T - 31

As you can see.....I can't get much bigger. We have about a month until the baby is expected to be here. Our due date is August 30th, so it could be anywhere from 2 more weeks to 6 or 7 more weeks. We'll just have to wait and see. Today I am feeling very well. We were given 2 baby showers this weekend and we have virtually everything you could ever imagine needing for a baby. My Mom picked me up in Mt. Vernon (30 miles south of Bellingham) on Friday and Sandy and Danny (Andy's youngest brother) brought me home (with all of the loot!) last night. We all stayed up until about 11:30 sorting sizes and looking at all of the "new fangled" gadgets. This will be a busy week for us. I have dance camp everyday and Andy and I are helping out with our church's VBS program on Monday and Wednesday evening. Please pray that we will still take time to take care of ourselves and to relish these last few weeks before the baby is here. We can't wait to hold him/her and spend lots of times snuggling together as a family. We aren't sure when the baby will get here, but we have to trust God's timing and His plan.

Being gone for 12 hours is lame

If you're gone for work during those 12 hours it's lame, even if:
- your wife is out of town
- you had no plans
- you got paid
- and got a tip

I'm exhausted and considering going to bed in about an hour. I'm supposed to go bowling with the Jamaicans from work and our boss, but I think they decided not to go. Anyhow, I need the sleep more.

I'm currently listening to The Long Winters new album and it is as awesome as you would expect it to be... very awesome. Those of you not smart enough to already have a copy can listen to it right here. They are a great band and always good live. I hope they come to Bellingham sometime soon.

On a totally different note I miss Sarah and wish that I could look over at the couch and see this:

However, all I can see is an empty couch (the dog is sleeping by the door instead of on the couch).

Well, I have some Super Nintendo baseball to play before bed. Oh boy!

35 weeks

Well, we've made it 35 weeks into the pregnancy and the baby should be here in a little over a month. I've been trying to think back over the past 5 weeks and I've realized how quickly they went by. I'm sure the next 5 (or more or less depending on the baby!) will go by just as quickly. My goal is to write a little and include a picture of everyday from the 30th of July until the baby is born. It will be fun to see the changes in my body as we approach the finish line. I belong to an on-line support group of women who are experiencing a pregnancy after a miscarriage. All of the August moms-to-be have a group and we talk almost everyday about apprehension, milestones, excitement, and whatever else is going on in our lives. The most encouraging thing happened last week. The 1st baby from our group (born a little bit early, but very healthy) was born. Her name is Emma Catherin and she is pretty cute. Seeing her all snuggled up in her blanket and hearing her mom talk about her really made this baby inside of me seem more real and the likelihood of him/her being born and coming home with us more of a possibility. Please still be praying for us. We aren't there yet, but we will be soon. We know this will be the end of a small, short nerve-wracking thing and the beginning of one that will last the rest of our lives!

It's hot here

Hi Everyone,
It's been pretty warm here the last couple of days. People everywhere are always asking me how I'm dealing with the pregnancy and the heat. Andy and I decided yesterday evening that I'm probably just as uncomfortable as I would be without my huge belly! It's not horrible, but it isn't my idea of a good time either. Yesterday we went out to dinner (A/C) and the walked around Petco (also A/C) and Barnes and Noble (A/C again) then watched some TV at home (no A/C, but it cools off well in the evening) and headed to bed fairly early. Today Andy had work, so I rode my bike down to the Farmer's Market with Anna (another teacher from Dancing for Joy) and had a great lunch there of Ethiopian Lentils and a macaroon (with dark chocolate...yum) for dessert. Bellingham recently built a neat awning for it's Farmer's Market, so the market this year is about twice as big (and three times busier) than I remember it being last year. It was hot during our bike ride, but it felt great to have the wind in our faces! Surprisingly, Andy was home when I got home around 2:30 and now we have to figure out what to do with the rest of our day. We hope you're all enjoying the weather and having a great weekend! Lindsay and Kyle's baby is due any day now (I think the official due date is July 27th), so please be praying for them and the baby. So far.....no baby yet.

Always on the go

So this weekend (which actually has been a Friday through Tuesday weekend for me) has been one where I have been on the go the whole time (except for today). We drove down to Olalla on Friday mid-day. Got up early on Saturday and drove to Seattle to begin the unknown challenge of riding from Seattle to Portland. After two days of riding a bike I rode in a truck back up to Tacoma and then in the car back up to Bellingham. I guess yesterday (Monday) was just hanging out too and so was today. Since Mom and Dad didn't go camping in Oregon they hung out with us. It was great to spend time just doing stuff or not doing stuff. We went berry picking and ate some good meals and had fun all around. Now I have work tomorrow and I'm trying to remember what that's like. I'm sure it'll come back to me it's just like riding a bike!

The STP was a great time. Dad, Jeff, and I were able to keep a similar pace and finished on Sunday around 5. Each of us took off with some other group at different times but we mostly stuck together. Dad had a really fast run after we crossed the Columbia and before I knew it I couldn't see where he was becuase he was drafting one of the tall guys who really move. Jeff took off with a group of riders and thought that we followed him and he was gone before I knew it. After one stop I got really hungry and knew the next stop had food so I took off and pushed up the rolling hills, passing people along the way. It was really enjoyable and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year. Here are some photos from the ride (taken by Dad) and then some from here in Bellingham. Pictures! However, this pictures are still being a problem as far as format goes... so just one pre-ride photo and one photo of my folks and Sarah in Bellingham. For all the photos my dad took on the STP you can check it out here! Wow, this is all part of the link too!

The DSL isn't working

Just FYI...our DSL isn't working. We're working on getting it all figured out, but who knows when that will happen. Luckily the dance school has DSL and I was scheduled to work in the office this morning. I'll keep you posted on when it'll be working again. Hopefully I'll be able to post again soon.
S*

Hard to Remember

I have been having a hard time lately (since the baby showers this weekend which were really fun) to accept that there really is a real, live baby coming to live at our house. Part of me feels that it is naive to expect or assume that the baby will be born healthy and that we will really finally have someone to add to our family. I am writing this here because I need your prayers. I do not want this last part of the pregnancy to be filled with anxiety or negativity. It is just so wonderful to wash and fold all of the tiny little things we've been given for the baby and I so desperately want a baby to put in them! I have been meditating on a scripture that we were given early in the pregnancy by some friends. This is so hard for me to remember, but so important that I don't forget.

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." ~Isaiah 43:18-19

Things I am excited about...

* Sandy coming to visit tomorrow
* My mom and dad coming to visit on Saturday
* My 1st baby shower on Saturday! (@DFJ)
* My 2nd baby shower on Sunday! (@ our house.....will it be clean?!?)
* Cool weather today and not needing to turn on any of the ceiling fans
* Recovering the Roly2 (an ottoman/chair thingy that was Herb and Doris's) sometime soon
* Pirates of the Caribbean 2 coming to theaters tomorrow
* Doug's birthday tomorrow
* Having the dishes all done
* Our new dressers and closet "door"
* Hanging up a picture and the new tiny mirrors in our bedroom
* Feeling the baby move
* Having a baby soon!
* Going to Eugene, OR for our anniversary trip in August
* Being married to Andy for 6 years
* Having a loving husband that I love to spend time with and enjoy being married to
* Eating oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
* Going to Youngstock's (the fruit/vegetable stand) on my way home today
* Having oatmeal for breakfast
* Finishing up the last few spots that need to be painted in the bathroom
* Putting new knobs/handles on the bathroom cupboard
* Making our chore list and feeling like a real team
* Too many things to list
Just wanted you to know how many things I have to be excited about in my life. Try making a list like this once in a while. It will show you how many fun things are in your life and all of the things you have to look forward to.
S*

A night out

After a day of working and working in the house (we rearranged and put in new dressers in our bedroom and painted the rest of the bathroom) we went down to the waterfront to watch fireworks. You know what fireworks look like, so here's a shot of us watching the fireworks. Yes, Todd was really quite calm all things considered.
Time for bed.