an epidemic... at least it'll be a cute one!

From October to April - here are the people currently in my life, expecting babies. I think we're in for a busy few months!!
Katie (friend)
Desi (cousin)
Nicole (friend)
Heather (cousin)
Jessica (cousin)
Heidi (friend)
Kelly (friend)
Shannon (co-worker & friend)
Me
Suzanne (friend)
Kaycee (friend)
Shannon (colleague)
Niki (colleague)

swap-a-roo

I decided this weekend that I want to reverse Saturday and Sunday in the Weekend Lineup. Sunday should come first. Here's my two fabulous, flaw-proof reasons why:
1. I'll start off the weekend with church - which is always a good thing.
2. Sunday is inevitably busier than Saturday. This would allow me to END the weekend with a relaxing day. (And don't even try to rationalize with me that whichever day is the last day of the weekend will be the busiest. I'm not a procrastinator. At all. There's just something about the VERY character of Sunday that makes it busy. Has nothing to do with me and my ability to plan or get things done).
ANYWAY.
Had a great weekend - got a bit of progress made on The Kid's Room - which is now home to an unassembled (but free!) crib and crib mattress. Looks like this:
I don't think that's exactly like ours - but it's real close. Thanks to extended - extended family for their incredible generosity!!
And I got a back-up wedding band... my real rings (lovely as they are) are starting to be tight on my pregnant hands by the end of the day. Since I don't want to have them cut off - I just opted for an oh-so-glamorous 10K 2mm plain band - a whopping $35. We definitely underwhelmed the nice lady at the jewelry store with our style. Oh well. At least I don't look like an unmarried pregnant teenager. I look like a pregnant (and married because of her daddy's shotgun) teenager. Sometimes I just want to wear a sign that says: I've Been Married For Over Five Years. Really. It's OK That I'm Pregnant.
I wonder if that would help.

cheap entertainment

Last night I talked to my mom, dad and sister on the phone (we're all big fans of The Speakerphone. Don't have to tell the same story to multiple people). I had st-r-e-t-c-hed out in the recliner in our living room (a lovely place to sit).
As a multi-tasker, I often like to have something else to "do" while on the phone - usually just something for my eyes to watch (sometimes it's a muted TV show, other times it's watching the neighbor's funny little fluffy white dog run and yap around their backyard). Last night, I found a new "hobby."
Who knew that placing a nearly empty Aquafina water bottle on my belly and watching it bounce as my baby wiggles and kicks would be so entertaining? I was tickled by the fact that it would just rest solidly on my belly anyway (that's one of those things that you always see pregnant women doing on TV or in the movies or something). But when my (VERY ACTIVE) baby would shift, wiggle, kick or poke - I watched the water splash and the bottle teeter back and forth on its "shelf."
Of course, the second I took the bottle off my belly and told Mark to "get over here and feel your kid move!" Baby B settled down. Then, Mark goes to sit back down on the couch, Baby B kicks again. Stubborn kid. :)

some things are inevitable

I've been slowly realizing over the past few weeks that my pregnancy weight gain is not (despite what others try to tell me) limited to my belly. It's actually quietly leaking all over my body.
I can handle this - my baby is healthy and growing, and I'm trying really hard to not be vain or self-conscious.
But I really don't like the chubby-faced look.
When I look at pictures, I see this puffy face - and it doesn't look like me. (Actually, it looks a little like me about 3 or 4 years ago when I was 15 pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight). But that girl has been gone for awhile now.
*sigh* I know these things are unavoidable, and I know they'll go back to normal (ish) post-pregnancy. But man, some days it IS tough to feel in any way attractive.
Good thing my husband promised to love me no matter what. :)

busy little bee

My lazy Thursday was followed up by a rather non-lazy weekend. I've given myself an award for being a Very Productive Pregnant Woman. I think my nesting instincts are kicking in!!
Friday night we went to Mason's home football game (a rather chilly, drizzly evening it was - but we WON, which almost never happens). I don't watch much of the games when I'm there, but there are many students there who I've grown to love dearly in the past few years with YoungLife, and it's always fun to be with them.
Saturday - Mark and I went to breakfast, then he set about packing and departing for PA for the weekend. After he left, I set out for Lowe's (because where else would expect a pregnant woman to go by herself on the weekend?) Got a few funny looks while I was there, and more than one "Can I help you find something, ma'am?" But I managed, all by myself, to pick up all the supplies I needed to turn an old (free) dresser into this (please ignore the icky garage and trash bins in the background):
That's chalkboard paint on the drawers, so this little piece of furniture will be:
(a) a place to store clothes
(b) the changing table for our little one
(c) a work of art
I'm proud of myself, folks. I'll come right out and admit that.
When I wasn't painting or cleaning the paint off myself - I went grocery shopping (the shopping trip delayed by my lazy Thursday), made pumpkin bread, did 7 or 8 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen... and still had a bit of time to relax with a book and/or my DVDs of Friends!
Working on projects at home all weekend made me feel like I had just the teeniest bit of a glimpse of what it might be like in just over 3 months when I Stay At Home Full Time. Of course, there was no child to look after (and I'm betting that will make JUST a bit of a difference *wink*) - but I do really enjoy being at home and taking care of my home. And I find it's much easier to do (and enjoy) when I'm around more often, so that things don't pile up to intimidating levels.
Because it's hard to get excited about the pile of laundry that's as tall as you are. Or the mound of dishes waiting in the sink (because you haven't emptied the dishwasher yet). Or putting away the pile of clean, non-maternity clothes that you just don't care about because right now, that shirt would barely fit over your head, let alone the rest of your body.
Not that any of those things would ever present itself in my house.
So I raise my glass (of ice cold skim milk!) to a weekend of productivity.

none of the above

Or below, I guess.
By the time the workday ended yesterday, I was wiped. Barely awake, and nursing the headache that often plagues me on days when the weather does funny things (and we had quite the strange batch of storms roll through MI yesterday, to be sure).
So I went straight home (sorry, gym) and laid on the couch for an hour. It was the kind of nap where you're not really asleep, but get to lay very still with your eyes shut and it's glorious.
Got up, declared myself hungry - so Mark and I went about making ourselves a delicious dinner of blue-box macaroni and cheese, crescent rolls, and leftover pizza. Oh, the gourmet of it all.
Then it was back to the couch with a magazine, and eventually watched a movie with my hubby. All this before 9:00pm.
I am nothing if not efficient.
I DID fold some clothes, and this morning I loaded up the dishwasher (so I'm not a total slacker) - but there was no workout, no grocery shopping, and no Baby Room Progress.
That's what this weekend is for - Mark will be out of town, and I'm planning on cracking down a bit on The Kid's room - the next big step is to paint the old scratchy dresser to make it look lovely.
Maybe I'll workout too. Or at least drink another full glass or two of V8 Fusion (a full serving of veggies AND a full serving of fruit - which is healthy enough to be equivalent to a workout, right??)
At any rate - I am happy to have Friday and the weekend to look forward to - and am grateful God gave me the good sense to rest last night.
The Kid and I needed that.

hide and seek?

Oh, Bloggie friends - I know you've been so worried about my extended absence. Breathe easy - I'm back. I'll pretend it was a game of hide and seek... although I wasn't really hiding, and no one was seeking...
Actually, I was back on Sunday - I just had NOTHING. interesting. to say. on the blog... and didn't feel like regaling you with the boring tales of my mundane musings. (I might not have great stories to tell, but boy - can I use some alliteration!)
Any way - our trip to Atlanta was FUN FUN FUN - it's a long time in the car, but we had great company and lots of laughing. Pictures are forthcoming - unfortunately, my camera battery died almost instantaneously, so I am at the mercy of Dana & Emily to supply me with fantastic photographic memorabilia from the weekend. It all-around just plain lovely.
Since then...
Monday - I worked. From 7:00am (my normal start time) until 7:15pm (NOT my normal end time).
Tuesday - I worked. Then Mark and I went to a dinner meeting to help plan/organize our fall fundraiser for YoungLife. I ate four pieces of pizza. It was good.
Wednesday - I worked, but only until 11:00am when I found my husband in my office. His keys had been in my car that morning when I left at 6:30am - so he hitched a ride onto campus with our neighbor (who works VERY nearby) and needed me to take him home. So I left an hour early (Wednesday I usually work until 12:00) to take Hubs home. He left immediately, since he had been unable to work that morning. I ate lunch, took a short nap, and then set about conquering the monumental task of Getting Baby's Room Ready. Conquering is the wrong word. Perhaps I should say that I Put a Teeny Dent in the Paint Job of the monumental task of Getting Baby's Room Ready. But there's only so much furniture moving and bookcase rearranging a gal in her 6th month of pregnancy can do at a time. THEN, I headed back to work for a meeting. I just *love* evening commitments. And sarcasm.
But now it's Thursday - and I have big plans to hit the gym after work, and then somehow go to the grocery store, get laundry done, eat dinner, make the Teeny Dent into a Decent Sized Crater, and rest. Hmmm. It's possible I may have to change my expectations for the evening.

hiatus

We're taking a road-trip to Atlanta tomorrow - driving Thursday, visiting with our friends Friday and Saturday, and driving back Sunday.
We're crazy. I know it.
But I'm excited!
See you on the other side!

our creations

Here's the valence I made - I was really pleased with how it came out.

This is the diaper stacker - totally made by my mom - and it's gorgeous. Fun, bright colors (cute bumblebee buttons on it, too!) I can't wait to fill it up!
This is the crib skirt and bumper pad - obviously, I have no crib to decorate yet, so they are artfully laid out on the floor of the baby's room. I made the bumper pad, and my mom made the crib skirt (and stitched most of the hems BY HAND - it looks amazing!!)
In case you can't tell - the blue material has an adorable bug pattern on it, and all the others are just bright, coordinating colors. The walls in the room are light blue (and will stay that way) - but I think I'll paint a grass-like border (complete with little cartoon bugs!) around the baseboards, just to add a fun little touch.
It's fun to watch things take shape!!

pictures to come

My mom and I were ridiculously productive this weekend - we completed the diaper stacker, valence for the window, crib skirt and crib bumper (and my diaper bag is almost done too). And we made an apple pie. Just to fully round out our domestic weekend.
It was really fun. I'm so pleased with how everything has turned out - the baby's room is going to look great, I think!! I'm gonna go home and take some pictures of our creations to share with the blog-world.
Just try to contain yourself!

I'm a dork!

I sat at the kitchen table, eating my Special K Red Berries cereal in the pre-dawn light (that sounds really dramatic, but it was actually about 6:15am) - and I was reading my Real Simple catalog.
It's silly - but I *love* that catalog. It's huge and thick and full of wonderful, practical ideas that I never get around to implementing. But I like to read about them. In the interest of saving money, I'll be letting my subscription run out (sob) but I have my back issues saved up, so I can always go back and re-read the fabulous tips from two years ago. I'll never lack for useful household hints.
I really love being organized - but I also seem to be really great at collecting clutter. And currently, I use all of my organizing energy at work - my office is lovely. I wish my home looked so good. Maybe when I'm a stay-at-home mom, my organizing energy will be refocused. (I'm sure it will - but onto things like "showering" and "getting dressed" - not "having a place for everything and everything in its place.") For now, I daydream that someday, I'll have the time/inclination/money to beautifully organize my home just like the pictures in the magazine.
Or at least I could send in a picture and get them to "makeover" my house as an example of how to save someone from the brink of organizational disaster.
*Sigh*
Someday. A girl gets to dream, right? :)

crafty gals

No, this is not my craft area. Mine looks more like a heaping pile of fabric, scrapbook paper, scissors, patterns, yarn, needles and other notions.
My parents are coming to visit this weekend - my mom and I will bake and sew and probably shop a little, and my dad will golf and make us laugh. It should be good.
I'm planning (meaning I have the fabric and the patterns for this) to make a diaper bag for me, a diaper backpack for Mark (he even picked out his own fabric!!) and the crib skirt, valence, and crib bumper for the baby's room. We'll have 2 sewing machines set up on card tables in our living room. Hopefully we get a lot done!
I've been trying to work up my energy to tackle the "baby's room" - there are still a few things that need to be moved out of there, and a bunch of stuff that I have to decide what I want to do with. We have a dresser that will be doubling as a changing table - and I'm thinking of painting it with chalkboard paint and putting fun knobs on it. That way I can have fun drawing on it over and over again, until our little one is big enough to enjoy it him/herself.
I also want to paint grass along the baseboards (our "theme" is bugs - I found adorable fabric with bright, primary colors) to make the room feel a little more "decorated." We're not going to go all out on anything - I want to be able to reuse things for future children, and not feel tied to any particular style. So it boils down to putting simple, easy touches into the room to make it feel cozy.
All this thinking about it makes me want to leave the office and get started! I know I'd get so restless waiting around for February- but it would be fun to start my stay-at-home mom career a little early! :)

brain drain

I knew it was supposed to happen.
I was under no illusion that I could avoid it.
But it's still disconcerting.
I have officially slid into the world of "I'm pregnant, therefore, I'm losing my mind."
Not in a totally obvious way. I haven't forgotten anything major, I still know my name, and I don't get lost driving home. Nope, my brain is more subtle. I'll be in the middle of a fabulously profound and insightful sentence... and then there's just darkness. No words, no idea where I was headed. Or I'll flip words around, switch the beginning sounds of things (I haven't said anything mortifying or inappropriate yet *knocks on wood*).
My brain has always been fairly reliable. Like a Honda. I'm a bit bewildered by this change - I feel like pregnancy is one of those clauses that renders your Money-Back Guarantee null and void. Teeny, tiny print at the bottom of the page.
I just hope it comes back. Some day.

purse party

I love these bags - they're so cute!! I'm "hosting" a purse party for 2 weeks, starting on Thursday, October 4th - go ahead and check it out!

coming home

Mark got home last night a little before midnight. This may sound weird, but I love to wake up to the sound of him coming home - I can follow footsteps up the stairs, down the hall, and listen sleepily as he crawls into bed next to me. He does his best to be silent, but was lucky enough to marry a woman with super-human night-time hearing. I'll wake up to almost anything. There's just such comfort in waking up to familiar sounds, made by one you know and love so well. There are limited places and people in our lives that give us that feeling - and I think God sets it up that way on purpose. There is value in intimacy and comfort in the closeness that true community brings. The combination of truly knowing someone and truly loving them - it kinda knocks me off my feet.
It made me think. Most of my life, this is the way healthy relationships have progressed (by way of a WAY over-simplified and candy-coated explanation):
1. I meet someone.
2. I spend time with them, getting to know them (this can be fast or slow)
3. I grow to love them - who they are, what they bring to my life, and who God has made them to be.
However - God knows and loves us all the time. He doesn't wait until we spend "enough" time with Him for Him to realize that we "get along well" together. He doesn't like us better when we make Him laugh, or let Him know we're thinking of Him. He just knows us and loves us.
Cut to today. We had our almost-21-week ultrasound this morning.
It. Was. Awesome.
As I watched tiny hands and feet wiggling back and forth, a little mouth opening and closing, and heard a tiny heart pumping... I realized that I have NO IDEA what this child will be like. Forget hair color, eye color, or whose nose s/he has... I know nothing.
And yet I am overflowing with love. A tear slid out of my eye as I watched the child God has graced us with. A baby He made - partly Mark, partly me - and wholly His precious child.
And a tiny part of me understood how God can possibly love us the way He does.
I have a feeling motherhood is going to knock me off my feet regularly. Sometimes in ways I appreciate, and sometimes in ways I'll tolerate. But I do so love it when I can feel God molding my heart and opening my eyes.
(If you're up for another long-ish post, check out Heart and Home today. Ashleigh spent some great QT with the Lord today, and was generous enough to share it. Thanks!!)

preparations

I chatted with my mom last night - we're trying to figure out a way to have a baby shower (hosted by her) but held here. And it's not always easy to plan events from 4 hours away. We'll give it a go.
It made me think about all the little (and big!) things on my "Baby" list that need to be done. There are registries, decorations, furniture, etc... It's funny how easy it is to focus on these things. They seem so big, yet when I am able to breathe and focus - I re-realize how very small they really are in comparison to the rest of my "To-Do" items. I've decided to make a new list - of the things that are infinitely more important, and much more likely to be overlooked in the day-to-day busy-ness of life.
Katie's Revised Baby To-Do List
1. Remember that this child is a precious son or daughter of the King. In no way does it, or will it ever belong to me or to Mark.
2. Pray diligently. For health, wisdom, patience, insight, trust, faith... and for the unknown future of this little one. May God be glorified every step of the way.
3. Enjoy all the little moments alone with my husband. We will soon be a family of three, and "our" time is precious.
4. Be in the moment. I have a tendency to look forward and make plans. I find myself looking at February as "the beginning." But I've been sharing life with this little one for almost five months. It is now. And these days are not to be undervalued.
5. Look to the Lord. Not just in motherhood, or as someone who tries every day to become a more godly wife... but as His daughter. I can find rest in the shadow of His wings. When I remember that my life is not my own - He gives peace and joy that cannot be explained. I love that.

halfway??

According to doctors and textbooks and all things scientific - I'm officially "halfway" through pregnancy. Now, this doesn't really mean much, as (a) no one knows when Baby B will actually grace our lives with his/her presence and (b) pregnancy "starts" about 2 weeks or so before conception. Which I still think is a tiny bit bizarre, but that's okay. I'm no doctor/scientist, so I'll just believe what they tell me.
My mom took this picture this weekend (that's her lovely dining room). Check out the BELLY on that girl who's supposedly only "halfway" there! Our family has a history of big babies (usually about 9-pounders) - sp I'm well aware that I'm probably growing a "healthy" sized Li'l B, but sheesh! :)
People are already surprised to hear that I'm not further along. I was thinking that wouldn't happen to me until I was more like 6 months pregnant. Oh well. We have our midterm ultrasound on Friday morning - we'll see if Baby B is really kinda big, or if it's just me. (eek!)

wiggles, hair & travel

1. Baby B is getting wigglier by the day - still settles down as soon as I try for Mark to be able to feel it (li'l stinker), but it's really fun. "They" say that the baby is about 10 inches long right now, and is closing in on one pound. It seems so tiny and SO BIG at the same time.
2. I had a hair appointment yesterday - just a trim, since I want it to get a little longer. But I DID go for bangs. I've had them before (recently) and I tend to keep 'em for awhile, then grow them out again. For now, I like them. They help frame my face better. (And as it's getting bigger as pregnancy progresses - that's a good thing).
3. I'm traveling to IL to visit with the fam this weekend, and coming back Monday morning (took a vacation day to help with the solo traveling exhaustion). Mark will be gone until Late Thursday Night (in Washington DC for work), so I thought a little traveling would help keep me busy. It's been about a month since I've been home - it will be good to see them.
4. Enjoy your weekend!!

missing in action

It's been awhile since I've blogged (six days - SUCH a slacker!), and it's also been awhile since I've posted something substantial (i.e. more than catching up on sleep and freezer mishaps). So here goes.
This Sunday at 11:00am (give or take) found me standing in the third row at church with tears pouring down my face (I'm normally a front-row-lover, but we sacrificed the fave position to sit with some friends). We were singing Amazing Grace, and had just sat through one of those sermons that leaves you feeling overwhelmed by God's grace, completely unworthy, and ashamed of the small, selfish life it's so easy to get wrapped up inside. As if the stress and frustrations of my life (finding maternity clothes that fit, trying to get all the laundry done, fighting off a cold) are anything compared to some of the hurt and pain that is experienced around the globe every single day.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

I'm not quite sure what to do about this yet... but the impact of knowing that ultimately, God has saved us by sending Jesus, but on a smaller level, He is saving people by sending US... that's not something I can not respond to.

what a difference!

Yesterday I walked through my day in a fog. After the busiest weeks of the year work-wise, and weekends of traveling and late nights - my poor body was running into the ground. I could feel it in my bones.
Last night I did virtually nothing (except have a few more snacks than I probably should have). I laid on the couch, read a little bit, and fell asleep watching reruns of Friends (it never gets old to me!)
I feel so. much. BETTER. today!! One good night's sleep can definitely make a world of difference.
On another note - I'm having a blast doing all kinds of baby-related research (like any crazy new-mama-to-be). I've surprised myself with unanticipated interest in things like natural childbirth, cloth diapers (including cloth wipes) and making my own baby food. I'm soaking up everything I can get my hands on. If anyone out there (I honestly have NO idea how many "lurkers" I have) has any experience or insight with these things - I'll take it!! I've already pestered a few people I've "met" online, and am SO PLEASED with the wealth of information - from real people (not just websites that are trying to get me to buy their fabulous product!) Leave me a note - or if you have a LOT to say, just click the "Email me!" link over on the righthand side!