School's Out!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there and women who have been motherly! I can’t wait for next year to be in the club with you!

Things have been great this week. I got A’s in both of my classes! Phwew. What a relief. I was worrying that I wouldn’t pull it out in the microbiology, but I did it! My friends in class mostly did well also.

It’s such a great and scary feeling to know we are over halfway there to baby time. On one hand, I can’t wait to have it in my arms and start learning all about it and teaching it the ways of the world. On the other hand, this is such the end of a way of life we’ve had for so long, it is really scary to think of all the changes coming down the line. It’s just so nice to be able to both be working from home, and really accomplishing things and making money. It’s almost surreal. But this way I know we can be together as a family and both be consistent contributors to the baby’s growth and development. This was very important to us when we decided we wanted to have kids. Andy could just as easily go back out to the workforce and get a very high paying tech job and we could have all brand new cars and a big house, but I don’t want any of that! I know it’s hard for most people we know to understand that way of thinking, but that’s just what is important to us. We love each other and our future family and want to enjoy the short time we have here in this plane with each other as much as possible! I feel so lucky!

I think my biggest fear for having this baby right now, is the sleep thing. I love to sleep, and I’ve been trying to do as much of it as I can while I still can. It’s already starting to get hard to stay comfortable, could be all the cats on us too! But I know the third trimester will be REALLY hard to get comfortable. Yet another reason I am fortunate enough to run my own schedule. I’ll be able to sleep whenever I can for as long or as short as the baby allows, then when I am up I can work on getting things ready and our sites! But after the baby comes, I know I still have my own schedule for working, I just also know I’ll have so much more work to do for the baby too! I want to cloth diaper, I think it’s worth the extra effort for the money and the trash we’ll save. But I am completely aware of the extra work involved. I also want to make my own baby food when it gets to that point. Another great money saver (and health option) that will take a little extra time. Plus we’ll be victims of this baby’s schedule for at least a few months, probably longer, and if what I am feeling is kicking and baby movements, it’s got a schedule that will be hard for me to keep!
Like this morning, I woke up and couldn’t’ breath so I had to get up and get my inhaler. Well, then after I use it I have to cough out all the junk (which leads me to another fear all together about waking the baby with my allergies!), but when I got back in bed, I sat up for a minute feeling some acrobatics taking place. Not sure if I woke the little one or if it would’ve woken anyway! Now again, I don’t feel completely confident that it’s baby not gas, but when I feel the pushing out of my belly with my hand from the outside, I know that can’t be gas! Plus I think I’ve figured out how to tell where in there the little one is hiding, it’s the harder area of my belly. Everywhere will feel pretty squishy except one spot which is rock hard. Pretty cool. I’ll ask the nurses about it when we see the doc in a few weeks. By then, maybe I’ll really be feeling it!

We’re very excited about the next doctor visit because we’ll be setting up our next U/S appointment then too! Once we know the sex, it’ll make the planning so much easier! I don’t know how people survived without finding out the sex for so long! My mom didn’t know what I was till I was born. I can’t even focus on names or think about registering. I have a friend who never found out hers and she loved it. Good for her I say! I want to know darnit! And the closer I get to maybe finding out, the more and more I want to know. Of course, I still play the, “that means it’s a boy – that means it’s a girl” game. Like yesterday, we used our last gift card to Olive Garden from my mom and I couldn’t get enough of the soury salad dressing, that’s means it’s a boy! Then last night I wanted dessert and syrup and sweets, well that means it’s a girl! I want both!

Getting ready to move. Still no place to go yet, but it’s a little early for that. I just want to take my time with the packing and sorting of our junk so I’m not trying to squeeze it all into a week or so. Last time we moved I got us completely packed in about a week or two while still taking three classes and being at the end of the semester. I took a leave of absence from my job to do it, but I sure wasn’t pregnant, so it wasn’t that bad! This time I need to leave as much time as I can. I’ve gotten two things crossed off on my list and another halfway done – making progress!

Here’s my latest belly shots. That’s all I’ve got for this week, sorry. I just didn’t catch any good pics of Andy this week. I never remembered to take the cam with us when I wanted to. I’ll try and be better next week!

This is the end of week 19. Looks bigger I think from the cam angle. But people are starting to notice!

Here's 20 weeks. Actually this is this morning! The different cam angles make it hard to tell if I'm bigger, but it's funny, for some reason I feel like I haven't gotten any bigger this week. Not for lack of trying! We don't have a scale so I don't weight myself, I'll just wait for the OB visit to see what I've gained.

And just two cuddly brothers on the couch! Raven is on the left spooning his little brother Thunder. At night Thunder usually sleeps at my feet while he waits for his daddy to wake up and pay attention to him, while Raven sleeps on my left by the edge of the bed waiting for me to get up and feed him, or he'll sleep on Andy's pillow as long as Andy allows. Don't ask where we sleep, we haven't found a spot yet!