Following the lead of the ever awesome Stefania and Brenda who refer to their daughters online as “Bunny,” “Wallie,” and “Baby Bug,” we thought we’d come up with a pseudonym for our baby to be used online. We feel this is important to protect the privacy and safety of our child.

So, while we have planned to call the wee one “Baby Spritzer Leyba,” we thought maybe you could come up with something more creative and interesting. What sorts of fun, silly, or outrageous name suggestions can you come up with?

For our final month’s poll — What do you think we should call our baby online?

Here I am practicing squatting while on the computer (checking out Sarah‘s new flickr photos). This has become a big part of my daily routine. (Please pardon the mess… it’s “controlled chaos.” And thanks to David for snapping the photos.)

The nesting instincts are really kicking in around here. Laundry. Dishes. Organizing. Unpacking. Cleaning. Cooking. Rearranging. I’ve been busy! It’s rather terrifying actually… and to be perfectly truthful, I am not sure if the house is in better or worse shape. Lots of half-finished projects all around. Lots of organized piles. (The good news is that our taxes are almost done.)

This week I’ve started having a harder time moving around. The baby and I are both getting heavy: thankfully, I’m still well-within the “recommended” weight gain parameters and the baby appears to weigh a healthy amount — our midwife estimates that it may be 7 or 8 lbs already (Yikes!). We’ve started pushing those acupressure points in an attempt to get labor going. Go figure, after four weeks of being on the edge of giving birth, the baby has changed positions and it’s just not as interested in being born right now. C’mon, little one, we’re ready for you! Now.

Photos taken with a Canon PowerShot SD870IS

This week I made my first excursion to Whole Foods in over a month. Never mind what for (fruit sweetened, locally made, gluten-free cookies), I splurged ($3.50) and bought the last issue of Blueprint magazine. I thought perhaps they would go out with a bang, but eh not so much. In fact, they don’t mention that it’s folding (or did I miss it?) and they still had those magazine subscription postcards: a great deal, $6 for a years worth of issues… Except that, well, there will never be another issue. (You’d think they would have at least pulled those cards!) Anyhow, I’ve found that even the best issue of Blueprint pales in comparison to Domino. So, good riddance. Goodbye, Blueprint!

During our prenatal appointment on Monday, our midwife casually mentioned again how big the baby is (“Feel those long legs!”) and went through a check-list of things we’ll need once the baby is here… just the essentials: diapers, outfits (no newborn sized clothes for our baby — definitely starting off in the 0-3 month size!), and baby socks. “The baby will need socks. To be cozy and comfy.” SOCKS?! We hadn’t bought any. Whoops! I quickly ordered some organic ones online. They were on sale. They arrived today. Now we’re really ready. Phew!

David and I received Border’s gift cards for Christmas and instead of buying books for the baby (so tempting!), we decided to treat ourselves one last time before the little one gets here. My gift: Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways To Incorporate Whole and Natural Ingredients into Your Cooking by the ever awesome Heidi Swanson. I’ve written about how much I love Heidi before… I adore her photography, love her 101 Cookbooks site, was completely obsessed with her previous cookbook (even gave it as gifts to friends), and couldn’t wait for this new cookbook to come out. I waited to buy it so that I could get a signed copy on her book tour. That I was so excited for. That I emailed her about. That I then missed. (Still sad about it!) So, while this copy isn’t signed, it still feels like the ultimate gift, which I’ve waited over a year for. The pictures are gorgeous, it’s exactly our type of cooking, and I am pumped to get in the kitchen. Now, if I could only find the energy…

Photos taken with a Canon PowerShot SD870IS

We also received a big treat in the mail!

After several years of talking about getting a compact digital camera, we finally broke down and bought one of the highest-rated ones on the market. Besides taking fantastic photos, we can also make movies with it. And carry it around in our pocket. Or diaper backpack. (Our digital rebel, while lovely, is so cumbersome!) We also bought the mother of all video cards (4gb, baby!), so we can take lots of photos and lots of movies. We are thrilled.

Check back here for lots of cute baby photos and movies coming your way soon. Now we just need to wait for the baby to actually get here.

Above, some recent flickr favorites

Fun places to go:
+ Maria and Steph have started up photographing their Year of Evenings! I loved following their year of mornings in 2007 and am so glad they decided to branch off and continue the project.
+ Just discovered Becoming Home and the new Becoming Mom! Love her sense of style.
+ Check out The Paper Pony. Raya is expecting a baby soon too!
+ I finally updated our links page. As always, it’s a work in progress.

It’s a long way down to the floor from up here. Haven’t seen my feet in months.

37 week photo… how many more of these shots do you think we’ll get to take?
At our prenatal appointment today I measured REALLY big. Evidently our baby has long legs like Dad.

Cradle by the bed, ready for baby

As we get closer and closer to our due date, I find myself fantasizing about all the ordinary things we’ll be able to do again soon. Here’s a little list of things I am looking forward to.

I can’t wait to eat sushi. I’ve craved it throughout my whole pregnancy and instead have settled for smoked and cooked fish (so not the same!). I am eager to enjoy a tiger tail roll (yummy mango, avocado, tuna and salmon) and probably some sort of spicy tuna thing as well. I wouldn’t mind having a couple sips of hot sake too.

I am starting to get really excited about getting back into shape. We went for a (very short) walk yesterday at the park and the thought that we’ll be back there soon as a family made me giddy. I am so ready to resume my runs! (Plus, I love having a solid hour set aside to spend and chat with David!) I know that it will probably take a while to get back to my pre-pregnancy workout routine, that I need to work my way back up to walking the 5 miles first (darn bedrest!) before I can even begin to focus on running them, but I am so looking forward to it. Last night I even dreamed about running in the park. Can’t wait.

I miss my yoga classes! Love that social time in addition to how important it is for my physical health and emotional wellbeing. David and I have been reading several books about doing yoga with babies, so it will be extra fun to combine two loves and do yoga together as a family. In the meantime, I’ve started to introduce a few yoga poses into my daily home routine now that I can move around again. Everything feels so different and I can’t tell if it’s because the baby is just so much bigger or if it’s because s/he is in position in my pelvis or if I have just forgotten what the poses feel like having taken a month break. My balance is also completely different now that there is all this extra weight in the front! I think the baby has grown a lot recently.

I want to eat soft cheeses again. I think a splurge of baked brie something is required for the week after I give birth and I can’t wait to have some raw cheeses too. (Hey, I need to increase my calorie intake while breastfeeding… I might as well be eating the good stuff!)

And, of course, all of the ordinary things that are about to change drastically with the addition of a little one. I think it’s going to be those in-between moments, those “just us” alone times, that will be the most wonderful. The moments together as a family before we go to sleep or just after we wake up or when we cuddle on the couch or read a book together or dance around the house. When I greet David at the door after a yoga class or when he gets home from work, he won’t be kissing just me and my belly, he’ll be kissing me and our little one. We’ll be rushing to the door to welcome Daddy home. Totally chokes me up. And feels me with excitement. All these everyday and ordinary, yet extraordinary, moments filled with love. I imagine that it will be these times together that will be extra special with our plus one.

On My Bedside Table:
– Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
– Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
– Itsy Bitsy Yoga by Helen Garabedian

Next Up from Netflix:
– You Kill Me
– Keeping Mum
– Miscellaneous episodes of Charmed

Latest Interests:
– What interests? Totally focused on how I’m about to become a mama.

On My Mind:
– Real labor? Nope, just false labor.
Learning:
– More about co-sleeping

Making:
– A baby
– Colostrum

Looking Forward To:
– Baby!
– New digital camera (on its way)
– Finally using my breasts for their intended purpose

Enjoying:
– Spending an evening with friends and their delightful children
– Dark chocolate with raspberry treats
– Savoring time alone with David
– Nesting

Amused By:
– How much fun two little boys can have roughhousing on a fluffy wool rug
(new, arrived yesterday, perfect for floor time with baby… and kids too, evidently)

{Inspired by Bella Dia}

Check out the two blankets that David’s mom made for the baby (photographed above)!
Note the continuation of the Hey Diddle Diddle theme… Love it!