7 Quick Takes: Major updates!

Has it really been months since I have updated this blog??  Yikes!  I promise it's because I've been super busy, and not because my life is that boring, lol.  I'm linking up with http://www.conversiondiary.com for the first time!  Yay!

1. August has arrived, and that means we get to meet Eli this month!!  He is due to arrive around the 24th, and I'm really hoping he isn't late!  I'm very punctual, but DH isn't, so it really could go either way.  I've been following the "your baby is as big as..." things on baby center, and decided to test the watermelon one.  Turns out they're right, he is actually that big!  

2. I have been waiting for the day when I would get to decorate a house on my own, and I have really enjoyed the creative process!  This idea was inspired by Pinterest, and I LOVE the way the shelves turned out!  My DH is a carpenter, and is constantly bringing home scraps from work.  I was so excited when he brought home a glorious wood pallet, just waiting to be turned into something awesome!  I told him about my idea to make bookshelves for the nursery, showed him a picture, and he used his awesome carpenter skills to make it happen!  He then painted the shelves (I really wanted to, but was vetoed for safety reasons), and we mounted them to the wall.  DH had the idea of leaving the little edges on the top shelf, so I would have a place for the decorative things (he knows me so well).  Have I mentioned how much I love this man?  

3. This past Tuesday, the 13th, DH and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary!  We have been saving a giftcard to the Cheesecake Factory that we got 2 Christmas' ago, and had a wonderful dinner!  Going out to eat is always a really special treat for us, since it's always due to someone else's generosity and not something we can afford right now.  Being able to dress up and have one last "adults only" night out before Eli arrives was especially wonderful.  This is a picture of their newest cheesecake, S'mores.  Seriously a pregnant lady's dream!

4. My mom and I went to get pre-baby pedicures earlier this week.  I have been looking forward to this for months, and was super excited to have a relaxing spa experience with my mom.  Well, it didn't quite turn out that way.  We decided to try a nail place we had never been to before (always risky), and weren't very impressed.  The chairs had tears in them, the water wasn't very warm, I nearly started bleeding when the nail technician was trying to remove my old nail polish (she had sharp nails), and the salon had exactly one TV playing the same infomercial the entire time we were there.  Still, we tried to make the best of it, and all I really wanted was chevron stripes.  I even brought in a picture since I know they don't typically speak much english.  Well, I showed them the picture, and they gave me aweird look and said they couldn't do that.  My mom asked if maybe they could just do a heart instead, and they certainly tried, but it just looked like a white blob.  I then gave up and told the woman to just do polka dots, since she had managed to do them on my mother's nails.  Like I said, not impressed, lol.  If we are ever blessed with another pregnancy, I might go with a massage next time.

5. Back in July, Chick-fil-a had their "Cow Appreciation Day" where they were giving away free entrées and combo meals to anyone who dressed like a cow.  I have to say there's not much that will make you feel less attractive than dressing like a cow at 8 months pregnant, but it was for free food so I did it.  It was actually a lot of fun to get back in touch with my inner fun-loving, spontaneous self.  Poor DH was such a good sport, also for the free food, and because he loves me.  I have found a man who lets me dress him as a cow; I'm even more lucky than I thought!

6. DH had a rough month this summer.  It started with him suffering from random dizzy spells with no easy fix.  Then, the spells became constant dizziness and feeling unsteady on his feet.  He was taking a few days off from work, hoping that some rest and rehydration would fix the trouble, when he tripped going up the stairs (as a result of being dizzy) and broke his big toe.  I have know DH since we were 12 and 13 years old, and have never seen him trip, so I was pretty shocked and mentioned that he really made it count!  Unfortunately, DH does not have paid time off, so when the doctor mentioned he would be out of work for up to 6 weeks, it was a pretty big blow.  Fortunately, we have a wonderful support system in our family and friends, and were able to (with lots of help!) make it through his time off.  I am very happy to report that the doctor's did eventually figure out his dizziness issues (most likely an infection in his ear; he has had inner ear problems for nearly his entire life), and his toe has now healed enough that he is back at work.  I think we'll both be pretty happy if we never have to go through that again!

7. I have been struggling with 3rd trimester nausea, and have really only wanted smoothies.  So, I have totally broadened my food horizons and have started making smoothies of all kinds.  I think I'm in love with our blender now.  I even had a smoothie with spinach, and one with kale!  These are foods I never would have dreamed of eating before now.  Eli has totally reworked my entire diet to include strange fruits and veggies.  I've been saying for a few years that I really needed to work on my diet (I've been stuck in the college ramen and junk food phase for most of my young adult life).  So far, it's going really well! Do you have any favorite smoothie recipies I should try?  The fewer the ingredients, the better, so I can work with what we might have in the house.   :)