update

Well, I'm officially under the 9 week mark now. I thought I'd update with pictures of his nursery.

The first is of his baby bumper. I know, I know, it's boring and blue but it is breathable! I found this company that makes crib bumpers you attach with velcro and they are a soft sort of mesh. It's pretty cool. He can smash his little nose right up to the bumper and still breath through it. Cool!

This is a picture of the new window Blake and his brother Doug installed a few weeks ago. Thanks Doug!

Here is his crib and his cute hot air balloon I found at IKEA. The wall behind it will eventually have letters spelling his name...once we finalize a name.

Here is his name for the time being. Thanks Amber for the cute burp cloth. We love it!

This is our family tree in photos. From left: My dad, mom, me, Blake, Blake's mom and then dad. I got this idea because everyone looks at babies and tries to determine which parts he got from whom. I thought this might help that fun game!

I think Little likes music. Everytime I have it up loud he seems to come alive and kick like crazy. He sleeps a lot now when he's not "dancing". Which is fine with me since he has a powerful kick.

I also think Little must like the Lord's prayer. When we say it as a group at church he kicks and kicks. Now, it could just be a music effect since we're saying it in unison, but I like to think he actually hears it and likes it. :)

Thoughts on this whole pregnancy thing

Ok, so I've decided to write a few things I've learned so far about being pregnant.
Here goes:
1. The idea of being pregnant and having a baby is a lot more fun than actually being pregnant. Thankfully Blake and I didn't have any trouble getting pregnant or I might not feel that way. It's fun at first because everything is new and it is exciting! However, once the dust settles and you're in for the long haul, it's actually hard work. I keep forgetting this and I invariably over do it and end up wiped out and crying b/c the things I normally do I CANT do any more. Examples you say? Well, spending time in the garden, bending over to pull weeds or squatting to pull them. I haven't been able to squat in months-MONTHS. I'm a kindergarten teacher, I squat all the time. Not any more. Other examples: Most people have an actual spring in their step. If you need to jump or hop or perhaps jog, you can do it without any trouble. Again, I haven't jumped or run in months. I feel like a duck. No ability to move other than forward and backward.
2. Having the summer off while pregnant is awesome. Completely awesome.
3. Starting back to school while pregnant is not awesome. Not at all. It's hard and there is this sense of guilt that comes with having to explain to parents that yes, I was hired while pregnant and yes, I will be gone for 3 months, and yes, I knew all this going into it. Hey, I would be thinking the same things if it were my child's teacher no??
4. Being pregnant makes you turn into a grown up. Remember that movie with Johnny Depp where he played J.M. Barrie the writer of Peter Pan? He had a line in that movie where he says not all adults are grown ups. Some kids are grown ups before they're adults. You have a choice if you want to be a grown up. He chose not to be a grown up. I think I don't have a choice anymore. I already feel this responsibility to this little man that I can't explain. I just went out and bought the ugliest shoes I've ever owned b/c they make my feet feel good. That is something grown ups do. I also enrolled Blake and I in parenting class next month. Grown ups do things like that. I think I can be a grown up and still have fun though. I mean, how grown up can I really be when Tommy Boy is one of my favorite movies...
5. I love other people who will give you their old baby stuff for FREE! They're so happy to see it go that they'll just overload you with their stuff. Honestly, I really don't think Blake and I have had to buy more than 200 dollars worth of stuff for this kid; that includes the crib and stroller. The best part? We get to do the same thing someday for someone else starting out. Share the love I say!!!
6. Pregnancy is what you make it: By that I mean, if you are a naturally nervous person then you'll be a nervous pregnant person. If you tend to take life as it comes at you, then that's how you'll view pregnancy. The problem comes when you get those two worldviews in the same room, or worse, in a conversation together. See, I tend to see pregnancy as the latter. However I know several moms whom I've come in contact with who are the nervous type who are convinced you are going to kill the kid because of X, Y or Z that you are doing (or not doing). I use to defend my position but now I simply smile and nod and think to myself "You are going to make your baby a nervous person simply b/c you are a nervous person!" Here's my over-arching thought on a daily basis: Women have been having babies for millinea and 99 percent of them are just fine. We've been pregnant while settling a new land, crossing the Red Sea, Traveling to a new world, during war time and drought, feast and famine and still, babies are born healthy, happy and moms keep going, so I'm not going to freak out about every single thing I should stay away from, not eat, eat, do, see, be a part of, or otherwise. Call me crazy, but it's how I keep my sanity. All those nervous women can worry about that stuff. I'm out.
7. There are a few things I'm careful about. Here they are: Putting my feet up any chance I get. No sushi. No alcohol. Sleeping with a back support and reading a good pregnancy book. That's it. I've read the recent studies on caffeine-inconclusive, a little caffeine won't kill me or Little. Lunch meat, cookie dough, over medium eggs, and the HOST of other things nervous women worry about don't bother me. This is America, our food is, for the most part, safe for consumption and I bank on that. Call me crazy.
8. Things I'm curious about? (notice I didn't say nervous) Breast Feeding, healing after delivery, loss of sleep and returning to work, dropping him off at daycare for the first time and seeing Blake as a dad.
That's it for now. I know not everyone will agree and to that I say, that's what makes our country great.

30 Weeks

Not my most glamorous picture but here it is! 30 weeks pregnant. The doctor says he's measuring 31 weeks so I'm not sure if that means he'll come a week early or just be huge. I hope he's not huge. I had a minor breakdown in the doctor office. I really don't want an emergency C-section because they can't get him out. She says I shouldn't worry about that yet but I tell you...I'm sick of hearing how big of a baby he is. Just say no to a 10 lb. baby!!!
On the plus side, I can now feel/see him move around in my belly. He'll poke an elbow out and leave it there for a few seconds before moving another limb. It's too cool.
Bathroom update: The tile is down, the grout is in, the screws are plastered over and the backerboard has been purchased. It's coming along!

Video Sonogram

OMG! Here he is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And another...

School Update

Well, it appears that I won't be working part-time this year after all. We have too many students to put in one room so they'll be splitting my class into two sessions and I'll teach a morning and afternoon session. Atleast that's what we think will happen. I'll update you for sure when it's all said and done. While I am saddened by the inability to stay home with Little his first year, I know it's best for our family financially. Maybe some year in the future I can work part time and stay home with my little ones. Who knows.
I've heard my grandmother and aunt say for years how funny life is when it happens. So many unexpected curve balls. I guess this is our first one.