Now she's pregnant...

...now she's not!  Have you ever noticed how photographs are highly deceptive.  Sometimes you look pregnant when you are not; while other times you are pregnant and the little baby remains quite hidden.  Rarely does this happen for me in the same day, but Easter was this occasion for me. 



Before church, Kyle made sure to snap a shot of us in our Easter fineries.  I felt like an Easter egg with my round belly.



Later in the afternoon at my parents' house, I perched on the settee with Miss Foo and my mom looking like a petite lady.

 Perhaps it's a matter of sitting and standing.  It's a mystery.  Speaking of changing looks, I got my haircut for the first time in nearly 2 years.  Yikes!  I don't suppose girls really like to admit to that kind of negligence of personal upkeep, but I confess because I'm so excited about my new do.  Plus I have good reason for putting it off so long (or I still believe my excuses are good ones).  I got it chopped before moving to France after pretending to be Lady Lovely Locks at my wedding.  I was too nervous about my French skills to communicate what kind of cut I'd like for the 13 months we lived abroad (je voudrais la "Rachel" a la "Friends", s'il vous plait.  Vous ne comprennez pas?  Bon, je rentrerai aux Etats-Unis directement pour chercher une coupe de cheveux).  After we got home, running became my happiest pastime.  I needed to keep my tresses flowing in order to pull it up in a ponytail.  So I promised myself after the half-marathon to finally tame the mane.  That was a month ago...  Oops!  Before I use any other synonyms for hair, I'd better just show you my new look...



I feel a little goofy like a myspace account user snapping a shot of myself (except I'm smiling and not sporting my hair angstily across my face).  Anyhow, I'm really happy with a lighter style for summer!

 On the pregnancy front, things have been going very well.  I went to my hematologist yesterday and learned I don't have to go back at all unless my labs come back funny.  So I'm praying for good results and one less doctor to visit monthly.  Kyle and I are officially registered for a birthing class.  It took me a while to decide which to go with, but ultimately we opted for an intensive one day session at the hospital.  I'm excited that Kyle will be able to do all the training with me and that we can meet some other folks who live in the area and are having babies.  We'll also definitely be picking up the book so many of yall recommended on birthing.  I've also been shopping pediatricians, scheduling a tour of the hospital, and registering for gifts.  With so many thoughts of the baby and so much planning, it's hard to accept it'll be another few months before we even get to meet the little man. 

This is us during week 24!



You can definitely spot that I'm pregnant head on now.  I gained 8 lbs this month; can you tell?

 

This isn't a picture of me or the baby, but it is our new favorite food.  Kyle made "wildberry" scones full of blueberries and strawberries.  They are delicious!

We get to see the baby on ultrasound tomorrow; we always look forward to that very much.  I also get to partake of that mysterious orange liquid which will determine whether or not I have gestational diabetes.  I've heard it's pretty nasty, but who knows, I may like it.  I've always had weird preferences~there hasn't been a day of my life where I didn't like the flavor of beer nor a day in my life where I liked a morcel of cake.  Peculiar...  Anywho, we also are going to get busy on trying to choose a name for little Mr. Hamilton.  We're not in a rush and are hoping to just hear or read a name that we both just love.  Only time will tell on this matter.

A Veritable Book Nook

Today was a very languid day.  Between sunny and overcast moments, I succumbed to staying indoors all day with a good book.  Aren't these some of the most marvelous days of all?  It was a favorite pastime of mine in France especially with those books that are hard to put down.  In the states, though, I feel the burden of being busy and productive.  I rarely yield to the desire to cozy up with a good read unless it is bedtime or a Sunday afternoon.  Today I made an exception and will likely be rushed to finish some weighing tasks in the days to come, but let me tell you, it was worth it.

I just finished reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy by Eric Metaxas.  It was so, so wonderful (and if you want to know what I really thought about it, you can pop over to facebook and read my book review).  On a reading day like today, I was reminded of summer days and Saturday morning my sisters and I shared growing up.  It makes me miss the good old days, but I know sisters are big readers where they are.  So it's only distance that keeps it from being the same.  I also hope to instill a love for books in my son.  I daydream about Saturdays sans t.v. and each Hamilton letting their imagination run wild with books in hand.  Perhaps it's not the most ambitious dream, but I think it's a good one.  Anywho, I thought I'd leave you with a photo I found a couple of weeks ago while perusing childhood photos.  Here are the Heim girls in their element....

Stairs, pillows, dolls, pajamas, blankies, and books (at Christmas time, no less!)  We must have been a dream come true for our parents.

Pop Pop

Baby is officially and unmistakeably big enough to be seen.  You probably couldn't see him in my last post because I try to strategically conceal my belly when I'm running.  I don't want to provoke others in thinking I'm a bad mama.  Since I know I'm healthy and not doing anything wrong, I try to avoid giving folks a reason to look at me like I'm smoking or knocking back martinis.  Anyhow, it's fun to wear clothes now that show off I'm pregnant.  Yesterday at church a couple of women's faces lit up at seeing my baby curves during the greeting time in the beginning of the service.  I'm finally fitting into some of the maternity clothes I picked out, too.  I don't know if this is strange to say, but it's like I'm finally pregnant.  What I mean is that now it's obvious to the world at large that I'm not just into slamming down burgers and burritos with my somewhat large belly; I am really carrying a baby.  And it only took 5 months! 

The baby sticks out almost as far as my toes!  I don't think it deserves its own photograph, but I'm sporting an outie belly button 85% of the time (though sometimes when I wake up in the morning it has retracted~so weird!).

This week I need to conquer a few things I've been putting off.  I've been working on a baby registry here and there for a couple of months now, but I'm far from thinking of everything I need.  For those of you who have done this before, do you still have your lists?  It'd be nice to have a guide and to make sure I don't forget something.  I also need to start looking into birth classes (I've been procrastinating on this one because I'm still on track to go without at epidural, and every time I think about labor in general I get a little terrified...).  Again for the moms out there, please help me out with where to start and if there is a method you love or hate.  If your comments are too large to post at the end of this entry, please e-mail me at leah.heim@gmail.com.  Thanks so much! 

I think it's time baby and I took a stroll since it's such a beautiful day.  Hope you have a lovely day, too!

Norcross 10k

Today Kyle and I participated in our first 10k (that's 6.2 miles if you weren't sure)~ it was called the Corners to Crossing.  It was in Norcross, our home for the last 6 months.  We started at the big shopping center down the street from us (The Forum) and ended up in a park in downtown Norcross.  The weather was perfect since it stormed all night last night; I love temperatures in the 60s to jog in and there was a solid breeze the whole time.  Even though my training for this run has been a little rough (with my longest run since the half-marathon only being 4.4 miles), we rocked this run coming in at an 1 hour 10 minutes.  Maybe that's not crazy for serious runners, but I shaved 1 minute 20 seconds off each mile~ in the half-marathon, we were running 12m40s miles and in this race we ran 11m20s miles!  Speedy for the heavier and more pregnant girl I've become.

Speaking of the baby, he did great the whole run.  I think he slept the whole time which was a nice change of pace because he was moving like crazy last night.  It's like my race excitement seeped into the womb and made him wacky until nearly 1am.  It's all good though; I just spent my time reading Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas.  I know I mentioned this book in my last entry; it's one of the first biographies I've ever read.  It's great and so so interesting.  So after I got home from the race today, a facebook pal mentions she's hearing Metaxas speak TODAY at a church that is literally fewer than 10 minutes from my house.  How ridiculous?  What are the odds that the author of the book you are reading (and super enjoying) doing a public appearance in your neighborhood at the exact moment you need a shower and a nap?  Needless to say, I'll have to catch him next time he's in town...

Back to race things!  So there were no official photographers from what we could tell for this race (bummer); if you'd like to see the online coverage, please click here (but I think there are a total of 8 pictures featuring a total of 0 Hamiltons).  So we had to improvise...

This is our post-race victory portrait. 

SWAG~stuff we all get!  We love races for the freebies, and guess what Kyle loved best?  He wore this while he baked baguettes last night~he's a hardcore baker!

A tiny Waffle House backpack~ Kyle and I went on a date to the WaHo on Wednesday and enjoyed a free waffle thanks to the Atlanta Marathon folks a month ago.  Guess what?  We have another free waffle coming our way thanks to this race!  It's kind of weird, but if it weren't for the free waffles I don't think I ever would have tried this House's eponymous plate.

Race day shirt!  My arms look kind of beastly needlessly...

There were fun activities for families the rest of the day.  Kyle and I thought we'd check out a Taste of the Forum to see if there were some good deals on restaurant samples.  Turns out it wasn't really worth our beans (if we'd never been to a Taste of Marietta, we'd not have judged so harshly).  Kyle did, however, score a free milkshake coupon from Which Wich, and he took the opportunity to cash in while we walked back to the car.

Thumbs up for a free Oreo shake!

It's so cool that I'm 5 months pregnant  and running and beating my old times.  I'm consistently a 13 minute mile on my day to day runs, but it felt great to go a little faster.  I'm so grateful that God made my body capable of doing things I couldn't have dreamed~ I can run and feel healthy and good while there is a tiny (but not for long) little baby growing inside of me.  It's miraculous!  I also should brag on my sweet husband who endlessly endures running with me while tons of suburban ladies leave us in their dust.  Kyle consistently encourages me and makes me laugh while we're working it; he makes me feel like I'm stronger and more athletic than I really am.  I love that we run together and all the quality time we get on the pavement.  We've got a 5k on the calendar for next month, and I'm looking forward to that.  We're also already talking about the day we have that jogging stroller and taking baby boy out for a spin.  So much to look forward to!  For now, time for some more rest and noshes!  Happy weekend friends!

The Outdoor Living Room

Last Friday night Kyle braved the wild world of Walmart to retrieve our new cushions for the wicker furniture.  I cowardly stayed in the car~that place is a zoo on Friday nights for some reason & it's crazy stressful.  We spent the weekend away so we didn't get to test out our newly upgraded porch. 

You may remember a couple of weeks ago we picked out a settee, two chairs, and table kind of on a whim from craiglist.  You may also remember that our seller was a smoker.  At the time I didn't impart that he was quite a unique man.  We met him at the gas station; though he didn't work there, his departure prompted a young employee to ask where he was going.  Kyle deduced that our craigslist friend passes a fair amount of time in the small mart gambling.  When we arrived at his place, he shared that he was selling his home (and thus everything in it) to join his wife in Ecuador where she is caring for an aging mother and a sister with a handicap.  His attitude is that so long as the people there don't mess with him, he'll leave them alone too, and all will be good.  The story behind our new furniture~ he had another wife in his younger years from Colombia (he's hot for latinas) who insisted on spending all his money on home decor.  He had made a splurge on the wicker furniture and cushions (which we threw out) to satisfy her shopping impulses.  Apparently he came out on top in that divorce since he was still the owner of her prized chattels.  He also was quite pleased with us taking them off his hands.  If he had had his way, we also would have left with a lamp that burns incense to relax the body and mind...  Thankfully the Volvo has limited space.

Comfier seats on the chairs

Frau Stripes nicht Frau Spots~ It occurs to me that these colors are very similar to the ones in the baby's bedding.  Hmmm..

If you're feeling floral, flip!  That's right~double-sided cushions for double fun.

Kyle's not as keen on this side, but it sure makes me happy.

The deal on these cushions~  they were only $51 total (compared to Target's rates at $45 for just the seat cushions & $60 for the loveseat cushion or amazon.com's rates at around $90 for the three cushions).  Plus when we chose to do store pick-up, we didn't have to pay shipping.  Since they are double-sided, I feel like we got 6 cushions because we can switch them up whenever we want.  Stripes for everyday with Kyle & florals for special occasions like a ladies' luncheon (and I may host one of these someday....).  Anyhow, rather than writing about our lovely porch decor, I think I'm going to sit out there and enjoy the lovely weather with Dietrich Bonhoeffer (not literally~but if you like his writings, you should definitely read his biography by Eric Metaxas).  Adieu!

Those Genes Look Good On Him

Nearly every night in bed, I'll turn to Kyle and say, "Do you think baby will have red hair/blue eyes/a good height?"  Inevitably he answers that it could be or he doesn't know.  I always conclude the conversation with hopes that he is a cute baby.  Kyle reminds me that we'll be happy if he has all his fingers and toes~ cuteness isn't our priority.  So I dug in the depths of our combined photo archives to get an idea of what baby might look like from our baby pictures.  Before I share these with you (and not to be self-deprecating), I sincerely hope he takes after Kyle.  My pictures evoked a "Buzz, your girlfriend!  Woof!!" sensation in me...


Newborn Photos

Kyle after he made his debut next to his twin sister Kelly.  You can see his cute little cleft lip before he underwent surgery.  We're not sure what to expect with our little man; hopefully he'll have perfect little lips.

Among Kyle's and my siblings, I was the only one born with a full head of hair.  Since my birth I have ceased being Asian and dropped the faux-hawk look.  Little Mr. Hamilton would probably rock this do better than his mother...

All Dolled Up

Baby Kyle looks dapper in his church duds.  How handsome!

Holy Olan Mills nightmare!  Would you like some sauce with your meatball? 

Bare Babes

This is my all-time favorite baby picture of Kyle.  The Hamiltots are enjoying chocolate popsicles; I like to imagine this is the moment that Kyle realized that chocolate was his favorite food.  I love his happy face and strawberry blond hair!

Thank goodness I found one cutie picture of me.  After digging around my mom's pictures, it appears only one roll of film was ever captured in 1984.  A hair comb isn't an obvious bath time toy, but it seems to have been a source of mirth for me.

 So do I have any clue now as to what our little baby will look like?  Nope... but I'm pretty sure I'll be happy so long as he isn't a total skeletor-face like the ultrasound photos reveal.  I will say that I am getting excited about seeing him.  We only have 18 weeks to wait now!

Hoya Hoya Saxa

I talk a good bit about Georgia Tech on the blog, and I loved my time as a student there (as well as being the wife of a grad student at the French campus).  I rarely delve into my high school years and for good reason.  First, it was nearly 10 years ago (astounding)!  Second, I was awkward and dorky and in the marching band for the better part of my teen years.  Third, I was a rebellious trouble maker for the rest of my teen years so much so that one good friend dubbed them "Leah's sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll years".  Yikes~sorry to my family for putting you through all that madness.

On a recent phone call with my big sister, KHud, she thought I should dig up some of the more absurd stories of my youth to share on the blog for a fun writing exercise.  I had to ask myself if there were any absurd stories worth sharing?  KHud helped remind me a few adolescent sagas that might serve to entertain; however, for now it's just an idea I'm playing with.  Besides~ no photos are readily available to illustrate said stories as I am part of the last generation of film camera owners.  We'll have to see about a scanner....

Hot on the heels of unearthing some high school memories, KHud takes it a step further by e-mailing an article about our high school putting together a really cool project.  Some clever kids put together a backwards lip dub while exploring the depths of our large school.  It's very entertaining and quite a joy to take in even if it weren't my old school.  It just blows my mind because it's hard to imagine hundreds of kids getting together on a Saturday morning and putting together a seamless video~united in a way that seems unlikely for a group of hormonal teens.  Yet there it is~ an illustration of how something fun can melt the invisible walls which mysteriously divide us from folks we imagine aren't like we are.  These divisions were certainly prevalent when I was a backpack-toting student; my groups of friends were in band (then not band when I quit), AP classes, and my extracurricular clubs (French club, Model UN, philosophy club, music theory club, and student government~ I didn't escape being a dork when I dropped my geeky band uniform).  Anyhow, it was rare when I breached my self-imposed corrals of friendship and participated in something like this.  I wish there had been something like this when I was 15 or 16 to shake me out of my notions and to open my eyes to a special kind of fellowship which I think is uncommon no matter what age you are. Maybe you'll find it cheesy, but I hope it makes you smile....

The Bait & Switch

As it turns out I'm a dope.  And no, not just because we spent last night watching the Ken Burns Civil War series on PBS while everyone else was watching the NCAA national championship game (I'd rather never watch UConn play again after GT's 2004 defeat...).  I'm a dope because we had the most social & fun weekend, and yet I took zero photos as promised.  We had dinner out with two great couples at Fox Brothers BBQ, hosted Kyle's bud JT for a slumber party, and went to church & lunch with JT and another awesome couple.  Dopiness was furthered by getting a goofy sunburn at Mellow Mushroom Sunday afternoon.  Maybe it was a good thing I didn't remember the camera. 

So I thought a bit about what I'd share with you today.  I haven't written very much about pregnancy, but lately I've been learning a lot about baby's development and my body.  I also have yet to post a pregnancy profile picture.  Honestly, I wasn't really showing for a long time so when I started to, I wasn't in the habit of capturing it on film whatever digital photos are composed of...  megapixels?  So without further ado, I give you my changing body (awkward):

This I'm sure would have turned out better had I waited for Kyle to come home and snap the shot.

This is me on 21 weeks and 2 days.  I'm still rocking a lot of my normal clothes including my favorite jeans~I dread the day I am forced to retire them for maternity wear.

So I was asking my doctor about weight gain, diet, and exercise at my last visit because it's unclear to me sometimes all that I ought (and ought not) be doing.  For me personally, digestion has been crazy different and (as my friend delicately puts it) slow.  I've only gained 3 pounds~ is this enough for how far along we are?  My physician answered all my questions and more.  According to the books, it's common to have gained 10 pounds by now.  What the doctors are looking for, though, is not my weight gain but baby's rate of growth.  So long as his measurement indicate healthy growth on track with how old he is as well as measurements of my abdomen are standard, weight gain isn't the most important thing.  *Big sigh of relief*  My mom also reminded me that she didn't gain much weight during any of her pregnancies and even ended weighing less after delivery than before she got pregnant. 

As for exercise, we reviewed how much activity I was doing a week.  I'm walking or jogging at least 4 days a week for anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes.  One of the things I love about exercising is that there are lots of benefits for baby.  For one, researchers believe that my change in heart rate and oxygen levels as well as the sounds and vibrations of my movement stimulate the little fella.  My exercising can result in a healthy birth weight for the baby, and we'll both recover from the stress of the labor more quickly.  Some research has shown that babies of moms who exercised during pregnancy score higher on general intelligence tests by age 5~ now I'm not doubting that baby will have smarts because his daddy has a superbrain, but if jogging helps then how could I not?  Last is a treat for everyone in the family; my exercise activities could lead to having a little man who sleeps through the night sooner, is less prone to colic, and will be able to better soothe himself.  All of these things are huge motivators for me!

Diet has become very very important in the last couple of weeks.  The books informed me that the baby has started to practice sucking and swallowing to practice for life outside the womb.  I asked the ultrasound technician if she could see swallowing in the images, but she answered my question by showing me evidence that he's begun to swallow amniotic fluid (totally normal and good for him).  His little enormous belly is full of dark fluid in the images.  This is really cool because it means that what I'm eating now, he's getting a little of its flavor and hopefully will develop a taste for these things.  Well, I've not always had the most balanced diet, and I often neglect my vegetables.  I'm working on choosing healthy snacks to have throughout the day so he'll be more inclined to pick up an apple over something crazy processed (unlike his weak, junk food-loving mama). If only I could instill in him a preference for good beers (kidding!).

Yum~Raisins, Corn Pops, Pecans, and V8!

What's this?  JT brought us the gift of dried moringa!  On his blog I found this information: According to Trees for Life (www.treesforlife.org), gram for gram, dried moringa oleifera leaves contain 10.5x the amount of Vitamin A as carrots, 16.5x the calcium of milk, 15x the potassium of bananas, 8.5x the amount of protein in yogurt, and half as much Vitamin C as an orange.  JT also told me it was great for nursing mothers.  This treat is destined to be blended into our smoothies.

I am not perfectly healthy~ I can still throw down potato chips like crazy, make any excuse to go through the drive-thru at Chik-fil-a for a biscuit, and haven't kicked caffeine or artificial sweeteners completely.  Perhaps this is a bad excuse, but how's baby supposed to know he needs to like sweet tea and fried chicken?  Anyhow, these are some of the things I'm learning and trying out.  Are there any pregnancy tips or things you learned about fetal development that made a big difference to you?  I'd love to learn from you!

4 Posts in 1 day?!

I had a lot on my mind to share this week, but the blog was lower on my list of priorities.  So today I went a bit overboard with 4 different entries.  It would have been a disaster to include it all in one for sure.  Anyhow, I guess I'm still in a weird way because I'm going to break one of my own rules.  In the past, I have said I wouldn't share ultrasound pictures because, well, I'm not crazy about you seeing my uterus and such.  I also don't want to get in the habit of blogging only about the baby because there are a few things that come before him in my life (God and Kyle, if you are curious).  I'm also going to take up that old fashioned method of journaling using my own hands to record my more personal reflections on my little man.  I guess I'm just not comfortable with the impersonal consumption element of the blog where any stranger, random old school acquaintance, or estranged family member can freely partake of what I write here.  It's a strange mix of keeping up with good friends and family while far apart and being vulnerable to any audience~it's always a balance.  This being said, I want to share the ultrasound video I took at the doctor's office yesterday.  Kyle couldn't skip work to join me and requested that I bring this little treasure home for him.  We just love it so much and wanted to be able to share it instantly with family.  Why not e-mail it?  The file is big and this option was simpler (re: Leah will compromise on self-imposed standards when convenience is a temptation).  *deep breath* This was not an easy decision.  Perhaps you will find me dramatic, but you are going to see my umbilical cord.  Yes, I am seriously self-conscious about you seeing things that only doctors and husbands should see.  Please don't judge me too much.  Also, I hope some day my son forgives me for sharing his male identifier (if you know what I'm saying) with all of you. Here we go...

Our ultrasound technician identifies different body parts.  His little face shows up like a ghoulish little skull~ we call these his skeletor shots.  It was really funny yesterday because Kyle & I always joke about us spying on him when we have ultrasounds~we can see him, but he can't see us.  As if to turn the tables, the baby faced out the whole time I got to watch him yesterday; when he first appeared on the tiny monitor it looked like he was looking right at me!  I hope you enjoy this~ especially all you aunts, uncles, and grandparents! 

Every Time A Bell Rings...

Zuzu's teacher may not have dressed her to go out into the cold when she sported a pinned flower on her dress, but she did instill the principle that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.  I'm always grateful that this is true for Clarence, but I wondered this week as I was completing my cross-stitch project of a stocking if there may be another equally good reward for angels.  After all, it takes comparatively a small amount of effort and little time to ring a bell; I started my project in January and it took the better part of three months to see it through.  I would submit that the angels deserve a week long trip to Tahiti every time I complete a cross-stitched Christmas stocking.  May I share my results with you?

A row of green was added under Santa's skates followed by some fancy reindeer each with its own style of saddle

Beneath the reindeer's hooves are a collection of colorful squares.

The complete stocking

A close up of all those funky squares

Hee Haw & Merry Christmas Kyle!

Spring Things!

Lately I've been really happy about spring!  It's the season of resurrection in so many ways.  All the plants are coming back to life boldly after hibernating through a cold winter.  All the neighbors venture out of their homes to do activities in their yards and the community after resting in their sleepy homes throughout the cold season.  My favorite part is Lent, the season anticipating the celebration of Christ rising from the dead.  With my baby kicking and growing like crazy, I feel like new life is all around me. 

There are also some superficial but fun things I'm enjoying these days.  I wanted to share just a few of them with you.

1.  Being in the South in the spring~ my grainy picture of Southern Living doesn't quite convey the joy, but I missed so much of the South last year in France.  Though many of our Georgia friends think it's not warming up fast enough or staying warm long enough, this weather is miraculous compared to Metz.  I love enjoying a cold sweet tea, sunnier day light savings mornings, community activities (Norcross 10k in two weeks!), and looking forward to a Braves game (did you know the Avett Brothers are performing a FREE show after the game on Sunday, April 10th!?!  Tickets purchased~join us if you like!)

2.  Dresses~ Merciful heavens I love wearing dresses.  It's becoming an even greater blessing as the baby gets bigger because they are so much more comfortable than pants.  This dress here is fancy, and I don't own it (yet).   I'm hoping to have a special occasion and enough beans saved up to get this number from gap.com.  It's just so sassy!

3.  Spring Birthday Parties~ Miss Foo is turning 25 in just a few days!  She used to hate when her birthday was because it always landed in the middle of spring break, but I coveted it so much.  I thought she had little to complain about since we passed her birthdays at our home in Florida with summer-like scenery while my birthday was perpetually during finals week and under the shadow of Christmas (December 13).  Now that we are no longer students and can't just leave for Florida on a whim, her birthday is still a treat with a lighter menu (strawberry salad & shrimp'n'grits vs. my standard tex-mex salad & chili) and a family holiday outside THE holiday season.

Now greedy me, I was looking online about joining the YMCA.  With warmer temperatures coming inevitably, I wanted to still be able to exercise a bit in the air conditioning.  Our apartment has this provision, but here's what they don't have:

We live sans cable chez nous, but I thought I could get some HGTV, Food Network, and (let's be honest) Cartoon Network for a small fee while I was working an elliptical in their Cardio Theater.

Much to my dismay, it's more expensive to go to the YMCA monthly than to just get cable (like $69 to join, and $53 a month after that~yikes!).  Looks like I'll be sticking to Dr. Oz and Family Feud with my indoor exercising at the apartment's gym. 

On a very happy note, I mentioned that the Norcross 10k is in just 2 weeks.  To keep me from just quitting jogging cold turkey (I speak of it as if I'm giving up cigarettes...), Kyle and I made a plan to ease my way out of jogging and into walking.  For now it looks like we'll have had the half-marathon in March,  do a 10k in April, and complete a 5k in May (this one is with his work to raise money for ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).  I'm really hopeful that I can jog these, but if walking is necessary with my ever growing baby bump, that's alright.  Hopefully I'll have more race pictures to share in the coming months!

Happy Spring for now friends!

Accoutrements

Well, this will be the final installation of home decorating at the humble Ham home.  Every time I have the car for the day (since Kyle and I share an exceptional Volvo wagon), I feel like I need to make the most of it by doing every errand I can think of.  Excellent for productivity's sake, but terrible when errands equal spending money~ especially on the first day of our monthly budget.  However, I always remember when Uncle Ben Parker said, "With great power comes great responsibility." (Spiderman, anyone?  This is my favorite superhero because I have been bitten by spiders on two occasions... still waiting for my spidey-senses & web slinging capabilities)  So, I am ever mindful of getting good deals on shopping days.  Some of the photos came out grainy, but I'll highlight the new additions...

Two new $16 framed pictures from Target

Another grainy look at our living room's new look.  I think one of those pictures is crooked.

We added the sunburst mirror above the bed ($25 at Target), and a fancy framed photo from our wedding on the wall.  I got the frame a couple of months ago on sale at Pier 1~I think it was $12.

This is nothing new nor did we buy it.  It is, however, my favorite home decoration, and it's above Kyle's dresser.  Kyle's mom got this while she was studying in France at some time in high school.
Aux Champs-Elysées, aux Champs-Elysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées

Nothing major, but my office is finally organized! 

Kyle brought these flowers home along with some fried chicken, and let me tell you~ this pregnant girl couldn't have been happier!

A work in progress for the nursery

Kyle is hard at work on a Friday night.

Two new framed photos of landmarks in Metz, France (our old home)~ the frames were also purchased on sale at Pier 1 some time ago for $15 each (but I had a gift card for Christmas that covered them!).

Temple Neuf (our old church) on the Moselle river in Fall 2009 (my step-dad Jan took these pictures).  Our church was commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II and built by Germans during their occupation of Metz in the years 1870-1918.  The kaiser himself laid the first stone of the church intended for a reformed congregation.

Pictures of pictures~how silly... This is Cathedrale St. Etienne (or St. Stephen~read about him in Acts!)  It's an imposing building on the town's skyline.  This church is called "God's lantern" because it has more square meters of stained glass than any cathedral in all of France.

Sorry~I got a little history lesson-y on our wall art.  From here on out, we are focusing all our attention on the baby room and making a nice home for our honey Ham.  We are expecting some smoke-free cushions for our new (re: used) wicker porch furniture from Wal-mart.com in the next week or so.  I'll likely not resist posting photos of Kyle living the high life porch sitting (you know, it's his favorite thing to do!)

I alluded to Aux Champs Elysées earlier, and I'd like you to enjoy this video with this classic song that everyone who's taken high school French has heard dozens of times.