2 weeks (or so) to go!

So many of the last posts have included only photos of me and Baby...so I thought I'd post a picture with the man who made it all possible! :)

This picture was taken at our baby shower a couple weeks ago. Thanks to all our friends and family who were able to make it!

I finished my last week of grad school last week (insert sigh of relief) and now all eyes are on the prize (Baby)! We're just 2 weeks from our due date and very much looking forward to meeting our

"Little Ras-cal"!

Stay tuned,

K+P+Baby

34 Week bUmPDATE!

Did I mention how nice it is to have a photographer and photo studio on-site at work? No? Well...it's pretty nice!

I feel fortunate that my awesome coworker and friend, John Swee from Dodge Creative, has been able to help us capture some memories of this special time...all over lunch breaks! :)

Baby Ras - 34 weeks

It's too bad that Paul couldn't just bop out of work and join the fun, but obviously we'll have plenty of photos of all 3 of us shortly!

Next weekend, our friends and family are throwing us a baby shower. I can't wait!

5.5 more weeks until Baby's due date, 3 weeks until I'm done with grad school, 4 days until the Twins home opener....good times are ahead of us!

K+P+Baby

Ch-Ch-Changes!

Well, I mentioned it earlier but the project craziness continues on at the Rasmusson household. After we had the upper half story painted, we moved on up there so we could have the two main floor bedrooms painted. When we first moved into our house, I was color-happy and insisted we paint the main floor bedrooms bright, vibrant colors...yeah, that had to change....

Main floor bedroom #1: Before

Main floor bedroom #1: After (plus new bedding!)

Main floor bedroom #2: Before (WOW, that's bright!)

Main floor bedroom #2: After (plus some new-to-us baby gear!)

Things are certainly changing around here. Walls, ceilings, doors and trim painted. New smoke detectors and outlets...things are shapin' up or shippin' out (to Goodwill)!

More pictures to come as Baby Ras' room comes together.

I start up my last semester of grad school this week (Wahoo!)...now it's a race to the finish line between graduation and baby. Which will get here first?

Take care,

K+P+Baby (25 weeks now!)

30 Day Challenge: Day 3

Annnnnddd....we're back! Well, I'm happy to report that our summit for work went off without a hitch and my final summer class paper is complete! So, let's carry on with the Blogging Challenge.

I'm not sure if I can technically say I'm a part of the challenge, since I'm making up my own rules. (Bri?)

What part of your life is moving too fast? Too slow?

Hmmm...good question. Looking back, a lot is moving too fast. I'm now considered in my "late 20's". Paul and I are in year 2 of marriage. We've lived in our house for 3 years. I'm starting my last year of Grad School. What the heck? I'm a full-blown adult now. Sneaks up on ya.

Of course, I also have a pretty big list of things that are moving too slow. I CANNOT wait for the time we're ready to have kids. I think I've been waiting for that time since I was 4. Don't get creeped out. I've just loved babies for as long as I remember. With work, nothing moves fast enough for me. Which explains why I've moved myself around as much as I have. I can say that I've finally found a company that makes me feel like I'm growing and developing. I love it!

As a standard, I'm always in a hurry. Sometimes I find myself wishing away the present for the future. Shame on me, I know. I have to remind myself that Paul & I are pretty darn fortunate for what we have. We should be savoring these days...sleeping in, 2 pots of coffee in our pj's on the recliners watching cooking shows, traveling like its nobody's business, testing out new restaurants. Life is good, but I'm the optimist. I know it's only going to get better from here on out. This thought reminds me of a song we love.

"Something good this way comes" by Jakob Dylan.

This phrase just sticks me with. No matter your situation, something good is on its way. Even if its not...it's nice to be looking for it, right!

"The trouble, doll, is not moving moutains but digging the ground that you're on."

Diggin' it,

K+P

30 Day Challenge: Day 2

Hola! I'm here...just a little tardy. I'm ok with that. I'm in my last 2 weeks of my summer grad class and we have a BIG summit in town for work this week, so things will be busy! I think I should have called these posts "30 Post Challenge: Day 2" as I plan to contribute 30 posts in the next 30 days BUT I'm not quite sure if they'll arrive daily. I'll do my best!

How do you answer the question - "What do you do?"

I've been in my current role for about 8 months now and I usually answer this question like this: "I work in Marketing for a Danish-based hearing instruments manufacturer." I used to say "I work in Marketing for a hearing aid company." BUT I'd usually receive this reply, "WHAT?" (with hand cupped around ear) I cannot tell you how many times I've heard THAT joke. (I still laugh though!)

In more detail, I help Audiologists market their small businesses to consumers through events, practice branding materials, in-office signage, newsletters, and most currently through online platforms. More and more, I'm being allowed the opportunity to dig deeper on the areas that really interest me...online marketing & practice branding, which is fun for me. I really like my job! I work with great people, my bosses encourage me to voice my opinion and I'm allowed the freedom to figure things out on my own in most cases.

As many of you know, I've been with quite a few companies ever since graduating with my undergrad in 2006. I have a small case of undiagnosed "Ants in the Pants" where things just do not seem to most fast enough for me. If I grow tired of my position and/or don't see opportunity for growth, I get the "itch" to start looking for something new. I'm happy to report that this isn't the case in my current position. My bosses have expressed that they want to help me develop and grow as much as I want...so I definitely like that!

Well, it's 4:30am and I should have started working out at least 30 minutes ago...so I'll jump (literally) on that right now!

Have a great day,

just K

New 'do!

There...my new 'do!

That was quick - thanks Sandy!

-K, again!

We've been (car)toon'd...

Remember at our wedding, how we had those custom coloring sheets for the kids that had illustrated pics of Paul & I on them?

Does this pic jog your memory? Well, I was e-mailing with my superbly-talented friend, Sandy, who illustrated those sheets and (being the dork that I am) asked if she'd send me Paul & my illustrations as headshots...so, she did!

Paul, looking happy and...a bit older!

Me, looking a bit blonder and sorta like Lindsay Lohan (minus the trainwreck)!

I thanked Sandy and then reminded her that I now have brown, short hair and requested an updated pic...which she agreed to make. Man, I love her! Sandy lovingly refers to me as her 2nd favorite brat (her 1st being her daughter, Hannah!)

Anyway...thought you might like to see us toon'd! I guess you could say I'd look for any excuse to avoid writing my next final paper (due Wednesday)!! Alright, back to work for me!

Happy 2nd day of May!

K+P

CAUTION: It's finals time in our house....

That's right. I've got 2 weeks of this semester left which means that I've spent more days tired and crabby than fresh-faced and "enjoyable"...poor Paul!

This morning, I'm at a local coffee shop enjoying obscenely large, fancy (read: fattening) coffee drinks and not enjoying writing a 5 page final paper on Business Ethics.

Actually I shouldn't complain...it's a great class with an awesome professor...it's just that I'd much rather be sleeping in (what Paul got to do today...lucky!) than thinking this hard on a Saturday morning!

Coffee Break #1: Sugar-free caramel latte with soy milk (I get the sugar-free syrup to fool myself into thinking this is a "healthy alternative".)

The ONLY good news is that I LOVE spending a weekend morning in a coffee shop, drinking fun lattes and coffee concoctions. So, this is how I "trick" myself into doing homework! "Kendra...you can go get a bunch of fun coffees tomorrow....but, you also have to do homework!" I'm such a SUCKER!

Anyway...it IS raining outside...so really, I'm not missing out on a really fun, gorgeous day...so I'll just keep slugging back cups o' joe and thinking. (which, by the way, is indeed overated...)

Coffee Break #2: Miel (espresso, steamed soy milk, honey & cinnamon) - Delish!

Hope you get to enjoy this rainy day in your pj's, watching cooking shows with a big cup of coffee.
-Just K

PS: You're probably wondering just how hard I'm working on this final paper...since well, I'm blogging! BUT, this was my quick 5 minute break...lay off! haha!