Apple Picking

We went apple picking today!

It was a lot of fun. We went to the same place we picked blueberries this summer, because they have so many varieties of apples and lots of nice things to do. Let me just say that they were WAY busier in apple season than they were in blueberry season. We were glad we went in the morning, because as the day went on, more and more people showed up.

We got Cortlands (my favorites because I'm fascinated with the fact that they don't turn brown), Macs, Golden Delicious, Empires, and Bosc pears. We tried some other varieties as we walked, and we picked a few of the ones we thought were tasty. I'd never tried Macouns, for example, or Spartans.

Nathan had never been apple picking before, but I had been once last year. It's fun because you get to climb ladders, eat as you go, try a bunch of varieties, toss the cores on the ground, smell all the fermenting apples, have some cider or cider donuts, and see a few animals. Plus, all the fall stuff is out, like pumpkins and squash. And today was the first non-summery day we've had in more than a week (high of around 72), which was great. It really was the perfect day to go.

We got a TON of apples (probably around 15 lbs.). Some are for eating and some are for baking, but man, those suckers are going to last us a while.

Our group: Caleb (with Hannah on his back), Kendra, Nathan, Carey, and Bethany.

Nathan, on a ladder.

Me, on a ladder. Actually, I think my exact words were, "You can take a picture that will freak my mom out, with my pregnant self on a ladder, going for this far-off apple."

Can you spot Nathan's head? He climbed to the top of an apple tree.

Here's a shot from below.

Who needs ladders, anyway?

Mmm, look at this perfect apple.

Hmm, maybe not so perfect.

We thought this was cute--it's three little pigs, with a house of straw, of wood, and of brick! And can you see the big bad wolf in the background?

I like this picture of us. :)

Week 27 Belly Picture

It looks like my belly is glowing. Ha!

Soliciting Advice, Round 2

Okay, guys, here is my next question:

Do you have any books that you suggest? I am always a super-prepared person when it comes to just about anything, since I like to read up on stuff before I experience it. I did the same thing when I got married, when we moved to Boston, and I even tend to do it when we go somewhere new on vacation so I know the history of the place and all the good places to visit. Right now I'm feeling like no matter how much I read, I will feel totally unprepared for Baby B's arrival, which is a little scary. But I'm still soaking up as much information as I can while I still have time to read. :)

I think I'm covered when it comes to pregnancy books, but if you had a favorite one on breastfeeding, babies, or some other topic, I'd love to hear about it. Here's what I've already got:
- Your Pregnancy Week by Week
- Baby's First Year Week by Week (thanks, April!)
- What to Expect When You're Expecting
- The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy
- Baby Wise
- Bringing Up Boys
- The Girlfriend's Guide to Your Baby's First Year

Courtney also suggested "Baby Food" for learning about what kiddos can eat once they're big enough to start on solids, and it teaches you how to make it yourself, store it, etc.

What other books have you guys read that you like?

Halo 3 Widow

Alright. For those of you who don't already know, Halo 3 came out today. For those of you who don't know what Halo 3 is, it's the third installation of this alien war video game on Xbox.

Here is the reason you should care about this: the release of Halo 3 today was the highest grossing thing in entertainment sales history. That means that it made more money than any movie opening ever. I think the same thing was true of Halo 2 a couple of years ago. So that should give you an idea of how huge this is. There is also a Halo movie coming out pretty soon, and Mountain Dew (or some drink) has its own red Halo 3 version out right now.

It would be an understatement to say that Nathan enjoys playing Halo. Not only does he play it pretty regularly, but he also checks all these Halo-related websites and blogs every day when he gets home and is up on all the Halo news. And y'all, I am not lying when I say he actually left school early today after he saw online that the game had been delivered to the house. Yes, he left his office to come home and play Halo 3. He did pull himself away from the TV for about an hour this evening, then came back and said it was "torture" not to be playing "on opening day," so I handed the control back over to him and picked up the computer to let you all know about this and maybe get a little sympathy. I think that for the next few weeks I may be a Halo 3 widow.

Now, this Halo deal is an ongoing thing. He started on the whole Halo kick when we were in college. I remember walking into his dorm room one day, and he excitedly asked if he could show me a video on the computer. I said yes, and he lived to regret showing it to me, because it's been fodder for making fun of him for a long time. Basically, it was a little replay of someone playing Halo. He just kept saying things like, "Look how high those tanks went when they exploded!" To which my response was, a little baffled at why he was so impressed, "You mean the fake, animated tanks?" And my personal favorite, which he said with true awe in his voice, "Look at how pretty the landscape is!" To which I rolled my eyes and repeated my earlier sentiment: "You mean the animated landscape? As opposed to a real one?" So now I still make fun of him every so often and I say, in a voice full of awe, "Will you look at that beautiful landscape??" (Now, the graphics in Halo really are good, and I will say that I also--slightly against my will--think the music is actually excellent.)

**Okay, no lie, Nathan is sitting here next to me playing the game, and he literally JUST said to me, "Look how pretty that is!" He was referring to a mountainous background. OH my gosh.**

The only thing I have to compare this to is Amanda's description of Fantasy Football (scroll down to "Fantasy Land"). And I do have to say that after reading that, I was actually thankful that Nathan is into Halo instead of Fantasy Football, considering that he doesn't spend nearly the time playing video games that some guys spend compiling stats and stuff. He has also pointed out to me that it is not as if he is obsessed with every Xbox game that comes out, like apparently some guys are. He just sticks to Halo, which he can play online with his brothers, since they all have it. So I definitely have some things to be thankful for, even though when it comes right down to it, I just don't get the attraction.

Anyway, y'all can pray for me. I might need it after a few days. ;)



And this is pretty funny.
Here is a picture of the John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard:

Here is a picture of Master Chief, the main character in Halo:

And here is what some MIT students did to John Harvard the other night:

Soliciting Advice

So I am going to start soliciting advice from all of you, especially those of you who already have kids. I feel like there is so much to learn, and I want to cash in on your wisdom. :) So every once in a while, I'm going to ask you for advice on a particular subject, and you can let me know what you think.

Here's the first one: Baby equipment. My gosh, is Babies R Us an overwhelming place the first time you go in, or what? There is just so much, well, STUFF. My friend, April, did an awesome job of helping me narrow down the list and get handle on what we need, but I'd still like to hear from you guys on some things:
- Which baby equipment do I need, and which is unnecessary?
- Which brands are good?
- Which brands should I avoid?
- Which things did you get that you cannot live without?
- Which things did you get that never got played with/weren't useful?
- Any other tips?

God in the Midst of Everyday Life

I just read the most awesome post on Beth Moore's blog. It's about God in our everyday-ness of our lives. If you've got a couple of minutes, it is definitely worth the read!

DCC Reflections

Nathan and I got a new TV last week, and our fancy new TV picks up a few digital channels that we didn't get before. (Yay History Channel!) One of the ones that we get now is CMT. Now, I haven't watched CMT since I watched country music videos in 10th grade. But I have now discovered and am fascinated by--I know there is a moan coming from some of you--that Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders show. I compare this to Courtney's enjoyment of NASCAR. Kind of unexpected, but we can't help it.

So this is how it happened: we were flipping through the channels and landed on this channel where the women were so obviously Texan I even made a comment about it. Something about the silver jewelry, the packed on makeup, excessive eyeliner, perfect teeth, flamboyant clothes, great figures, etc. It just looked like Texas. Ah, the glories of Texas women. It soon became apparent that this was a show about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader tryouts. (Disclaimer: this is not to say that all Texan women aim to land quite so high on the glamour scale, because I know many who don't, but you Texans know there are plenty who do.)

I think what fascinates me about shows like this is that, for one thing, who doesn't want to watch some talented girls do their thing? I think that is definitely a big part of the fascination for me. Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who probably would have been like the worst cheerleader ever, but ever since I was little I've admired people who can do those high kicks and dance moves without looking retarded.

But, of course, let's be honest. Part of the draw of the show is also the drama. The drama of who came from how far, how many times they've tried out, who gets cut, all the tears when the cuts happen, etc. And the blonde moments. Oh, the rare but perfect blonde moments. I just about died when one girl, when asked what she'd think about Condoleeza Rice running for president, said, "Well, I think he's great. I wish him the best of luck as he runs for president." I just about fell on the floor.

Anyway, all that to say that although I have an intellectual side, I guess I a.) also have this I-like-to-be-entertained-just-for-the-sheer-joy-of-being-entertained side, and b.) am still a girl, after all, who loves girly things. And the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders definitely fit the bill.

8 Random Facts and Habits

I've been tagged by Tracy!

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their 8 things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

8 Random Facts and Habits About Lauren:

1. I like fudgey brownies, not cakey ones. I think the cakey ones are (almost) a waste of my time and calories. (This is on my mind because I just ate a borderline cakey brownie.)
2. I eat on a schedule, not when I get hungry. Nathan eats when he gets hungry, which means he often skips meals and almost never eats breakfast. I maintain that my way is healthier, particularly the eating breakfast part.
3. I am pretty task-oriented, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of making a list and accomplishing everything on it.
4. I always thought I would want to go to grad school, probably to get my Ph.D. in English. But after I graduated from college, I got to liking this no homework thing. I think I will stick with this for a while.
5. I was almost a vocal performance major.
6. When Ken was born, I tried to ignore him by humming for two weeks straight. My mom used to say that if it wasn't for Ken, I never would have taken up singing.
7. If we had to move to Scotland or to Cambridge, England for a while, I would not be disappointed.
8. I cannot stand some grape flavorings, because they remind me of the chewable children's Tylenol, which only came in grape when I was a kid. One time I got so sick I could not keep those nasty things down, and my mom got so desperate that she tried to dissolve one in my chicken noodle soup. As I was eating it, I saw the not-quite-melted grape Tylenol, and I said, "Mom, why is there a raisin in my soup?" "Oh, I don't know," she said, and she proceeded to stir vigorously. I didn't figure it out until much later.

Things

1. All of my posts lately have had at least one comment! Yay! You blog peepers/lurkers are finally braving the blog world! I appreciate it!
2. We did get that baby furniture I posted pictures of a while back. It's in perfect condition, and it will look stellar with the baby cowboy bedding!
3. Stellar is a nifty word.
4. I have had a lot of comments about my Chick-fil-A "chicken righteousness" post. I'm glad someone other than me thinks I'm funny! Nathan says one of my peccadillos is that I always laugh at my own dumb jokes, even if no one else does. So I'm glad I wasn't laughing alone this time. :)
5. I read an interesting article on Christianity Today's website today. It was linked from Amanda's blog.
6. I have been trying to fit some long walks into my schedule (see the weight gain post), and I have discovered that a.) I am slower! and b.) I definitely feel the strain in muscles that haven't been bothered by walks before. I'm wondering if it's the extra weight or if my hips are getting marginally wider or something.
7. My placenta is in the front of my uterus, and it acts like a shock absorber, so I only feel kicks on the sides, top, bottom, and BACK of my uterus! I wonder if he'll be kicking me in the organs once he's bigger. (Sorry if words like "uterus" and "placenta" gross you out.)
8. This is a cool website for looking at weekly fetal development (I am in week 26): http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment2.php#week26
9. Lately, anything orange flavored that I have eaten tastes like Triaminic to me. Nathan got an orange cream soda, and it tasted like Triaminic. I tried an Orange Mocha Frappuccino at Starbucks today, and it tasted like Triaminic. I don't know if it's pregnancy hormones making my tastebuds a little whacked, or if Triaminic has ruined me for creamy orange flavor forever.

Fall is Coming!

Fall is coming! Yay! It has been chilly here the last couple of days (about 40 at night and the upper 60's during the day). It doesn't really feel like fall yet--something lacking in the air--but I know it's coming!

I love fall. I always loved those rare cool, crisp, windy, dry days that we got in Houston--you know, those four days we call "fall." But I didn't know what fall was until we moved to New England. It is now my favorite season. Here are a few reasons why:

1. There is an invigorating quality in the air that just gives you energy and makes you feel wonderful.

2. I love fall clothes--I love sweaters, suede, velvet, herringbone, etc. I LOVE fall clothes. Partially because I love the cool weather, so in turn I love sweaters, and partially because of the rich colors and fabrics. (Courtney, I am jealous of your brown suede pumps.)

3. The leaves up here are gorgeous. We still have yet to have a good foliage road trip. The first couple of years we couldn't get away, and last year it was rainy. Hopefully this year we can make a day trip up into Vermont or New Hampshire to see some of the prettiness.

4. Fall food is so awesome! The apple cider is already out! Now, you Texans don't know what real apple cider is. In Texas, you buy the pasteurized kind on the juice aisle next to the apple juice. But in New England, you buy fresh, refrigerated apple cider from the produce section. It really tastes different, and it's wonderful. Nathan and I actually went to an apple mill one time and saw how they press the apples into cider. And those half-peck bags of apples are already in the grocery store, along with some fall squash. Yay! I can't wait for pumpkin dip and baked squash and the smell of all those lovely fall spices!

5. Apple picking! I love all kinds of fruit picking, but apple picking in the fall is special. Maybe because everything is decorated with pumpkins, or maybe it's that you get to climb ladders, or maybe it's the invigorating fall air. But apple picking is really great. For pics from last year, see this post.

6. I get to pull out the scarves and hats that I make that are actually useful in this part of the country!

Speaking of pumpkins, Nathan and I were laughing at an idea for Halloween this year: I could wear a t-shirt with the stomach cut out and paint my belly like a jack-o-lantern. Ha! It is just so dang round!! Can you imagine me sitting on the front porch giving out candy to kids like that? So funny!

September Arbonne Specials

Fall is here, and with it, Arbonne's holiday products and some wonderful specials!

The Holiday Products are Here!
Check out all of the beautiful holiday products online. And if you'd like to take care of all of your holiday shopping at once, you can take advantage of the "I Want It All" special. This set includes one each of the following Holiday sets:
Always Almond; Merely Sensational; Sweet Sensations; Holiday Lights; Sky's the Limit; For Your Ideal; About Face Charming; The Two-Step; Morning, Noon & Night Light; Big Not-So-Basic(s) Intelligence; and one each of the three new body sprays.
All of these products would normally cost $884, but in September, you can get them for $450.


Rejuvenating Cream 20% Off
In September, save 20% on the Intelligence Rejuvenating Cream for only $28, regularly $35, while supplies last. A fountain of youth in a jar, this ultra-hydrating, non-greasy moisturizer helps skin return to a balanced, healthy state. It's infused with amino acids to help rejuvenate skin.

NutriMinC RE⁹ Hydrating Wash for $16
Qualify to purchase the NutriMinC RE⁹ Renewing Gelée Crème, Hydrating Wash for only $16, regularly $39, with every $75 purchase. An emollient, cream-based and pH-correct gel cleanser that thoroughly cleans, without stripping or drying. Renews skin surface while key RE⁹ elements target and deliver protection.

Week in Texas!

Per my request, the very first thing we did when we landed in Houston was go straight to have some Mexican food! So we went for a huge lunch, after which I saw that my ankles had swollen a lot from the plane ride, and all that salt probably was not the best idea. Oh well, it was still REALLY good. Ken and Meredith came into town that day to see us and have lunch. It was nice!

The next day I had a baby shower at my friend April's house! It was SO nice. My mom was really touched at how many people came (about 20) and who was there. It was sweet to see everyone, and we all had a good time. Plus, I got more cowboy outfits than I knew existed! This is going to be one well-dressed kid!

Me and the grandmas-to-be

Granny, who wanted all the gifts passed to her, trying on the cowboy hat and outfit.
Me with the Hooter Hider from Granny!

Cute little bathrobe

The hostesses: Aunt Patti, Mrs. Valentine, April, and Noemi
(and the amazing Italian Creme cake, a second piece of which I swiped after
everyone else had left!)

We went to Waco on Labor Day to spend a few days with Nathan's family, and I have zero pictures of that because we were totally lazy and did not do much of anything. Except eat. It was really nice to just kind of "be" for a while and not have an agenda.

Then we headed back to Houston for the next weekend, because I had another shower scheduled. But woe to me, I got food poisoning. I thought that I would still be able to make it to the shower, but I really was just too sick, and I was just dying that I wasn't able to go. Mostly because about 20 friends were coming, some of whom drove from Austin or Dallas, and it just killed me that I wasn't going to get to see everyone. But what we ended up doing worked pretty well--Mom and Nathan went, and Nathan opened all the presents. Ha! I think he was totally out of his element, but he was a good sport. And Sarah and Courtney went all out with the cowboy decorations and the awesome food. Nathan took a few pictures of the decorations, and Mom sent me a picture of Nathan opening a gift. For a couple more pics, see Courtney's blog.

New Year's Baby!

I forgot to mention that based on the measurements they took at the ultrasound, they updated my due date to December 31. I thought that was kind of neat. :)

Ginormous

Okay, I am freaking huge.

I don't know what the deal is, but I just keep growing like nobody's business. Luckily, I am not putting on weight very much in places other than my belly (or is it that my huge belly makes everything else look small?), but overall I have gained a ridiculous amount of weight. I went to the doctor today, and I'm only a few pounds short of the minimum amount of weight you should gain for your WHOLE pregnancy, and let's see, hmm, I'M ONLY BARELY SIX MONTHS!!!!!

Seriously, my family was like, "Are you having twins or what?" One woman at my shower even looked at me in awe and told me I looked like I'm about to deliver. Sweet. People at work are like, "Yeah, you definitely look, um, pregnant." And my doctor pointed out today that if it keeps up at this rate, I could be in for a really big baby. Lauren is NOT too excited about the prospect of a huge baby.

Y'all need to write me and make me feel better about this. Or give me advice, or something. I'll post a picture once Nathan gets back in town and can take one of me.

Oh, and an update about our week in Texas is coming, I promise.

Well, at least you've got your health

You know how, when people tell the older generations their problems, the response is so often, "Well, at least you've got your health"? That used to kind of annoy me, because it seemed like the response was making light of the other major problems being talked about. I think I also disliked that response because I was young and nearly always felt great. I didn't know what it was like to lose your health.

But I have to tell you, those older people are RIGHT. It is STINKY to be sick.

I had a nasty case of food poisoning this weekend that just flattened me. Not only did it completely clean out my digestive system (which is an unpleasant process), but it basically left me a weakened, flattened mess. It is a stinky thing to feel that weak. Plus, I had to miss my own baby shower! In the wee morning hours, while I was still, well, emptying myself, I was still thinking I could make it to the shower. I figured that once I was emptied, what else could happen? Boy, was I wrong. I got totally dehydrated (a bad thing for a pregnant woman) and lost all my energy, started running a fever, etc. Ugh, it is not fun to have zero energy and try to fight a fever. Lucky for me, the whole thing only lasted 24 hours. It was enough to prompt Nathan to postpone his trip to a conference for a day, though, because he got worried. He said he had never seen me so sick.

So all that to say that whatever your problems are, if you DO have your health, thank God for it. It's something we all take for granted most of the time, but it is not fun to lose. I think of people with cancer and with other diseases who fight feeling badly all the time and it makes me think how blessed I really am. Thank you, Lord, for my health. Help me to keep from taking it for granted.

Chick-fil-A

Oh, Chick-fil-A,
you beacon of chicken glory,
why do I always forget you're closed on Sundays?

Why do I always,
in anticipation of your zesty lemonade and tasty chicken,
desire your goodness on the Sabbath,
just to be foiled by your chicken righteousness?

I'll just have to stop by tomorrow. :)