I just found the coolest website! Well, I actually found it via one of the girls on my baby messageboard. It’s called Rate my Space from HGTV’s website. You can upload your pictures of the rooms you’ve decorated and people rate them.

I got lost in it for about an hour last night. I was just looking through the nurseries and getting seriously jealous! Look at this one…

This is just a NORMAL person who did this! Isn’t it cool? (Click the pic to see more.) There were a ton this awesome. Seriously, this is the place to go for inspiration!

Because…uhm…well, my pirate still has pink walls, Lydia’s black and green dresser, a pink toile covered glider and oh yeah, one of these in hot pink…

Remind me of how he’s not going to care about that stuff at first…

And don’t even think about rating my space!

Rate My Space is a post from: ohamanda.com

my pirate & me at 37 weeks.

I had another sweet baby shower this week. Complete with a delicious pirate hat cake and a diaper treasure chest! We played a little guess-how-big-Amanda’s-belly game with ribbons. These little ribbons were the losers, thank goodness!

I’m feeling pretty tired and sore right now. Everything is swollen–my hands, my feet, my knees (is that possible?).  And I’m feeling…inward. I’ve been reading Bradley’s childbirth book and he talks about one stage of labor where the mom suddenly turns inward and selfish (not in a bad way) to focus on her child. I kinda feel the same way right now. I’m not able to do much more than think about what needs to happen before my pirate arrives. Reading, blogging and even TV are basically out. Nothing can really hold my attention. (I actually marked all my blogs as read. ACK!)

So, the word “countdown” is very real. I know he could be late, but potentially he could be here any day. It’s very surreal. I’m treasuring my days with Lydia and my little family of 3. But also excitedly nervous about my new family of 4!

(btw, photography by Lydia. not bad, huh?)

Countdown: 3 Weeks Until All Ashore That’s Going Ashore is a post from: ohamanda.com

me & the baby pirate. 36 weeks.

I’ve been feeling a tiny bit emotional knowing I’m in the countdown. I’ve got lots of stuff to do—like, I don’t know, making sure the pirate’s room isn’t PINK. Like cleaning my house, like finishing my childbirth books, like cherishing every moment with the baby I have right now, like sleeping and enjoying just one carseat.

To quote my little pirate, “Aarrrrrr.”

Countdown: 4 Weeks Until Pirate Arrives is a post from: ohamanda.com