My to-do list is coming to an end...

When I went to my 37 1/2 week MD appt. last Thursday and found out my numbers (4 cm, 70% effaced) I knew I'd better get busy with finishing off my to-do list before baby C comes...that's what this week has been about...tomorrow I will cross the last 2 items off my list (get the girls' pictures taken in the morning, get my hair cut and colored in the afternoon), and then I'm ready, although there are a lot of Halloween activities coming up in the next week and a half that I hope to somehow be a part of with my kids...we'll see how that works out...

Lauren in her Cinderella costume coloring on the floor of our office...she wore this everyday (when she wasn't at school) for the first few days...the novelty has worn off...maybe the costume will last till Halloween...

I commented to Andy tonight that Lauren is definitely at the age that she will only wear something if she picks it out and likes it...gone are the really fun days of dressing this girl--this afternoon I took her to Kohls to get some new shoes (I've already bought her 2 new pairs in the last few weeks that I picked out...she doesn't wear them...) and I let her pick out the shoes...ugly Dora and Boots shoes that light up...not my first choice (not even on the list!)...but she wore them out of the store and showed them to everyone she saw...dressing girls is only fun for a while...even Kate insisted on picking out her own outfit this morning, and someone in Target called her a boy...oh well...

A pregnant shot...the first and last one I'll probably take...I got bangs cut last time, and while they took some getting used to (it's been 17 years probably), I'm actually really enjoying the change...although I'm ready for a trim tomorrow...
The women in my Church ward threw a baby shower last week--so very kind...and I came home with lots of baby boy loot...thank you!
An evening snack--graham crackers and frosting--I think I've eaten half the can of frosting myself...no joke.


My friend Jessica took me to Victorian Gardens this past week...a huge outdoor mall...I found a great hat for Kate--if she were going to Russia!
Kate and her friend Paige walking through Victorian Gardens...
Dinner out with high school friends...Joy, Stephany and Lauren...great conversation and food, and again I left with a bag of baby boy loot! Thanks for an awesome night girls!
My really good friends from my original Glendale MOMS Club playgroup threw me a shower on Saturday morning...these are the best! Every time one of us has a baby, we have a very intimate morning brunch, no kids, just 3-4 hours of totally uninterrupted chatting and eating, with the rule--NO TALKING ABOUT KIDS...I so look forward to these events, and am sad that we may possibly be running out of opportunities to have these baby showers, as many in the group are done having kids. Thanks ladies for another fabulous morning...the last one we had was for Jill--the skinny minny standing next to me...I hope to look like her in a few months!
The Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Patch on Saturday afternoon---I didn't want to drive forever to go to the more well-known pumpkin patches, so I asked around and found out the the Agriculture Dept at Cal Poly puts on a fabulous and inexpensive pumpkin patch for one weekend...we had a great time, and the kids each got their own pumpkin, and also picked one out for baby...we now have 3 pumpkins on our porch...



I just like this picture of Kate's hair---I love that the red is still holding strong, although it's definitely gone from being red-brown, to being red-blond...I'm really hoping the red stays...Lauren was an absolute carrot top for about 6 months, and then went totally blond...I'm hoping Kate can hold on!
Reading a new book that was given to the baby boy---every new toy or book he's been given over the last several weeks has already been adopted by the girls...sorry baby...
The nursery bedding is all done and absolutely adorable...I need to take a picture...I picked out 4 variations of brown fabric for the duster, bumper, valences and the recovered rocker/glider, and the walls are blue...it looks great--thanks mom--baby C appreciates the professionally custom-made baby bedding! Over the weekend the girls also got the last of their soft furnishings in their room--the valence, and my living room and dining room got drapes...now we have drapes and a piano in the living room---we're moving along! I vacuumed out the van today and rearranged car seats and installed the baby seat (when did I get old enough to drive a mini-van with 3 child seats?)---just these 2 acts alone could have put me in labor (anyone who's installed car seats can understand), and bought the last few needed items for the baby...check, check, check. After tomorrow, I'm ready...