Bluegrass

Nate and I just got home from a bluegrass concert. Our friend Nyk Vail plays in the Teton Shadow Mountain Boys. They were really good. You know what's odd? I hate country music (I've tried to give it a chance, but I just can't take it!) but I LOVE bluegrass music. Bluegrass music is just so easy to listen to and is so much fun to see live. I think it's the awesome instruments involved, my favorite being the banjo.

I've thought of playing the banjo before. I think I know myself well enough to know that I am no good at practicing or sticking with instruments. I think I might make Blaine play the banjo. How do you get kids to play instruments anyway? Nothing really lasted in my family. My parents gave us a choice and as kids we all chose to not practice and quit. Now I think it'd be awesome if I would have been forced to keep at something. Then I'd be talented. But on the other hand, maybe I would resent my parents for forcing me how to play.

I have a solution... I will force Blaine to play the banjo, and then let my second child choose to do whatever he wants and then I'll see which one turns out better in the end :)

In all seriousness though, I do think it'd be awesome if my kids could have bluegrass jams. Nate plays the Mandolin so all we need is a fiddle, banjo, bass, and guitar. Or at least a guitar and fiddle. We'll see. I'm this is one of those fantasy pictures that so many moms have envisioned for their future just to have their kids complain and not go along with it. Like my mom. She wishes we were more like the Vontrap family. Singing songs she taught us and frolicking in the mountains with her. My mother in law has also told me to beware to getting too many pictures in my head about my future. It'll be interesting to see how everything works out in the end. As long as my kids are perfect, I'll be just fine ;)

Flies and Stretch Marks

There are flies in my house! I don't know where they came from (who am I kidding, we're living in a really old basement. There are probably loads of ways they could sneak their way in), but they're there. I thought they were baby house flies because they're so tiny, but Nate explained to me that they are fruit flies (while he laughed at me). So I didn't know what a fruit fly is! But know I know, so next time I'll be able to identify them.

They live in my kitchen sink and bathroom. They must like the wetness. My faucet drips so they get plenty of water. We usually have a few dishes in the sink so I guess they have food too. Right now all the dishes are done and everything is clea

n, but they still lurk. I went to Walmart and got a fly swatter, fly tape, and window fly tape. One thing I learned is that fly tape is gross! But it seems to be working. Another thing I did was look up home remedies for fruit fly traps and I poured a cup of cider vinegar in a cup and added a few drops of dish soap to it. This breaks the surface tension of the cider and they drown (A little morbid I know, but I think it's more humane than getting stuck to tape and just starving to death). At any rate I think my traps are working. We'll see in a few days if that does the trick.

In other exciting pregnancy news, I have my first stretch mark. It's small, but it counts. It's on my right side on my lower belly. I hope it doesn't grow or spread, but it most likely will. I guess I should just pretend that I want them so that when I get them I'll be happy.

Yesterday I graduated to week 31 in my pregnancy. This means that I only have 9 to go. . . which is still a long time when you think about it. So let's not think about it. Luckily I've been crazy busy at work so time is flying by!

Here's a picture Nate took on his cellphone. I know I know, I'm adorable :)

Long boarding and feet

Yesterday Nate and I went out long boarding on a little hill that has no traffic. I watched Nate as I took a few pictures and I even tried to long board myself. I haven't been on one since I've been pregnant and it was so bizarre! I could not function for the life of me because my whole weight distribution is different. I felt like a moron! (and I'm sure I looked like one too). Needless to say that didn't last long and I just enjoyed watching Nate.

I always hear these stories of women who do fun athletic stuff when their pregnant so I thought it would be fun, but I guess I'd have to relearn with my new center of gravity. I didn't realize how much of my weight distribution had changed but now that I think about it, if you were suddenly to take away my pregnancy, I'd probably fall backwards.

In other exciting news, my ankles are getting puffy. The other day my office manager stopped me and inquired about my ankles. I told her I just naturally have thick ankles and not to worry, but she looked concerned. To put her at ease I awkwardly maneuvered my feet so that I could see my ankles and sure enough they were puffy! They're always been thick, but these suckers are actually puffing outwards, like there's a little ring of fluff around each ankle. I've seen pregnant feet like this before and I am under the suspicion that it will get worse as time goes on. Luckily, it's getting harder and harder for me to see my feet so I won't have to know how ridiculous they look. Here's a picture I took on my phone (I actually had to lean forward to include my little toes)