Hungry as a...

So I am hungry all the time now...I mean ALL of the time. Turns out progesterone is actually an appetite stimulant. Hello...I'm pregnant! Isn't that an enough of an "appetite stimulant"?! I'm also very susceptible to food commercials. I pretty much crave whatever I see...good thing I can't actually convince Steve to go get any of it for me or we might be in trouble.

What's amazing is that with all of this eating...I'm still on the low side of my weight gain! Where does it all go? We'll find out when a have a 12 lb baby I guess! : ) For now, I'm just being a lot more careful going around corners. I'm definitely at the stage now where I'm doing the "belly bump" on a few countertops and low-lying 2 year olds : )

Baby Names

So here come's the fun (?) part of being pregnant and knowing what you're having. Choosing a name! And not just any name, the PERFECT name that you love, your husband loves, your 2 yr old can pronounce, and that will be cute when he's little, strong when he's older, and goes so well with your last name because he won't ever get the marriage name change so it better go really well...kind of name. That's a lot of pressure people!

So what do I do? I grab a couple of trusty "name my baby for me" baby name books at my local library and do what I do to make all my tough decisions. Randomly open to a page and point to my answer. Although I have to say it's not working out so well for me this time. No offense to all you Barinubus' and Jebediah's out there but I just don't think those will work.

But I do have to say looking though all these names has been quite entertaining. It's interesting to see what Steve's picks are and what mine are, and how they are sometimes completely off the wall different from each other. I always thought Steve would go for the more traditional names, but I think he would name our son Blade, or something the like if I let him...scary, I know. I on the other hand, like some "different" one's myself. For instance if I was living a little more hippie I totally would go for a name like River.

Anyway, we've had lots of laughs over "does anyone really name their kid this?" names, and finding out a little more about the meaning of our own names. In one of the books, "The New Baby Name Survey: What impression will you baby's name make?" is says the name Steven ( with a "v" of course, the "ph" s are a whole other matter...

gives the impression of:

Image: Steven proves that social skills are the difference between having nerdy characteristics and being a full-blown nerd. Steven is seen as a charming, easygoing guy with a good heart. People imagine he's smart, studious, and into books and computers, but he's too well liked to get the "nerd" label.

Oh my little Steven...doesn't this just suit him to a tee? We both read it and couldn't believe how well it described my little charming mechanical engineer.

Apparently my name impression is that I'm a bit of a snob...but I'm too stuck up to write about that here. Anyway, if you're looking for a couple of good laughs...head on down your nearest baby name book aisle. It's sure to give you a quite a few! : )

New Year Tips

Here are a few organizational tips I found in one of my magazines this past month. The new year always seems to spark the desire for more order in my house, so here are a few things I hope will get me started!

Unclutter With Color:
To make organizing less painful, place colorful dot stickers on thins you're not sure you're ready to part with. If you wear the shirt, use the breadmaker, or play the board game sometime in the next 6 months, peel off the sticker. After 6 months, anything that's still dotted goes to goodwill!

Assign a Color Scheme:

For those of you with young children, banish cries of "It's not mine!" by color-coding your kids gear all through the house. Stick to a signature shad for each child's toothbrush, bath towel, and backpack, so you can tell at a glance what belongs to who. Use colored bins as a handy drop spot that get emptied each night before bed.

Maximize Your Minutes:

Got a few seconds to spare? Don't just stand there- declutter! Keep a list of super-quick organizing tasks, then tackle one when you're, say, waiting for the water to boil. Use the time to chuck expired food from the fridge. Minutes here and there can add up to a tidier house.

Our "Babymoon"

Steve and I have been talking about spending a weekend away together before the little man comes in a couple of months. Aubrey is old enough now to stay with Grandma and Grandpa and we don't have a newborn yet that needs our attention....so what does that mean? Babymoon!

No, we're not jetting off to the Bahamas ( although anyone willing to contribute to such a trip is more than welcome), we're actually just spending the weekend in Downtown Kansas City, but I am still so excited!

Grandma and Papa Kent are watching Aubrey and we will go down Friday night to our romantic hotel on the Plaza ( a fun outdoor shopping/restaurant destination downtown that is styled after Spanish architecture complete with full European fountains). The Plaza has one of the biggest light displays around during the holidays and the lights stay lit through this weekend : )

We are staying at the newly - remodeled The Raphael Hotel in a suite overlooking the Country Club Plaza.

We're going to use our Christmas gift card to PF Changs (Thanks Jason and Crystal) to enjoy some delicious lettuce wraps and toddler-free dining, and then maybe pop over to the Melting Pot for their famous chocolate fondue for dessert.

Then we plan on sleeping in and spending Saturday however we want! There are art museums, eclectic shops, delicious restaurants, and plenty of other undiscovered sites for us to explore. I'm sure the time will go by so quickly, but just the thought of a whole day spent together just doing what we please on a whim sounds heavenly! We have been so busy lately with church callings, parenting, work, and regular old life that we are so excited to have this little marriage battery recharge this weekend.

So if you need us, you'll know where to find us....but try not to look too hard, ok? : )