High five for Friday

Welcome to this picture-less high five for Friday post... I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (that definitely sounds better than what it looks in writing, but you get the picture, right?)

Regardless of how busy I am allowing myself to be, there were still some high's from the week - here are my top 5!

ONE | Last Saturday my sweet friends in the neighborhood had a baby shower for me and gave us some of the most practical, handy, and thoughtful gifts.  Thank you!

TWO | My family came to visit last weekend for Father's Day.  Not that we did anything too exciting but it was fun to host them and see them.  They are excited about their next trip to their house because they will be coming with new titles - Grandparents and Aunts!

THREE | This past week I got to meet with a really neat business in our local town of Carroll, Iowa.  They asked me to help them with ideas to build their business through social media.  It was such a fun meeting - stay tuned, I'll be sharing some of the fun things they will be doing!

FOUR | Wednesday night Adam and I attended a prepared childbirth class.  Not sure if we are more prepared or not but I did learn a few things I didn't know. The good news is that the class facilitator guaranteed us that they baby will come out eventually!

FIVE | This morning I heard my husband fumbling with something in the basement.  When I headed downstairs to check it out I discovered he was busy un-packaging the car seat and figuring out how it works.  It just made me smile to know how incredibly excited he is!

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend - we plan to stay active to see if we can shake this baby out! :)

Bump Day: Maternity pictures

Just a couple of weeks ago a friend that I met through a local women's networking meeting approached me to ask if I would like to do some maternity pictures so she could practice her photography hobby.  I had pretty much ruled out taking maternity pictures until she had asked, even though I see all sorts of beautiful maternity photos through the blogs I read.  

A little known secret about me is that I don't care to have my picture taken, I don't feel that I am very photogenic...but I gave it my best shot for these pictures.  I love how they turned out and really like Julie's style of photography, which is causal, natural, and comfortable.  

My favorite pictures are the sun-kissed photos on the walking trail - she captured the light just perfectly!

It will be fun to put these pictures into an album with our newborn and first family pictures so as the little guy or gal I'm carrying in my belly becomes curious we share these fun pictures.

What happened to my husband?! Well, pictures aren't really his thing and that's ok. He said the only reason he took engagement pictures was because he got to wear a t-shirt. (I told him he could wear a t-shirt again, apparently that trick only worked once...)

If you would, please stop by and like Julie's Facebook page - Julie Lueth Photography!  I know you wont be disappointed in any of the neat photos she takes!

High five for Friday

Yay for Friday! My family is coming this weekend to celebrate Father's day at our house - I'm really looking forward to hosting them in our newly remodeled space and just to see them in general.  Crazy to think that the next time I see them, we will have a baby!

One. Wednesday night was so perfect at our house. We sat on our front porch until late, just hanging out and talking.  'Axe' also thought she was a lap dog - she just can't get close enough to her owner. :)

Two. Last Friday my friend Julie took some maternity photos for me.  They turned out awesome - I can't wait to share them with you in an upcoming Bump Day post!  This girl has some serious talent!!

Three. I have received some pretty neat baby gifts from friends this week including onsie's packaged in Starbucks cups with a Starbuck's gift card, baby clothes - a boy and girl outfit - from my friend, Katie, and this diaper bag that my friend Cynthia MADE! It was filled with all sorts of good.  It's already packed and ready to go too! 

Four. I took a break from working on "real" work and did some creative things - like card-making.  It was re-energizing after spending a lot of extra time at my job these past couple of weeks. You will see some new assorted card sets in my etsy shop soon!

Five. I've found a new love for cleaning! I had a Norwex party a couple of weeks ago and cleaned my house last weekend using their products.  I'm in love. If you've never heard of Norwex or been to a party you must check them out!

Cheers to you all - I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Father's Day weekend!

Bump Day: 4 things I'm looking forward to post-pregnancy

Photo courtesy of Julie Lueth Photography - check out and like her Facebook page!

In approximately 3 1/2 weeks our baby is supposed to arrive - eeekkk!  There is a lot of emotion in saying that - excitement, panic, love, doubt... you name it, this expecting mother feels it!  

I think we are pretty well ready - or as ready as we can be.  Adam and I  are both pretty easy-going (more Adam than me) so we will take it one day at a time.  

I used to be pretty scared of labor but now I'm just ready - a million women have survived, I trust I will too!  Plus, there are a few things I am looking forward to post-pregnancy.

Seeing what our baby looks like. It is so crazy to think that we are going to meet this little human-being that we created for the first time.  Will the baby be a boy or a girl?  Who will the baby look like?  What color hair and eyes?  So many little things I'm curious out?

Expanding my wardrobe. I am pretty tired of my maternity clothes, although I've been creative enough to mix and match some new outfits and accessories with what I have on hand.  Even though I know this reward wont come immediately, I'm still looking forward to shopping my closet before too long!

Being active again. Pregnancy hasn't stopped me, but it has slowed me down. I still go to the gym 3 times a week but not for nearly as long as I'd like.  I really am excited to walk the same speed as my husband out to the barn, and take our dog, Axe, for a walk again.  I think she misses our walks!

Having a drink. Summer time calls for drinks on our front porch and I'm so ready to have a beer with my husband at the end of the day. (Or my mixed drink of choice - Kinky and diet 7up)

I know, some of these seem to be selfish things but I do believe that it's ok to do something for yourself once in awhile - it's who we are and what we love.  While sometimes these things need to be done in moderation or adjusted, we should never have to give it all up, right?

What did you look forward to post-pregnancy?