Holding pattern.

It's hard at this point to think of anything more miserable than the final weeks of pregnancy. Amongst the varicose veins, the potential boils, the tendonitis, the fatigue, the outgrowing of the clothes, the swollen feet, the constant discomfort, the killer anticipation (and so on and so forth), it's hard to think of anything else.

Point A: I've been feeling pretty sorry for myself.

Point B: I've also been feeling pretty sorry for Caleb, whose mother drags him along on long walks and struggles to fit in reading stories these days between the incessant bouts of cleaning and baking.

Point C: I have, therefore, been making a concerted effort to make October more fun than watching me nap on the couch or scrub down the oven. And so, behold:

One day, we tried to go to the Barnyard Boo at Thanksgiving Point. I should've known this would backfire, given my general opinion of Thanksgiving Point*. It did. Although I made sure that we went on a day when the "Boo," as it were, was being held, we didn't get to actually attend since it was held during certain (unpublished) hours, which weren't the hours we were there. So we looked at their ten stinky animals, were landed on by 256 manure-drunk flies, and rode a pony. Caleb was much more interested in their Boo decorations.

Making the same face as the ghost.

Where's the army guy? Way too hard to find (it's the camo).

Riding Elvis the pony with legs straight out so as not to dirty his costume (his idea).

"Why is this tree eating a pumpkin?"

We also went to a pumpkin patch, which was much more successful:

"Sit here and smile at me." "Okay." "Look at me." "I am."

So funny that a pumpkin got smashed!

Race to the best pumpkin! Who will win?! The four-year-old or the 39-week pregnant woman waddling behind the wheelbarrow?

Photography by Caleb.

I made a pile of leaves and then let him jump in it (which is big for me--inviting others to undo my work):

And we rode the tram at Snowbird to see the beautiful fall colors:

Impressively, we brought coats even though we were expecting amazing leaf colors and not two inches of snow + a bit of a blizzard.

And now I'm tired. I just want to have this baby and do more fun things later.

*Which is: "My name is Thanksgiving Point and I am a highway robber who will charge you $7 so that you and your child may look at our ten stinky farm animals and be landed upon by at least 256 flies who have recently been investigating our loads of manure."