Here we go, entering the 3rd Trimester of my pregnancy! As of today, I’m 31 weeks- Holy cow that went by fast! Home delivery is safe between 37-42 weeks, and I have gotten most everything prepared early just in case he decides to make an early appearance. Most would classify me as a chronic over-planned (I.e. planning each campsite and water source for the PCT, reading about toddlerhood before Basil is even born) and I do recognize that is correct. BUT, in the book I just read “Birth without fear” it did say that planning and preparation (if it makes you feel better/ doesn’t add to your stress) is actually a self-care technique. So, I’m going with that logic 😉
On the note of pregnancy/baby research:
-Finished Babies are not pizzas audiobook
-Gave up on the Hypnobirthing book, and am trying to do daily meditations and breathing exercises instead (enjoying Bridget Teyler’s and others on Youtube)
-Finished Birth without Fear
-Have been doing a lot of research on Elimination Communication, Safe toys/supplies for optimum development (Emma Hubbard, Pediatric Occupational Therapist on YouTube), and Sleep training
-Have my 2 birth plans (1 for Homebirth, 1 for Hospital in case of C-section or other complication) finished up, thanks to the awesome research and analysis done by Evidence Based Birth.
-Started learning in-depth about breastfeeding thanks to the Lactivate book and The Global Health Media Project
In between daily life, work, Phin’s Phd, DIY projects, gardening, and all this baby-research, we have squeezed in a couple small camping trips in an effort to stay sane. Phin has been working 10-13 hours each day (weekends included) in order to finish most of his dissertation before Basil comes earth-side…which has of course taken a lot of perseverance! Thankfully I’m down to just working one part-time job (in the Pyroaerobiology lab at University of Idaho), so I have a lot of flexibility in my day-to-day!
I’m so proud of the work he has accomplished and can’t wait to see what the future holds. We have started looking more deeply into areas we would like to move & we are strongly considering Joseph, Ore. and Baker City, Ore. (if a remote job option lines up for Phin) but also have a few other places left as “maybes”!
Our “needs” list basically comes down to:
- Nearby Alpine Lakes to backpack to
- Backcountry or small-town Ski Hill nearby
- Cute town with at least a few cuisine options
- Within a day’s drive of family/friends
- Housing under $250,000
Activity-wise, we have been fairly limited, but did ride 25 (total) miles to Pullman, WA & back and also got to do a really cool hike up Frog Mountain with our good friend Eliza & her pup, Weller!
Trip-wise, I did celebrate Callie’s graduation and my 29th birthday by going on a short girl’s trip with her to Seattle for an Allison Russell concert! Phin and I are hoping to go to Yellowstone sometime in the Fall after Basil is born, but other than that we don’t have any trips on the books (…yet!)…(other than a work trip next week- but that is just to CDA)
With the simplicity of being social-media free (except LinkedIn and BlueSky), I have decided I will not be returning to posting once 2026 comes around. I’ll be posting updates on this site & (to save space and $ on membership) I’ll be posting photo album links (on these blog posts) to keep you all in the loop on our daily life and adventures! The link below should take you to my Google Drive album, where you (should) be able to leave comments if you’d like!
You can check out our May-June photo album by clicking HERE!
I probably won’t do another update until post-baby, so stay tuned! Much love- Liv & the crew
Life of a Gal Named Liv 
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