Growing Girth: Installment #6--33 weeks

I decided early on in this pregnancy that I wasn't going to start preparing for this baby to come (as far as supplies and setup and such) until after Christmas so I could make the end go faster by getting all of this stuff done. However, I realized a few days ago that I have 5 1/2 weeks until a new baby joins our family and the only thing I have really purchased or done to prepare was buy a box of special Q-Tips! You see, my life really is much like the construction of my gingerbread single wide:) What have I done? Now I'm panicking just a little bit. I pulled out all of Parker's newborn clothes last night to see what was still usable. Not much, to be honest! He was such a puker that most of the little clothes are stained beyond repair. How sad! Thankfully, I've had family members that are more aware of this coming change in our family than I have been. Many family members have given us gifts of clothes and supplies for this new one. I washed all of the gender neutral stuff last night and pulled one of the newborn onesies out and just gasped. Holy crap...do they really start out this small? Check this out...

And my hand really isn't that huge--the onesie is like the size of a Cabbage Patch Baby! Oh my goodness...things are really starting to settle in now:)

Speaking of size, this growing girth has started to get in my way just a bit. I actually consider waking Joel up in the middle of the night so he can help roll me over or get up to go the bathroom! I was trying to do Tae Bo most days of the week up until recently when I realized that it was tiring me out more than anything. Now I'm trying to get in three days a week and even that is pushing it! By the way, I do not allow anyone (except my husband) to watch me to this exercise because I move soooooo slow and awkwardly! Just try to imagine the high kicks and squats...never mind, don't:) So here it is, my growing girth...

Big boy bed...

Could my baby really be in a big boy bed already? I was sure that it was going to be a tough transition and I had prepared in advance for many sleepless nights of telling him that he couldn't sleep in his crib anymore. But again, he surprised us and as soon as Parker saw the cute little toddler bed, he got a huge grin on his face and climbed right in. I think parents generally underestimate their children on these sorts of things...they are so much more adaptable that we are!

We've had a few minor glitches, but nothing major. The first night, Parker woke up once and stood in the middle of his bedroom quite confused, until I told him the monkey was still in bed. He then climbed back in and drifted off:) I have a sneaking suspicion that he actually fell out of bed, but seriously, he's like 10 inches off the floor! And then last night, I went in and checked on him and his whole lower half of his body was hanging off of the bed with his feet dangling an inch above the floor! Parker is just so cute about his bed and this smooth transition makes me all the more confident that he'll welcome the new baby with another huge grin:) I will always be able to tell Parker that he was the baby that made us want more...he's such a good boy!

And by the way...these pictures are from nap time today. We really don't put him to bed fully clothed and while it is still light!

gingerbread dreams...

I'm so happy to be back to blogging! I've found that there are many reasons why I blog and some posts are for others to read and some are....well, honestly...for my sake and you all get to read my rants about life and my bragging about my little boy:) All that to say that I've missed my blogging routine over Christmas and I've especially missed interacting with all of you!

This Christmas season has been one of the best ever in a very long time! We spread out our celebrating with family over the entire month and we are so thankful for that decision. We had very little stress regarding the holiday and truly enjoyed spending time with all of our family members. For the first time, Joel and I (and Parker, of course) spent most of Christmas day as a family. We opened gifts, read books, ate, took naps and watched Christmas movies. Later in the evening we enjoyed a lovely dinner with some of Joel's extended family. No rushing around at all and the only stress I felt was when I realized that I needed to find homes for all of Parker's new toys...oh my, were people generous! Parker is in heaven with all of his new treasures:)

On Christmas Eve, Kelsey and I decided to construct gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, frosting, and candy. We've never done it before but I think we may have started a tradition! We had grand plans and I really thought that the project would be quite simple. I must preface this to say that Kelsey is a perfectionist and is really very good at most things that she tries. She also will follow a project through until she has everything perfect, pretty, and lovely. I am really not like this and, quite often, it really doesn't work out in my favor--including this occasion! Maybe this is why Kelsey was valedictorian in high school and I.....was not even close:) I also want to say that we may use different materials next year because we had some trouble--even Kelsey!

As Kelsey was constructing a roof for her rancher and landscaping her beautiful yard, I was throwing together my single-wide trailer. I started out with plans to make a cabin but I then realized how hard it was to put a roof together and thought a single-wide would be quite adequate. Here is Kelsey in action and a picture of her cute gingerbread rancher:

I thought she did a nice job. Keep in mind that we couldn't quite keep the walls from falling down because the frosting never dried. I feel like my humble abode was never really given a good chance to survive because I was laughing through most of the process...mostly because this is such a picture of how I operate:) My mom tells me that I should call my insurance company because it appears as though my home has weathered a storm!

Oh, how different siblings can be!

Attitude Adjustment

It occurred to me the other day that I needed an attitude adjustment. I kind of think that even my blog has been reflecting how tired and crabby I've been feeling (sorry!) and I realized that I have a choice in the matter. I'm always the one to tell other people that they have choices when it comes to these sorts of things, but sometimes it is tough to swallow your own medicine!

I have seven weeks left as a mom of one and I've made the decision to stop trying to do everything perfectly and to just enjoy my son right now. Now that I've made this decision, I feel much less overwhelmed and worn out. Instead of trying to keep up our normal routine, it is okay to slow down a bit and not go out and do some sort of activity every single day. These outings are really what tire me out and frustrate both of us. I don't want to remember these last couple of months before #2 arrives as being difficult and tiring. We're going to take it easy and just play up a storm, read tons of books, and sing silly songs right here at home...and I hope that Parker enjoys it as much as I do:)

Christmas Letter 2006

Note to self: Do not take a 20 month old to Azteca with friends when it is anywhere near bedtime. It is always fun to be with our friends but Parker was less than cooperative. My tricks were so not working. Maybe it is because I am dog-tired. I just spent the day shopping without Parker because my lovely sister came over to play with the little man. It was so fun to take my time looking without feeling like I was torturing my boy by putting him in a stroller. Parker likes shopping that much:) Anyway, it was great to spend some time by myself, but now I'm paying for it!

Here is our Christmas letter that we sent out last week (for those of you who may not have received it in the mail). I don't think I really have any new information in here than what I already have on the blog, but I thought it would be fun. Enjoy...

Dear friends & family, I love Christmastime for so many reasons and one of them is being able to reconnect with friends and family through Christmas cards and letters. This time, however, I am having a hard time figuring out how to articulate everything the year has held without getting too lengthy! This year has just been so full and we’d love to share some of it with you.

Parker continues to be a great joy in our lives and I feel so happy to be able to stay home with him. He’s almost 20 months old and, of course, keeps us on our toes with his endless energy and zest for life. Parker has such a sweet spirit and enjoys charming everyone with his smile, sense of humor, and loving nature. Besides the people he loves, Parker has some great passions in his life: the outdoors, music, animals, balls, automobiles, and books. He certainly is all boy and is just like his daddy in many ways, including his dislike for shopping!

One of our biggest life changes came this year in August when Joel graduated from UW Medicine’s Physician Assistant School. We spent the past 2 ½ years moving numerous times and experiencing the challenges that come along with one spouse in school full time! After graduating in August, Joel passed his boards in September, was hired by ******* Respiratory Consultants in October and started his new job at the beginning of November. Whew! Needless to say, we are thrilled to be done with this phase of life. I’m still trying to figure out a concise and understandable way to describe what Joel does everyday, but here it goes: Joel practices internal medicine at ****** ***** Medical Center with a pulmonary critical care group and outpatient pulmonary medicine on some afternoons. There, I did it. Does anyone understand what I just wrote? In any case, we’re just thankful that Joel was hired by a great employer and that he’s able to do what he loves—treat patients.

We became homeowners in May! We bought a lovely Cape Cod style bungalow right next to *****. We are still giddy with excitement and have loved the process of making this house our home. I must admit that we now believe that the house should have come with an owner’s manual; no one ever told us that you’re supposed to change the air filter in the furnace! Joel and I often talk about how wonderful it is to feel like we’re home and to be able to enjoy developing relationships within our neighborhood and church. Already, we feel like we’ve developed long-lasting friendships—what a true blessing!

We celebrated our 5th anniversary in September by going on a five day cruise to the Bahamas; our first trip without Parker (thanks to my mom)! We were able to relax and reconnect after the last few years of craziness. We also ate a lot and enjoyed many of the activities onboard and on shore, but mostly we just enjoyed being together without responsibilities!

We found out in June that we’re expecting our 2nd baby in February. It hasn’t been as easy of a pregnancy as I had with Parker, but we’re so excited to meet our new son or daughter! This baby, so far, is much different than Parker was in utero, so we’re expecting some changes around our house! The baby hardly moves so we lovingly refer to him or her as “Lazy Bones”! The c-section is scheduled for February 7th, so stay tuned to find out more about Baby ******* #2! If you’re interested, check out www.amy-ohmy.blogspot.com for more updates as we get closer to the big day.

In closing, we want to express how much we love you all and thank you for supporting us through another full year. We hope that you are enjoying the Christmas season by taking time to reflect on God’s gifts and spending time with those you love.

With love, Joel, Amy & Parker

change of plans...

We recently were informed that our new baby's birthday will not be the 6th of February, but now the 7th of February! I love that we were informed of such a momentous occasion:) The reason? Well, my OB is taking every Tuesday off this winter to go skiing and the 6th falls on a Tuesday...so no go, of course. The schedulers were sort of rolling their eyes at the idea of rescheduling all of the Doc's planned surgeries for the winter. Oh well. I actually prefer the 7th, anyway. 2.7.07. Sort of has a nice ring to it! Aaaahhhhh.....so excited!

And I'm not just excited to meet the little one. I'm also looking forward to having my food to myself! I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to make myself look normal and healthy. The circles under my eyes are just plain scary and I look pale and run-down. No pregnancy glow here! My friend Julie recently sent me a picture of herself of when she was in her 3rd trimester with her second baby. Now, she looked like she was glowing! I wonder how she did that...? Julie, how did you do that? I'm about ready to give up on the makeup to make myself look presentable--it just isn't working. Any suggestions?

Over the mountains and through the woods...

We just arrived back home yesterday after a 6 day trip to the other side of the state to celebrate Christmas with many of our family members. As much as I'd like to be a "fly by the seat of my pants" sort of girl...I'm just not, and this is especially true when it comes to traveling. I stress the week before a trip about what to bring and I create lists so I don't forget anything. And then, once we are actually on the trip, I remain uptight because I have a hard time living out of a suitcase and having my belongings all over the place. I'm working on it though because Joel and I really love to travel and see new places.

Anyway, that was a long explanation about something that I wasn't really planning on writing about. Sooooo.... we had a wonderful time celebrating and spending time with our very special family. I'm amazed that we've been so blessed with such kind and generous family members on both sides. We exchanged gifts with everyone and this was the first time that Parker really got into opening gifts. And boy, did he get into it! Now he thinks every package he sees is his and starts ripping open the paper! We'll have to work on this part, but it was very exciting watching his eyes light up as he opened his new toys! Not only are these new toys fun for Parker, but for mama as well...because new toys=more entertainment for these cold winter days=less hanging on mom's leg begging to go outside:) Any other mama out there know what I mean?

One of the best parts of the trip was watching Parker interact with his great cousins. Sean and Mattison are quite a bit older than Parker, but I'm so impressed that they will take the time to play with and love on him. I can tell that Parker loves them both and really admires them. We were also able to spend time with my brother, his wife, and their little girl. Audrey and Parker are around the same age and they are just so cute together. Parker likes to show off with his jumps and spins and thinks Audrey is absolutely hilarious and Audrey likes to give Parker lots of kisses--which Parker accepts with a grin:)

Oh, I almost forgot the not-so-great part...I got sick! Nothing like being sick away from home! Thankfully, it didn't last long and I'm feeling much better. However, if you are a friend that maybe should have heard from me while we were over in your area, now you know why you didn't. This was one of those little bugs that I certainly didn't want to share....:)

Growing Girth: Installment #5--30 weeks

So...my OB agreed with me and I will have this baby in my arms two months from yesterday! February 6th at 7:30 am. How strange is it that I already know my baby's birthday and the time of day he/she will be born, AND the names we have picked out? I'm glad that this isn't our first because I really liked everything being a surprise last time. This time, I'm okay with it because I've prepared. After the scheduler called me with the time of the surgery, I was relieved that we hadn't found out the gender again. There are so many great things about both ways--finding out the gender ahead of time or not. There have been times when I've gone back and forth. In fact, we're not entirely sure what we'll do with a third. However, for us...this time...we're really enjoying the whole process of trusting God to prepare our hearts for that moment when the baby's gender is announced. I was telling Jenn that it is sort of like a little test of faith for me! I'm so excited!

I'm getting large. I'm about 30 weeks now so I guess it is about that time when everything sorta starts moving fast! Found out yesterday that there is a reason that I'm so tired, I look like a zombie, and my lips are tingly...I'm anemic again and actually thrilled to find out so I can start taking iron to boost my levels back up. Parker will enjoy some more action around here, as well:)

Here is my lovely belly:) Large. I like it, though. I'm actually carrying a little higher than with Parker and look less like I have a spare tire around my waist....which is a good thing!

*okay...so I have just edited this to admit, again, how crazy I've become. I originally posted the second photo and then started to become embarrassed at how posey I looked and took another picture of me posing different. Then, I realized that this picture looked worse because I truly look like a zombie with no lip-gloss or anything. So THEN, I decided to chop off the head part and post a headless belly picture. And I've decided to keep up the "posey" picture to represent how ridiculous I've become. Oh my....*

Tradition

Traditions are sort of funny little things. I read once that children really long for family traditions (whether they know it or not) and it doesn't matter what they are; they just produce a feeling of inclusiveness. I consider Joel and I to still be newly married and we're especially new with having children and being responsible for starting traditions for our little family. We're still trying to figure things out. But the thing is, you can't force traditions; they just happen...you know? We'll probably look back on these early years and try to remember when our silly or special traditions started.

We have a funny thing we do every year that we didn't plan on becoming a tradition....but of course, I think it is going to stick. Joel and I aren't perfectionists on most things, which I like. However, it has sort of become a badge of pride for us during the Christmas season when everyone else is struggling to find that perfect tree and have a perfect experience in the process. While I wouldn't have a problem with going to cut down a tree, I've never really cared enough and this year this was especially the case with me 7 months pregnant, Parker freezing his little buns off in 20 degree weather and Joel, who really doesn't care:) This year we went to a lot right beside Dairy Queen with lovely Nobles. The lot came highly recommended by my sister because she was so impressed with the cute guys in the carhartt pants last year....ha!

So here is our tradition and it really makes no sense at all: we try to pick out the tree in the least amount of time without looking at all angles and then when we get it home and in a stand, I try to get the lights and decorations on in the least amount of time, as well. I know, you're totally jealous of our tradition. You should try it...you might like it:)

When we got to the lot we asked where the shorter trees were hiding and then looked at about three different trees for about three minutes, we picked the one with the least amount of defects, paid for it and left. I think the entire trip from the time we left home was about 25 minutes! Nice. The lights and ornaments were a piece of cake. Everything was so quick and then we got to sit back and enjoy our work without stress! We always crack up because our tradition is sort of silly but it is so fun and no one is stressed out! So maybe we don't appear to have the "perfect" experience, but it is our experience and our tradition and I hope that it continues with even more fun as our kids get older. I can just imagine all of us running through a DQ parking lot, slipping on the ice, in order to find the tree in a faster time than last year!

Of course, we both have traditions from our childhood that we are carrying on, but I think it is important for a family to have their own, as well. We do special movies, music, new pajamas, a new ornament, a new book, and certain timing of gifts in addition to the tree race. It is so fun, isn't it? Please share some of your silly holiday traditions and maybe we can pick up some new ones!

And I just had to add this picture because it totally represents my day yesterday... and I can share an everyday-type of tradition that we have: Parker and I often share a little bag of popcorn when he isn't feeling well, but yesterday he swiped the bag and took it to his bedroom. This is what happens when a toddler eats popcorn by himself:)

ABC Meme

Thank you to Jenn for tagging me for this ABC meme. So fun!

A - Available/Single?
Not at all. I've been taken for about 7 years:)
B - Best Friend?
My husband and sister, Kelsey
C- Cake or Pie?
Usually cake, but I love pumpkin pie with tons of whipped cream
D - Drink Of Choice?
Coffee and water
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday?
My 'puter or my Sonicare
F - Favorite Color?
I used to know the answer to this...hmmm maybe the color of my house...sage green?
G - Gummy Bears or Worms?
Both, but they must be sour!
H - Hometown?
Eastern Washington
I - Indulgence?
An outing by myself!
J - January or February?
February – same as Jenn..our new baby is coming in that bitter-cold month!
K - Kids & Their Names?
Parker, 20 months and another on the way. We don't know the gender and we're not telling names!
L - Life Is Incomplete Without?
Jesus and my family
M - Marriage Date?
September 1, 2001
N- Number Of Siblings?
2 siblings- One older brother, Erik (husband to AndiMae) and a younger sister, Kelsey
O - Oranges or Apples?
Apples
P - Phobias/Fears?
Rodents or anything remotely small and furry that can crawl up on your face. I'm actually thinking about blogging about this subject because I have become obsessed!
Q - Favorite Quote?
I have a new one everyday, it seems. Here is one that I love...
"Our children should know that they are our greatest delight!"
R - Reason to Smile?
Moments like this:

S - Season?
Fall
T - Tag Three People?
Andi, Kelsey, Aleah....and Gina, wanna play?
U - Unknown Fact about Me?
I used to want to be a veterinarian but now I'm afraid of most animals
V - Vegetable you don't like?
Well, I've turned into a non-vegetable lover this pregnancy so they all sound gross. Well, I will eat carrots and lettuce.
W - Worst Habit?
Not finishing a project I start
X - X-rays You've Had?
Yeah...on my head
Y - Your Favorite Food?
Pizza. I could eat it every single day.
Z - Zodiac Sign?
Taurus, but I don't really know what it means!