Wait... so, WHEN are the Olympics again?

I'm typically known around here for my low blood pressure. When the doctor reveals my stats, Gary notoriously asks, "Are you alive?" It's not uncommon for me to black out and hold on to a wall for stability when I stand up. But I think if I hear the countdown to the Olympics on our NBC station one more time, my blood pressure just might sky rocket. It's a little unnerving to hear your TV counting down to your due date on a daily basis. Thanks, 9News!



Yep, we're that close to 08-08-08.

And should I forget we're that close, all I need to do is look down at my large, round belly.

So, here's an update... over 2 weeks ago I was 2 cm. dilated, which doesn't mean I'm about to give birth, it just means that I'm making progress. It was only a little nervewracking to hear that news on the verge of Gary going out of town for a week, but thankfully, this little baby held off making his appearance, and Gary is back safely. However, since then, I've been having lots and lots of contractions! They're only getting more frequent and more intense, so I'm guessing we'll be meeting this baby boy soon.

I'm a little uncomfortable at this point, but have no complaints. Meeting this little guy, feeling his breath on our skin, hearing him cry... it will all be worth it in the end. He moves a lot - A LOT - but I don't have it in me to complain about how it wakes me up at night when a lack of movement is what woke me up before. The baby was very, very quiet on Friday and didn't move a lot, which really scared me. We never called or went to the doctor, but I just tried to control my imagination and emotions throughout the day as I prayed. Just as I'd be on the verge of calling the doctor or panicking, I'd feel the slightest, slightest bump or roll and be comforted. Even this far into the pregnancy, there are no guarantees, and it's easy to still be a little jumpy and untrusting. With 11 days to go, I still have to start every day acknowledging that God is in control and will take care of me. No matter what. Until this baby boy is nestled safely in my arms - warm, and breathing, and making those sweet newborn sounds - I'm not sure I'll rest easy.

Anyway, before we get to the most recent pregnancy pictures, we'll take a walk down memory lane and backtrack a bit. (These are the only belly pics I have... not evenly spaced, are they?!)

In January, at 13 weeks:



Back in March, at 20 weeks:


In April, at 23 weeks:


In July, at 36 weeks:


And a whole bunch, taken just last week at 37 weeks (thanks, Amy!):






My mom took these:
"Nah... I'm not pregnant..."


"SURPRISE!"


During the "photo shoot" with my sister, things started getting a little crazy. Look! I'm in labor! Doesn't it look realistic? You can see my mom and Emma were really concerned. Shortly after that, I wasn't sure if my water had broken or if I'd wet my pants from laughing. I'll let you decide.


I'll post before and after shots of the nursery soon, but I'll leave you with this teaser. The girls LOVED getting to help paint their little bro's nursery. Can you tell?

Check!

My blogging (writing, reading and commenting!) has fallen by the wayside lately. I hate that. I hate opening up my Google Reader to find posts I haven't read in the triple digits. I hate that I might not get a chance to read all of those posts, much less comment on them. I hate that I haven't posted on my own blog in a week! I hate that I can't respond to every comment I get.

But what I love...

Is that I'm getting a lot done in things other than the blogging world! (*GASP* a world outside the blogging world?! Tell me more!)

I'm chipping away at that pesky to-do list. Slowly but surely, things are getting done. The bad thing is that I've been easily distracted and find projects within projects. The good thing is that then I add it to the list and it's an awfully good feeling to check it off. Do you ever do that? Add something to the list that you've already done, just because you can check it off? I suppose that's probably to-do list cheating, but I'm not above that.

And doesn't it just feel like you can accomplish more if that to-do list is written with a Sharpie?



For example, I thought I'd tackle number 11 on the list and tame our wild mass of electronics cords. I swear they sit here in the office and breed. I'm not all that computer/electronic savvy, so I don't know what half of them are for, but I coiled them up, put the ones we don't use neatly in a box and checked it off my list. But along the way, I got distracted with the video camera and tapes, and decided it was prime time to go through every tape logging what was on it. UNNECESSARY. Seriously, I'm due to have a baby in 11 days and this was my priority?! But, the girls really loved watching old home movies and now I feel better.

I had some filing to do in the office (and by "some" I mean mountains of filing) and got it done and checked it off my list! Hooray for me! But along the way, I got distracted with reorganizing the files. They were fine the way they were, but now they're really organized. Again, the baby wouldn't have cared what those files look like, but I feel better about them. Oh! And as I sorted, I got distracted with magazines. I'm sort of a magazine hoarder. I keep thinking there has to be some reason I need them. Well, I kept a few issues of each (mostly for cutting up for kids' crafts) and boxed up the rest for recycling. I'm twitching even as I think about it. I had every Parents magazine and Family Fun magazine from 2003 til now. Not cool. I had 2 years worth of Southern Living from 2002-2003. I had ONE Shape magazine (huh, one magazine about exercise... now there's a surprise), I had one Australian Shepherd magazine, 4 years worth of Today's Christian Woman, a few gardening and home magazines, tons of MOPS magazines, a few crafty magazines, and countless - I mean countless - baby and pregnancy magazines. Oh my word. Aside from the money I fear was spent on these things, I think once they're recycled the school down the street will be equipped with paper for a year. As I put them in the box, I just kept thinking, "There's nothing in here I can't find on-line. There's nothing in here I can't find on-line. There's nothing in here I can't find on-line."

A fraction of my collection:


Before I go scoop them all up and clutch them to my bosom, can someone reassure me that I won't miss the magazines? Thanks.

Three days ago I dragged out my sewing machine, dusted it off, and decided to sew up some new basket liners for the nursery. I finally got to it yesterday and am half done! Not only was I pleasantly surprised that I actually DO remember how to sew, I'm thrilled that something will soon be fully checked off the to-do list that is actually baby related.

Because the baby isn't going to care if my scrap room is clean or if my backyard flowers are properly pruned. But you know what? He might care if he has a name or not. I need to add that to the to-do list.

Speaking of baby... I hope to post a baby update and some belly pics in my next post (today or tomorrow? Let me consult my to-do list). I have to squeeze it in before he comes, because to post it after the fact would throw my sister into a tailspin. So stay tuned!

Remembering the Beginning

Over the weekend I began the big job of transforming the nursery from pink to blue. I'm less than three weeks from my due date... what's the rush? Ha! We also moved the girls into one room together. Wish us luck on that one!

More on those breaking stories later, complete with pictures.

There is a shelf in the nursery that runs around the entire room. For the last 4+ years, it has been home to many a stuffed animal, picture frame and trinket that the girls have collected. One other decoration on the shelf holds sentimental value for Gary and I, and as I took it off the shelf this morning, I thought fondly of memory it represents.

When Gary and I were first married, I decided I wanted children immediately. It was never our plan (we had talked about waiting at least a few years), but I got the baby bug and always felt like I was just waiting around to have kids. I quickly - QUICKLY - figured out that I just thought I wanted kids right away, and that we actually were having the time of our lives being newlyweds. We got to travel, splurge on things, love each other uninterrupted, and just enjoy being MARRIED. I learned not to wish away the time, but to enjoy the present.

However, after a few years, the bug was back and I really, really wanted a baby.

Whenever I mentioned it to Gary, he'd always remind me that our plan was to wait a few years; that we weren't "ready." We'd never be "ready," I tried to remind him over and over, but he wouldn't budge. We were still completely happy enjoying married life, but I felt like enough was enough, and it was time to move on to that next step.

My friend Michelle was in the same boat, and daydreaming about babies together probably didn't help the situation at all! I remember having several conversations about how we could convince our husbands that it was time to start our families.

For those thinking ahead, you're right, it was the wrong approach. And as a side note, I cannot imagine having gotten pregnant without Gary being part of the decision 100%. Convincing him to have a baby would have started us on the wrong foot at a time when both of us needed to be "one" more than ever!

Gary didn't need convincing. He didn't need to be persuaded. He didn't need me to change his mind or coerce him into wanting kids NOW. Michelle and I realized that what our husbands did need was for us to trust them and the way they wanted to lead us. We needed to submit to them.

Scary thing, that whole submission idea.

So instead of harping on them and nagging them (which, I think we were always pretty careful not to do. I don't think either of us really nagged them much about babies), we prayed for them instead. Sure, we prayed that God would change their minds and want kids sooner than "their plan." But mostly, we prayed for US. We prayed that God would show us how to be content, how to wait on Him, and how to honor our husbands by being happy with their decisions as the head of our homes.

The ache in my heart to have a baby still lingered, but was small compared to the peace I felt while submitting to Gary and waiting on the Lord. As soon as I chose to be obedient and follow God's wish for me (Ephesians 5), everything got brighter. I no longer felt any resentment in my heart against Gary (because I think I did - how could he hold me back from my dream of being a MOM?!), our relationship grew stronger, my relationship with God grew stronger during that time, and all because I was living according to His Word.

Submission is hard though. Whether it's submitting to our boss at work, our husbands at home, or our God, it's a daily decision. It's so easy to get caught up in thinking we're in charge and we know best. I learned that submitting didn't make me less of a person or a weaker person, but instead strengthened me through obedience and honor. I still had days when I'd cry thinking about wanting a baby and being a mom, but realized that God's plan was way better than what I could imagine. I had to decide each morning when I woke up that TODAY I'd submit, TODAY I'd wait on the Lord, TODAY I'd be patient.

A few months went by, and one day in early January, Gary silently handed me a note. It said: READ ME!

So off I went on a scavenger hunt around our one-bedroom condo. Each note was hand-written and filled with encouraging words. Just when I didn't think my heart could love Gary more or my smile could be bigger, I'd find another note to show me otherwise.

The last note led me to our TV cabinet. I opened it up to find a blanket with two pacifiers attached, and note that said, I'M READY IF YOU ARE!

I cried.

I remember feeling dizzy and not knowing what to say or feel next! I do remember praying together, that the decision to start our family was what God wanted. I remember thanking God for my husband who I trusted completely (if not after a little heavenly nudging) to make every decision for our family. I still do.

We've always been blessed by the fact that we barely have to think about being pregnant and we are. We were pregnant within a couple months, and Emma was born November 5th.

As I'm typing this, that blanket is in the washing machine. It sat on the shelf as a reminder to us how our family began, but its blue and green colors are about to be put to good use. I can't wait to wrap our new baby boy in it, a constant reminder to wait on the Lord and give all of our cares and decisions to him.

When Emma saw it today as I unrolled it, she held it and said it was a beautiful blanket. I can't agree more!

I hope this post doesn't embarrass Gary if he reads it. It shouldn't at all (okay, my love?). I just remember what a turning point that waiting time was for me in my journey with God, but also what a turning point in my life it was when Gary handed me that note!

When I read those notes and held that blanket today, it reminded me what a struggle that time was. My heart goes out to any of you who are waiting for something to make life better. Whether it's waiting for that new job, waiting for a spouse, waiting for a baby... just know I'm praying for you today and hoping that you learn that waiting on the Lord and submitting to His plan is better than any plan you could dream up.

Remember, God makes everything beautiful in His time (Ecc. 3:11).

Oh! I'm adding this after it's already been posted, but it's not too late to share that God answered Michelle's prayers too! Our first kids, Carson and Emma, are exactly 1 month apart. So we got to be pregnant together and have raised our kids together (although not together distance-wise being that she's in California). Yay!

For the Love of Lists

I'm not a huge list person, although I find that my thoughts are much more organized when I have lists to refer to. My problem is that I get a little too "list happy." I'll have my "to-buy" lists (one for each store), my "to-do" lists (usually a separate one for each category - cleaning, MOPS, projects, return phone calls, etc.), my "honey-do" lists (c'mon Gary, I rarely give you those!), "grocery lists" (separate from to-buy lists), etc.

By the end, I have so many lists that I feel overwhelmed, and well, ironically, listless.

I crack myself up.

So the other day, I made what I guess is my nesting list. (For those not "in the know," in the last few weeks of pregnancy, you go into nesting mode where you just have this urge to clean and organize and just get ready. It's this instinct and phenomenon that most women experience and which their husbands wish they'd experience more often.)

I've checked off one thing from the list: I washed out our milk coolers. Because you know, that's CRITICAL.

Now that that's done, I can move onto the other important things on my list like cleaning out the window tracks, organizing the pencil drawer, sorting my recipe file, and plucking my eyebrows. Seriously. Those are all on the list. Because you KNOW I can't bring home a baby unless those are done.

My mom asked me if packing my suitcase for the hospital was on the list. It wasn't, until she added it.

And lest you think this whole nesting thing is a joke, I want you to know that I washed every window on our main floor - inside and out! - the day I went into labor with Addie. It HAD to be done. But this time, one look at my irrational and totally unrealistic list, and I'm automatically tired. I'll be lucky if I have the energy to open the windows the day I go into labor with this one.

But at least I'll have clean milk coolers.

Anyway, Emma loves making lists too, except usually I can't read her lists. The other day she asked if she could write out my grocery list which I gladly dictated from the comfy couch. I figured she was writing strings of nonsensical letters, but I was wrong. I proudly present to you her illustrated grocery list:


Here is it, decoded, for those who can't follow her artistic renderings.


I love how she slipped in a picture of herself in there with a balloon. That was not on my list, but I guess when you're the one writing the list you can do that.

I'm wrapping this up now so that I can go draw a picture of me smiling and a pint of Ben & Jerry's on my list. Afterall, I'M the one writing it.

Pedicures

I went and got a much needed pedicure tonight.

I've read of some bad pedicure experiences, and some really cute ones, but today, mine was just plain wonderful. My only complaint is that I really wish I knew what those ladies were saying. When they glance up at you, say something quietly to their co-workers, and then they all look at you and giggle, it really makes you wonder. At one point they started asking me about my baby (pointing at my protruding belly, of course) and I'm not sure, but I might have agreed to calling them when I go into labor. Or maybe I'm supposed to name him after their shop. Quite honestly, I have no idea what I agreed to when I smiled and nodded, but they seemed pleased.

Anyway, aren't them toes pretty?



Now then... guess who needs a pedicure?

My girls.



Because Crayola marker pedicures just don't do the trick.

This post is brought to you by Tom and Jerry

I can't say that this post will be filled with much substance, but since the girls are happy and occupied I thought I'd take advantage of the window. I could clean or do something useful around the house, but blogging is so much more fun.

Right now my girls are sitting on the couch, holding hands, totally engrossed in "Thomas and Jerry" as they call it. I remember watching it as a kid and thinking it was hilarious. I wonder if my mom was ever concerned that I might haul off and hit my sisters with a piano or tuck the cat's lip up over her head or bake a cake for my sisters filled with dynamite.

I'm pretty sure she wasn't concerned about those things, but yet, I think I was a much calmer and obedient child than my girls are proving to be. Hmm. Maybe this show is giving them too many ideas. Good thing we don't have a piano.

Yesterday morning I asked the girls what they wanted to do, and they said, "Go to the zoo!" So then I said, "Okay, what ELSE would you like to do?" (Because this nearly 9-month pregnant mama did not feel like driving 35 minutes to the zoo to walk around in 90 degree weather. Call me crazy.) So the next best thing? "Take a walk with our babies!" Done! Their other request? We should all wear skirts.

So, with each of us donning our Wednesday best, we put dollies in strollers and went for a walk. Simple pleasures! I was glad to walk right behind them as they had their best "mommy" conversations.



"How is your day going?"

"Good."

"How is your husband?"

"Emma, I don't have a husband."

"I know, Addie. We're pretending to be MOMMIES!"

A slight scuffle ensued as Addie veered her stroller a little close to Emma's and Emma loudly informed her that's NOT how mommies take walks.



And then they continued.

"I like your skirt, Addie."

"Thank you. I like your shoes, Emma."

"Thank you. How is your baby doing?"

And so on. If it hadn't been so hot, I might've done another loop around the block just to hear more of their conversation. However, all conversing was quickly halted when we came to a hill, and at that point, the girls thought it was much more fun to give the strollers and babies a good, solid push to see how fast they'd go until they tumbled out of control. Remind me NOT to let them walk the new baby.



Last night since Gary was gone, we had "breakfast for dinner" which the girls love. None of us were all that hungry, so it wasn't even a really great "breakfast for dinner" night. We just had cereal and some fruit. I sort of felt like a lame mom, but the girls were happy.

The girls both wanted to pray, so after Addie's short and sweet prayer, it was Emma's turn.

"Jesus thank you for our family and for our food.
And the birds.
And the butterflies.
And our house.
And our toys.
And our neighbors.
And our pillows.
And markers.
And the new baby.
And my puzzles.
And trees.
And for the high school kids.
And for flowers.
And for airplanes.
And for windows.
And for our clothes.
And for spoons.
And for..."

Seventeen minutes later she said "Amen" and we ate our now soggy cereal.

I think tonight I'll pray before we eat dinner. And I'll thank God for cartoons made in 1942 that make my 2008 kids happy. Amazing.

Save the penguins!

In the car just now, coming home from the grocery store, we were listening to a (very cheesy) CD of kids' Sunday School songs. "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" came on and the girls went nuts, because apparently they sing it in their class.



Here's what Emma said... I was mostly nodding and mmm-hmmm-ing between her comments because I was chewing ice. (Because that's what I do when I'm pregnant.)

"They're talking about Jesus, you know, Mom...

His hands are SO BIG that He can hold the whole word, you know...

Well, I know a little bit about the world, you know. The penguins are on the bottom, and Santa Claus is on the top...

I hope Jesus isn't squishing the penguins when He's holding the world."

ME TOO!
(And that's where I about spit out all the ice I was chomping!)