Weathering the Storm

Well, phase one of our move is complete and we're now staying in the new house. The professionals will come move the other furniture and stuff next week. For now, we're battening down the hatches and hoping we have no storm damage from Hurricane Katrina. It's getting worse out there. People keep saying that storms can make pregnant women go into labor, so I'm TRYING not to freak out. So far no contractions, so maybe I'll be ok.

Weather or Not

Now we have Hurricane Katrina coming closer to shore. She's now a Cat 5 and will likely still be at hurricane strength when she reaches my area. If I hear one more time how a storm can throw a pregnant person into labor, I think I will really scream. I am NOT READY! The professional movers can't come until Sep 7, and I'd really like this baby to hold off until after that. Yes, yes, I know, as HUNDREDS of people are fond of pointing out, babies like to come whenever they want, whether or not it's convenient. OK, folks, I get it!!! Can't I just have my own small delusion of control for a few minutes every now and then???

Ok, I'm better now.

Who I'm Thankful For

As much as I've been freaking out about the craziness of my life lately, I am very thankful for the following people: (not to the exclusion of anyone not listed)

- My husband. God bless him, he's trying as hard as he can to be as understanding as possible when I have my moments of freaking out.
- My daughter. I'm especially thankful that she's on her way, but doesn't seem to be in too big a hurry about it. I need all the time I can get to prepare for her.
- My friends from church. They're dropping off boxes, helping me clean the new house, helping me pack the house, and helping us move our stuff from one house to the other. Most of all, they're praying for me and encouraging me.
- My parents. They're going to come down to help make sure someone is around to guide the professional movers in case I go into labor. They'll help a lot with unpacking, too, I'm sure.
- My boss/pastor. He's being very understanding of the stress I'm under in life, and he's doing all he can to support and help us.
- God. Of course there would be no way I'd get through any of this without him.

Badge of honor

Someone said to me the other day that I'm earning quite a badge of honor by being 9 months pregnant and surviving this horrible Mississippi summer heat. It kind of makes me laugh, because it's not like I decided to do it like this. After 4 1/2 years of trying to conceive, who'd have guessed that when it finally happened, my due date would be smack at the end of a steamy southern summer? I haven't really earned anything by surviving the heat. Now, if I make it through this move while 9 months pregnant in a Mississippi summer, THAT, my friends, earns me a badge of honor.

If you've ever moved in the summer while pregnant, kudos to you! And tell me how you managed it - I could use some survival tips!

Dirty News

Why does newsprint come off so easily on the hands? I mean, we can put men on the moon and send pictures through our phones, but no one has been able to come up with clean news ink? Hasn't technology progressed to the point where you can touch newspapers without getting smudgy fingerprints? What's the deal?

One Box, Two Box, Red Box, Blue Box

I'm officially surrounded by boxes. It's good, because it shows progress. But it also indicates to me how much more packing I have to do. We're doing our best to get the house empty in the next 10 days so that it can quickly be put on the rental market. The good thing is that it will be over soon. I know I keep saying this, but I'm really hoping the baby stays put until we get established in the new place.

Well, back to work!

YUMMY!

I must say, I LOVE Swedish Fish candy! There's just something so appealing about fish-shaped gummy gelatinous sugar product with red dye #40.

I truly am a child of the 70s!

Packing while pregnant

Well, here I am, 37 weeks pregnant, and it looks like we're going to try to pull off this move BEFORE our little bundle of joy drops in. So I'm very carefully packing what I can on my own, and I'm hoping and praying for our friends will be able to pitch in.

I'm still really frustrated that we're having to do this. There are worse things in life, I know, and I'm thankful to not be going through them. I'm just sad about leaving our house which I've worked so hard to decorate. And our little girl won't get to enjoy the nursery I carefully planned for her. While I know this move will be good in the long run in lots of ways, it's still hard to deal with the emotions it stirs in me, especially now that I'm a great hormonal whale. :)

House Hunt

Today we began looking for a rental house in our soon-to-be new home town. Since it's a college town, there seems to be a lot of houses on the rental market. But because it's a college town, the quality can be questionable. The first one we saw was rather run down and had a funny smell. It was far too small and the paint job was reminiscent of a kindergartener with finger paints.

The second one we saw was much better. Bigger, no funny smell, and much more well-maintained. It's not perfect, but it would definitely be a better fit for us. We're going to keep it in mind. We still have a few more we'd like to see before we make a decision. And we can't decide how soon to take on a new place. Should we go ahead and rent something we like NOW so we have time to move in slowly? Or should we not even bother until after the baby is born? How long can we afford paying rent without having our house rented out as well?

So many questions. I really just wish it were over already.

Ok, I give.

I broke down, went and got some boxes, and started packing little things. Ahhhhh. I feel much better just having gotten a start. I know that's a little crazy, since I have 3 boxes down and probably 200 to go. But at least now I can say I started. Whew! (Ssshhhh, don't tell my doctor! He said no packing! But I'm not lifting the boxes, just filling, taping and labeling them, so that doesn't count, does it?)

Identity Crisis

I am now posting under the name YankeeAmanda. Please don't be confused. I'm still me.

The joy of gift certificates

There's nothing quite like getting a gift certificate. I got a nice one for Amazon.com from some friends as a baby shower gift. It arrived today, and I immediately spent it. There were things on my registry I have not yet received, so I went ahead and bought them for myself. Now I'll have the apparently essential nursing pillow and a diaper bag. Necessary items that I didn't have to spend my own dang money on. Woo-hoo!

Itching to pack

As I look around my house, I feel this intense urge to start packing NOW, before the baby is on the OUTSIDE and needs a lot more attention than she does now. There are lots of little things I could be packing, like candles, pictures, DVDs and other items we don't need. The doctor, hnowever, has said that I need to let it go for now. This pregnancy has gone too well for too long to mess it up now by trying to do things that don't have to be done now.

So I guess I just look around and make lists. That's about all I can do for now. Did I mention it's driving me crazy???

NO AD ZONE!

Please, people, I love it when folks post comments, but only if they aren't ads for their own money-making ventures!!! Sheesh! From this point on, comments that are not specific to the post and that simply advertise your own business will be deleted. Sorry, I'm not a commercial site!

Apparently, I've been tagged!

My friend Martha has tagged me, so here it is.

The rules say:

List five songs that you are currently digging - it doesn't matter what genre they are from, whether they have words...or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying right now.

Post these instructions and the five songs (with artist) in your blog.

Then tag five people to see what they're listening to.

1. She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
2. Arlington - Trace Adkins
3. Something More - Sugarland
4. Holy is the Lord - Chris Tomlin
5. Blessed Be the Name - Matt Redman

Ok, so now I have to tag 5 folks. Sorry, I hope this doesn't cause any problems. Don't participate if you choose not to. I'm tagging Jackie, Rachelle, Allison, Eve and sjsimbo. This should be interesting.

Good move, lousy timing.

Sometimes I simply cannot believe that this is my life. Not that I'm complaining, necessarily. It's just that sometimes the twists and turns are enough to make me lose my lunch.

Paul is being transferred to an office in Starkville, MS, about 30 minutes away, which is a really good thing for his career. He'll have a lot more autonomy, get away from some difficult personalities in his current office, and it will look great on his resume for future positions. But to effectively cover this new territory, we need to live there. That means we're moving. Again. We have moved 7 times in 7 years, and we only bought and moved into this house 8 months ago.

Now, I know how to move. As I've said, I've done it a lot so I'm very familiar with the experience. But I've never had a baby, then had to move WITH said baby. This is all new ground I'll be covering. I'm less than a month from my due date, and all the work I've done for the baby's room is now moot. And forget nesting - it's all going to be in boxes. Though, I'm not sure exactly how everything is going to GET into boxes, since now I'm too pregnant to pack, and afterward I may not be able to do any lifting for a while. It's a good thing we're plugged into a great church, where our loving friends will come along side us and help us get through this. I don't know how people do things like this by themselves.

We are going to try to be set up in our new town by the end of the year. Our decision is to rent out our home and then rent a place in the new town for the first year. We need to see how this transition goes before going through another real estate transaction.

I think God likes teaching me just how little control I really have in life. I thought I was going to get a good grasp on this concept with the whole birth process, but apparently that was not a big enough teaching opportunity on it's own. "Ok, God, I get it. There is absolutely nothing in life I can control except my reaction to the things you bring into it. This move was Your idea, and therefore, Your problem. Just point me in the right direction."

More "assembly required"

Today I put together our baby's travel system. Thankfully it was a LOT easier than that irritating piece of furniture from Kmart. Just pop on the wheels and a few other plastic pieces. Not hard at all, even while 9 months pregnant.

Now that we have the carseat, I think we're just about all set and ready for the baby. I have diapers & wipes, a crib, a bouncy seat, a travel system, more washcloths than I can count, and a ton of cutesy clothes. I still don't have a few things I'd like to have before the baby is born, but if she comes out early, I think I'll be able to manage.

I still can't believe I'm going to be a mommy in a month!!!!

100 Things About Me

Having been inspired by my dear friend Martha, I have decided to post my very own list of 100 things about me. Please let me know if you find something of particular interest in this gathering of opinions and mostly trivial biographical information. These are not necessarily listed in any particular order.

1. I'm officially 9 months pregnant tomorrow. And yet I have a month till my due date. Go figure.

2. I met my darling husband on the internet almost 7 1/2 years ago - back when it was not very common to do so.

3. In high school I took 4 years of French, 2 years of German and a year of Spanish. I did NOT, however, take any math higher than Algebra II.

4. My current favorite TV show is "Battlestar Galactica". This is the new version on the SciFi channel, and is about 100x better than the cheesy 70s version.

5. I have 3 cats (Max, Millie and Maggie) and a dog (Hershey). I am worried about how they'll handle having a baby in the house.

6. I've been living in the south since November 1998, but I'm a born and bred Yankee. Folks down here still don't know how to take me sometimes.

7. Watching shows like "Babies: Special Delivery" make me feel simultaneously educated and terrified. I'm aware of all the things that could happen, so I feel aware, but I'm scared that some of those things will happen to me.

8. I'm serving as the Director of Children's Ministry at my church. I took the job a week before I got pregnant. Little did I know I'd be immediately starting my own personal children's ministry so soon after accepting the position.

9. I have one brother, Jason, who is 6 years younger than me. He and I have very divergent personalities and interests.

10. My degree from Millersville University in PA is a BA in Political Science. I haven't used this degree for work since October 1998.

11. Paul (my husband) and I honeymooned in NY and New England. My two favorite memories are going to the Culinary Institute of America for lunch, and visiting the Ben & Jerry's plant in Vermont. (Interesting that they are both food-related.)

12. I have never in my life been accused of being skinny. Weight has always been an issue for me, but at 36 weeks, I am still under my pre-pregnancy weight by 8 pounds. The doctor says as long as the baby is growing, he's not concerned.

13. I love to do sign language to music at church. And from the responses I usually get, folks like to see it, too.

14. I love to paint, but I'm really not very good at it. I consider it more therapeutic than anything else.

15. I loathe cleaning. I only do it because once it's done, I feel better.

16. My favorite meal is roast beef, mashed potatoes w/gravy, green beans, sweet tea and chocolate cheesecake for dessert. YUM.

17. My husband and I have moved 7 times in less than 7 years. I can't stand the thought of another move anytime soon, but sometimes I don't get my way.

18. I have never broken a bone, but my mom didn't break a bone till she was 40, so I may get there one day too.

19. I think I accidentally threw out my high school senior year book. Oops. Oh well, I didn't get along too well with a lot of those folks anyway.

20. In high school as well as in college, the classes I did the best in were the classes taught by my favorite teachers. I figure there must be a correlation.

21. While I'm not really a big fan of antique furniture, we sure have a LOT of it. It's inherited from my husband's family.

22. I think that no matter how nervous my husband is about becoming a father, he's going to be fabulous at it. I just hope he accepts that no one does it perfectly.

23. After having read the blogs of other folks, I wish mine were wittier. I do the best I can, but I'm not nearly as funny as some others I've seen.

24. My great aunt Ethel died 2 days ago. She was 89, and I don't remember what she looked like. She lived in Arizona for most of her life.

25. I had a baby shower today, hosted by friends from church. They gave me the leftover cake - it equals a quarter-sheet. Gadzooks, that's a lot of cake.

26. I am nowhere near ready for this whole parenthood thing. But then again, is anyone, really?

27. Someday my husband and I would like to live just outside Nashville, TN. It's pretty expensive around those parts, so we'll see.

28. I've been to both US coasts, but never to a Midwestern state. I'd like to go to Texas someday, hopefully when it's not too hot.

29. I'm more addicted to TV than I would dare admit to most of my friends. I intend to work on this after the baby is born.

30. I haven't had any good Greek food in years, and I'd really like to have some. But sadly, there are no Greek restaurants where I live.

31. In college, I was very active in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and served as the worship leader for several years. I miss those folks a lot and I wish someone would organize some sort of reunion. I live to far away to do that myself.

32. I have reached the point in this pregnancy where I get hungry all the time, but when I eat, I get full very quickly. This makes it seem like I'm eating 24/7, and it's getting old.

33. I completely fail to see the point in TV shows like South Park and Trippin' the Rift. It takes very little talent to do sick humor, in my opinion.

34. My 21st birthday was celebrated in the middle of a farmer's field in Germany. I was a missionary and was on a bicycle camping trip. The campers all circled my tent at the stroke of midnight and sang to me. I told them that since I was born in America, it really wasn't my birthday yet. They didn't care.

35. My husband and I tried to conceive for 4 1/2 years, and after the first year we conceived but suffered a miscarriage. It was awful.

36. The first secular rock concert I ever attended was Nelson, Lynch Mob and Cinderella. My taste in music got better, I promise.

37. Speaking of music, my husband has hooked me on the band Rush. I've been to two of their concerts and thoroughly enjoyed them both.

38. As a kid, I hated having an August birthday because we could never celebrate it in my school classroom with a party.

39. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was about 7 yrs old. I really started to grow as a Christian in my teen years.

40. When I was a very young kid, my parents had a vacation trailer in Delaware. One day at the beach I swam into a huge swarm of jellyfish and was stung so badly that my mom rolled me in sand to pull out the poison. I'm still petrified of jellyfish.

41. I have 4 weeks till my due date and I still haven't packed my bag for the hospital OR bought a carseat. I'm beginning to panic.

42. I don't have any in-laws. Both Paul's folks passed away, and he's an only child. There are times this makes me sad, and other times, I am relieved.

43. I have no tattoos, but I know exactly what I'd get and where I'd put it if I ever got drunk or brave enough. :) But I'm not telling.

44. I stopped dying my hair when I got pregnant. My hair was long at the time, so I got it cut, and now I remember what my real hair color is. Boring.

45. I miss my grandmother (on my mom's side). I never had to question how much she loved me, and I know if she were still alive (and in good mental health) she'd be thrilled about me having a baby.

46. Now that I'm an adult, I revel in the fact that no one can force me to eat things I don't like, such as liver with onions or stewed tomatoes.

47. I firmly believe that if gas prices get any higher, we're not going to be able to afford going anywhere but to work, church, the doctor and the grocery store. Today the lowest price per gallon is $2.53/gallon.

48. I don't think I have a singularly favorite movie. I have favorites among genres. I wonder if these means I watch too many movies.

49. I will miss the show "Six Feet Under" when it is finished - even though I probably shouldn't be watching it to begin with, because it's not exactly the purest show on TV.

50. I used to make cabinet doors for a living. I'd have never imagined me doing that kind of work, and I'm not sure I'd want to do it again.

51. At church, I participate in a group of people who help plan each church service. It's fun because we get to come up with creative ways to express the point each Sunday.

52. I cannot stand beauty pageants. I think they're ridiculous displays of boobs and legs, no matter how much the promoters try to convince us that they're scholarship programs. The degree to which I find them reprehensible is directly proportional to how young the contestants are.

53. I played field hockey when I was in 10th grade. I was the goalie, and it was by far my best year of high school. Apparently, sports can do that for a person.

54. I have developed an affinity for contemporary country music. I'm not much for the older stuff, but I like a lot of what is coming out now.

55. I love both episodes of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. They are hilarious, especially if you have ever lived in the south.

56. My father was actually interested in my mom's sister first, but when she didn't show him any attention and my mom did, he switched gears and soon mom and dad were married.

57. Only once in my life have I been drunk enough to throw up. It was very unpleasant; hence, it happened only once.

58. When I was a kid, I lost control of my bike and fell at a high rate of speed while going down a hill. I had 7 stitches in my chin, and because I was wearing a halter top, I had to have gravel picked out of my tummy.

59. Some of my favorite memories from my teenage years involve my church youth group and especially my best friend Kristin.

60. My parents took me to the movies when I was about 4. The movie we saw? Jaws. I spent most of it with my head covered by my mom's sweater.

61. I have never seen so many pink clothes as I have at my 3 baby showers. I really REALLY hope the ultrasound techs were right.

62. We are not naming our baby girl until we see her. I'm too afraid of declaring her name now and then changing my mind after she's born, and I really didn't want any wrongly-embroidered baby items.

63. Only once has a flight I've taken been cancelled. I got stuck in Atlanta overnight with no luggage at 7 months pregnant. Definitely a low point of this pregnancy.

64. I am fairly sick of people thinking and acting like life is all about them. Haven't they seen all the other people walking around?

65. For the life of me, I cannot neatly fold a contour sheet of any size. My mom insists it's easy, but I am still having trouble.

66. On my last birthday, which just passed on Aug. 10, I turned 34. I feel a lot younger than that.

67. I do not like jazz, especially free-form or fusion. I just don't get it.

68. By marriage to Paul, I am related to the 2nd Vice President of the United States, William Rufus King. Apparently he was gay and was involved with James Buchanan. So I'm not sure I should be proud of this.

69. The first time I saw the movie "Sister Act", it was in Germany, and therefore dubbed in German. I still understood most of it.

70. It freaks me out a little to see shows I remember on prime time TV now being featured on the TV Land network. It makes me feel really old.

71. I am really scared of labor, but I think at this point I'm more scared of that giant needle they use to administer the epidural. I have no idea what I'm about to deal with.

72. I was a pretty good kid in school. Never got detention - never even got sent to the principal's office. Boring, huh?

73. While I found TV shows like "Friends" and "Seinfeld" funny, I never saw it as "appointment TV". I'm thankful for this, because now if I catch these shows in syndication, they're actually interesting.

74. The only thing I've ever won in a raffle was a Thanksgiving turkey. I was about 8 years old.

75. I refer to Christmas of 1993 as "The Christmas from Hell". We spent that Christmas in a hunting cabin in northern PA. It was freezing cold, we had at least 2 feet of snow, and the cabin has no running water. On top of that, my grandfather got sick and couldn't make it to the outhouse, so he'd just "whip it out" in front of anyone in the room.

76. It annoys me when people drive their shopping carts like they drive their cars - with no indication that they recognize they are sharing the aisle with others.

77. When I was a kid I saw the movie "The Shining". It scared me so badly that I truly thought I saw those two little girls at the end of the hallway in our house. I didn't sleep all night that night.

78. When I'm choosing paint colors for our house, I get really nervous about making the right decision. In some strange immature part of my subconscious, I'm worried that my mother will not approve of my choices. Crazy, huh?

79. I don't make casseroles, largely because I don't know how. I can follow a recipe for one if I have it, but I wouldn't even know where to start to make one on my own.

80. My eyes are blue, and I think they are my favorite thing about my appearance.

81. This pregnancy has been very easy - almost no morning sickness or strange cravings. No high blood pressure or gestational diabetes. Just some round ligament pain every now and then. I feel very blessed.

82. I play guitar and piano, but neither of them well. I like to sing, but I'm not sure how good I am at that, either.

83. My grandparents on my mother's side used to play music for square dances. They spent almost every Saturday night out playing when my mom was a kid.

84. We have a place on a lake in Alabama, and most times, I'd rather be there than wherever I currently am. It's beautiful and very relaxing.

85. I HATE those Enzyte "Smilin' Bob" commercials. They are hokey and in poor taste.

86. I am a fan of University of Alabama football, largely because my husband is a graduate of U of A, and once you cross the line into the state of Alabama, you have to declare allegiance to either U of A or AU (Auburn University).

87. I've never seen the Godfather movies. Never had an interest in them, honestly. Not my style.

88. I think Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have great on-screen chemistry. Hollywood has yet to find a comparable couple from the next generation.

89. Fall is my favorite season. I love the smell of woodsmoke and the crispness in the air.

90. I love college towns. There's just an air of adventure, learning and fun. Maybe when I get older I won't like them so much, but for now I really prefer that environment.

91. I like chatting online, but I don't think people should be rude online just becaues they can hide behind a screen name. I act online the way I act in real life.

92. When people are ignorant enough to call me "fat" to my face, I want to say "Yeah, I may be fat, but I can lose weight. What are you gonna do about being ugly?"

93. In some ways I'm glad I'm having my first child at 34, because this has given me time to observe other parents and make decisions about what seems to work and what doesn't regarding parenting styles. I've learned a lot from watching my friends.

94. I really wish I were the type of person who always has a smile and a cheery comment, but I tend to express any emotion I'm having very obviously. This may be my downfall someday.

95. I really love my husband. He's my best friend, and anytime anything happens in my life, he's the one I want to talk to about it.

96. I'm really scared about raising a child in today's culture. When I see kids out there and what they're faced with, I see how much worse it is than it was for me, and I pray hard for wisdom and guidance to help my child navigate the confusing path to adulthood.

97. I get really nervous dealing with the elderly. I don't know how to talk to them. I think it may be because the elderly sometimes say whatever they are thinking, no matter how rude, because they figure they're old enough to not care, and I've had my feelings hurt by older folks.

98. Christmas is my favorite holiday. There's just something fun about the atmosphere. This doesn't mean, however, that I like it when the holiday decorations come out before Halloween. That's a little ridiculous.

99. As much as I like attention, when I'm the center of it, I never know how to act or what to say. I'm always afraid I'm making a fool of myself.

100. It took me about 5 hours, off and on, to complete this list.

Well, there ya go. If you read the whole thing, kudos to you!

So much stuff...

....for such a little person! This tiny little person I have yet to meet seems to require more gear than a professional mountain climber! How can this be? According to today's ultrasound, she weighs less than 6 pounds, and yet we still need to acquire about 600 pounds of stuff. I guess the more helpless a person is, the more equipment is needed to care for her. I don't even know what she looks like but I have to shop for her. Buying things for someone you don't know is always awkward. Buying HEAPS of stuff for someone who is simultaneously so close to you and so unknown is just bizarre. But to be honest, I'm loving every minute of it.

Oh, and a great big THANK YOU to everyone who were so generous at the baby shower held today at Paul's work.

Another year

I'm 34 today. Remember when this age seemed old? Thankfully when I tell people how old I am, they are usually surprised because they think I'm in my late 20s. And actually I don't feel this age. Though, what exactly is 34 supposed to feel like? I have no idea.

Maybe I don't feel my age because we don't have children (yet - one on the way). It always seems to me that folks with kids are so much older than me, even if they're 8 years younger. It must be something about where you are in life. Responsibility doesn't just bring privilege, as my mother used to tell me. It also brings grey hair, wrinkles, and an air of maturity. Now that we're about to have a new HUGE responsibility, I expect I'll feel and seem a lot older.

Ah well, good-bye youth, here comes motherhood.

Frustrating Furniture

The other day my husband and I were out shopping with a friend when we came upon a piece of furniture that seemed to solve a problem we'd been having. I've been wanting something to serve as a bookshelf for the baby's room, but something that was going to "grow" with her. We were in Kmart (of all places) and we came upon this great bench with an open front with the perfect place for books. It matched the furniture we already have in the room, and since it served as a bench WITH storage, it seemed ideal. So we go grab one (assembly required) and haul it home.

Last night we decided to tackle our assembly project. It actually seemed to tackle us. We had some serious trouble putting this thing together. The directions weren't so hard to follow, despite having been printed in China; the pieces just didn't seem to want to go together the way they were supposed to. After the first 4 hours, Paul said that he thought maybe the whole thing was in fact designed in China, and sent to America as a strategic preemptive strike against us, to confuse us and keep us distracted. :) He's so funny.

Eventually we got the silly thing together, after about 5 hours. It looks good now, and it really WILL be the ideal piece to serve it's purpose. But I won't EVER buy another piece of "assembly yourself" furniture from Kmart!!!

The Passing of a Pro

Like so many others, I was so saddened to hear of the passing of Peter Jennings of ABC World News Tonight. I grew up watching him, and I clearly remember when he became ABC's lead anchor after the death of Frank Reynolds. So many of my "news memories" center around his coverage of the events, most notably the year 2000 and 9/11. I often felt that he was a good bit more balanced than some other anchors. Perhaps the thing I will miss most is how sincere he seemed when he was relaying more difficult stories, like the Challenger explosion. It always felt like he was still human, no matter how professional he was.

We'll miss you, Peter. I hope you're finally resting.

5 weeks to go!!!

Wow, this pregnancy has FLOWN! It's hard to believe I have 5 weeks to go. Folks at church were asking "So when are we having this baby?" Wouldn't it be nice if we could really SHARE this experience, including the pain? Ah well. My ideal experience would be to go into labor the day after I accomplish everything on my to-do list.

These past few days I've had a lot of pain in my hips, but from what I've read, that's normal for this stage. Something about "relaxin" making my hip joints loosen up. And today I was very active so that probably added to it. It hurts just to stand sometimes. I'm looking forward to that part being over.

But this really is the easiest parenthood will ever be. I mean, she's with me all the time and I don't have to check if she's eating or sleeping properly. I just carry her around and the rest takes care of itself. From here on out it's gonna get harder!

Photos of Our Nursery

I decided to do some original art for the baby's room. I think it's always nice to add a personal touch like this. Here you see the changing table, flanked on either side by a flower and butterfly series. I also painted the hooks on either side. Note the "thing" flying from the ceiling - it's a butterfly made of wire and painted nylon, hanging with some fishing wire.






Here's the crib bedding we chose. The room was already lavendar when we discovered we were pregnant, but after choosing this bedding, we realized the lavendar on the walls did NOT match the bedding in any way. So we had the room repainted. Isn't this bedding adorable? I really would like to hang the quilt on the wall, but I haven't figured out how to do it yet.





Here's the crib we chose. Our furniture is from Baby's Dream - it's the Generation Next line. This bed will convert to a toddler bed and eventually to a full sized adult double bed. We figure this was a very practical decision - we'll just have to buy different bedding, but her bed will always be the same, barring any unforseen happenings.






That's another butterfly hanging from the ceiling. And yes, that's a butterfly net on the wall. Nice touch, huh? The Amish doll on the chest is a token of my home state - I grew up in Pennsylvania, very near Amish country. I just thought it would be nice to have a momento from my hometown.







Yep, another butterfly hanging from the ceiling. And I did that painting, too. I got the window valance from Lowe's, of all places. It's just flowers, but it really goes well with the bedding and other items in the room.

Getting started

Finally I've crossed something off my "baby preparation to-do" list. Some items I can't do without Paul's help, so those will need to be saved for evenings and weekends. But there are lots of things on this list I can do by myself - I just need to get motivated. It's hard because I'm pretty tired and that whole "nesting" instinct hasn't completely kicked in yet. It's much easier to rest on the couch and watch tv than to get up and scrub the kitchen or organize the bathroom. And there are a few things I won't really be able to do until after I've had all my baby showers (I'm having 3 in all - aren't I so loved?). That way I'll be able to get the nursery truly organized and go purchase all the things I didn't recieve.

Speaking of this, I'm a little nervous about how we're gonna get the big items like the travel system and the pack 'n play. There are things like the high chair that we can wait on, but I can't leave the hospital with the baby if we have no car seat. I guess as a last resort Paul could go get one while I'm in the hospital, but I'd rather have it all set up ahead of time to make sure it's installed properly.

I guess money worries are common for us grown-ups, especially when about to become parents. I'll have a little time off from work, which means a break in the income. And there will be a jump in the expenses with our baby's arrival. I have tried to reason it out that because we won't be going out to movies or restaurants for a while, it may balance out.

All the time in the world....

You know, I have less than 6 weeks till my due date, and this week I realized that I've been acting like I have all the time in the world to finish my to-do list to prepare for this baby. There's a lot I want to get done before she is born, and I really would like to be done by the time I hit 38 weeks. I'd better get cracking. If I handle one task every other day, I'm sure I can get it all done way before then. I just can't keep acting like I don't have a deadline!