30-week Bumpdate

Hey, everyone.

I am 31 weeks tomorrow. Hello, that means we have a single digits number of weeks left! I am really liking this stage of pregnancy. I mostly love that you can sort of distinguish body parts when you touch my stomach! I'm not sure how accurate it is most of the time, but some parts are small and knobby--like a heel, and others are bigger and flatter. Anyway, it's sweet and exciting. 

Want to know what we are going to name her?

Riley.

Or Rilee.

By the way, Jeff did an excellent job at our impromptu photo shoot in front of our bedroom window. Much better than what I can throw together alone, haha

Here's the questionnaire:

How far along? 31 weeks tomorrow
Baby is: 15.7 inches long
Total weight gain/loss? 15 pounds (my doctor wants me to gain 30)
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? Not yet.
Sleep? I've reached the point where sleeping on my back makes me feel dizzy and I wake up a lot. Preparation for baby, right?
Best moment this week? "Interacting" with Riley; I.e., poking her and her poking back (or whatever she's doing in there)
Miss Anything? Range of motion
Movement? Yes
Food cravings? Tacos...We have had homemade tacos three times in one week.
Anything making you queasy or sick? No.
Have you started to show yet? Yes.
Gender? IT'S A GIRL!
Labor Signs? None.
Belly Button in or out? Still just partially out
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy, but getting moodier.
Looking forward to? A baby in our house!

So that's about it. 

Also, here's a cute picture of my tomato and about a million ballpoint pins (maybe next time I'll share the project I'm working on). 

Have a great week!

Jeff + Claire's Baby Pictures

Just for kicks, I'm posting some baby pictures. I am really curious about what Baby Girl Falco will look like so I've compiled a couple of ours! I stopped after first grade because I just got awkward, haha... Anyway, enjoy! What do you think our baby will look like??

A Shamefully-Late Christmas Post

Hello.

First of all, I apologize for neglecting my blog for my real and non-cyber life. Yes, I missed primo blogging opportunities in December, January, and a week's worth of February, but hey, here I am with a post to blow your mind. Haha.

So, Christmas and New Year's were amazing. We flew back to Utah and had the best time. For one thing, after a week or so of warm-ish weather we woke up Christmas morning to a beautiful fresh-fallen (falling) snow. Some things are just so magical.

On Christmas we talked to not one, but three missionaries! Jeff's sister Skyped  from from Malawi (in the Zambia Lusaka mission), my brother Skyped from Paris, and his best friend/pseudo brother, Arturo Skyped twice from Puebla in Mexico. I am so inspired by the incredible work they are all doing. By the way, if you would like to learn more about Mormon missionaries click here.

Over the break we watched a ton on movies. My favorites were Unbroken and Into the Woods.

We had a whole bunch of family parties and a baby shower hosted by Jeff's mother Michelle. It was really great to see so many people Jeff and I love. My goodness people are generous. We are super grateful (and excited about this baby!).

So... Here are some pictures!

The Piano Guys in concert! Thanks for the great tickets, Grandma!

Making dinner with the family; more specifically, Jeff''s manly hands

I nagged my sweet husband into taking one of those prego pictures...

My MIL is an amazing chef. This is some sort of brie-crushed pineapple-coconut-almond concoction.

Cute things abound at my in-law's.  

One of my favorites...

Christmas Eve Temple Square tradition! 

I don't know what these were for, but they looked pretty cool. :)

There you go. I feel very humble as a blogger and will post waaay more regularly from now on! :)

PART-TIME!

Hello internet,

So, I am alive! I really mean I am a little more present in a cyber sense. Effective tomorrow I am done working full-time before this baby gets here. I have my life back a little! I am grateful to have some time to prepare and for those who are curious, the baby is doing well, although my doctor was the one who recommended the change. Also, if you are wondering I don't have a specified end date at work presently. Let's just say I hope to work as long as I can. I anticipate working part-time until April. We will see, of course.

Confession time: I have written a couple posts that I have saved as drafts because they are not finished. I am ashamed to have posted nothing for about two months! What kind of blogger am I? Well, a busy and distracted one, at best. I suppose I will post those soon and get my readers up to speed with what I did over Christmas break and such.

Also, I am 30 weeks! That means our baby girl is almost 16 inches long and weighs about 3 pounds. Also that means I am three-quarters of the way finished with this pregnancy! That is wonderful. So far third trimester has been pleasant. I have been a little bit sick and exhausted, but it's been a good experience.

I really don't feel that I have anything of merit to share right now considering that I ought to finish those procrastinated posts. I will say though that things are going well.

So yeah... It's good to be back!

21 Week Bumpdate + Being Good and Taking Pictures

Hello people,

Merry less-than-a-week-before-I-see-my-family!

I have all sorts of things to share today. Let's go back just a little to Friday morning: I walked into the kitchen and said, "Jeff I don't feel well." Immediately after I ran to the bathroom and let's just say I threw up so much that my doctor gave me an IV (don't worry, Mom!). I went home and watched Muppets Christmas Carol and Mr. Bean's Holiday, which is not a Christmas movie like I was expecting.

If you are wondering Baby Falco is doing great. :) She does her grand battements every day, especially while I am in ward choir practice (or when waistbands and other objects encroach on her space). She's all like:

It's wonderful to feel her kick. I love it!

Anyway, the next day was the ward Christmas party. I was in charge with my friend Fontaine, and do you know what, I didn't take a single picture. You'll have to take my word for it when I say that it was beautiful and fun and seriously went without a hitch, as far as we can tell. I had so much fun and my sweet co-workers even made it. It was their first taste of a Mormon soiree, haha. :)

Today, I asked Jeff to take some higher-quality pictures to document my pregnancy. If I keep getting ready this may become a regular thing. :) Here is my favorite skirt, by the way. I think it's the last time I will zip myself in before my baby comes. It was certainly a wonder to behold, haha.

Yay! Baby!

I felt like a fashion blogger asking Jeff to take pictures of my accessories. What a champ. They were from Walmart. That's how we do, haha.

I will do my questionnaire now, too. I have neglected my chalkboard, But here's an update!

How far along? 21 and a half weeks
Baby is: Seven inches, or the size of a large banana.
Total weight gain/loss? About 4 pounds... I am all about healthy fats right now.
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? No.
Sleep? Sucks.
Best moment this week? Hearing baby's heartbeat with a Doppler stethoscope. By the way, Jeff just got his first stethoscope! Wow, a doctor!
Miss Anything? Not really.
Movement? Yes!
Food cravings? Nothing, although the other day I had dinner and thought it was all delicious. When I went back to get seconds of the same food it all unpalatable. So strange.
Anything making you queasy or sick? A stomach bug, actually. Darn you, daycare.
Have you started to show yet? Yes.
Gender? IT'S A GIRL!
Labor Signs? None.
Belly Button in or out? Mostly in.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy. :)
Looking forward to? Having a baby and having my family see me pregnant for the first time this week!

My handsome photographer *swoon*

Texas

This post is super old... I just never published it and thought I'd share this morning. :)

Texas just has a way of capturing my heart. The people are wonderful, the food is incredible, and the weather in winter is really ideal. One of the most fabulous things I've experienced in Texas in our four-ish months here so far is the Brazos Valley County Fair. My gosh.

We met up with several friends and enjoyed walking around the fair, listening to performers, attending a rodeo, checking out booths, and playing with lots of animals. We have great friends here. 

This was [literally] my first rodeo. I learned why the horses buck and was super weirded out. I watched kiddos mutton bust and fell in love (for those who, like me, have little exposure to mutton busting, it's when little kids--like five-year-olds-- ride a sheep as long as they can. It is seriously the cutest thing).  The mutton busting announcer was the best, "Our next competitor is from Bryan, TX... His name is Billy and he loves chicken nuggets!"

The petting zoo at the fair was Jeff's dream come true. There were tons of deer roaming around and people could feed them out of their hands! Deer are really soft and beautiful up close. Aren't they lovely?

Can we talk about this baby goat? Oh my goodness, so sweet.

I love ferris wheels. So pretty. :)

Perfect.

Turkey legs.

Anyway, I love this place. It's not like anywhere else.

Week 19 Bumpdate + A Video!

Thanksgiving was amazing! Jeff and I visited Louisiana where he served his two-year mission. I love Louisiana. Here are some quotes from the people we stayed with that just speak for the experience...

"Come out back a pick a lemon."

"Gumbo's like a thumbprint; everyone has their own way of doing it."

"I've got some good squirrel meat in the freezer."

Louisiana is totally unique. I met a legitimate Cajun who speaks old-world French. One of the people we stayed with, Jeff's very close friend, breeds champion labradors and had 19 two-week-old puppies at his house. Wrap your brain around that... They were so sweet. I was born puppy hungry, but playing with those little guys this weekend certainly fanned the flame.

Over the course of four days we went to Marksville, Ponchatoula, Hammond, and New Orleans. We ate at Cafe du Monde (which serves the best beignets I've ever had), and had all the Cajun food I could dream of (Here's a recipe blog from a Louisiana native we hung out with).

Here's a pretty, little film from our incredible trip.

As for a pregnancy update, our baby {GIRL!} is healthy and growing. We had a 45-minute ultrasound a while back and she had her legs up over her head the entire time, which frustrated the technician just a bit... haha, sorry.

Further, my morning sickness is basically gone! Finally. I'm 20 weeks tomorrow. <-- That's halfway! Things are going well:

How far along? 20 weeks tomorrow.
Baby is: About six and a half inches
Total weight gain/loss? About 4 pounds 
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? No.
Sleep? It's great. I have strange dreams though. Last night I dreamt that Jeff made me enroll in high school again. As a 22-year-old. What?
Best moment this week? Decorating my Christmas tree! And feeling my baby kick some more. :)
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back. 
Movement? Yes!
Food cravings? A Subway sandwich...still. I never go though.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really. :)
Have you started to show yet? Yes.
Gender? IT'S A GIRL!
Labor Signs? None.
Belly Button in or out? In, but oh my gosh, I can force it out... I'm a freak, haha
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy. :)
Looking forward to? Having a baby!

Have a great week!