when you give your husband your camera...

We're finally catching a break from the cyclical-snow-storm that was January, and I'm loving the sunshine, even if it means putting up with worse inversion for a while. It's nice to remember that the sun is staying up longer these days, I just haven't been able to see it for the clouds in what feels like weeks.

A while ago, my mother, in good humor, asked me why Tim doesn't take any of my bump photos. The real reason, of course, is that I'm generally not out of pajamas until after he leaves for work. This came to mind again a week ago Sunday, when I was feeling rather happy with my outfit, so I asked Tim if he'd take a picture or two for me since we don't own a full-length mirror. Now I can tell my mother, in good humor, that I don't usually have Tim take pictures for me because this happens:

   

  

  

 

Is it just me, or do I look significantly shorter? I guess that happens when someone taller than you takes the picture, I'm just not used to it, haha. Honestly, I typically take my own pictures because I'm profoundly uncomfortable with being photographed by other people [there are parts of our teenage selves we never seem to quite outgrow]. Considering that, having Tim decide that he was in charge of a photo-shoot was actually really cute.

So much of this pregnancy has been stuff that only I can notice and track, so it's really fun for me to be getting to a point where he can be more immediately involved. Ex: he assembled a baby seat/swing a few weeks ago—his first official building task as a dad [and a picture I promised I wouldn't post online]. He has since also built a crib and is rather excited to procure a stroller so he can "play with it." Guys, he's going to be such a good dad.

Rolling along with the feel-good news [because I'm just straight-up avoiding most of the real-world news right now], I received verbal confirmation from our insurance company this morning that the hospital we originally intended to use is still covered as an in-network facility, contrary to what I was told a few weeks ago. This is such a massive relief, and I'll definitely be verifying with the hospital's billing department, but this totally made my day. Also, at my last doctor's appointment I was told that we'd be getting another ultrasound next time [not for any concerns]. I was only expecting to have our 11 and 20 week ultrasounds, so I'm super stoked to be able to see the Mango again before we officially meet her. She'll be 34 weeks for this one, so much bigger!

I know that I technically have most of March to get through before she's due, but I can already tell that February is going to be my "building panic" month. I'll be trying to wrap things up with work along with timing the planning and purchase of various items in anticipation of birth and the time following—as much as I enjoy planning and making lists, I'm not usually very efficient in my execution, so this will be fun.

Luckily, some of my potential stresses also offer silver-linings. During church this week, a Sumbeam [3-year-old] that I know of from taking roll but have never actually spoken to, crawled into my lap during the course of sharing time, happily chattering about a necklace or something. After a minute, she looked at me seriously, gently placed both hands on my stomach, and asked, "what's in here?" That just struck me as really funny. There's a baby in there, of course, but we don't know who, and we won't, not really, for a few more weeks, but probably years as we get to know her.