THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

#OFDGOINGPOSTAL Peeps: July pen pals will be assigned next week. Stay tuned.

THANKFUL FOR: I consider myself pretty independent, and that might have something to do with all of the Destiny's Child and Kelly Clarkson I listened to in high school. I like to think I can hold my own. If I need help, I'll ask for it. Well, when you're preggo, EVERYONE wants to help you with something. It's sweet and thoughtful, but it catches me off-guard. Strangers suddenly want to help me unload my grocery cart and assist me to my car. It gets to be a little overwhelming, but I'm learning to graciously accept the help. Instead of coming up with a gazillion reasons as to why I can do it myself, I'm working to just smile and say "Thanks."

EATING: I recently gave this Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini a whirl, and I'd highly recommend it. I tweaked a few of the ingredients (I opted for fresh onion and tomatoes), and it turned out rather tasty. Next time, I think I'll add more spinach. Yum!

WATCHING: Last Sunday night, Flyboy and I were all pumped up and ready to watch Big Brother. We sat down on the couch with a few minutes to spare, and as FB proceeded to flip through the channels, I glanced down at my stomach. Suddenly, I could see the baby moving. What the?! I was a bit perplexed and wondered if I was just imagining this. Up until this point, I could only feel him move—I never actually saw anything. I waited a few minutes to see if it was really happening before I let FB in on the action. Within seconds he saw the same thing I was looking at. We came to the conclusion that it's natural and beautiful and whatnot, but it's also kinda creepy at the same time. Does that make us bad parents?! Ha Ha!

FEELING: Call it horticultural hubris, but my black thumb is looking a lot greener these days. I'm actually buying plants to add to our collection and not to replace them. It's incredible! When I water them in the morning, I can't help but wonder what my mom would think. She has an incredible knack for gardening, and I'm certain she would be proud that everything we got while she visited is still surviving. I don't want to let all this confidence get to my head, but I'm pleased as punch.

THINKING ABOUT: I still can't get over the awkwardness that went down on Monday afternoon at the local nail salon. With all of the random projects I've had going on around the house, I've had a Dickens of a time keeping my mani chip-free. Naturally, I decided to squeeze in a quick gel manicure. You know, treat yo self! Just as I hoped, the place was dead. It was me, another lady, and two Korean employees. I was assigned to the male. He was super detailed and did a fantastic job. Toward the end of my manicure, the female nail artist asked if I'm pregnant. I nodded yes and she started to speak to my nail guy. I didn't think anything of it. Moments later, I see him get up out of his chair and he starts giving me a back massage. My cheeks turned bright red and it took everything inside me to not bust out laughing. At one point I looked around the room and wondered if my mom or my sister put the gentleman up to this practical joke. I started looking around to see if I was caught on Candid Camera. And just when I thought my complimentary massage had come to completion, I started getting whacked on my back. There was so much brut force to his karate chop movements, I couldn't help but be thrust forward. I really hope the tip I left fully expressed my gratitude!     

LISTENING TO: It's no secret I have mad Vee-Dub love, and parting with The Black Flash last October wasn't easy. I just adored that little Jetta of ours, and I'll admit that it's taken me a few months to really bond with The Rig—our Jetta SportWagen (yes, we're original like that). From the moment we started to discuss replacement options for the Jetta, I knew I wanted a TDI. Driving a turbo-diesel just seemed like a fun and tough way to be fuel-efficient. That's sound enough reasoning, am I right?! Whenever I roll down the window and I hear the engine purring, I can't help but giggle. I'm serious, it gets me EVERY time. The sound is just a hoot! When I think of a diesel, I envision a ginormous 18-wheeler, not a little station wagon with me in the driver's seat.

READING: I've had SO much fun reading all of the comments and feedback you shared in Monday's post. It's been a joy getting to "meet" some of you for the first time. I wasn't sure if my readership had actually grown in the last year, or if my parents were just hitting the refresh button repetitively and that was the explanation behind the bump in traffic. Ha Ha! At any rate, thank you for stopping by and sharing your two cents. I can assure you there will be a house tour of some sort later this summer. I'm hoping to put a post together once the nursery is polished. Additionally, I have every intention to share more OOTD and style posts/pictures as soon as this kid pops out. I feel somewhat limited in my options these days. With approximately five outfits on rotation, you're not missing much. I promise! I was also incredibly touched by your interest in my pregnancy and our growing family. As soon as I found out I was expecting, I immediately worried about how it might change things on m' blog. The fact that you want to share this next adventure with us makes me smile BIG time. I'm so lucky to have you!

LOVING: I saw this t-shirt and wanted to hit the purchase button instantly. I had visions of wearing it whilst walking my fur kids. It was going to be perfect. Then I realized that's probably a tad (okay, A LOT) hokey, but it's just so adorable and true. I really LOVE my dogs. In fact, I still have moments where I ponder if there's room in my heart to love a child as much as I love Tripp and Beesly. If you think I'm off my Eames rocker, just read this article about Kristen Bell. Veronica Mars gets me, my friends.

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!