you have a baby?!............

.........in a brewery??!!

yes. well, a matter-of-fact, we did.

pardon my double chin...it seems as if i've truly plateaud with this whole 'losing the baby weight....' where's that treadmill i need to buy?? must. workout. and. sooooon.

don't worry, romes wasn't the only one.

colette brought her babIES. (yep, she's packin two)

although, hers are still nestled in her warm belly :)

and......he slept. the entire time!

which was good.

i didn't need my 7 week old trying to sneak his first brewsky.

and thanks to my friend amy, she's borrowed out her bjorn.

it's been the perfect replacement, because i left my stroller in nebraska at thanksgiving.

bummmmmmer, dude.

our little family. i love it.

cheers to free beer on a saturday afternoon!

so happy our hubbies had such a great time......i mean, we did too, but there's just something about seeing your husband smile. i love it.

eeeeeeeeek!!!! seriously. her little boys could arrive any day now......

aren't day da cutest!?!

yep.

still sleepin.

and now........today, december 7, 2010, i'm grateful for:

1. colette and quinn. they're always up for a good time......even IF she's totally about to pop :)

2. the children in my neighborhood. they play in my backyard. even on our deck......and ya know, it's fun to have them roamin' around!

3. mr leif. he fixed our only cd player. yep, turns out i just switched the cords to the speakers. silly me.

last year on this day...

...i was with my bestieboos. you know......at the first HUSKER GAME of the season.

wearin our red

doin the tailgate thing.

havin a blast

because that's what we do..........

......at husker games.

lincoln - gbr baby.

....

and now this year,

things are a bit different.......................

i'm 34 WEEKS PREGNANT!

and, on exactly the same day, one year later........
on this, the first husker game day of the season............
i'm not with my besties. not crashin' tailgates. not rompin around lincoln.............. BUT, i have a babe on my right and a babe in my belly :)
so i'll take the trade..........

and next year...........

NEXT YEAR will be back in lincoln - BGR baby!!!!!!!!!

....

ps........my mom and dad are here this weekend too!

we're washin baby clothes, settin up some baby gear, bbq'in, and havin a great time :)

i think this whole blog world...

...is making moms happier and healthier.


you might be thinking........you're not even really a mom yet, so why are you making such a statement, lindsey?

well. something i've noticed in the 'blogworld' is that people tend to open up and share their day, whether its through pictures, words, videos, or all three together :) but regardless, they are sharing. and the most important part is that they are sharing the good and the bad. one post might be a 'hallelujah, we just had a fabulous family vaca.....' and then the next one is more of a 'holy cow, our schedules are a mess, i'm never taking a family vaca again, there's too much laundry and we are all now sleep deprived.......' you get the idea? regardless...... if its about family vaca's, issues in the kitchen, struggling with body image, etc...... again - my point is that women are opening up, more than ever. and its great.

prior to the blog world, the phone might have been picked up to quickly phone a friend, so we could hash out our day - to vent to one another. but NOW we can blog about it......... and instead of just the one person on the other end of the phone saying, 'i'm sorry'......... 'im praying'.......... 'here's what i've tried'........now, you get many.

now, no one likes to read a blog that is all about struggling, negativity, and barely surviving ALL of the time......... but go on, admit it, when you read of someone else struggling, or someone else wondering how to handle a certain situation, or someone else finally having success in an area you are about to throw the towel in........that you GET ENCOURAGED??!!
i do :)

and i think the best part of blogging helping women to be emotionally healthy, is when you get the chance to comment on someone's thoughts. to let them know you are praying, you are proud, those comments solidify their hesitations in sharing their struggles.

so i'm excited.
i'm excited to continue blogging into this treck of motherhood that i'm about to embark on. and y'all know i don't have a problem with sharing the good, bad, and the ugly..........so buckle up. i'm assuming this blog will take a bit of a rollercoaster ride, just as my hormones will be :)
but that's ok.

as those who blog know, when you write....ehem, type, its sort of theraputic. and when you read of others in your same situation, its comforting. and while at times you are hesitant to share something with the blog world, there is always a comment to help assure you - someone is praying. someone understands. or perhaps someone even might have advice........

as i reflect back on this past year, having my mr leif gone from august through april, getting pregnant, and now preparing for a baby.......i realize the comfort and support i've received through blogging. weird for some to understand. but start a blog, and you'll get it:)

cheers to blogging.
and cheers to women, being able to open up.
and cheers to friendships being created, Godly friendships, friendships that have allowed you to find yourself often praying for someone you haven't 'actually even met' yet :)

we went to a wedding...

...and had a blast.

check out these hot babes :)



yep, that would be bestie carrie and bestie sam.
they are lovely ladies. and they liked my lovely lady lump (aka babyleif)
and everytime im with them, i don't wanna leave.
but thats ok :)
it makes our time together THAT much more special.
ps.
carrie's gettin hitched next june.
i forgot to mention that here
and pps.
sam's the one who couldn't find homegoods :)
and she had a garmin.
baaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaha.
and i can laugh at her, because she knows i love her :)


and then there's the man of my dreams....



ya know what? mr leif asked me to dance at the reception.
i think that's the first time in our relationship history that he's asked me to dance, and not vice versa........and for those of you who know us best.....you know i'm the one who likes to shake it on the dance flo, and mr leif would prefer to sit back and watch me shake it.
and we danced to two songs.
and i could have danced to 3,789,302 more songs with him.
even in my wedges.



just to clear up any confusion or defend myself from copyright nazi's out there, i didn't do anything illegal by posting these pics, even though there's a giant X through the middle of them.......they give you the link to embed them :)

its a date....

...a date night.

and its budget friendly.

and its helping me learn how to like coffee.

because i don't like coffee.

but lots of my mommy friends are telling me i must learn to love it.

that i will need it.

so im easing myself in.

im liking white chocolate mocha stuff......

i don't even wanna know if there are tons of calories or whatever.

im not skilled enough to order the 'healthy' version yet.

i don't quite know what to tell the coffee dude.

so i just straight shoot off the menu.

and ya know what?

im kinda liking this whole coffee thing.

for the first time in well 25 years - it doesnt taste bitter or yucky.

and then there's the him.

mr leif is the perfect date.

we talk.

and sip our coffee, like we are cool.

and we dream.

and there is nothing to distract us. no computers, no laundry, no housework, no yard.

except one phone call from a lost friend trying to get to homegoods

(hahahaha - she knows im kidding)

and we soak each other up

and dream some more

and pretend the world has stopped.

and its the best date.

and we are practicing these cheap, quick dates.

because we know when the babe comes, we still need them. weekly.

and we'd like to have date night about 4 or 5 times a week.

but really. its just once a week.
and its our favorite night ever.

good work starbucks.

we like your comfy chairs.

and we like havin a date with you.

so do you?

do you set aside time for just your husband?

and talk and dream and smile and give googly eyes?

because you should.

its like medicine.

goooooooooood medicine.

so i had a...

...baby shower ;)

and here's a quick photo story, to show y'all the beautiful time we had...

WE

took pictures. duh!

with the radiant hosts-carrie and sam (myself) the cake master-heidi, and the organizer/headmaster/host/best sissy ever-liza

WE

posed again. because we love eachother. me and heidi do.

WE

posed as a fam.

sissy lesley, momma (the future grammy of babyleif!!!!), me, sissy liza, and little charlotte

eeeeeeeeeek love them all.

WE

had some good laughs.

sweet aunt marcie showin off her hawaian grass skirt.

totally festive. and completely proper for our theme. like it.

WE

captured precious moments with great grammy and baby boo........

totally proud of my grandma rath, she came sportin' her own hawaian shirt, and an authentic necklace.......go granny go.

WE

discovered that charlotte likes adults, better than babies.

babies steal the attention from her.

and even though hudsypoo is cuter than cute, and so sweet........

she wadn't havin' it.

WE

posed for pics with the future great grammys:

my grandma rath, and mr leif's grandma annie

WE

played games, talked, gathered, ate, and enjoyed :)

mr leif's aunties and his mom (momma2 - the future grammy abbi!!!)

WE

did the gift thing. (LOVE them all, eeeeeeeeek!) and i had a sweet gift assistant.

WE

discovered that charlotte will pose all cheezylike

anytime you put the camera close to her face.

love

WE

i mean

I

tried out my public speaking

I

clearly wasn't hesitant to embrace the pole for support while speaking.....

....i totally should have ended my thankyou speech with a quick pole dance.

it would have been sweet.

and totally appropriate.

WE

had a wardrobe change.

because thats what you do with cute squishy little girls.

you change their clothes a lot

because they look fab in anything.

WE

had a bestie reunion, me and lauren did, and amanda too........but

amanda, where are you for this picture, boo!

WE

well i dont really know what we are doing here.

but i like it.

i'm hikin up the dress

liza's in action about to do her hosty-host thang

aunty joan and momma2 are in deep discussion

and nessy is totin' around hudsy.

i like.

and.......

WE

ate.

really good food.
yum.

thank you sissy(s)

thank you sammy and care

thank you heidi

thank you momma and momma2

thank you thank you thank everyone.

it was delightful.

goin on at our hizzie....

a few things.

we had visitors.
we like to call them our regulars.
they come crash at our place. a lot
and we love it.
and we have crazy good times.
...eating at firecookin/throwfoodatyou restaurants
...grillin. real low key like.
...tryin to start fires in our pit/but failing/but still trying.
...watchin our boys play tennis. all sweaty like.
...goin to get 'free facials'
...and bommin it up at schlitters......floatin and slidin in the sun.

and guess what else is goin on at our hizzie.
mr leif is paintin the babe's room.
yay. eeeeek. tripple quadruple sweetness.
and i have bad heartburn or indigestion
......(but no upset stomach/diareah)
duh. like the peptol bismal commercial.
but yeah it hurts.
so i ate ice cream.
and
well...

it helped.
YES. yes yes YESSSS.
love LOVE that ice cream is now justified as a remedy.
booyah to yah.

and in other big news......
im in my 26th week.
and standing in the future babe's room :)
and underneath......
bam!!!!
babyleif is really pokin out

so so so, at 26 weeks:

• hearburn/ouchiness - ice cream remedy, yay.
• boobs have stopped growing it seems, staying a consistant BIG, ughhh.
• getting up at 5. always. but now loving a midday nap (ahhhh the joys of my july of no work)
• feeling babyleif kick/do cannon balls/play karate/shake his booty
• seeing him do all those things and thinking it looks a bit weird when my belly has sudden random bulging movements
• mr leif can feel him/see him move. he likes that.
• ummmm lets see, what else......
• oh yeah, im NOT weighing myself. at all :) yep, its been about 3 weeks of no scale. and its almost like moses came down from the mountain and burnt up my idol and scattered the ashes of my scale into the river behind my house, just like he did to the israelites with their golden calf. so yeah. that whole issue is going GREAT. free.

ight y'all.

im out.

mr leif and i

had a great anniversary dessert date :)

behold. the chocolate bag. mi favorito :)

hello.

and hellllllllo hot stuff.

then i did kourtney kardashian photo shoot

because, i vowed to be a bit sexy (for mr leif) while pregnant :)
with my green dress from new zealand!!!

ps.
i cant ever sleep past 5
good morning :)

how we found out we are having.....

........a mini mr leif :)


thanks amanda:) xoxox

my belly is growin.....

........... and last friday, it was time to find out......... boy? or girl?

back home in NE last weekend we had a party.
i called it the 'big reveal'.
we invited fam and some friends to my parent's house.
it was such an awesome evening.

you see thursday we had our 20 week ultrasound.
we asked not to be told, but rather that it was written on a paper and sealed in an envelope.
then friday morning, i dropped off the envelope at my aunt joan's.

i spent the rest of friday running errands and preparing for the party.
joan spent the rest of her day makin a cake.
with a layer of frosting inside.
i told her to use blue or pink, we'll cut it open, and know immediately!

so here are some snappies of the fabulous event.
enjoysies.
i know we did.

bbq'in it up.

chillin' ......... i love the look of the barn and shed in the background.

filled with so many childhood memories!!

and then, BAM, there's dad's blue truck. wowza. bright blue. BAM.

my momma and me.

love her :)

mr leif and his buddies.

sis lesley holding baby hudsypoo

and then.

7pm came.

and that was our time.

time to slice open the cakey.

i wasn't nervous or anxious until 30 seconds prior.

then i freaked out a bit.

you see........

it was this week that i really started coming to the realization that i WANT a GIRL.

and i started to fantasize about her.

her nursery was pretty my themed out in my mind (based on a rug and lamp from anthro)

and i already had 8 outfits layed out in my imagination, cute little ones that i would put together so she would knock the socks off of any boy within 2 feet of her. even at 2 months old.

so i was nervous.

and we cut the cake.

and mr.leif was REALLY nervous.

and the frosting.

was.

blue!!!!!!!!!!!!

now i am quite honest, and i think it's is totally healthy for me to admit i wanted a girl, and wasn't as excited as i wish i was for the blue frosting.

but its ok.

i had to be real with my feelings.

i had to accept that i was, in fact, let down.

and then as soon as i acknowledged that.........

i began to get excited!!!!!!!!!

and mr. leif is truly overjoyed.

i love how happy he is.

he talks about him and his boy all the time now.

like this babe is in the other room or something.

he forgets i still have 19 more weeks.

hehe.

.........i've got a couple video's comin through email.

i'll post'em when i get them.

they show mr. leif's giant fist pump that thrusts into the air at about 79 miles per hour.

yes. he was stoked.

he still is.

and i am catchin right up there with him.