Casual Weekly Update of Dreams :')

For what feels like, and probably is, the first time this year, I'm sitting down to write a totally normal-life-feeling, casual weekly update! Nothing too crazy to report, for which I'm grateful. Truly never thought I'd have a week that feels this normal in pregnancy (I don't feel non-pregnant normal, but this is better than it ever got with Jack). I guess to keep things casual, here are a few random things I'm loving this week:

1. @The_Car_Mom broccoli. With both of our cars being very old sedans, we've jumped into the car research game. The original plan was to upgrade to a bigger car before baby #2 arrives, but then I was like, boi, I'd rather have AC than a bigger car. So now our plan is to be well researched and know what we want so that when one of our cars bites the dust, whether that be in 5 years or 5 weeks, we have a plan in place. My silver Accord is good as new since we got the starter replaced this last week. But someday, we're leaning toward a Palisade or a Telluride. Possibly a Pilot. Mid-size SUV is the category we're currently feeling after watching a million Car Mom and other car reviews on youtube. Wow that took a tangent. I feel like I need a paragraph break to get back on track.

Ok, Car Mom Broccoli! I've been following The Car Mom on Instagram and she has a viral broccoli recipe that is very easy and stinks up our house because, broccoli, and makes me scarf down an entire bag/head of broccoli in one sitting, every time. I literally cannot help it. Here's the recipe: Steam a head/bag of broccoli in the microwave. While it's steaming, brown some butter real quick on the stove. As much or little as your heart tells you. Then pour the browned butter over the broccoli, squeeze half a lemon on top, and salt with Lawry's seasoned salt. Umm????? My life will never be the same. I try to make it right after Jack goes to preschool and then air the house out because he cannot even with the smell of steamed broccoli. 

2. Air conditioning!! Also, the finally sunny forecast for this next week. I knew Jared would be singing me/the AC sweet praises come July when we start having 100-degree days in Washington. But he's singing those praises already even though the "hottest" day we've had since getting it installed last week was only 70 degrees lol. We both sleep hot at night, and since our bedroom is upstairs and has big windows it tends to be the hottest room in the house. I don't like sleeping with the windows open because I have tender little nighttime asthma attacks and I do better with windows closed and my new air purifier on high (bought it hoping it would lessen Jared's snoring--did nothing for his snoring but has helped with my asthma). The AC has already offered sweet cooling relief several times. Good timing because I think I'm starting to get pregnancy hot flashes. (Also my belly button's already popped completely out and I need to start wearing a support band because the back pain from my already full-sized belly ain't no joke. I kid you not, my belly is bigger at 22 weeks this time than it was at 32 weeks with Jack. Also my OB says baby's measuring in the 95th percentile :')

3. An outdoor dining table. I knew getting one would bring me joy, but not THIS much joy. The absolute most joy-filled purchase I've made since moving into this house. Jared and I took his parents' old suburban on a thrift store date last week while my car was in the shop to try and snag a dresser for the nursery. The thrifting gods were not in our favor, but this urge overtook me and I HAD to purchase a piece of large furniture while we happened to have a suburban on our hands. I have jumped through soooo many logistical hoops over the years getting our homes furnished with thrift store finds that are too big to fit in a sedan. So I whipped out the birthday money Jared's parents gifted me last week and was like, "Jared, drive me to Home Depot. This lady's buying a patio table." I'd already spent weeks scouring the internet to find a great rainy-climate-approved outdoor table at the best price. My search led me to a table from Home Depot that isn't available to ship and must be picked up in-store. We already tried it with our Honda and it of course didn't fit so we had to do a walk of shame back into the store to return the table. I love us and our misguided optimism. ANYway, I thought Jared might plot to work some logistical magic to try and surprise me with the table for my birthday. When that didn't happen (he did lots of other great surprises instead) and this situation presented itself, I jumped at it. So glad I did. Patio breakfasts and lunches and dinners 4evr and evr. I ordered some plastic/resin chairs (our patio is uncovered and it's always raining here) that will get here in a week or two. In the meantime I've been dragging our indoor dining chairs back and forth from patio to dining room all weekend. When the days start to get hotter I'll probably get an umbrella and spend all summer at my patio table while Jack plays in the backyard. 

4. A successful Sunday nap swaparoo. For the most part, Jack doesn't nap anymore. He does an hour of quiet play time each afternoon, and then maybe once every week or two he'll end up climbing into bed and taking a nap during that time. Love those days because the naps last 2-3 hours. On Saturday night we got home LATE after a fun belated birthday-dinner evening at Din Tai Fung with Jared's parents and brother. Then of course Jack woke up extra early the following morning. After church I was hoping he'd fall asleep during his quiet time, but knew it probably wouldn't happen. Exhausted, Jared and I took a nap anyway during the quiet time. Sure enough, after the hour timer went off Jack came to wake me up. I was really groggy and he asked if he could come lay down between us to snuggle while I was waking up. When he was settled in with his stuffed bunny I started to rub his back for a minute, and then a Sunday miracle unfolded and he fell asleep for a nap of his own, allowing me to slip out and enjoy a few hours to myself. I felt like a criminal mastermind. Jack got quiet time and a bonus nap, I got a little nap and then a quiet afternoon of my own, and Jared took the double-long Sunday nap of his dreams. A true sabbath miracle. Here are some random phone snaps from our casual, normal week:

^^Jack made these "turtle skeletons" in his playroom this week and then casually presented them to me while I was sorting laundry. I love this kid. What a cool guy. 

^^A cozy bedtime Jack with all his bunkbed essentials: Bunny, encyclopedia of dinosaurs, and a picture of mom (and a picture of dad above the picture of mom that didn't make the shot), and Christmas lights all around the roof of the bunkbed, which is why it looks so bright. I love how late it stays light these days, too. It's usually still light out after Jack falls asleep for the night and it feels so peaceful to check on him sleeping in his room with some soft light still filtering through his curtains. It always makes me smile to realize how far we've come with Jack's sleep since his colicky, sleep-detesting baby years. It does get better! So much better! A good thing to remember as we approach the newborn phase all over again. 

^^Savvy dog getting on her Savvy shoes. This picture makes me laugh every time. Now that the weather's getting warm, Savvy's constantly scratching to go out the front door, instead of out back through her dog door, so she can lay on our shaded front porch and watch the world go by. Unfortunately when I let her do this, she inevitably scratches up the paint on the front door when she scratches to come back inside when she's done. So I've started putting on these little booties and letting her out on her long leash so she can hang out as long as she wants and then bat harmlessly at the door with these to come back in. She hates them though. She refuses to put any weight on her front paws when she's getting them on, and sits like a person like this. I swear if I had nothing better to do I could train her to walk around on just her back two legs while wearing these. 

^^Another glam candid pregnancy capture by Jack. She is beauty, she is grace, she has outgrown all her normal clothing and is doing her grocery pickup in whatever this outfit is.  

^^I'll leave you with one of the 500,000 pictures of dinosaur toys on my phone. Dino phase going strong. He's learned how to sound out all the different types of dinosaurs and google them on my phone and take screenshots of them and beg me to print them out later. Time to figure out them parental controls probs. In the meantime my mind is blown that he casually typed out "pteradactil" like it wasn't no thang. I mean, it's a "y" at the end instead of an "i," but I am aghast at his correct use of that silent "p." Somebody put this boy in a 4-year-old spelling bee.