How far along: 36 weeks & 1 day
Baby updates: Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6.5 lbs, Baby Harper continues to grow big and strong!
Mamma updates: I can’t believe that this is July and we’re due in July which means we’re really close! I’m busy trying to prepare myself and our lives as much as possible for Baby’s arrival, but at the same time I feel like this is one of those things that you can’t really prepare for or understand until it happens. And I’m OK with that too.
Things I miss: My old wardrobe. I’m glad that I didn’t go over-board with maternity clothes and just stuck to the basics, but it’s starting to get a litttttle old…
Cravings: Nothing unusual.
Weight: +22 — if you’ve never been pregnant, then this might sound like a lot, but here is a quick look at where all of that weight goes. Throughout the pregnancy, I’ve been a little slower to gain weight than I was hoping, but I’ve come to learn that each person is different, and the key is to be sure the baby is healthy and growing well. Thankfully, at each appointment the doctors tell me how big and healthy the baby is, so this has allowed me to be a little less worried about it. That being said, I have heard that breast feeding can burn a lot of calories (and lbs) so I am hoping to build up some more solid weight-gain in the next few weeks before Baby Harper arrives.
Best moments of the week: So much goodness!
First, Michael had a 3 day work-trip to Buenos Aires, and while I didn’t get to go with him, it was so fun for me to hear all about his trip. In addition to working hard, he got to hang out with his old friends and go to some of his favorite spots. BA holds a special place in our hearts because when Michael lived there in ’05/’06, he really fell in love with Latin America, and ultimately that’s what led us to being in Brazil today! Plus, Michael brought 12 bottles of great Argentine wine back with him which I will SOON be able to enjoy…

Michael with his hermanos argentinos, Pepe and Claudio.

Then, the highlight of the week for me came Friday night when I received a picture-text of a beautiful diamond ring and learned that one of my dearest friends, Emily Penn, got engaged! Emily was one of my roommates when I lived in DC and it’s amazing when I realize that we had never even met until she moved into our apartment during the summer of ’08, 5 years ago! Since then, Emily has been such a blessing and encouragement to me, and it brings me so much joy to see how God has brought her and Kern to this point. Yay!

How cute are these two?!

Finally, the weekend closed with a bang as Brazil won the Confederations Cup, crushing Spain 3-0! Come on, World Cup!!!