But there is nothing that can compare with taking live lobster, cooking them and then dissecting and sucking the meat out of them. I know that sounds disgusting, but for a true Mainer it sounds blissful. So when we went up to Maine for Christmas, we devoured.

And it was amazing.

My sister-in-law’s dad is a lobsterman. So she was able to rummage up 12 lobster. Then her sister-in-law gave her 20 pounds of clams.

So we decided to make a paella, lobster and clams…obviously.

We cooked a couple lobster first to add the meat to the paella. Same with the clams.

We couldn’t find one specific recipe that had both clams and lobster in it so we combined the basics, added our own mix and created a miracle.

Then while the paella was finishing up we continued to cook the lobster and clams. It doesn’t take very long.

Finally. It was time to eat!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it just me or does this look delicious?

Notice that everyone got wine….everyone but me

I just got a cup of butter and boiled clam juice.

I didn’t drink them!

Gross.

They are for dipping. The Clam juice helps get the little gross grit out of the clam after you’ve pealed it and the butter is for succulent dipping and savoring.

Look at that paella!!!!!!!

So good.

My big bro also brought along a TON of beer for a little tasting with everyone….except for me. Which was actually ok because beer is disgusting. Really quite gross.

Then my sweet mommy made my most favorite dessert ever. I’ve been craving it for so long and always forget to ask my mom for the recipe. But this time I didn’t forget.

I started cutting off little one in pieces before anyone could notice…then my mom and sister saw and it turned into the whole first row disappearing and the lemon sauce having some little brown floaties in it. It was worth it.

It was a delicious and delectable way to spend one of the last nights of non-mommyhood with my family in Maine. We were so blessed and enjoyed so fully this wonderful part of my life. I’m sorry to make you slobber. But that too is part of life.

The best part of the whole evening, having all us kids together under one roof with our grandparents for the first time in over three years!

Even though I look like a cow…I was a very satisfied cow. With a very satisfied calf inside of me.

Forgive the yellowness of these pictures. I’m getting too lazy these days to go all super post edit. I promise to be better. Plus I have a new camera and it’s marvelous! This will make my post editing life so much easier.

5 weeks away from meeting our little girl!

Lovies.

We hit 34 weeks on Tuesday.

Which mean we are T minus 6 weeks away and counting. Though I am honestly rooting for somewhere in the 6-1/2 to 7 week mark because then my parents will be here. This is so crazy to me. I can’t even believe it. I feel like it was just yesterday we were realizing our lives were going to change. Then during 2nd trimester I felt so drawn out physically that I felt like I was going to be pregnant FOREVER!

But now things are winding down. I can tell my body is getting ready. I wish it would get my mind ready!

Our apartment is not ready.

We have a small one bedroom apartment with an office that we will be making into her room and having her sleep with us in our room for the first couple months. Our lease is pretty much up and we are planning on moving this summer anyway so we weren’t too worried about setting up a baby room completely, but now my nesting instincts are hitting and I’m getting antsy.

Still we are much more prepared than we were. God has been SO good. Can I tell you?! If you look at our baby website (which you should because it’s great) you’ll see that we have our registries up but we also have a wish list. And we already have most of the things on our list! And we either didn’t pay for them or got them super cheap or in great condition on Craigslist. THANK YOU CHICAGO!

My favorite so far is the glider we got. It’s a super expensive one that we got for a fraction of the cost from a great home. The mom wanted it for their fourth and final baby but then she never used it because of running around three other kiddo’s so it literally is in perfect condition. And it’s comfy and gorgeous and I can’t wait to cuddle with our little girl in this chair while we have our unrequited moments in the wee morning hours.  Once we get it up to the apartment I’ll have some pictures for you.

I’m feeling so thankful for what we have and getting nervous about what we have yet to get. But the lovely ladies in my Bible Study are putting on quite the Baby Shower as my sources tell me and I”m so excited! It’s only a couple weeks away! Then the final purchases can happen and maybe we can get all things ready for this little girl’s arrival.

Time for bed. I’m so tired!!!!!!!!

Lovies

The sweet couple that I photographed before Christmas!

You thought it was me didn’t you?

No no. But here is some cool information: they are due the same day that we are! But because they are having twinkles they are actually getting to meet their little surprises in late February! I’m so jealous!

Unfortunately I wanted to get some more time with them and with both of us being tired pregnant ladies, it was rather difficult to get the quality that I wanted. So here are some of my favorite shots that I got of them.

Hope you likey.

Lovies

But I have about one million thank you cards to write for all the fantastic gifts we got at the baby shower.

So I just wanted you to know, that I haven’t forgotten about you.

And I intend to show you some cute decoration ideas for our little makeshift room and get your feedback.

Bear…beer…bare…with me.

Lovies.

My sister’s decorations were exquisite. We are seriously trying to get her into opening an Etsy business. She made me this mobile from scratch!

These were all attached to a spray painted branch. Gorgeous.

She looked up what other people had done and improvised. I have to say that I love it so much more than any I’ve seen online. She really knows my taste. And she had the color scheme down to a tee. I may have mentioned it here….and as you’ll read it’s completely opposite of what I actually wanted. She knew that and she made such gorgeous decorations. Let me send you on a picture tour of the gorgeous house and my sister’s talent in crafts and food:

This was a little dress that some close friends from Ecuador sent up for our little girl. I love it! I can’t decide if I want to put it in a shadow box or let her wear it.

On top of that, we did all the presents and laughed through all the cute adorable girlie things. If I wasn’t excited about having a little lady before, I am so pumped now. Girl clothes and toys are SO great. I would love to take pics of all the cute stuff I got and show you one by one, but that would be more for me than for you and could get really boring.

So here are just a couple pics of the socialization at the shower.

This is my Mom, my sister (The Decorator), My Nan and My Aunt Cindy. My favorite ladies!

All in all it was a most wonderful event. I got so many beautiful things and my little girl’s closet is very very well equipt.

My favorite part of the day was thanking all these ladies for going to my bridal shower three-ish years ago and giving me negligees. They worked. Here I am bringing in a little kiddo into the world.

Lovies!

PS. Let me leave you with this video because it has become the theme of our house.

1. Many, much discomfort in the “Sleep” genre. I knew that sleep was going to be getting tricky and so I forced myself to start sleeping on my sides. I’ve talked about this before. Let me tell you, it’s even harder as I get bigger. You think gravity would help me out a bit and scootch me on to the side that I want to be on. Instead it seems to pull me back from either side so that halfway through the night I find myself on my back, short of breath, and with two sleeping legs, or at least one getting all crampy.

2. Her schedule, is definitely not my schedule. I was hoping that my being up on my feet at work all day would get her jiggling and moving. I’m on my feet 6-7 hours out of each 8-9 hour workday at Starbucks and its generally running around, or moving things, or lifting (not heavy stuff mom, I promise). I figured this gives us a good amount of activity time right? I believe she things opposite. I do get a few kicks here and there but nothing super strong until I get home. Right when I sit down and get comfy with some food or my nice evening snack she kicks in….and I mean really, really kicks in. She is all over the place. VISIBLY. My hubs just took a little video of it actually because she’s just so active. Then she keeps it up for pretty much the whole night. Like while I’m trying to go to bed. See #1.

3. The Hiccups. Oh the Hiccups. It hasn’t happened a ton but it’s hilarious when it does. She does it mostly when I’m at work, probably because I’m moving around so much all that water is getting her jumbled up. But sometimes I’ll feel it while I’m in bed, or sitting on the couch and it feels great. Even if she wakes me up with it, it’s fantastic. For the first time, I don’t feel annoyed by being awakened by this, I just sit there or lie there in completely joy.

4. Being sick and pregnant, isn’t fun. I’ve been sick for the past couple days and it’s getting worse and worse. Mostly because I’m too nervous to take anything that will really affect her. I have been on Dayquil a little bit and some tea and lemonade concoctions at work, but not too much. All the stuff I’ve read said Green tea and herbal tea isn’t the best for baby. But sometimes I just can’t help it. Still, kicking this cold is really getting the best of me and I’m going to take tomorrow off. The worst is that we have two days of work and then we leave for Maine for a week so I feel like I’m ditching work.

5. Flying is tough with a big belly. Luckily this past flight we were on Naph and I were together, but this coming flight we are flying separately. I’m not too enthused about that. The planes these days are just so stinking small and seats have no space. Try fitting a squirming baby in your belly to that mix and it’s rather uncomfy. This time I’ll be flying right before 32 weeks, which is the absolute max and I’m rather worried that I’ll be too worn out to return.

Ok. That is all that I can think of right now.

Hope you’re feeling much more comfy than me.

Lovies

Then February will hit and it’ll just be the waiting game. But we’ll have valentines and hopefully enough other distractions going on that I won’t even notice the time fly by.

SO. Yesterday was 29 weeks. Our little girl is the size of a butternut squash and getting chubbier and chubbier. The stuff I’ve been reading has been telling me she is about 2.5 pounds by now but I’m sure she’s bigger because she measured that at 27 weeks when we did the 3d ultrasound.

I was also told at that appointment that I’ve reached the max weight that I wanted to be at for this pregnancy….so I’ve really been forcing myself to make better decisions with food and not eating so impulsively. I was also craving Mocha’s in the second trimester and working at Starbucks really doesn’t allow me to cut down on that. But luckily this trimester I haven’t really been craving them as much. Now I’m totally content with my Fage yogurt, eggs, and cheese. I even made a spinach quiche the other day which is my major weakness.

It was going to last me until Friday.

It’s already gone.

Anywhoo. 29 weeks is flying right on by and soon I’ll be writing about being at 38 weeks and ready for my little girl to make an appearance.

Lovies

In fact, it’s actually not technically mine yet. I’m borrowing it from a barista at my store who happens to be a major photography aficionado and is going to school for it. He claims to have over 15 cameras and prefers to shoot with film rather than digitally. He is also looking at selling his current DSLR along with a great lenses and isn’t asking very much for it. This could be because he seems rather desperate for money…or because he’s just kind hearted. Whatever the case, I’m profiting from it and I’m happy.

He is letting me use this camera for a photoshoot I have tomorrow with a very pregnant sister of a friend of mine and her hubby. They are expecting twins in the next couple months…I think sometime right before or after me, but you know-twins change things.

So I’ve been taking some test shots around the house to just make sure I have this little sucker down. It is SO much different than my current camera. I own a Canon 20DSLR which is a good mid-range camera. It came out in 2004 and has a pretty low ISO compared to this new baby. But it’s treated me well and I’ve gotten incredibly used to the quality and size of the pictures, not to mention the ease of editing them since I prefer RAW images.

This “new” camera is the 50DSLR Canon which came out in 2008, so a good 4 years of improvements on this new contraption. My favorite of which was the viewing screen. The 20D has a 1″ viewing screen, this one is 3 inches. That’s wonderful for me because I wear glasses and have to squint all the time as it is. It also has so many conveniences that I can’t even begin to explain and, frankly, if you don’t do photography you don’t really care. But the biggest is that there is a quick button for certain lighting systems, and you can make your own complete settings on the dial. Plus the ISO goes ridiculously high, meaning I can shoot in low light which will be great for tomorrow since the shoot is outside, after 4pm. It’s winter time people…dark every where you go all the time!

So here are just a couple shots from my very first uses. They are all SOOC so don’t judge.

SOOC means Straight Out Of Camera, Mandi, so they haven’t been manipulated at all.

One of my first pics with low lighting trying to get my Christmas ornament. Looks awesome in my failed attempt.

After several attempts this is what I got.

Here is another ornament of ours that I love.

Then I realized that the lenses he lent me also has a great macro setting. So I went right after the Basil. I. AM. SO. EXCITED. This stuff is incredible.

I’ll show you what this looks like after a really quick boost.

Much better.

Anyways. We agreed that for Christmas and for my career as a photographer we would purchase this camera and lenses from this guy by the end of January and he isn’t in any rush to get it back since he barely uses it as it is…so I’m told. Hubs got a wall mount for his TV and I got a camera. We just aren’t wrapping them and putting them under the tree which I’m a-0k with.

Ok. TIme for food. We’re starving.

Lovies

PS. I’ve already done another recipe photo shoot so I’ll be posting that recipe and subsequent pictures very soon. Very delicious and not at all nutritious. Perfect for Christmastime.

My little princess is 28 weeks old today! In my belly. Not in the real world yet.

My little princess kicks and prods her mommy from day until night.

My little princess does crazy flips that make her mommy feel like there must be two babies in there.

My little princess is the size of an eggplant this week. Or a Chinese Cabbage. Whichever source you read.

My little princess is measuring about 5 days ahead which is fantastic because then perhaps we’ll have her closer to her actual due date!

My little princess can see light if it’s bright enough for her. But considering her mommy wears black at work all day and then by the time she gets home it’s incredibly dark…she probably hasn’t had the opportunity yet.

My little princess is getting so big that her mommy has already had to get rid of one pair of maternity pants.

My little princess is blinking, swallowing and starting to exercise her lungs so that she’ be ready to take her first ever breath in just a couple months.

My little princess has been creeping up in my dreams lately making me think she’s already here. Then I feel my belly and realize that she isn’t, which makes me sad.

I just can’t wait to meet my little girl.

Do you see her smiling?

Lovies

Over the past 7 months either people have gotten more rude, or I’ve gotten more pregnant. Or both. Which is totally possible.

But let me tell you, it is the most annoying thing to ride the CTA these days. I hate getting on when it’s crowded and not being able to breathe. Plus wearing a plush winter Parka makes every person look just as pregnant as the next. The disadvantage to this is that no one realizes that there are actually pregnant people among you and they would like a seat. Please.

I had a dude customer recently tell me that his wife told him never to offer his seat to someone he thought was pregnant because they might not be and then you will offend them terribly. This just actually happened to a friend of mine…like two weeks ago. She is still talking about it.

So people can be super major hurt. But I have to say, if you are the idiot who thought someone was pregnant but then they weren’t…well do you not know how to tell if someone is pregnant? And honestly, if you can’t tell…well that makes sense, but if the girl has a watermelon sized tummy and rails for legs, chances are she’s carrying a child and is extremely sore.

The worst is when it’s rush hour. OH MY WORD. If I knew my mother didn’t read this site there would be a whole sentence of expletives explaining the ignorance, selfishness and void of human charity that this world has come to. At rush hour everyone wants to get home, everyone listens to their music, everyone keeps their eyes down, everyone pushes and shoves and gets mad at you for taking up too much room. I have people literally get mad at me because I can suck in and let someone pass me, or put my bag on my lap.

Um, yeah you dimwit. Look at the enormous elephant like belly protruding from my middle. That isn’t cotton! It doesn’t bend and mold at my beck and call like your 50 pounds of dough boys stashed around your middle. It’s a human, in my belly, in my belly is a human. SO back the (loving word a pastor’s daughter should say) off!

To remedy this total lack of sympathy from fellow Chicagoan’s I’ve decided to just make myself known.

IF there is a seat next to you, I will wiggle my fat butt and my bags into it so move your thigh two inches in.

IF you have your feet up on a chair so no one can sit next to you and you want to talk to your friend behind you, expect me to ask you if you paid for two seats and if you didn’t then to move you boot.

IF you are standing right behind me, hovering over me like I’m taking up too much space and it’s inconvenient, expect me to turn around, holding my belly and ask if you wouldn’t mind stepping off a bit.

I could go on and on. The adventures of public transportation never cease obviously. But I will take this as a testament of patience, resilience and getting over any potential germophobia that I might have had. Plus it reminds me that, although we are moments away from getting a car, other women don’t have this luxury and have to deal with this all the time. So I better buck up.

In the mean time, if you life in Chicago, or in any place with lots of public transportation, give up your darn seat if someone looks tired and like they could potentially be with child. You don’t have to pat a person’s stomach, or insinuate anything, you can be a gentleman or kind lady and just be a little selfless for someone who looks like their knees would use a break. Chances are she is pregnant and that large weight in her belly is pushing on her bladder and she is about to cry because she isnt’ sure she can hold it all in until her next stop and standing only makes it worse.

You will make her day.

Lecture done.

Lovies.