Today marks 37 weeks of pregnancy. Is it normal to feel like it is unreal that I only have 3 weeks until my due date and baby girl could make her appearance whenever she likes now. It is unreal to me. I can't quite wrap my mind around the fact that someday in the very near future Daniel will be driving me to the hospital for the main event, the birth of our baby, and then she will come home with us and our lives will change forever. This is pretty crazy stuff. I guess this post is dedicated to writing some of the random thoughts I have had this past week along with what is going on at this point of pregnancy.

-I really really miss bending over. You don't realize how much you bend over until every time you do it it hurts and squishes baby girl. Unloading the dishwasher, picking up things on the floor, putting on pants, reaching into the fridge. Sometimes when I drop something on the floor I just feel really sad. Then I have to mentally prepare for the pick up before I actually go through with the motion.

-It's been really hot in Pittsburgh and I don't really have any athletic or light shorts to wear anymore. I was telling Daniel about how I wished I had some shorts to lounge around in and he thought I was asking if I could wear his shorts. I am glad he misheard me because really it is the perfect solution. Daniel has so many shorts and now we can share.

-The doctor tells me baby girls head is low and stated that I must be living in the bathroom these days. It's true. This past week was my first experience where I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and I wasn't sure if it was my first or second trip.

-Somedays I feel really great. Actually most of the time I feel fairly good. But there have been some tough moments where I am just feeling really awful. So if you talk to me during those times you might think I am having a horrible pregnancy, but I am probably just having a horrible moment. But lucky for me horrible moments pass pretty quickly.

-Like I said above I am starting to get a little overwhelmed about the reality of the situation-childbirth is coming soon. When I think about it too much I get a tad bit nervous. I was telling Daniel I had a moment this past week where I was thinking about it and almost started crying right there in the middle of the hall. He responded by saying "why because it is going to be really painful?" Umm thanks for the support. Haha.

-Baby girls wardrobe has increased tenfold this past week thanks to the baby shower and the gifts coming in from afar. Sometimes I just go into her room and look at all the pretty things and get really really excited about her arrival so that we can try some of the cute things on. She is one lucky bug to have so many people who love her and have great taste when it comes to clothes!

Last night was a great night celebrating baby girl. One of the girls in my ward threw me a little baby shower and it was so fun to get together with some of the ladies in the ward and just have a good time. The food was delicious, we made babies out of play-doh (baby shower games are funny), and I was able to open some fun gifts. I am very impressed with some of the hidden talents that we have in our ward.
One girl crocheted this beautiful sweater and little unicorn. Aren't they both darling?
Another girl sewed this dress. She just had a baby girl and has been making dresses for her. I am lucky baby girl got one too because it is so cute. I just love the fabric she chose.
Another girl made this mobile for above the crib. I love the stars and the colors are perfect in the room. It will look better hanging from the ceiling than it's current spot on the closet doorknob :)
We got lots of cute clothes, books, blankets and baby necessities too. Everyone was far too nice and I am so thankful to be surrounded by such wonderful people.
This blanket, I want one in my size, it is so soft!
I never imagined that I would have my first baby in Pittsburgh, far away from family and loved ones. I am so thankful to have such an amazing ward with so many wonderful mothers. It is fun to talk to each one of them about motherhood and hear about all of their experiences. They really have become like family out here and I really felt loved last night.

How far along: 36 Weeks
Baby size: 19-22 inches long, 6 lbs (about the size of a large cantaloupe)
Maternity clothes: I feel like I have no wardrobe. Just a rotation of a few shirts and lots of tees to get me through these next few weeks. Can't wait to have a little variety again!
Stretch marks: Nope and hoping this will hold out until the end!
Sleep: I am really trying hard not to nap during the day, especially long naps. I sleep so much better if I haven't napped. And it really is the worst to wake up in the middle of the night and just be awake for hours...
Gender: Baby Girl!
Best moment this week: Feeling like there really is light at the end of the tunnel. This baby is coming in the next...six weeks. We are really going to have a baby. It is the best and most overwhelming terrifying feeling.
Looking forward to: My baby shower! I'm excited to spend a night with the ladies in my ward celebrating baby girl and hopefully getting some good tips from all the awesome moms.
What I miss: Being invisible. Haha I kind of do miss just going to the grocery store or out without people commenting on me. 
Movement: She is doing good. She surely doesn't like some ways I lay or sit these days and will let me know. It is starting to get more and more uncomfortable for me too baby girl, try not to kick too hard into my ribs and organs, that would be great :)
Food cravings: Fruit, chocolate, things that are bad for you. 
Aversions: Nothing really specific, sometimes things just don't sound good. Lot's of times I feel hungry but nothing sounds satisfying.
Nursery: The crib is up, the main things are all built and we are working on some small decorations. This past week we got a picture of the D.C. temple from Etsy to put in the room and I just love it. It is so beautiful and simple and perfect. Now we are just trying to figure out how to hang things up on the wall without nails, it is tricky.
Overall: I am feeling good and can hardly believe I am in the 9th month! Yikes.
Miscellaneous: I had a doctors appointment today. From here on out they will be once a week, it is absolutely crazy! He gave me the run down about true labor and when to call the office and general guidelines of what to look for in the next few weeks so that I wouldn't be rushing to the hospital too late or, more likely, become a "frequent flyer" as he likes to put it. 

Today is August 19th and you know what that means. We are one month out from my official due date. 31 days. I don't really know what our lives will be like on September 19th. Will we already have baby girl in our arms, will I be at the hospital ready to meet her, will I be sitting at home hoping she comes soon, I guess I will give that update in a month. But today it is just crazy to me that the day I have been counting down to since January is just one month away. I feel like the closer we get to September 19th the faster time is going.
Today we are each celebrating the fact that there is just one month to go. Daniel built us a dresser. I finished a few crochet projects. And baby girl is continuing to practice her sweet karate skills. It's been good.
Today (and everyday for the past little while) I am also feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of bringing baby home and having to take care of another human. I hope I do a good job. Until then I will try to not be overwhelmed by looking at the cute clothes in baby girls closet. Can't wait to see where we are in a month!

Another fun Saturday adventure we took while we were living in MD was to the National Zoo. We got there pretty early to make sure we would get a parking spot and headed straight towards the pandas. The baby panda was just hanging out in the tree and it was pretty funny. We came back a couple of times throughout the morning and it was always just up in the tree. The mama panda was sitting on a log resting. She was pretty close to one of the viewpoints so we had a great view. When we passed by later in the morning she had gone inside so we felt pretty lucky we had already seen her so close. Next we went to watch the elephants. The male was out and about just lumbering around. He walked around the waterhole like he was walking along a balance beam. It was pretty funny to watch. We saw cheetahs, zebras, smaller cats, and other random animals before we hit the bird houses. I especially loved the owls, they are so cute and charming. At that point we had been walking a lot so we headed to the car to eat some lunch and rest before we hit the other side of the zoo. After we were feeling good we went to see all the monkeys including the chimps and apes. Then we went to see some reptiles. The Komoto dragon was sleeping when we got there but it woke up and moved around and looked me right in the eye, it was the scariest. Finally we went to see the big cats. We saw the lions first, there were hoards of people surrounding the whole enclosure so we knew something good was happening. The male lion was on the top tier just resting and watching the mamas and babies play. There were two mother lions and 6 cubs. The cubs were so active and playful with each other and the mamas were keeping them in line. We probably watched them for 20 minutes or more because they were just so cute and funny. The tigers were pretty but kind of boring after watching 6 little lion cubs. We headed down the final trail and saw farm animals, bears (who were also climbing up trees and just sitting in them), sea lions, a beautiful bald eagle, and a few other random animals. We went back for more apes and chimps since they were pretty cool and then ended the day at the lions den again. The mamas and cubs had gone inside but the male lion was still just relaxing on the top tier. All of the sudden he stood up and started roaring. It was out of nowhere. He gave a couple big roars and then sat back down like nothing had happened. It was pretty funny. Overall I would say it was a really successful day at the zoo. We had a great time and were exhausted by the end.

How far along: 34 Weeks
Baby size: 19-22 inches long, 4.9 lbs (about the size of a pineapple)
Maternity clothes: Actually I am wearing a lot of non maternity clothes. I mean I am obviously wearing maternity jeans but a lot of my pre-pregnancy stuff that is stretchy is actually quite comfortable. Like my leggings, I use to hate them cause they felt like they cut into my belly and cut off my circulation, but since my belly is not so squishy anymore I can wear them right under it and it is perfect.
Stretch marks: Not yet, please lets just make it a few more weeks belly, you have been doing so good!
Sleep: It is much better in my bed at home. I really miss my ability to roll over though. I feel like these days if I wake up it is a lot harder to fall back asleep because all the sudden I will notice how uncomfortable my body is.
Gender: A sweet little girl!
Best moment this week: Learning I have nice ankles from the doctor. Just kidding. The best moment this week will be when Daniel gets home tonight and joins his girls and we will officially be in our apartment for good.
Looking forward to: Daniel setting up the crib. The baby room is really looking like someone could come and call it home soon! I look forward to continuing to put it all together.
What I miss: Bending over. I am in the phase where I have to squat to the floor to pick stuff up and it is just a lot harder, especially when my balance is off anyways.
Movement: She is still about the same. Some days are really active with lots of hard kicks and punches, other days are more quiet. If I am busier she is usually not as active, or I just don't notice. She waits until I am laying down to rest to get all riled up. I love feeling her move still. It is one of the best parts of pregnancy for sure!
Food cravings: Green apples with this cream cheese dip I made. It was so so yummy. Fruit is good. Chocolate chip cookies.
Aversions: Fried pasta. The last two times I had it was just not delicious and I felt really crappy after.
Nursery: It is coming together. Right now we have the dresser, chair, and rock n' play set up. The crib is in a box leaning against the wall waiting for Daniel to come home and set it up.
Overall: I am just really excited to finally nest!
Miscellaneous: I don't know if this is normal but sometimes it just does not seem real that I am pregnant and that a little girl will be in our house in less than two months! And she will be totally dependent on Daniel and me! Honestly sometimes it is really overwhelming to think about. Then other times I am really excited. But I don't know if it will seem real until she is in our arms.

So there is this burger place in Pittsburgh that is awesome! We went for the first time this summer for a pre Father's Day dinner and although we waited for over 90 minutes it was totally worth it. When we decided to go back to Pittsburgh over the fourth of July we knew we wanted to do round two. So I thought I would record our experience so far because when people come to visit we know this is a Pittsburgh experience they need to have and we want to have our reviews ready so they can make a good choice.
First the Burgers:
Farmer Brown- A Hamburger topped with an egg, ham, cheese, lettuce, and some mayo. I tried this burger on my first go and thought it had a good mix of flavors, my only complaint is that it was just a bit dry. It needed some more mayo or another sauce to pull it all together.
Potluck Dinner- A hamburger topped with horseradish cheddar, pulled pot roast, gravy, horseradish cream and onion strings. Daniel had this our first time and it really was outstanding. I was a little worried about the horseradish because it can be overpowering but really it was just the perfect amount that didn't overpower the rest of the flavor profile. Seriously this one is a home run.
What-A-Jerk-Chicken-A Jamaican Jerk rubbed chicken burger with provolone cheese, grilled pineapple, caramelized onion marmalade, cilantro, and banana ketchup. Oh my this burger was juicy and the flavors were amazing. It had a little too much cilantro for my liking but that was an easy fix. I could get this burger over and over again. It was so tasty.
Elk-Gone-Wild-An elk burger dusted with their diablo seasoning and topped with caramelized onion marmalade, smoked gouda, bacon jam, and tomato vinaigrette tossed arugula. Again the flavor profile was awesome. I had no idea what it would taste like and I don't know how to describe it but it was good. The diablo season gave it the perfect kick of heat and great flavor.
Now the Shakes:
Caramel Pretzel-While we were waiting our first time around they brought out shot glasses of this shake for us to try. It was the perfect combination of salty and sweet and was oh so good. It also made our 90 minute wait time feel a little more worth it.
Salted Nutella Crunch-This is probably my favorite shake so far. I love Nutella, Daniel loves crunch bars, it was just the perfect end to a great meal.
Campfire S'mores-I have definitely been craving s'mores this summer and this shake was a delicious variation of a perfect summer treat. I especially liked the marshmallow chunks throughout the shake.

I think we have all experienced or will all experience a time in our lives where we will have to make a trip to the doctors office and things will get a little personal with a person we have never met. It's just the nature of the patient doctor relationship, and being pregnant allows for a lot of personal. So really it is best to avoid the awkward doctor when you can. I have been to three different doctors with this pregnancy because we have had to be a little flexible with when we could make it, especially this summer. There is one doctor I really love, she is actually a nurse practitioner (I think). She is super down to earth, great at answering questions, and just makes you feel comfortable about your health and the health of your baby. (Side note: it is just always nice when they tell you test results and follow it up with, that's good, or that's normal, or perfect, since I don't always know what the numbers or results mean). So she is great, but she has also taken a lovely extended summer vacation meaning I had to visit someone else while she was gone.
So this summer I have had the pleasure of visiting two awkward doctors. I have come to learn that awkward is not necessarily bad but it can be. So here is my experience with the awkward doctors.
The first awkward doctor I have only seen one time. It was at my 31 week appointment which had become pretty standard procedure. The ladies do all of the tests and ask about how I am feeling and the doctor comes in, looks at my chart on the computer, and asks if I had any questions. I usually don't have too many questions but I was kind of wondering what the nature of our appointments would be during these last nine weeks of pregnancy. I guess he really didn't understand my question or wasn't listening because he just told me I would come in two weeks, which I already knew. I must have had a look on my face because after he told me that he was like "Is that what you asked?" I was like umm no, I was just wondering what would be happening at the appointments in the future. So he told me the next few appointments would be the same and at 36 weeks they would start doing internal exams. After that brief summary he said, and I quote "so you better shave your legs so you won't be too embarrassed." And that was that. End of conversation. Awkward long pause and I headed out. A couple of hours later I asked Daniel if he really said that or if I was just making it up in my mind. Daniel confirmed that those were his words and we decided that since they were not helpful in understanding what was coming and they made me feel awkward that we would be sure to schedule with another doctor, especially once those internal exams started happening.
So bring in awkward doctor number two. He is just a genuine old guy that we have seen three times throughout the pregnancy. He is really knowledgeable and likes to have random side conversations with us about random things. I went to him at 33 weeks along and decided that we would ask him the what to expect for the rest of the appointments during pregnancy question. He was thorough in his explanation and made me feel confident and comfortable about knowing what was ahead. He had his awkward moments too though, like telling me I had nice ankles for this season and time of pregnancy. But it was really more funny and relaxed and I am thankful the doctor confirmed that my ankles were still nice since I often ask Daniel if he thinks they are swelling because I feel like they are, haha.
So there you go. You never know what you are going to get when you go to the doctor but I feel lucky that my experience so far has been with great people and that I have only come across the occasional dilemma with the staff.

We do not have a name for our daughter yet. We have a frontrunner for sure, and we have a runner-up as well as a couple of other names we both like, but we have not 100% settled on a name. Just 98% :) I feel like I am the only woman pregnant that didn't have the name picked out and ready to share after the gender ultrasound. Everyone seems so certain these days about names and they are ready and willing to share them with the world months before the baby is born. I think that is great, but it is just not for me. So here I am blogging to share the reasons why we are not sharing our child's name (that we don't quite have yet) with anyone until she is born.
1) First and foremost we want to reserve the right to change the name last minute if we feel so inclined. I worry that if I did share the name and then the baby came and I felt like maybe she should have a different name that I would feel pressure to keep the original name. Or I would just have to explain the name change. I would just rather not have that worry or any pressure. Also I hear that when I was being named my parents had two names they liked, Mallory and Whitney. When I made my grand entrance into this world my mom just knew that I was a Mallory. I am really thankful I am a Mallory, I like the name Whitney, I am sure I would be an awesome Whitney, but it is nice to know that my mom just knew Mallory fit better and that I was given the name that felt right. Again I realize you can change the name in the end, but if I felt a name was more right it would be easier to go with it if I hadn't already announced to the world a different name.
Some may stop here and think well tell us the options. Then you can still choose at the last minute and we will know some of the ideas you are thinking. True but...
2) We want to make this very important decision without the kind and wonderful advice or suggestions others might give directly or through indirect means (wide eyes, long pauses, reactions that are not especially genuine, etc). I know everyone thinks that they can remain cool and collected if they hear a name they don't really like, but I am not so sure about that, even I'll admit sometimes my reaction is less than ideal when people tell me their baby names. It is hard to think in my head, "really, you are naming your child that," and express on my face, "oh that is so cute/ wonderful." So we are just going to avoid making you fake like a name while you get use to it. I feel like the name will become a lot more wonderful when it is given with a face that you already love than when it is just hanging in the air without that personal connection. Then even if it takes time to come to love the name you will at least love the person behind the name and focus on that love while the name is settling into your heart and mind.
3) We would love for the name to be associated with her, first and foremost. You know when you are meeting someone for the first time a name can leave quite the impression. For example if you are going on a blind date with someone and all you really know is their name is Mark (or whatever it is) and that they are really great and nice according to the person that set you up with them, you might automatically think of every other Mark you know and start creating ideas about what the Mark you have never met. You might think he will be like or have similar attributes of the other Marks you know, for better or for worse. But if you were just to meet Mark at a party and you learned his name while you are associating with him, you attribute his personality with him automatically. I feel the same about baby girl. If we divulge the name and you don't have a face/ person to put that name to immediately you will think about everyone else you know with that name which could create good or bad feelings about the name. But if we tell you while a camera is on her face and her little personality is shining through FaceTime you might forget about other people you know with that name at least for the time being and associate the name with the sweet little girl on screen.
Now you are probably thinking I overanalyze what will happen way to much and with those last two points that is probably true, so here is the final reason we are keeping baby girls name under wraps...
4) It is kind of the final surprise! The grand finale. One last thing to wonder about and look forward to. You know you start out wondering when are Daniel and Mallory going to have a baby, then you get the phone call news, so you start wondering if it will be a boy or a girl, soon enough that news comes along, then you think what are they going to name that baby. It's all part of the natural progression and we just decided it would be fun to save that last bit of information for the birthday. It will be something we share as we all meet this sweet little thing for the first time.
So there you go, don't worry baby girl will have a name and it won't be long until we all know what it is. It has been a lot of fun for us to keep it a secret and we look forward to announcing it once we are 100% sure it's the perfect name and baby girl is here.

I wanted to get caught up on some of the fun things we did in Maryland this summer. I guess I am starting with one of my favorite weekends, I really should build up to it. Oh well here is the story of our day trip to Mount Vernon. We went to Mount Vernon on June 7th, 2014. I was 25 weeks pregnant and it was a warm day. Luckily we got there early in the morning and walked a lot of the grounds before the real heat kicked in. We went straight to our tour of the house first.
We got to walk through all of the rooms and see the beautiful view of the river from the back porch.
It was very neat to be in George Washington's home and hear various stories about the different rooms. It is amazing that you are hearing stories of things that happened right where you are standing. After we toured the house we were able to walk around the grounds. We looked in the servants cabins, the stables, walked down to George and Martha's tomb, went down to the harbor, saw some farmland with more stables and more servants cabins. We walked a trail through some of the forest land and saw some of the animals grazing in the fields. We made it back just in time to participate in a garden tour. It was fun to hear how Martha took care of her gardens and how they had to garden and store their food for the winter so they could have food in the winter. By the time of the tour the heat had kicked in and I spent as much time as I could in the shade or sitting. By the end we were both in need of a little break so we headed to our car to have a delicious meal of PB and J's, grapes, and pomegranate chocolates. We headed back and spent the rest of the time in the buildings and museums watching movies about George Washington and walking through the different exhibits. It was very interesting to learn more about his life. It really was a great day and even though we were exhausted and hot by the end it was definitely worth it. It made me think that it wouldn't be so bad living on the east coast for a while if I got to be so close to such amazing historical sights.