Portia's photography

Brandon taught Portia how to use the camera the other day; this is her handiwork:

5 reasons why my husband is the bomb-diggity

My husband is awesome. Here's some of the reasons why:

1. Tonight when I came home from work, he let me sit on the couch with my feet up while he cleaned up the house, had a dance party with Portia, gave her a snack and put her in the bath. This isn't a one-time thing. Along with taking super hard classes and doing really well in them, he somehow still makes time to help me keep the house in order and take care of our daughter.

2. He is a really great dad. Portia thinks he is the coolest guy ever, because he is. He plays with her and pretends with her, takes her on walks and to the park, reads her books; he is patient and kind and he never makes her feel like she is anything but the most important person to him. I am really grateful for that.

3. Even though I look like I have a beach ball fused to my front, I'm starting to walk like an 80-year old, and my stretch marks are rearing their angry heads, Brandon tells me that he loves me and thinks I'm beautiful every day. Even when I'm still in my pj's and haven't brushed my hair at 3 pm.

4. He actively holds the priesthood. It is so comforting to me to know that there is a member of the priesthood in my home. Whenever we need it, he is there to give blessings and guidance. Portia and I have been so blessed because Brandon is a good man.

5. He is pretty darn cute. Just look:

See? Cute.

pregnancy weirdness

I've realized in the last few days just how strange pregnancy is.

Well, let me clarify. I've known how strange pregnancy is for a few years now, as this is not my first hoe-down. But I had forgotten some of the things that happen to you while you grow a person. I'm getting farther along, and so some of the strangeness that I had filed away in my brain is starting to resurface.

There's, of course, the physical changes of this glorious 9-month long crazy-fest. Oh sure, you know about gaining weight and looking like you've got a couch cushion stuffed under your shirt, but did you know that some women's feet grow while they're pregnant? Like a whole shoe size. Luckily, my feet stay the same. They're big, but they're the same big as always.

The worst physical aspect of pregnancy, to me, is not gaining weight. Its when my bones start moving. You see, as she gets bigger, my tummy-baby starts to push everything (stomach, lungs, those type of things) up into my rib cage. And I can start to feel my rib cage widening. Its not very pleasant, in case you were wondering.

Then there's my temper. Its shorter. And more unpredictable. I find myself getting upset easier than I used to. I don't know if it's because the wiring in my brain is actually different, or simply because it's 105 degrees outside, I can't walk, and I am in a constant state of have-to-pee. (Seriously. I have to pee ALL THE TIME. Sometimes I walk out of the bathroom, and think to myself "Crap. I have to pee again.")

I also eat weirdly. People always ask what foods you crave, expecting you to say something outlandish, like fish sticks dipped in chocolate icing, but I never crave really weird stuff like that. But I do develop weird little quirks when it comes to food. For example, take me to a Mexican restaurant, and I'll go to town, but make Mexican food at home, and I don't want it. It has to be brought to me fully prepared by someone outside of my home in order to eat it. Odd much?

I realize that I sound a bit like I'm ranting. I kind of am. I don't enjoy being pregnant. It hurts, and 9 months is a long time to be in pain. I would actually rather go through labor and delivery every day for 9 months if it meant I got to skip pregnancy. Does that even make sense? Well, it does in my head.

There are some really cool things about pregnancy, like feeling your baby move, and seeing ultrasounds. It is a very interesting experience; I love being pregnant because it means I get to have another baby, but I hate it at the same time.

I want the next 9 weeks to pass quickly because I feel terrible all the time, but mostly, I want to the next 9 weeks to fly by so that I can snug up on our baby girl and Portia can meet her baby sister.

the end is in sight

I am now 30 weeks pregnant! The final 10 week countdown has begun!

Actually, I am scheduled to be induced a week before my due date, so make that the 9 week countdown!

It can't come soon enough!!

British invasion

I really love the Beatles. I mean really love them. Not like those people who say they love the Beatles because everyone loves the Beatles, but when you ask what their favorite song is, they say "Hey Jude" out of default because it's the only song they've ever really heard. No. (I really hate those people)

I think I started listening to the Fab Four at birth. I remember playing in the backyard as a very young gal, maybe 5 or 6, and making up a game with my barbies inspired by the song Yesterday. I remember watching Beatles Anthology on tv when it first aired in 1995. I was 9. Seriously, folks, I'm a super-fan.

My Carrie-sister posted this about her love for the Beatles, and I am definitely more of a fan of later Beatles music than earlier. Don't get me wrong, I love their earlier stuff, but there is just something about the deeper, slightly-trippy (sometimes more than slightly), melodies of the later years that really speak to me.

Thank you.

telling mommy about her day

Telling mommy about her day from kathleen rawlinson on Vimeo.

We went to Portia's 2 yr old checkup yesterday.

28 week bump

Like my new dress?

i'm a little excited

oh Ree.

Tonight, I dined with the Pioneer Woman. She is amazing. Oh, you've not met? Let me introduce you.

The Pioneer Woman is Ree Drummond, from Pawhuska, OK (yeah yeah yeah, we have weird town names here). She lives on a ranch in the country, and she cooks the most incredible food you will ever eat. We've never actually met. You see, Ree is kind of famous. She has a cookbook you can buy at Barnes and Noble, she's been on numerous daytime talk shows, and I heard that they are making a movie about her life starring Reese Witherspoon, because Reese is a big fan of hers.

Tonight, I made Trinidadian Curry and Tres Leches Cake, and they were both just too delicious for words. She does a great job with the recipes, taking lots of pictures, and explaining things so that its super easy to understand. Plus, she's really funny!

If you have never been to the Pioneer Woman website, please do yourself a favor and go. While you're there, read her love story with her husband, From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. Seriously, it reads like a novel. A really wonderful, romantic, can't-stop-even-though-it's-2-am novel.

talking a mile a minute

talking a mile a minute from kathleen rawlinson on Vimeo.

She says some of my favorites: "Ready daddy?" "Let's go, daddy!" and "Here you go."

what a ham

She is doing "this little piggy went to market..."

Making faces

spa treatment

The other day, Portia found a tube of diaper rash creme and decided to give herself a facial.

She got some in her mouth, hence the grossed out face.

(I had been making the grossed out face the whole time.)

After she had been tossed in the bath, I went in her room and found 2 baby dolls completely covered as well. Apparently, they needed facials too.

bear with me

lots of pictures, lots of videos.

4th of July, part two

On the 4th, we went to a cookout/pool party and here are some pictures!

Portia was a little weird about swimming, she wanted to swim all by herself, and didn't want to wear floaties at all! She thinks she's 12 years old.

Here's a picture of Brian trying to get on that green intertube.

And here's Brandon.

They couldn't stay afloat.

4th of July

Here are some pictures from our 4th of July!

We went to the fireworks show at Rhema, and Portia had fun running around until it got dark.

Here's Portia and Brandon waiting for the show to start.

And me and Grandma (Ignore my weird hair. I'm pregnant)

Portia watched the first half of the fireworks like this:

and then hid and tried to go to sleep for the rest! Poor girl.

its highly likely i'm a huge dork

We spent the 4th in Broken Arrow and Claremore with our families, it was great! We had cookouts and went swimming, saw fireworks and UFOs, it was a blast!

Wait, what? UFOs?!?

Saturday night, Brandon, Brian and I were driving into Claremore, when we saw something weird. Up in the sky, there were about 10 floating orange lights. At first we thought they mist be fireworks, but fireworks explode and these didn't. So we pulled over and watched them for a while, and they started to fly away, some going faster than others, and some just disappeared completely.

We were a little weirded out, at least I was. Let me clarify one thing: at no point did we think they were aliens. We weren't afraid of getting abducted or anything like that. We just couldn't figure out what they could be. Maybe weather balloons? Some kind of aircraft? We didn't know.

The next day, we were visiting with Brandon's cousin, Ben and his wife Cali, and we started to tell our story. They immediately knew what we were talking about. Had they seen them too? Maybe the floating whatsits had been seen by a lot of people! Is there some facebook group I should join?

Then Ben and Cali told us about some lanterns that they had seen as part of a fireworks display. They were amber-colored, and floated into the sky. Yeah. Lanterns.

I'm a little embarrassed.