Monthly Mumbles, July Edition

10. So glad that heat wave is over! I like a nice hot summer day as much as the next person, but not 10 sweltering days in the upper nineties in a row--at least not in Ohio. Couple that with the storm that came through & knocked out power to a good chunk of Ohio, and you had a cranky, sweaty Buckeye state. Forecast looks much better for this week & next, so I'm going with that.

9. I need to get back on track with taking photos. I typically enjoy documenting our lives with Instagram and even my Canon on occasion, but to be perfectly honest, it's not something I've felt much like doing ever since Mom died. I need to get my mojo back, in more ways that one.

8. Decided to stop paying an arm & a leg for cottage cheese each morning at my employer's cafeteria, and brought in my own tub instead. Random Fact About Kimmie: I CANNOT eat cottage cheese unless it is virtually suffocating with pepper. Anyone else have this issue? Probably not...

7. Another thing I haven't done since losing my mom is play Words With Friends. She's the only one I consistently played with (and yeah, I lost a lot--kinda weird for an editor, but whatevs), so it just isn't the same. I might remove it from my phone entirely.

6. We're taking Aiden to his first Cleveland Indians game next week, complete with fireworks. I'm probably more excited than he is, but I think that will change one he steps inside Progressive Jacobs Field...

5. Called the pediatrician this morning to update him on Nolan's continuing refusal to use words. I think it's gotten better in some respects; he's attempting more words, and his gibberish has developed into more consonant usage that before, but he's still inconsistent. I told him I'm pleased with the change over three months, and he agreed that we'll assess again at his two-year checkup--which (can I freak out a little now?!) is only 3 months away.

4. Everyone send all your good vibes to my husband for Thursday morning. Leaving that one vague.

3. I'm feeling Justin's flutters a bit more regularly now, and it's always a welcome sensation. Starting to feel like this pregnancy is c-r-a-w-l-i-n-g just a bit, but I think the heat has a had a lot to do with that. I'm ready to get into my big comfy preggo sweaters instead of these ridiculous tank tops. C'mon, October, let's get a move on...

2. I looked back at my recent Facebook status updates and realized that I talk about food A LOT. Not sure what gives there.

1. Mom's headstone was placed a few weeks ago, and I was finally able to make it up north this past weekend to see it. Feels so much more final now. But it's a closure I don't want. I know everyone says this will get better with time, and yeah, it's "only" been a little over a month, but some days, this gaping hole in my life is harder to escape that others...