Peanut Update

Hi All! I am now 31+ weeks pregnant with the peanut and mostly feeling great - but occasionally I feel like the top photo. The warrior momma image was Aaron's idea (just for the record). He thought it would be good to have some pictures to threaten the peanut with as he gets bigger and more difficult. You get the idea - "You better behave or your mom will turn into warrior momma and come at you with the Katana!!"

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now with all the preparations for the birth and nesting. I feel like I have to have it all done before school starts because then all my extra energy will need to go towards that. I'm taking two classes this fall - Steel Design and Hydrology. Both are lab classes so that will take a little more. I have it worked out that I am at school only Tues, Wed and Thurs. Aaron is going to schedule himself for evenings those days or he may have to open on Wed so I can make my lab. We have to figure that out too - although not until the arrival. He does get two weeks off and well I get whatever I need balanced with trying not to fall too far behind. Some how it'll all work out. I hope. Well I guess it has too.

We did get a Doula through the Center for the Childbearing Year. They got a grant to offer Doula services to low income familys (we qualify!). Aaron and I are both excited about that. They asked me some questions and said that they will try to find a match for us and get back to me in a couple of weeks. It'll just be nice to have someone that knows our wishes advocating for us and helping us both keep focused on the goal during labor. I went to see the doctor Friday and Monday. Friday was a consultation with the high risk OB.GYN due to some glitches in my medical history but I got a 100% go ahead from them. So the baby is at no risk and we can carry on as we were - that was a big weight off of my shoulders. The regular appointment on Monday went well too. The peanut is head down, has a heart beat of 137-143, and my womb is 31 inches top to bottom (yikes). The little guy is moving around a lot still but more from side to side at this point. He should stay head down until the delivery (we hope!) because he just doesn't have the room anymore for those manoeuvers. Aaron was able to hear his heart beat last night and we had some fun reading Dr Suess', "Cat in the Hat" to the little Pea. I think he liked it because he was wiggling around whenever we stopped.

It all just seems so crazy that we are going to be parents. Even at 25 (shh...) it feels like I'm not old enough to be someone's Mom.

Showers!!

I had my first baby shower yesturday and it was a blast! This one was all the girls in Ann Arbor, we got together at Maria's house and Kendra gave her a hand. It was great - thanks to everyone!! Lots of good food and lots of good presents for the peanut. I have a lot of talented friends and family. Layale knitted a green sweater, Mary made blankets with crocheted lace trim, Cathy knitted this amazing white fancy blanket and there were lots more! I don't know that I will ever have the patience and perceverence to do those kind of things. I just don't sit still that well. Speaking of sitting still I need to get back to writting up a paper on the research I did in Japan. I just can't seem to get it done with all my concentration on the little peanut and the preparations for his arrival. Classes, doctors appointments, showers and still unpacking! Throw in a little procrastination and no school type work gets done at all.

Hi All

So I'm at work delaying the inevitable need to start working again after lunch. My postings continue to be without photos as I haven't found the camera since we started unpacking. I think I know where it is but well... I'll get there eventually. We still don't have internet service at home but I hope that will be rectified with the delivery of a new modem today or tomorrow. My great great aunt who was 104 years old recently passed away. An amazing feat of perserverence. I was going to say something about hoping I last that long but to be honest, I don't want to live that long. I'll just take the normal regulation life.

The peanut and I are feeling kinda blah and tired lately. I'm sure these two things are related to each other. Nothing sounds very interesting and I don't feel like doing anything, mainly because everything tires me out. I also can't seem to find anything to do that doesn't require money. We have a shortage of that this month (every month!!) since we had to pay rent on the old place and the new. I eagarly await the mail each day to see if we got our deposit back and if our modem has arrived. That's it, that's my daily excitment - did the mailman come yet.

I'm supposed to be writing this paper on my work in Japan and I can't seem to get motivated. Just a case of the blahs, I guess. Well maybe it would be easier to work on the paper if I was sitting by the pool. Yea, that's it, I just need a change of scenery!!

Moved

Hi all! Aaron, the Peanut and I are all moved into the new digs. We love our new apartment! We have twice the square footage of our last place, central air and a swimming pool! I don't see getting tired of this place any time soon. There are still plenty of boxes hanging out but the majority of our things have found a home and the apartment is starting to look and feel less like someones else's. I've been swimming a couple of times and just can't imagine a time that we will get bored with this. I went and bought myself a sexy prego bathing outfit which is composed of granny style undies and a tank top! If I hadn't of told you, you wouldn't have been able to tell it from a real bathing suit and it certainly cost me a lot less. Maria, Matt, and Maya are coming over for dinner and a swim tomorrow - our first bit of entertainment in the new apartment. This is one of the things I think Aaron and I are both looking forward too again. When we had the house we used to love having friends over to cook for and then in the dinky apartment it just wasn't possible (although we tried and our friends were always dear enough not to complain!). Now Aaron has a big kitchen to cook in again and I know he's happy - and so are the stomachs of the peanut and I!! Whenever I find the box with the camera in it, I will take some pics of the new digs and post them. The cats are happier too and I am hoping with the greater space the fat one will get more running around in and will eat less out of boredom. That's the hope anyway. I swear she got bigger in the time I was in Japan.

Aaron and I started Lamaze classes on Wednesday. Somehow that made it all real. We are having a baby and it won't be too long before it happens. WOW!! As of yesturday, we are 30 weeks prego. That leaves us 10 weeks to prepare for the great adventure. Although all the women I know tell me there really is no way to really prepare for it. Gulp. We found out lots of good info in the class (and did some breathing!). It is my hope to make it through au naturale, at least as much as I can. We found out that if our income is low enough (this is most likely true :) we can get a doula for free. For those who don't live in such a hot bed of crazy fun modern liberalism as Ann Arbor, a doula is a professional birth coach. The doula will work with the mother and father to help them have the best birth experience possible with out using drugs unless of course an emergency arises. Aaron and I are all about it and we actually have a friend who moved down here from GR who does this - so I'm gonna give her a call today.

I am hanging out at the coffee shop with Maria because the move instigated a internet emergency and we are not hooked up at home right now. ARGH!! After spending 2 hours or more on the phone with SBC we determined that our modem took a dump so we have to wait 3-5 busimess days to get back online. So if I am not as responsive as usual this is the reason. Well, take care all and I will see or post to you soon.

Happily Ever After

I told you I would get back to you on that pic of Emily's wedding - well here it is. She looked beautiful and Nate, well, looked like Nate. :) She got a new tattoo for her wedding which shows two love birds and the word Nathan under it on her arm. I don't know where she gets such ideas! :) But at least Aaron and I just used our initials - just in case. I'm happy for her. Now that I am back at home I don't know that there is as much to report. As I said the doctor gave me a thumbs up and we are moving on Monday the 7th, please feel free to join in the fun! So this week I have been busy catching up with the ol' home management type work as well as catching up with work work. Mostly it seems just getting my bearings and patching up any emergencys. It is good to feel needed. It'll be a busy weekend with packing and all. But Aaron did a lot of this while I was gone and now it's just finding room for more boxes and figuring out what we can pack and still live. I was complaining about the heat in Japan but I sure stepped into it this week in Ann Arbor. I am REALLY looking forward to moving into an apartment with central air and a swimming pool! Actually the one thing in my life that I am not in love with is this apartment. I've been putting up with it but enough is enough. It's hard to be comfortable in an apartment this small. Even the cats are unhappy. I'm hoping with the bigger place the fat one will lose a little weight and stop pacing and crying all the time. She's been pissed since we moved from the house - for good reason. Our life isn't an easy one what with the economics of me being in school but I sure am happy. I sometimes feel like I am living in a fairy tale... happily ever after is a good place. This is what I wish for Emily.

Ah... Sleepless in Ann Arbor

Hi all. It's actually not that bad. By now I make it to about 5am before waking up. I think in the next couple of days life will be back to normal. I went to see the doc yesturday and everything looks fine. The little peanut is just as active as ever - I think he's showing off his newly learned Judo moves to his Dad. It sure is nice to be home although I had a certain amount of work that piled up while I was away and that was just at home! I am headed into school today. I figure I better stay busy today so I'm not tempted to take one of those five hours naps that I indulged in the last two days and have probably contributed to my whack sleep schedule. It'll be good to get back to it and get my work done before we move. Aaron had packed up most of the house while I was gone so it was a little shocking to walk in the door. I'm looking forward to the move to an apartment with central air considering it has been in the high 90's the last two days. The move will be happening the weekend of the 11th with most of the work getting done on Friday. If anyone is in the Ann Arbor area feel free to pitch in!! Well I'm off to run errands as I think the rest of the world is awake now. Peace.