Work Flow + Pregnancy Brain

I telecommute so when I have a conference where I actually get dressed and make eye contact with people, it's kind of exciting!
Not exciting: pregnancy brain.  I honestly don't remember having these issues the first two times.  Maybe I wasn't as busy.  Or maybe 3rd babies need mommy's brain power.  But in a matter of days I forgot so many things that it was hard to laugh about it!  I dumped a bunch of mail at the post office with no postage.  I drove to the library, pulled right up to the drive up book drop only to realize I'd left the books at home on my dining table.  So when I packed my bag for trip, I took my time; carefully planning what I'd wear and doing the appropriate laundry.  And then left the items I washed right there on the bed next to the bag.  Of course I didn't discover the missing bra and shirts until I already hundreds of miles from home and taking my dress pants out of the bag to prevent wrinkling.  Luckily I had a local girlfriend that was able to run me by the mall to rectify the situation.  I'm at a loss for combating this gestational scatterbrained-ness!  Taking my time and making lists was a false sense of security!

Top: Target, Cardi: F21, Pant: Victoria's Secret, Boot: DV via Nordstrom

Sweater: H&M (my friend had to take me to pic it up; the shirt under doesn't cover my belly!), Shirt: AE, Pant: Target, Boot: DV via Nordstrom

Cardigan: F21, Pin: H&M, Jean: AE, Boot: DV via Nordstrom

Gray

Gray threads from Chicago!

Dress: American Apparel, Leggings: F21, Scarf: Target, Bootie: DV via Nordstrom

Top: Lush via Nordstrom, Jean: Old Navy, Scarf: handmade by moi, same Booties unseen

Oh, Chicago

Damon's birthday and my best friend's birthday are barely more than a week apart.  This year we decided to celebrate with a trip to Chicago, long-time resident on each of our must-see domestic lists.
It. was. fantastic.
We were there from Friday to Tuesday over Veterans' Day weekend.  It didn't feel like enough time, however we had a fairly large group so things may have been more easily coordinated with 2-3 couples.  We used City Pass Chicago to visit museums and the John Hancock building.  We stuffed ourselves with the most delicious fare.  We saw the Bears play.  We were there for the first snow of the season (which was the only really cold day we were there!).  We visited extended family.  And we rode public transportation (a lot.  And it was so easy that I almost wish we lived in a more metropolitan area with a better public transportation system) and hopped in taxis and black cars (Uber was helpful when we found ourselves out of the way late at night).
The kids stayed home with my mom and sister and I'm sure they had a grand time and it was nice for us to have adult time, but I definitely want to take them some day and show them soooo many things!  The Art Institute Museum, Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium in particular.

Forty-five of Fifty-Two

Grandpa's clothes

For some reason, I adore this cozy old-man sweater.

Dress & Sweater: H&M, Belt: Target, Boots: Splendid via Gilt, Necklace: Gift

Speaking of Grandpa's; my grandfather passed away last week.  He was in the hospital for a few weeks and while I tried to remain optimistic, I'd been dreading it.  I'd actually had a lot anxiety about the possibility since we took the kids for a visit last year because he napped so much and recalled the details of stories incorrectly as well as repeated himself a lot and it struck me that I'm for real getting older and my grandparents are *really* getting older.  Emberly and I flew out for his services and I loved seeing all the old pictures of my grandparents and imagining them as young people.  And seeing family that I don't see often and some that I might as well have never met (some remembered me as a small child, but I didn't remember them).  I think about my grandmother a lot and how hard it must be to suddenly be without someone that you've known since you were a teenager and been married to for nearly 60yrs.  I'm really grateful that my children knew their "Pappy" but I'm sad that Bauer probably won't remember much and that this new baby will never actually know him.  But I've got plenty of stories and pictures to pass on despite missing him dearly.

More

Here are a few more pictures from the yacht wedding in Newport Beach.  Why?  Well, because I took them.

End of Summer Wedding

Damon and I went to a wedding in Newport Beach Labor Day weekend.  First, I had to get pull-ups for Bauer.  We're supposed to be transitioning to undies for sleep when we ran out of our current pack, but wouldn't you know that event ended up coinciding with this trip and I didn't want to put that burden on my sister-in-law who was watching him while we were out having adult fun.  So I went to the awful-est Wal-Mart I've ever been to (let's face it, they're all pretty awful) because I wasn't familiar enough with the area to know where else to go.  I was in the store nearly an hour.  To purchase pull-ups.  Insert me looking at the time on my phone every five seconds, imagining myself ripping the package open and emphatically throwing pull-on diapers at everyone around me in the check out.
On top of rushing, it was unusually warm for the LA area.  So I sweat like I worked out.  Using hot tools in my hair was not going to be fun; not to mention how easy it is to put make up on a sweaty face.
But I managed to calm down and cool down and get ready in 30 minutes less than I'd wanted to give myself!

{hair curled and pinned}

{make-up applied}

{viola}

Thirty-Three of Fifty-Two

Embarrassing

Due to a serendipitous combination of traveling busyness, procrastination, drowsiness and sheer laziness, I've managed to not post in two weeks.  How embarrassing! Please accept this photo-bomb of our trip to Seattle.

{The Mediterranean, the cute little placee where we stayed in Queen Anne}

{gum wall}

{kickin' boot}

{troll}

EMP Museum {warning, some creepy images from the horror/sci-fi film exhibit}