it's (almost) fall.

 mid-september. hadley and i went on a walk tonight and i was so excited to see a few trees turning colors.. so i figured it was close enough to the official fall date, that I was ready to make some fall changes. other than the excitement of planting a few mums in the yard, i decided to get a new dark auburn, fall hair color along with new hue of painted nails. BIG changes, eh? well, the belly is also ever-changing as it grows and grows, and I'm forced to buy new clothes on a weekly basis. I can't help it, the clothes I wore last week just don't fit. Darn. Baby K is kicking like a crazy person, and I can definitely say it's to a point where the sleep schedule has been effected. Yep, no sleep for me. It's the craziest/BEST feeling ever. By the way, no guesses on the sex. Just when I think it's a boy, then i have a dream or a 'sign' that we're having a sweet little girl, and then, there's another sign it's a boy. Who knows. I'm definitely on my toes about finding out the gender of Baby K! The heart rate dropped from 161, four weeks ago to 145 just last week. The heart rate hasn't been less than 158 the entire pregnancy, so I'm guessing big changes are happening in the belly. Here's a few pictures of the new hair and growing belly.

hadley& i at 29 weeks

29 weeks and very round.

Fall, also comes with fall yummies - like the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. Like me? And can't afford a $6 coffee on a daily basis - try this recipe at home!!

Ingredients

1/2 cup brewed espresso or3/4 cup strong coffee

 2 cups milk (preferably 1 percent)

2 tablespoons canned puréed pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

tiny pinch of ground ginger

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

whipped cream (optional)

Cooking Directions

Use a 2-quart slow cooker.

Add coffee/espresso and milk to the stoneware.

Whisk in pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.

Whisk again. Ladle into mugs, and garnish with whipped cream and additional cinnamon. Add a cinnamon stick for a fanciful effect.

* Courtesy of "Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking."

I can't say I've tried it yet, but you better bet that I will! I've heard great things from friends! Another new obsession - fall fingernails. I ventured to Target - the greatest store on earth - and got an assortment of new fall colors! I'm in love.

quick sand (far left) and slate grey (3rd from left) are perfect for this fall!

Other than spoiling myself with some new hair and new nails, we're getting ready for a week of chaos. By next Monday, we will have all of the furniture out of the house and all of the carpet ripped up to prepare for the new carpet installation. exciting, yes. crazy, indeed. We have a full week, for sure. Garrett began tiling the bar, downstairs bathroom and is preparing the dining room for the wood floors. So, many changes coming this fall, even more than the usual fall changes. So, buck up, we're constantly changing things around here, until the biggest, BEST change of all comes in NOVEMBER!!! 11 weeks left.. the countdown is on! Happy fall, to all!