Hi blog! This past week had some ups and downs. Let’s talk about the downs first and get them out of the way, eh? Like the shitshow of a Presidential election. Boyyyyy did I pick a bad election year to get emotionally involved! Pregnancy hormones and this particular election DID NOT GET ALONG. I was anxious all Tuesday, refusing to watch anything on the news, deciding that I would rather wait until Wednesday to know the result.

Josh broke the awful news to me at 5 o’clock Wednesday morning, and I was thankful to have a job to go to to distract me that morning. Later on I took the dogs for a walk, and right about the time that we got to the park, the rain stopped and I saw a beautiful rainbow, and it made me hopeful. I gave myself one day, THAT day, to grieve over the election, and I’ve decided for the sake of my mental health and the health of my unborn son, that I can’t perseverate on it any more. Life goes on! Talk to any 85-year-old and they’ll tell you that there have been many horrible Presidential election results over the decades and guess what? We all got through it.

Here are some ways I’ve found to lift my post-election mood:

1. Extra Vitamin D
2. Using my “happy light” every morning while I do my make-up
3. DOGS! DOGS! DOGS!
4. Walking, lifting weights, and yoga, and
5. Avoid 99.999999% of social media and install a blocking app on your phone that will block you-know-who’s name from all the websites you read. It helps. Some.

At any rate I couldn’t stay depressed because Mumsie came into town Wednesday night! And it was really comforting having her visit, I must say.

We went for walks, she made her delicious lemon chicken enchiladas on Thursday night, we watched lots of funny stuff…

…like classic episodes of “In Living Color” and “What About Bob?”.

And even though the weather forecast showed nothing but rainclouds, there were lots of sun breaks and plenty of times when the weather was just downright WARM. To this pregnant body, anyway.

Sunshine makes me feel good.

On Friday night my cousin Erika and Aunt Claire arrived into town with Erika’s friend, and we all went out to the Saffron Grill, a delicious Indian restaurant in Seattle. Mmmmmm. Good Times were had by all! I genuinely missed my Aunt Claire.

That night my mother met Mr. Bennett for the first time. Love! Puppy love!

The next day it was time for my baby shower, graciously hosted by Erika at Brenna’s Manse. I only had to get pretty and show up, which works for me! I wore a paisley fluid jersey maxi dress from Pink Blush, sandals, and some E.L.F. false eyelashes with questionable eyelash glue that started peeling off about halfway through my baby shower. Whoops!

Erika took a slew of photos with her “real” camera that I haven’t received yet, so in the meantime here is a small collection of (blurry) iphone photos. Here’s a couple of pregnant blondes, due three weeks apart with our first boy children. Maw.

The turnout was truly impressive, as you can see by the enormous pile of gifts for Baby M.! Erika really outdid herself. Everything was beautiful and perfect, from the decorations to the food to the games we played.

Four pregnant women all due in early 2017 with boy children!

Erika brought Voodoo donuts for the party favors, mmmmm.

Such a cute picture of Christy and my mother.

And look! My Broad! She tried to coax Mr. Bennett into jumping in her bag and going home with her, but it didn’t work out. More photos from the baby shower to come.

The next day, Mom and I took the girls on one more cold blustery walk, and then later on she had to get back on a plane and fly home, which was sad. Luckily I’ll see both my parents next week, when they fly up to Spokane for Thanksgiving. All of our parents together at last! It only took 11 years!

In NON-BABY NEWS (bwa ha ha)…I’m 96% sure I’m done with this Mandala.

Whoops! Back to baby! I have a slew of gorgeous pictures that my friend Espe took of me in a park to post soon.

Josh’s co-workers threw him a baby shower at work on Monday, and LOOK! A rainbow unicorn onesie for Baby M.! STOKED!

We’re about to go do this. Gotta keep it movin’!