When the release date flashed across the screen, Ben leaned over and said, “That comes out two days after your due [...]]]> Last November, Matt and I went to see Quantum of Solace with our friends Ben and Marissa. We saw our first preview for Star Trek, which Matt had already been talking about with great excitement.

When the release date flashed across the screen, Ben leaned over and said, “That comes out two days after your due date.” Matt responded by shaking his fists at the ceiling and saying, “Noooooo!”

Even though our due date moved up to four days prior to the release, baby girl decided to let us go to one more movie, and we caught an impromptu matinee this afternoon.

Though we’re grateful for the opportunity, I must note that life has already changed – we had to take aisle seats instead of that perfect center seat, and I was using my left arm for lumbar support by the end of the two hours. (Also – could someone have warned me about the opening scene?)

On the other hand, this is the first movie we’ve seen since November, so it’s not like our life is changing that much. Until baby girl starts requesting animated features, we might be seeing one movie a year instead of two.

Our review of Star Trek? I liked it, though I don’t know much about the original series, and Matt gave it 8 stars on IMDB.

We promise, one of these days we’ll post photos of our daughter. And believe me, that can’t come soon enough.

Yes, baby Hartley is breaking family tradition by waiting out her due date. Or, at least, things would have to happen really fast for her to arrive today.

Luckily, the aforementioned heat wave has passed to lovely, rainy 60 degree spring [...]]]> This morning I turned on my computer and my Outlook calendar said: “BABY! 7 Hours Overdue.”

Yes, baby Hartley is breaking family tradition by waiting out her due date. Or, at least, things would have to happen really fast for her to arrive today.

Luckily, the aforementioned heat wave has passed to lovely, rainy 60 degree spring days. And let me tell you, I am left with great sympathy for those with summer pregnancies. 90 degrees is not pleasant when you’re this close to giving birth!

While I am somewhat uncomfortable as I wait, I have nothing on my to-do list or calendar for the first time in… well, as long as I can remember.

What does that mean? It means I upgraded my laptop to Windows 7 over the weekend (no one mentioned that nesting extends to the computer, but I assure you it does), and I’ve been reading tons of fiction. It’s wonderful, and probably this last time I’ll have this much freedom for quite some time… like 25 years, I’m guessing.

Or rather, Matt did the heavy lifting, got his first child-related injury (a run in with an exacto knife), and hopes never to see cardboard again. [...]]]> The paint dried on the nursery walls this week and box after box of furniture arrived at our doorstep, which meant we spent the entire weekend putting nursery furniture together.

Or rather, Matt did the heavy lifting, got his first child-related injury (a run in with an exacto knife), and hopes never to see cardboard again. I handed out screws, held parts steady, and stood around trying to look useful. I also reorganized the pantry in a nesting frenzy – does that count?

We were pleased to get three pieces of furniture in this tiny bedroom. We have a few more necessities to buy and a full wardrobe of baby clothes to wash, but otherwise we’re just about ready. The gallery of nursery photos is updated on our photo website.

I’ve been sticking close to home, but I did drag myself to the mall and grocery [...]]]> In the last few weeks, I evolved from looking sort of pregnant to really pregnant. When I meet new people, the reaction has changed from the terrified is-she-or-isn’t-she-pregnant belly glances, to asking without hesitation, “So, when are you due?”

I’ve been sticking close to home, but I did drag myself to the mall and grocery store this week, and am happy to report I’m getting excellent customer service. Sales people offer to hold my bags behind the counter while I shop, and yesterday someone took my shopping cart back to the store for me as his wife looked on with a nostalgic smile. Everyone smiles when they see my giant belly.

I’m not a fan of my own bump photos, but a few have met my approval, and are in this photo gallery. My mom took a bunch last weekend, and this is my favorite, just because Matt and I were acting so dorky.

Six weeks to go… and I’m not sure where the final two to four pounds of baby Hartley are going to fit.

Which means that [...]]]> It’s been a quiet month in ajmatt land, but things are moving toward all things baby. Despite a surprise six-inch snowstorm last weekend, it’s 50 degrees warmer this weekend – I’m not kidding, last Sunday was 25 degrees, this Sunday should be close to 75 – and spring is in the air.

Which means that baby girl Hartley will be making an appearance in about eight weeks. Or possibly earlier, because, as her grandparents say, “She’s very advanced.” (Don’t suggest she might come later. I would rather stay in denial about that possibility.)

Matt and I have now acquired four new bookcases (do you get a sense of our priorities?), and we combined offices a few weeks ago. I was going to photograph our efficient new set up, but couldn’t find a good angle, especially with the layer of drywall dust that covers all surfaces right now.

We started nursery demolition this week. Looks nice and cozy already, don’t you think?

There is a crib on the road somewhere between New Jersey and Washington, D.C., and a huge pile of baby hand-me-downs in our living room. I can’t thank hand-me-down givers enough – I love the concept of reusing baby gear clothes and gear, and they have saved us so much time and money.

Everything is queued up and coming together. Which means I can go back to my other obsessive task, making a new batch of muffins to put in the freezer.

Since I moved in, Matt has occupied four tall bookcases, and one short; I managed to fit into one tall bookcase, plus some treacherous book piles.

No more – [...]]]> When one becomes the second occupant in a small house, she has to fight for real estate. Bathroom cabinet space? Closet space? No, I’m talking about bookshelf space.

Since I moved in, Matt has occupied four tall bookcases, and one short; I managed to fit into one tall bookcase, plus some treacherous book piles.

No more – while preparing for baby, it became urgent that the book piles disappear, along with our guest bed and an extra dresser (we’re donating the latter two items to a local organization called Homestretch).

Last week, I became the proud occupant of two new bookcases in our upstairs hallway – a narrow bookcase outside of the future nursery (below left), and an amazingly tall bookcase outside of our bedroom (below right).

There is nothing more satisfying to my inner geek than moving all of my books around. See how straight the spines are? And how there is empty shelf space for new books?

Not that it will last long – you may note the books on the floor in the photo on the left. We have already purchased a third bookshelf for Matt and his pile of school books which are sitting on the floor of the future nursery. How many bookshelves can we squeeze in before the house collapses?

Up next: two offices become one.

We had a wonderful Christmas, indoors and out. The [...]]]> Despite the incredible, unheard of week of snow in the Seattle area (it’s still coming down!), Matt and I managed to make it into town in Christmas Eve, and our plane even landed early. We were lucky, because here’s what the world looked like the next morning:

We had a wonderful Christmas, indoors and out. The poor Seattle plants can’t take the heavy snow, so my mom had to shake the snow off the bamboo a few times:

Matt shoveled the walk for the poor, clueless Northwesterners:

And my friend Marissa came to visit. Somehow she keeps winning the battle of the bumps… maybe because she’s two months ahead?

For more pictures of family and a winter wonderland, visit our photo gallery.

Since saying “it” never sounded right, our baby has been referred to by some creative names over the last three months. But as of last Monday we have something new to call her.

Her. Did you catch that? We’re having a girl!

Every time Matt and [...]]]> Podling. Billy Mac. Anabelle. Cletus the Fetus. Lil’ Hart. Alien baby. Bean.

Since saying “it” never sounded right, our baby has been referred to by some creative names over the last three months. But as of last Monday we have something new to call her.

Her. Did you catch that? We’re having a girl!

Every time Matt and I were asked what we thought the gender would be, we said we had no idea. However, based on our surprise during the sonogram, I think we were subconsciously expecting a boy.

Now that we’ve cut out half our options, we have no choice but to start thinking about names (no pressure).