Who's on third?

Third trimester already?  Where has the time gone?!  Months 3-6 just flew by and now we're in the home stretch!  The thing I find most amusing today?  How pregnancy websites/books try to reassure third trimester women that certain less comfortable pregnancy "symptoms" will go away shortly after birth... as though there aren't still 3 MONTHS still to wait!  Yes, I'm nearing the end.  But I DO still have 13 weeks to go.  That's plenty of time to lose sleep, have leg cramps, and deal with swollen feet.  But don't worry...they'll ease up oh, say, near the beginning of October.  No biggie.

Important sidenote:  I have been incredibly blessed with this pregnancy and I take none of it for granted.  No, not everything in pregnancy is rainbows and roses, but I will take every ounce of discomfort if it means that I am experiencing pregnancy and will soon hold my baby in my arms.  I still think of my friends who are waiting and hoping and praying and hurting and mourning loss.  May God bless you beyond your wildest dreams... 

A wonderful few hours...

I just had the most wonderful time with my husband today.  We went to the city for a doctor's appointment (each one means a month closer to D-Day!) and took our time wandering through a fabric store - pictures to come on what I bought for my latest project - having a picnic lunch by the river while listening to jazz music and grocery shopping.  It was so much fun to just spend a few hours with Nathan without homework needing to be done.  (I was able to forget about it...were you, honey?)  It was perfectly sunny too, which made the day even more wonderful.

Now, of course, it's back to rain, homework, and routine.  But at least I have a new sewing project to look forward to!  Oh the joy of little things...

p.s-As I was sitting in the car while Nathan filled us up with gas today, I realized that I've been married to him for 20% of my life already!  That number really took me by surprise.  By the time I'm 38 I'll have been married to him for half my life!  I love that we got married so young.  It certainly isn't for everyone, but it has turned out to be the best thing for us. : )  I love you, Nathan!

26 weeks

Ok, I officially think I'm going to be HUGE in 3 months when baby is starting to think about making his/her appearance.  I see this picture and I think I already look pretty large.  Thankfully the baby doesn't weigh too much yet, so my back is still feeling good as always.  I'm now starting to outgrow the pre-pregnancy tops that I had been still wearing (stretched to the max, of course).  I guess that means that I'll need to buy a few more tops before the grand finale.  Other than that, not much new to report.  Doing good, looking good, feeling good.  ; )  What more is there to say?

Countdown Status...

We're down to under 100 days before baby arrives!!!  Considering that the "countdown" starts it's journey with around 280 days to go, I'm feeling pretty optimistic!

Pregnancy Don'ts

Every website or book that is written for pregnant women is filled with do's and don'ts to keep you busy following instructions for the full nine months.  Some of these are more obvious than others (for instance, DO eat healthily...DON'T drink alcohol).  But two don'ts in particular have just got me baffled.

1.  Don't reach for things on the top shelf.  
          Hm.  Well, being 4'10" I have to reach for stuff on the bottom shelf.  The middle shelf is somewhat do-able but the top shelf?  I would need to climb at the best of times.  (And apparently climbing is out of the question while pregnant as well)  I believe they mean that you are not supposed to stretch your abdomen trying to reach things that are out of reach.  Point taken.  But, as helpful as Nathan is, he's not always around to reach things for me.  For instance, every morning when I need to tilt the shower head down so that I can stand in the shower without being sprayed straight in the face.  Some things just need to be done, pregnant belly or not. 

2.  Don't get bitten by mosquitoes.
          Ha.  I live in Saskatchewan.  To say to someone who lives on the prairies, "don't get bitten by mosquitoes" is like saying to someone who lives in California, "don't go out in the sun", or to someone in the landscaping business "don't touch grass".  Seriously?  I would love to send out a memo to all mosquitoes everywhere saying, "Sorry, guys.  You'll have to find another meal.  I've got a baby-on-board and therefore am not allowed to be eaten by you."  But sadly, mosquitoes don't respond well to memos.  It seems I will have to find another solution...

My new friend...

I really wish that I could get paid for all the promotional work that I've been doing for my new friend, Kijiji, lately.  But then again, that's not really how friendships work, is it?  No.  It's not.  I am simply letting you all know how much I have been enjoying spending time with (and reaping the benefits of) my new friend because I care.

In the last week, Nathan and I have purchased our nursery furniture AND a dining room table with 6 chairs.  Both are in great condition.  Both are exactly what we were looking for.  And everything for under $300.  Now, with my purely Mennonite roots, how can I not rejoice in these great finds?  And I just can't wait to share pictures until August when we move, so here are some sneak peaks!

Where our baby will sleep:

Where our baby's clothes/blankets will be stored:

Where our baby's diapers will possibly be changed:

And, our latest purchase from earlier today, our new dining room table and chairs:

I think our shopping is done for now.  Our storage space here at Nathan's parents' place has exceeded its limits already.  I just can't wait to see it all come together in our basement suite!

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disclaimer: I am really not as addicted to Kijiji as I may appear to be (at least I don't think so...)!  It's just that if you're planning on buying any number of things (furniture, vehicles, maternity clothes, pets, books, etc), it could be worth doing a little looking here first.  It's basically garage-saling from the comfort of your own home, so you don't have to literally pick through other people's junk and drive all over the city to find your gems...unless that's what you enjoy about garage-saling.  If it is, maybe this isn't as much for you...

A list (the random kind) - in no particular order

• I love sunshine.  Today there is sunshine.  Therefore, today will be a lovely day.
• I bought a sewing basket yesterday.  My sewing supplies were taking over the denim bag that I was trying to keep them all in so I splurged and spent some of my allowance (yes, we do allowances...best idea ever!) on one.  But don't picture a typical "basket".  Oh no.  This is a heavy duty plastic one with compartments galore!  If you couldn't tell already, I'm pretty excited about my purchase!
• We are now back in Hepburn...for another week.  And then we head to PA!  Time for a visit with Marsha!
• I dreamed last night that my mom was having another baby just a couple weeks before I was due.  I was pretty excited because I would get to spend tons of time with a baby but didn't have to wait ALL THE WAY until my due date.  Random crazy dreams I have these days.  Nathan thinks it's something that I eat before bed (no clue what that would be???).  I just tell him that I've always had random, weird, vivid dreams and pregnancy probably just isn't helping matters much these days!
• We bought our nursery furniture yesterday!  We found a great deal on Kijiji (of which Nathan and I are rapidly becoming fans) and went to see it/pick it up yesterday.  We got a crib, armoire, and small cupboard/change table all for less than we were hoping to spend on the crib alone!  And I really like it too!  It's really simple, but I love simple.  I'll post pictures once we have it all set up.  It'll be more exciting then anyway... : )
• I realized yesterday that, when we got pregnant, I was super-excited but the idea of this pregnancy actually ending one day with a real, live baby was a pretty abstract thought.  Have any other women out there had this feeling?  It just sorta feels surreal and like this pregnancy is a new reality that you just have to live with now (forever!).  Well, I'm over the halfway mark now, almost in the third trimester, and time is flying!  Seriously...there are only 15 weeks left until we meet this little person who likes to punch and kick and squirm in there.  Fifteen weeks is a long time and yet...it's not really that long!
• Nathan and I have been enjoying having our dog back.  True, he does spend alot of time outside, but last night Nathan made a comment about how he's glad that we have such a decently well-behaved dog.  It really is a good thing that I had so many hours to spend training him when we first got him.  For the first few weeks/months (starting September 2006), I would spend literally hours at a time just working with him and training him.  And as a result, he (usually) does listen to me quite well.  I'm so glad for that.  I don't think I could ever keep a dog that doesn't listen!  I've been on farms with untrained dogs (or even worse, been with untrained indoor dogs) who just don't respect and listen to humans and I just couldn't do it.  There are certain habits that, if our next dog had them, they would be out the door in a matter of weeks!  Really, the longer I have a dog, the more convinced I am that the joy in having a dog comes from having a well-trained dog.  There's my little rant.  I guess now I should actually make a point of spending some time with Lennox today!
• I guess I should also give a little update on McBaby.  He/she is around 2 lbs now and 9+ inches long.  I'm definitely feeling the extra length.  When baby lies sideways across my stomach, I am quite comfortable and marvel at the feeling of movement both on my far right side and, at the same time, near the middle of my belly...about 9 inches apart.  When the baby decides to turn, though, and goes into the "upright" position, life is quite a bit less comfortable.  My ribs have been sore the past couple days as the feet/head press and push and try to make room in there.  There's no slouching now when I sit!  Baby needs all the room he/she can get in there!  Sleep is also progressively more disturbed.  I haven't slept through a night in months already.  And some mornings when I wake up, I'm convinced that my hips are only a fraction of an inch away from being dislocated.  Ouch.  But oh the joy of knowing that this pain and discomfort is due to a tiny baby growing in there and needing more space.  What a blessing!
• Let's see...what else?  I mentioned a couple months ago that I love to read during the summers.  Well, I haven't been reading anything interesting lately.  Ever since the end of last semester, I just haven't been able to really get into a book and have it hold my attention.  I used to get lost in books for hours upon hours.  Now my mind just wanders while I read and I end up having to re-read pages over and over again just to track with what's happening.  I think I may pull out some of my old childhood fiction.  Maybe that will be able to hold my attention!  I got a few suggestions back when I last posted about summer reads, but I'm open to more suggestions!  One of these days I hope to stop by the library, pick up a stack of books that you have recommended, and spend a good long time sitting on the deck, with Lennox at my feet, reading the summer away.  Ideally I would be in a hammock, but I doubt it would be very comfortable at this stage in the game. (game being pregnancy and stage being 6 months)

June days

June: our month of running around.  We spent the first five days of June in Manitoba.  The next four days have been back at Nathan's parents' place.  Tomorrow we head to my parents' place for about a week.  Then we'll be back at Nathan's parents' place for a few days.  There might be a trip to E-town after that to pick up a crib (though I found out last night that the very crib I wanted is nowhere to be found - discontinued) and to celebrate our 5th anniversary which passed by in May with hardly a moment's notice.  And, of course, there will be a drive out to visit my good friend Marsha.  She's been saying that she wants to see me, but I have a feeling that it's really McBaby that she's interested in seeing.  : )  So June is a traveling month.  But I'm excited about it.  I'm sure by the end of the month I'll be happy to just sit and be in one place for a while, but right now the thought of seeing so many people who I haven't seen in a while is just fun (even if I DO have to sit in a car for hours to get to them!). 

So, all this busyness and traveling means that the blog will oft be silent in the next few weeks.  I'll try to update as regularly as I can, but hey, that's life.  As my brother-in-law once said, "Some people live life, others just document it."  I believe he was referring to photography/scrapbooking at the time, but I think it still applies!  What a wise 10-year-old he was...

Anyway, I'll end with a question, seeing as I'm now on the hunt for the perfect crib all over again.  What, in your opinion, is the perfect crib?  I'm looking for a good balance between style, cost, and quality.  Also, any insight into crib mattresses?  Anything to avoid with those?  I've spent alot of today looking at different cribs and have a pretty good idea of what style I would like, but now I just need to find an affordable and good-quality version of it to buy.  You'll have to wait until we find it before I reveal what style that is, though!  Nothing like a good surprise to keep you all coming back in anticipation...

a time to weep and a time to laugh
       a time to mourn and a time to dance

Ecclesiastes 3:4

______________________________

(23.5 weeks)

I am dancing inside.  I am laughing with sheer joy.  I am getting to know this little person who is growing inside me.  I am noticing when Baby is awake and Baby sleeps.  I know that the most active parts of Baby's day are first thing in the morning and right after supper.  I know that certain types of music will make Baby move like nothing else and that loud drums played by a 3 year old make Baby go absolutely crazy.  And Baby is getting to know me too.  He/She is starting to respond differently to my hand than anyone else's.  When I put my hand on my belly, Baby moves.  But when anyone else tries to feel movement, even Nathan, it often takes longer for Baby to respond.  Our son or daughter is getting to know their mommy's touch!  How amazing!

I am feeling so good these days.  Aside from a few "scares" earlier in this pregnancy, it has been perfectly smooth.  I feel so at peace and am just so unbelievably thankful for this little miracle.  My body handles pregnancy so well and I've been experiencing no sickness and very few aches.  I feel more comfortable in my skin now than ever.  I get such great joy from seeing this little bump growing and feeling the kicks getting stronger every day.  Almost every day I spend time just sitting and staring at my belly, which is already starting to visibly bounce and ripple!

The fact that we're going to be parents has been becoming so much more real lately.  We are slowly collecting little clothes and blankets and other baby things, and my mind keeps wandering back to the nursery.  It's hard to believe that we'll meet this little person face to face in just a few months.  What an unbelievable blessing...one I feared I might never experience.  I am humbled that we are able to have this experience and joy.  It is something I will NEVER take for granted.  I know that there will be days when I'll be frustrated or tired and life won't always be picture perfect.  But wow.  That's all I can say.  WOW.

All praise to Him!

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P.S-I have been hesitant to share about my pregnancy too much here on my blog because I've been afraid to further hurt my many friends who are already hurting.  Infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, and many other fertility-related struggles are painfully common and the last thing I want to do is make it harder for anyone.  That said, this is a huge time of rejoicing for me and Nathan and I do want to be able to share openly on my blog with those who would like to know how things are going.  If reading about pregnancy (and soon life with a new baby) is going to be painful for you, I'm so sorry.  But I long to share the joys as well as the sorrows here.  Being real and open isn't just about sharing the struggles in life.  We also need to rejoice together in our blessings!  Thank you to everyone who is following along with our story and offering words of advice, encouragement, etc.  I look forward to sharing more of our stories as time goes on!

Away...

Nathan and I just got back from a week away in Manitoba.  Nathan was taking a class at CMU last week, so I went along and caught up with friends in our old town.  It was alot of fun to see so many familiar faces and to hear how people have been over the past year since we moved...but it was also tiring!  We stayed with some wonderful friends and their three kids (who have grown up SO much in the last 12 months).  It was nice to stay in an area where I knew people so I didn't just have to sit around a hotel room bored every day.  Thanks D&M for opening your home to us!  You really have become like family to us over the past few years!

A common question that we were asked by people in A-town was, "How does it feel to be back?"  I always had such a hard time answering that question!  Of course it was wonderful to be back and to see so many good friends again, and to be in a familiar place again was oh so nice.  In many ways it felt like we'd never left.  On the other hand, it was a bit hard to figure out what our place was there (or if we even had a place there anymore).  The larger question that came out of our trip for me was "Where is home these days?"  Manitoba is not home anymore.  And California isn't home anymore either.  We have our "stuff" in Saskatchewan, but even that isn't quite home yet.  I joked with Nathan that we had almost as much stuff in our car on the drive back from MB as we had unpacked in our room here at his parents', therefore making our car a close contender.  We joke, but the car is one place where Nathan and I have actually been able to spend a few uninterrupted hours (or days) together without being a "guest" in someone's home.  We very much appreciate the people and places where we have been over the last 3 weeks since coming back to Canada, but I must say...it will be nice to be in a place of our own again!  Three weeks (and another few weeks to come yet) is a long time to be in the middle of a transition like this!

Let's see...what else?  Well, this morning Lennox got sprayed by a skunk.  Thankfully he wasn't right next to the skunk as it sprayed, but to be in any proximity to a spraying skunk is too close and this afternoon he got both a peroxide bath and a tomato juice bath.  I don't know if I've ever heard him whimper so mournfully/painfully as when he was being rinsed off with the hose.  Makes me wonder how I'm going to handle seeing my children in pain when there's nothing I can do to help them...

Well, I think I'm going to take off and do a bit of cleaning.  What is it about traveling that just makes your surroundings into complete chaos?!  Ugh.  And I am so tired!  I just want to sleep instead...we'll see which side wins today...it is Sunday, after all, so perhaps a nap it will be! : )