow night at the Hilton in Vancouver! I am SO excited for this wedding! Breann was in my sorority and I fell in love with her as soon as I met her. She's so classy and I know her wedding is going to be stunning. I can't wait to see her in her gorgeous dress! She's marrying a Kelso boy, hoping they'll move back eventually!

Hope everyone has a great weekend....even if it does end up raining. Summer, come back and visit!

30 Weeks!

You can always tell when Joe's working---I have to take silly self portraits!

I follow a blog called The Southern Belle Baby and for her weekly baby updates she did a short survey---I'm going to copy her and try it this week!

How far along? 30 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still have no clue! I always strike up a conversation with the nurse now as I step on the scale...she starts talking and doesn't stop to say the weight and just writes it on my chart!!! I had a new nurse on Tuesday though so I said, "I don't need to know" as I stepped on the scale. She said, "It's really not as bad as you think." Maybe she's right, maybe she has no idea what I think is bad! ;)

Maternity clothes? Yes, yes, yes. Gone are the days of wearing regular pants...even with my Bella Band. So uncomfortable! Still wearing (some) pre-pregnancy tops though, like the one pictured above. Getting a little tight though!

Sleep: Such a beautiful word! And that's all I've wanted to do lately. My energy, like my blog, has been non-existent the past few days. Even after sleeping for 8 hours a night. Big bummer.

Best moment this week: Finally deciding when I'll give my two week notice at work. The end is near and sleep is calling my name!

Movement: Think he's going to be a soccer player! Most movement is in the morning and right before I go to bed. Or whenever Joe shines a flash light on my tummy. He kicks immediately--or is probably finding his hands to cover his eyes!

Food cravings: Still nothing crazy. Now that I've made it this long without cravings I'm wondering if they're really true. Like the women who make their husbands get up in the middle of the night to go to McDonald's? Not buying it! Still loving my fruit though. Ate 4 pounds (not a typo) of blueberries in 2 days. Whoops.

Gender: Better still be a boy!

Labor signs: No thank you!

Belly button in or out? Still normal as of this morning. Joe says babies goal is to make it pop out in the next 10 weeks. I'm hoping that's not the case...

Stretchmarks? Not as of this mornings daily stretch mark check!

What I'm looking forward to: Having more time to nest when I'm done working, childbirth class and seeing our little guy for the first time.

Weekly wisdom: Listen to your body. I think I've overdone it more than once and now I feel like I'm paying for it....

Milestones: 30 weeks! We could have a baby in less than 10 weeks, hopefully I don't go over more than 40!

Weekend re-cap

Feeling pretty sleepy this morning from another super busy weekend.

Joe picked me up from work on Friday and we had a date night. Dinner at Roots in Vancouver and dessert at YoCream. And then some shopping at Cascade Station. It was a great night!

Saturday was pretty relaxed---yet it still seemed busy. I managed to sneak in a two hour nap. The house was empty and bed was calling my name. I've never been a napper but it felt SO good. Guess I must've needed it. I then woke up and felt like my tummy had grown outwards a couple of feet. I think baby is going through a growth spurt and making me tired! Or maybe not. But that's a pretty good excuse to my laziness lately!

Yesterday I went to a baby shower and then we had my sisters birthday. Another great day!

I'm definitely not ready for work today. I remember it being so hard to get motivated the last month or so of school. Burnt out and ready for summer. I'm starting to feel this way about work. The end is getting near and I'm feeling really burnt out and just ready to be done. Joe wants me to be done now so we can do things before baby comes but I'll keep on truckin' for a bit longer....

Is it Friday yet?