Thirty-something

Yesterday marked my official transition from a 30 year-old to a thirty-something - an adjective that will describe my age for the next 9 years.  To celebrate, I spent the day in my pajamas until about lunchtime, finishing up a little knitting project and listening to talk radio.  Um.  Wow, I really do sound like I'm getting old!  

But, at the end of the day, I put on a dress and my handsome husband treated me to a cozy dinner at a cute new spot in town.  We nibbled on kimchi, venison, foie gras and quail (not all at the same time), and I sipped on some homemade ginger brew while perusing enviously over their fancy cocktail menu.  I have definitely missed having a proper drink with good company these past 8ish months, and last night was no exception.  It was so nice out, and although we live downtown, we hardly ever spend our evenings right in the middle of the city, so last night was a bit of a treat for both of us.

Keeping the festitvities going, tomorrow, our friends are hosting a crawfish boil to celebrate the great weather and a couple of May birthdays, including my own.  It'll be our second boil so far this year, and I am seriously stoked to get my grub on once again.  I'm pretty sure I ate my [pregnancy] weight in crawfish at the last one, and apparently, Gui's coworkers are still talking about it.  

Bon week-end, everyone!

35 weeks and full of complaints

Those third-trimester ailments I've heard so much about have finally caught up to me.  I've just got a few more weeks to go (hopefully!), but this baby isn't making it easy on me.  Apparently, she's about the size of a honeydew these days, and besides the extra weight I'm carrying, she really enjoys drop-kicking my sides and pushing down on every sensitive nerve in my pelvis.  Are these signs of what's to come when she's finally made her entrance into the world?  Geesh, I hope not!

So, going through the list of possible third-trimester discomforts, I seem to be right on track.  Pelvic pain? Check!  Swollen toes and fingers?  Check!  Breathlessness?  Check!  Constant fatigue?  Check!  Lower back pain?  Check!  Nausea, pregnant-girl waddle, sleeplessness?  Check, check, check!  And it sure doesn't help that I'm a big ball of clumsy these days, too.  I drop everything on the floor and can't help bumping my ever-large bump into everything and everyone in my path.  It's so embarrassing.

But, we're nearing the end now and as uncomfortable as I've been lately, my mind hasn't stopped thinking about meeting our little girl.  I'm looking forward to the day when I'll read back through this blog post and laugh about how futile my pregnancy complaints were while staring at the beautiful creature that caused all the fuss.  I only have a few weeks left to endure all the uncomfortable woes of pregnancy and I know it's all for the most worthy cause of all.  No pain, no gain, right?

Le week-end

It's Friday!  We kicked off the weekend with a little trip to our favorite South Congress vintage shop and then dined en terrasse at our favorite Austin pizzeria.  The light is so lovely this time of year, and although it was rather hot today, it was a pretty mild and pleasant evening.  

Last weekend, I was spoiled with a prenatal massage, did a bit of bike-riding and celebrated Eeyore's birthday with Austin's finest hippies.  Most of this weekend is still up in the air, but it is Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, so I do know that, at the very least, I'll be grubbing on some gorditas and roasted corn (you'll have to check back for the photos).  There are lots of other things going on around town this weekend, too, so we'll just have to see where the wind takes us.  It's so nice to live in a city where the weather is expected to be nice and there's always something to be celebrated.  

Girly girl

Since finding out that we're having a girl, I've been having a hard time resisting all the cute baby clothes and accessories I keep seeing everywhere.  It's amazing how cute little girls clothes are these days - not everything is pink and polka dots or flowery pastels  like I remember it used to be.  Everything I've been crushing on is basically a mini interpretation of what I'd want to wear (naturally), so although I've been pretty good at being reasonable, I haven't been able to say no to everything. 

I'm kind of in love with vintage baby clothes, too, which makes for even more temptation.  While on vacation last weekend, I scooped up a sailor dress and sun suit that will be perfect attire for the summer heat. And, the other day, while browsing a shop for non-baby-related stuff, I stumbled upon the cutest stuffed animal and had to take her home with me.  It totally reminded me of something my crafty grandma would have made, and it seems like a good way to sort of connect the generations.

We're also extremely lucky having friends and family with good taste who are equally eager to buy a cute girl outfit and gift it to us, or who have had sweet babies of their own to dress up.  Everyone keeps reminding me how babies grow out of their clothes almost weekly, so between my inability to resist and the generosity of loved ones, I think we're pretty much set for the first 6 months at least.  Let's just hope we really do end up having a girl!

Four years

Four years ago, I was standing in front of the mayor of Châtillon in a roomful of loved ones (including my sweet mama), promising to them and everyone else that I would love and cherish Guillaume as my husband for as long as I lived.  On that day, we laughed a little coyly when the mayor talked about where we'd write down the birth of each of our children in the famous livret de famille and how we'd have to call her office if we had more than 10 children (the "family book" only leaves space for 10 children to be documented).  So, here we are, four years later and a few weeks away from updating our livret with our premier enfant.  

These past four years have been such an adventure for Gui and me, so much so that it seems like it's flown by.  Now that we're adding a new member to our family, those first four years of marriage when it's been just him and me seem that much more special.  From 2008 to today, we've become a family of two, making decisions about our future together, dealing with crises, celebrating triumphs and preparing to bring a brand new life into our world.  If these first four years are any indication of our future, I'm anxious to get there.  I could not be a happier wife, and I could not ask for a happier life than the one I've created with Gui.  

Happy anniversary, indeed.

Belly reality check

I can't believe how big and round my belly is.  Gui took a few photos of me today, and even though I see myself in the mirror every single day, I didn't realize how much my bump had grown until I'd looked over the pictures.  I'm just glad I don't feel as big as I look these days - it's hard to believe there are still two more months left for my belly to grow even more.  I just can't even imagine it.