summer of travel = over (almost).

phew.

we (nearly) did it. this summer has been so exhausting from all the travel we've been doing and emotionally exhausting from trying to figure out how to get ready for a new baby. so all in all, it's been kind of a rough past couple of months.

but. TH comes home tomorrow from London! then we get to hang out for the rest of the summer (minus a short trip to Portland for a girls weekend getaway). i can't believe how much i've come to rely on him being there as a support to me. it's true what they say that distance makes the heart grow fonder. it has made me realize how much more i want to do for him to show love. i have a sneaking suspicion that life will never stop being busy, and it's so easy for me to forget to say and show love for my man. i try to be so independent - i think it has to do with getting married after being on my own for so long, making my own decisions. but after these past few months and with what we have ahead of us, it's time to step up the love-fest. time to really be a team.

go team! here's to TH coming home tomorrow!

jess comes to town!

jess comes to visit tonight! i cannot wait to see my nyc bff!
i love this girl so much and i can't believe she's leaving nyc for greener, west-coaster pastures. now we'll have to be bi-coastal BFF's. are you sure you don't want to stay in DC, miss jess?

we had so much fun living in NYC together. we were both newbies at the same time and she got me through the tough times so much. dates at lalo, shopping, trader joe's, laundry dates, the list goes on and on. it was never a dull moment. she is also an amazing seamstress and designer and helped me with my wedding dress. i'm so lucky to have a friend like her.

but my very most favorite thing to do in the world with jess is go to shows and DANCE. do you think we can go to a show with my little baby bump? and dance around like crazy people?

we go a-travelin.

well, well we are just little travel bugs over here lately. a little sad, a lot exhausting, but also really funny to see the pictures we take for each other. like i take pictures like this last week in LA

(look at your 24 weeks pregnant wife!)

and he takes pictures like this

(hello from the great wall!) - complete with peace sign

i love him.

new furniture.

like i said yesterday, i've been going a little bananas this past weekend getting the house ready. last night i picked up 2 more things - hollywood regency X benches to replace the blue coffee table and a little baby bassinet for little baby.

we put the bassinet next to the bed, and when i went to bed that night, i just kept looking over at it. looking down at my belly. feeling baby kick. making the connection that in just a few short months, baby would be laying in that sweet little bassinet, kicking it's cute little legs. (minor panic attack! breathe...breathe...) it seems like it's all happening so fast lately.

it's a hot hot hot hot world.

it has been 3 days straight with temperatures over 100 degrees. that is crazy nuts. and what did i do the whole weekend? well, i spent it outside shopping my brains out! not the smartest thing i've ever done, but i did have my mom with me to provide comfort and cold water (and the VW to provide blasting AC).

we went to lucketts to check out antiques, leesburg to the outlet malls, where i scored this sweet little french oven:and i found some amazing new-to-me furniture stores in quaint little Takoma Park, too.

Modern Mobler - all mid-century modern furniture at a reasonable price and ridiculously friendly staff (a nice change from the shops on 14th and U street).
and Trohv - a sweet little furniture boutique with lots of cute and quirky gift ideas. i'll definitely be returning to check it out.

so that was my hot weekend. let's just say that the nesting has officially started. how did you stay cool this weekend?

dazed and confused.

taking a red eye from LA to DC while 5.5 months pregnant is one of the dumber decisions i've made in life. of course i couldn't get comfortable and of course i couldn't fall asleep and of course i was hungry and thirsty the whole time and of course i had a window seat so i had to wake up the guy next to me one time when i just couldn't hold it any longer.

i came home and slept basically the entire day, woke up long enough to eat a bowl of cereal and watch the news, then fell back asleep. right now i'm incredibly hungry, completely exhausted, and really wishing TH was here to take care of me. TH - say hello to the queen mum for me! and bring me back something from borough market!

do you have any secrets for surviving long flights, especially red eyes? (my flight out to LA was fine - but then again it wasn't a red eye!)

on opposite ends of the world.

lately, every other month we have to spend a couple of weeks on opposite ends of the earth. this time, me in LA, him in UK. it's exciting to travel and share stories of successes and failures in our jobs, but this time around it's exhausting with baby kicks and crazy dreams about having a baby. and missing sharing this experience with my baby daddy - it makes my heart hurt.

i'm just a couple weeks shy of the third trimester and my belly is definitely proof of that! i've been sitting in meetings all week and sit up so straight when i feel the sudden, strong movements of this little baby inside of me. last night i dreamed i had the baby and (a girl) and i was cradling her in my arms for so long, feeling so unprepared to take care of this baby but so happy to have her with me. it was sweet, but i woke up thinking "time to get ready. it is time!"

it's crazy how quickly the months have flown by these past few months.

dating in the district: lunch at ceiba

inspired by hannah and robbie, TH and i had a fancy lunch date today at Ceiba in downtown DC. the food was all incredible and my tastebuds didn't even know how to respond. i got a hibiscus lemonade that was so refreshing and so pink! we shared the guacamole to start, and i had the pumpkin seed tilapia served on mashed fufu (fufu!) and TH had the trio of tacos. the best part of Ceiba? they bring you complimentary caramel popcorn with the check. good heavens, my very favorite thing in the world for free? total total lunch bliss.

i loved lunching with my man, breaking away from our desks for an hour or so to chat about whatever (so what if most of it was about our work?), and be lovey in front of other people having business lunches. we're going to make this fancy lunch date a monthly thing.

have a super weekend, dears. i'm heading to LA tomorrow and will face the carmeggedon (i'm so nervous. bad timing, work conference!). hoping i won't have to sit on the highway for too long. wish me luck!

you and your sister live in a lemon world.

you guys, i am like SO crafty. i made this wreath in 10 minutes before TH's parents came over this weekend. i'd had the materials laying on my floor for about 3 weeks and guess what? i suppose the kind of crafter i am is a procraftinator. groan.

i kind of think it looks like something a grandparent would put on their door, but i'll leave it for awhile. i hardly ever make anything crafty so i'm pretty proud of myself. i'm totally going to be the kind of mom that wears the macaroni necklaces her kid makes her. be proud of the effort, not the end product, right? right?

summer + the pool.

i love the pool! especially when it has fun flags and a view of the washington monument. thanks to mayor fenty for sprucing up this pool and making it a fun (and free) community space.

summer + pregnant people.

i made this cherry pie for a dinner of pregnant people this weekend. i have 2 friends who are also semi-newlyweds and we're all pregnant, due within 3 weeks of each other. it is so funny and interesting to get together with these couples and hear about their pregnancies - the similarities and the stark differences (where are my cravings?), but mostly it's just really cool to be a in a room where all the woman have babies growing inside of them. because let's be honest, where does that ever happen??

this weekend was so fun. lots of friend/family summer time. even a trip to the pool, just like i had hoped. life is good and i love my husband quite so.

have a hot weekend.

it's hot.
it's really hot.
in between family gatherings tomorrow, i'd like to go to the pool.

TH's parents are coming for breakfast (crumpets, homemade strawberry jam, yogurt, strawberries and peaches), then we're meeting my mama for dinner to celebrate her 59th!

there's time for a pool visit in between the two, right?

summer of cooking.

while TH was living it up in Asia, i got to work in the kitchen. wooden spoon in hand, pots and pans everywhere, cookbooks lying around for days...it was all so nice. having an appetite is a wonderful thing. for example, i ate 2 sandwiches for lunch today. big deal. i'm happy to be pregnant and happy to be cooking and eating again like a normal person.

i've been experimenting in the kitchen, and ironing out some yummy summer dinners and treats. if you are looking for some ideas, you can find my rolodex (growing) here.

rain boots.

someday i want to own a house with a porch where i can put whatever i want on it. chairs, a record player, or even rain boot planters. feeling dreamy today.

photo by me. in homer, alaska.

our first family car.

so, we did it. TH returned from his 2-week Asia trip and the next day we bought a car! he will be forever revered as my car savior for shopping for a car on a 95 degree sunny day, pregnant wife in tow, with severe jet lag from being in China, Japan, and Indonesia for 2 weeks. seriously.

say hello to the new VW tiguan. we love it so much and best of all, i think a stroller will fit in the back much better than the MINI. hooray for our first family car!

red, white, and baby.

we packed so much into this weekend, i need another weekend to relax! pancake breakfast, dessert party, fireworks, sparklers, friends, church, baseball game, and BBQ. and on top of all that, we bought a new car! more on that later.

and i'll leave you with a picture of the 21 week bump. it's growing, people! (thanks to n for this festive picture!)

happy independence day weekend!

fireworks, watermelon, corn-on-the-cob (which i cannot get enough of these days. yum!), and being with the one i love to celebrate our love for this great ole country..
oh yeah, and also i always cry on the 4th of july. especially when i hear stars and stripes forever. i can't help it.
image found here.