More work on the kitchen cabinets...

Lately I have been up to my home projects again. I have been inspired by my friend Molly, after seeing some of her paint work turn out beautifully!

In a post about a year (?) ago, I showed pictures of hardware I installed on our kitchen cabinets. Well yesterday I got a wild hair to accentuate some of the trim work on them. I broke out some chocolate-colored paint and finished up the project today. We're still not quite there with the kitchen, but it's definitely making progress. Ahh how I love my home projects... :-)

Happy 8th Anniversary to Conrad and Me!

I told Conrad it's amazing how much has changed in only eight years. We've lived in three houses, have moved to another state, and are expecting our third baby. It's almost like it's hard for me to imagine what my life was before I met Conrad because it seems like I've grown up knowing him all along. I love my sweetheart so much and can't wait for many more years to come. Thank you for our beautiful family and thank you for my beautiful life. I love you Con.

Goodbye scorching sun, hello clouds

Can I say how thankful I am for the wonderful clouds and cool breezes that have brought the temperature down from last week's highs?

After a week of record-breaking temps (Wednesday it got to 103ºC -the hottest temperature ever recorded in Seattle), it has finally cooled down. Though I'm happy for the dramatic change, I will admit the hot weather made for some great memories. Some of my favorites are:

-Days at the lake swimming

-Bronwen and Ava camped out in our room. We made a nest for them on the floor all week because our bedroom was the only one with air-conditioning. I know I may be chastised for saying this, but I think it's cozy when the kids sleep in the same room as us -at least for now ;-)

-8 pm cool-down baths. I can still hear the girls laughing and squealing each time Conrad sprayed them with cold water

-Not feeling at all guilty for spending money to go out to dinner (turning on the oven when the house was literally in the 90s would have been crazy), go to the mall, go to the movies, go to Starbucks, go to basically anywhere with air-conditioning to avoid going back to our house that I lovingly dubbed "The Furnace"

And, basically just surviving the week. The weather did make my nausea come back, and with it, swelling in my hands and feet, and Conrad and I got virtually no sleep. But, surprisingly I think we're tougher because of it. Some friends went to a hotel to cool down, but I'm proud of us for staying strong. It's nice to know you can make it through anything with your best friend by your side. It seems like for us, the hard times usually make the best memories.

I do have one question though...How did I survive summers in Albuquerque? Lol!

Summer Fun

Bronwen and Ava completed their first week of swimming lessons at the nearby Henry Moses Aquatic Center. As expected, they are having a blast! So much so that we ended up buying a "Bruce the Shark" (Finding Nemo) pool for the backyard. Nothing like a good swim followed by a popsicle!

On another front, I think I am finally getting over my "morning" sickness. I'd like to find the person who coined that phrase! I was basically sick every day from lunch time to through the night. I guess that's what I get after worrying about a lack of nausea at the beginning of this pregnancy lol! There were even a few times when I would wake up in the middle of the night, so nauseous that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep for several hours. This was an entirely different beast! Thankfully though, this seems to be ending and the tummy is still growing!

My Big Girl is Five!

My beautiful girl turned five today. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. We had had my baby shower a week earlier, and even though she wasn't due for another four weeks, I was busy washing all of her little baby clothes and blankets. Conrad wondered why I was getting things ready so soon, but I knew she was coming. Sure enough a few days later I woke up at 2am with my water breaking. I hurried and packed my bag, showered, blow-dried my hair, made Conrad take a shower because, "labor could take all day," then finally left for the hospital. By the time we got there (it was only 1.5 hrs later), I was having contractions four minutes apart and was in some serious pain. An hour later the doctor checked me and said, "The bad news is that it is too late for any pain medication. The good news is that your baby will be here in less than an hour." Half an hour later, Bronwen Clara Douglas was born. I cried when I held her -our miracle was here!

Conrad and I had tried to have a baby for two years, and finally resorted to invitro fertilization. We were lucky that things took on the first try. As a side note we were given a <1% chance of ever conceiving naturally. I like to believe Bronwen is responsible for kick-starting the process as I am now pregnant with our third baby (naturally!). She really must have wanted siblings... :-)

Here are some pictures from her birthday party. I'd like to say thank you and I love you to my wonderful girlfriends. Bronwen had a wonderful time (and I did too!).

I love you my "Pocket Buddy" and happy birthday!

Baby Update

I got to see our sweet baby with his/her little heart beating this afternoon. Everything looks great (heart rate 136 -old wives tale says if below 140 it's a boy; due date is January 26th), and I'm feeling really good. Ironically this is one of the reasons I went in...

It seems as if from the moment this baby was conceived I've had one type of ache or another in my lower abdomen. I wasn't sure if it was just the muscles stretching out after such a long time of not being pregnant, or if it's because I'm 30 (I know it's not old, but it does make a difference lol!). Well, the pain seemed to be a little worse today, and then I didn't have any nausea at all. I know it may sound morbid, but when I feel terrible during pregnancy I am secretly relieved because then I think things are moving along in the right direction.

On that note, I went ahead and called the doctor. She told me to come in for an ultrasound. To my relief, the baby is fine, and the pregnancy became more real to me. I guess I'm going to have to trade in my sports car after all. Ack! ;-)

Happy One Year Anniversary Seattle!

Seattle Space Needle Views

Our Green Backyard (complete with rasberries, strawberries, blue berries, rosemary and thyme)

Bronwen and Ava Painting at Seattle Children's Museum

The best way I can describe Seattle is that this is a place where within seconds of visiting, I felt rejuvenated by the sweet air. Conrad, Bronwen, Ava and I have never been physically healthier. We live a stone's throw from several lakes and parks, and have a seemingly endless list of activities to enjoy. My favorite place is still Seattle Center, which we visited today. Happy anniversary Seattle, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.