Ready when you are

I don't know why I'm being so impatient - my due date is on Sunday. But I'm ready now, baby, now! Besides, Seve would like to get out of some parent-teacher conferences.

Year of the Bear

8 3/4 month baby bump.

Ugh man I tell you what I can't wait for baby to get here. This last weekend was really hard; my first trimester sickness returned and I feel like my energy is officially at 0%. But with one more week to go and my doctor convinced I'll be greeting baby sooner rather than later (though his wife, the receptionist, laughed that off, "He told that to me, too. A vigorous game of tennis couldn't get our baby to arrive,") I'm hoping my next post will consist of a birth story where little Seve Jr. can finally show you all his new bear hat. He loves bears.

Also, Rachel Berry and I both own this sweater.

Just so you know.

Whole Lotta Love

While I'd really like to get a fancy DSLR, this new 35mm toy camera will probably be more fun. And more cost efficient, since it was only $25. I look forward to scanning some photos soon!

p.s. I actually had to watch a YouTube tutorial video to learn how to load film. I'm such a product of 2011. Where's the USB for this thing?

Oh I get by

Mallory already posted these, but they deserve a reposting, because boy oh boy do I miss my Rexburg peeps. This ain't even half of 'em. And yes, we're bumping baby bellys at the end.

Seve surprised me by playing the Duran Duran station on Pandora yesterday

I'm taking an online art class this semester (as though having a baby won't keep me busy enough). It's weird to be back in class mode after two years, but I'm enjoying it so far. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this class; I was hoping for the opportunity to improve my quirky people/animal drawings but from the syllabus it seems I'll be doing line drawings and shading in still lifes (i.e. fruit arrangements) all semester. Oh, well.

To make the class more interesting, I've decided to draw predictions of what I think my classmates look like. The first week we were required to post a short 'about me' along with a photograph. I resisted the temptation to view the photos first and managed a few silly ones which I'll post below, along with some quotes:

"I have always loved to draw, especially fantastical creatures, dragons, trolls, elves, etc..."

"I worked for eight years as a fashion illustrator and art director for a company that specialized in skin-care and personal style for women . . . I then decided to become an art teacher."

"I'm a Graphic Design major, but I'm really only playing with that idea."

"My name is Talia. You may not pronounce my name right because I correct people about my name all the time."

"I'm an Australian-Texan. I'm addicted to soft things and I make strange sounds a lot. I can make the ugliest face you have ever seen. Oh and I got kicked by a kangaroo when I was little. Haha."

And here's my preliminary sketch for the shaded line drawing I did last week, which is based on a photograph of a piece of cake on a plate and accompanying cup:

S + J

The move to Boise has been busy busy busy, but I wanted to share a little secret with you.

When Seve and I were in Moscow, we went to visit the lock trees near Red Square. It's a tradition in Russia to leave a lock on a place of significance, with either your names inscribed on it or wedding vows or whatnot. The tradition isn't entirely romantic as some of the locks we saw had "BFF 4 EVAH" and "F U" kind of stuff written on them. The trees near Red Square get so loaded with locks that they're frequently chopped off (only to be refilled with hundreds more shortly thereafter) so it's not like your lock really lasts there forever - maybe a month? Nonetheless, Seve and I wanted to place a lock somewhere in Moscow. Sadly, we never got around to it.

My last week in Rexburg I was mourning the end of our time there, but in a happy way. Seve and I really grew to love that town. So my last night in our apartment I placed a lock on our balcony.

 

See the lock in the last photo?

I didn't have time to make our "inscription" extremely intricate. Everything we had was packed away for the move the next day, but I was able to dig out a permanent marker. The whole affair was like a closing ceremony to our time there. It was a little, silly thing, and I worry that the new tenants will likely discover it and have it chopped off (it's not exactly a tiny lock), but I like to hold my key and imagine our lock in Rexburg staying there forever.

Let it begin

7 month baby bump, though I'm currently at 8 months. Only 3 more weeks left to go, actually.

Cru-u-u-el

Now that we have a proper and sturdy internet connection, I could update you on life as a 8-month pregnant women and how she decorates her new apartment, takes over an hour to install a car seat, and enjoys a new drawing class, but for the time being I'll just post the latest music video from my girl crush. Strange Mercy out Sept 13! And hopefully my baby will be out Oct 2.