City Girl Goes Country

This spring, we're moving to a little ranch house on an acre in the country. All of my life, I have lived in the suburbs. Since getting married, the mister and I have been in a town apartment. And now, everything is changing.

A few things scare me. It will be a good twenty minute drive to get groceries and run other errands. Right now, I do those things on a whim because everything is just down the road. There will not be a sidewalk at the front of our yard. Perhaps it's odd, but I've never lived in a place that you can't walk right out your door and go for a walk. Also, so many trees! Wild turkeys roam the backyard. All of these things make me wonder if I can handle the country life. Will I feel isolated and lonely? Where will I go on my walks? What if we have nothing to eat and the grocery store is so far away? Just expressing these concerns makes me feel a bit better. None of this is insurmountable, to say the least.

And there are lots of things I am excited for. The yard is large enough to have a garden, or even chickens one day after we get settled in. The privacy of living on an acre will be delightful for this introverted soul. I can't think of a better place to raise a family. The drive into town may be longer, but it's scenic and peaceful. Perhaps having a drive will encourage me to slow down my pace of life. I also love the idea of our new home as a respite from the world. Being tucked away in the country makes that feel more possible.

All in all, I can hardly wait. There are some adjustments ahead, but I'm quite determined that they will all be worth it.

30 Weeks Pregnancy Update

How's Baby?

Baby is nearly 3 pounds, and about the size of a cabbage. They say that babies at this point can hear outside the womb, and even start to recognize the voices of her parents. The mister sings to her most nights, which is the sweetest thing. 

I'm feeling...

Still energetic enough to keep up my workouts! My legs have never been in such good shape. I read that squats are amazing to help prepare for labor, so I've been doing them faithfully. I do make myself a protein-dense smoothie after each workout, which restores my energy so well.

Currently loving:

Dates with my husband pre-baby. On the one hand, I can hardly wait to bring along a baby in a stroller or carrier. At the same time, I want to enjoy the season I am in right now. Yesterday, we went for a pre-dinner coffee and stroll just because it was a gorgeous, sunny day. The freedom to jump in the car (with Baby H conveniently all ready to go) is delightful.

Also, I had a few strangers ask when I am due! Since my bump has been so tiny this pregnancy, it is comforting to know it's obvious now (at least when I wear maternity clothes). I nearly hugged the first person who asked the gender!

Looking forward to...

To be honest, I look forward to delivery. I'm starting to get very curious to know what Baby H looks like, and ultrasounds are quite vague as far as that goes. Also, I'm finding that I want to know what labor is like. After years of fear about childbirth, I think this is a much better place to be. Plus, once the time comes, there's no holding back this baby!

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28 Weeks Pregnancy Update

How's Baby?

Little one is about 2 pounds, and 14 inches long. Baby is mostly developed, and this third trimester will mostly be about general growth and packing on the baby fat (hoping for a chubby baby!).  

I'm feeling...

Amazing physically, happy emotionally, and delighted spiritually. God has been so gracious to give me a pregnancy without any morning sickness, cravings, or other symptoms. Other than sleeping extra at night and growing a baby bump, I don't feel pregnant. I walk 2-3 miles about 3 times a week, and do 15 minutes of weighted exercises the other 3 days. My diet hasn't changed, and the semi-paleo  eating habits have served me well so far.

Currently loving:

Feeling baby move! This week, I looked down at my belly because it seemed off-balance, as though baby was sitting on one side. As I watched, baby moved and I could see it. Now, there is movement nearly all the time. The kicks are not as strong because there's not as much room left, but I feel nearly constant movement.

Looking forward to...

Moving into our house so that I can start accumulating baby things and setting up the nursery. My highly-organized personality really wants to get everything in order and prepared. But there's no sense gathering lots of essentials to store in our apartment, only to pack up and move it all in a couple weeks. Honestly, it's probably better for me to be unable to prepare too far in advance.

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Books I've Read [Northanger Abbey]

For some time now, Jane Austen's Persuasion has been on my list of must read books. Several friends have had high praise for it, and it doesn't take much for me to read an Austen novel.

So, the other day, I went to the library in search of Persuasion. For whatever reason, they didn't have it. Perhaps it's not popular enough to have lots of copies (like Pride and Prejudice, for example). Or maybe it's so wildly popular that the library can't keep any copies in stock.

Either way, they didn't have it.

What they did have was Northanger Abbey.

In my experience, this is not one of Jane Austen's more well-known works. There are multiple film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Emma (I equally love the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow as well as the mini-series!), and the ever-classic Sense and Sensibility.

With Northanger Abbey, however, I never even knew a movie existed... but there is one! And it is incredibly close to the book. The heroine and hero are both lovable and feel like the characters I imagined when reading.

Of course, the book is well worth the read. I found that it went very quickly—probably because I was enjoying it so much.

As Jane Austen's first published novel, Northanger Abbey really established her style. All the wit, charm, and unexpected characters in her other classics can trace their roots to this story. For that reason alone, I think it's a perfect read for any Jane Austen fan.

One of my favorite parts of the book was how Jane Austen described the heroine, Catherine, as a good and plain girl. The author confides to the reader that had Catherine not so clearly expressed her affection for the hero, he would have never seriously considered her.

The ending quip, when Jane Austen makes a comic attempt to provide her reader with a moral of the story, was possibly my favorite moment of the book. The movie did get this in at the end also, but it was missing the full context as it had in the book.

Overall, this is definitely a book and movie I would recommend.
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Trying to Choose a Color Palette

I've got fair skin, freckles, and red hair. I can pull off a variety of colors, but there are a few that I feel best in... soft white, grey, navy, and olive green.

Recently, my closet experienced a bit of an overhaul, with the help of my sister. I tried to limit my clothing to items in that range of color. Now, when I go shopping, I look for versatile pieces that would easily work well in a variety of combinations.

While I like the concept of a capsule wardrobe, I admit I'm nervous! In fact, I couldn't bring myself to slim down to just 33-36 pieces.

Will I miss my old clothes? Will I go back to my old ways in just a week or two? The good thing is I already feel that mental space is opening up. Every day, I spend less time deciding what to wear. Those minutes add up quickly, and I can now use that time for other things!

This capsule wardrobe thing is a risk, but so far my progress is worth it.