Tis the Season?

It's so exciting to see signs of summer outside! A few more sunny days, not needing a jacket (most days), rolling the windows down in the car, birds singing, the garden blooming and flourishing, even one beautiful day of 70 degrees! Now if only we could get the temperature up more often...

Maybe it's just that I'm pregnant and I notice it more, but I have seen so many pregnant women lately! Last weekend Ross and I were at Ikea and I'm sure 1 in every 3 women was pregnant. I think this is the season to be pregnant!

My bump is getting more and more obvious and I'm beginning to feel the effects more. The picture is me at 17 weeks, and tomorrow I'll be 18. Baby is big enough now that I'm feeling movement. It's so exciting when I realize that it is definitely the baby, not any of the other crazy things going on in my body. My little girls at work ask me every day if they will be able to feel it yet. Not yet, but I promise them that when the baby is big enough, I will make sure and let them feel when he/she is moving. Of course, they put their hands on my belly and check to make sure anyway. :)

Soon, so soon, Ross and I will be watching our little one grow up. It's so strange to think of the future for this baby. I look at parents and children around me every day and think, "Wow! I hope my kids aren't like that," or "I need to learn from that mom/dad because they did something right!" But it seems like all we can do to get ready for this is to pray and seek God's guidance. I'm sure that nothing will go like we planned, but God is great at taking our plans, tossing them out the window, and doing something much better than we could have come up with on our own!

Tuesday I'm heading home to Midland to be with my family. In the last few weeks, my Papaw's health and mental state have seriously deteriorated and it seems that he may not be here much longer. Most of my family is now spending their time caring for him and my grandmom and just being near them. Grandmomma has dementia and doesn't know most of her family anymore, but Lani says she's just as sweet and compliant as ever. Papaw has really struggled with her state and has just been depressed for quite a while. I can't help but think his failing health is a result. It's hard to imagine what it must be like for the person you've spent your life with, raised a family with, and made memories with for 60 years, to forget your name and forget all of those memories you've made in a lifetime. Who wouldn't want to go home and be with their Lord at that point? If you're reading this, please pray for peace for him and especially for my mother and aunts. Even though they believe that "to live is Christ, but to die is gain," it's still hard for them to see their dad like this.

Birth Center Photo

For some reason I couldn't get these in the earlier post... Oh well, here's a picture of one of 3 rooms at the birth center!

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe

Although I can't wish the time away, because I'm enjoying every minute (yes, even the miserably sick ones) of being pregnant, I'm excited that the first trimester is done. I've read that in just 3-6 weeks I will probably start feeling the baby move around. I can't wait!

My kids at work love to share the excitement with me. Yesterday, when two of my 3rd grade girls found out for the first time, they immediately grabbed my tummy to try and feel the baby (unsuccessfully of course). We spent the next hour with writing down names that they liked for a boy and a girl and drawing pictures of babies. The eeny-meeny method was quite successful in narrowing down our long list to just one, but something tells me that Ross and I will be a little more discriminate when deciding on our child's actual name.

A very generous couple from church gave us a crib that their grandchildren have just outgrown and we put it together on Monday. It's sitting outside the baby's room since the room is still functioning as extra storage, but I get so excited just passing by it every day! We're hoping to be able to collect most of the necessary gear second-hand from friends and on Craigslist, so it was a great boost for our plans. Thanks to all of you who responded with suggestions on what you liked/didn't like and needed/didn't need for your kiddos!

We visited a birth center on Monday to decide if it was the place where we want to give birth. It's very cozy, the rooms are nice, the staff was super helpful and friendly, and there is a great hospital just a couple blocks away where we would transfer to if anything doesn't go smoothly. We decided that it was definitely the right place. It was great to see it in person (rather than just looking at pictures online) and of course, as everything does, it got me so excited for the day when we get to hold our precious little one for the first time! I've had a few dreams about the baby in which it is always a boy, and he always starts growing up too fast (but they are still really good dreams). In the last one, he was already talking intelligently while he was still nursing. "Slow down!" I kept thinking... before waking up and realizing that unless he's a vampire/human, he will not be growing up that fast. :)

Ross & Ally Plus One

Sunday will make 11 weeks for the little one growing inside me... I can hardly believe Ross and I are going to be parents in just a few months! It's at least a little more real to me than to Ross, since I feel sick 50% of the time and am constantly aware that something is different in my body. Thanks for letting me know you're there, Baby!

Today we got a big surprise when we got to hear the heartbeat at our midwife visit. Inexpressible joy. :) As my midwife was rolling the little monitor over my belly, she asked me if I had any sense of where exactly the baby was at that moment. At first I thought, "Nope. Not a clue." But then I remembered I'd been feeling some strange sensations on one side, so I let her know that. Sure enough, there was Baby, heart pounding away! I just can't wait to be able to feel the moving around and kicks and be able to share with Ross so he can feel it too.

It is such fun getting to share our news with family and friends! I can only imagine how exciting it will be to get to announce to everyone when Baby is born... "It's a ____ and ___ name is ____!" Since we don't plan to find out if it's a boy or girl until the day we meet face to face, it will be an exciting surprise.

To any new or recent mothers out there, I would LOVE to have some suggestions on what kind of products you found helpful with your little one(s). Especially when it comes to the basics (since we don't want a bunch of unnecessary stuff), what brands/types did you like best and why? What were some things that you were really glad to have on hand? What things were a waste of money, or at least not useful for you in particular?

I miss Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

It's funny what happens to you when you read a book. Especially a long book or a series of books.


But even more strnage to me is what happens when you finish the book.

I just finished reading all 7 Harry Potter books for the second time. I was there from the time he turned 11 till he defeated Voldemort just before he turned 18. I was a part of the world of Hogwarts, wizards and witches and muggles, quidditch, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Gryffindor, Dumbledore and Snape, brooms and wands, for 7 years. I was there when he met Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. I was there for everything. I cheered them on as they fought Voldemort, and cried when the people they loved died. I shook my head when Harry got caught up in his pride and anger and hoped that Dumbledore would come through for him.

And then suddenly, after thousands of pages and countless hours... it was over. Yes, I did find out what happens later in their lives, but only enough to keep me wondering. It's like suddenly losing contact with a best friend, a friend you spent all your time with, then seeing them again years later for a brief moment just to hear that they're "doing fine."

JK, I know you've said many times that the last book was the last book. But I'm afraid you're going to have to keep going. I miss Harry, Hermione, and Ron and I need more.

That's all, thanks. :)