Sleep and Cloth

   The past few days have been great!  Parker has slept 7-10 hours every night and we also made the transition to cloth diapers.  I was kind of putting it off because I was nervous about whether I would really like doing it or not.  All summer I researched cloth diapers and tried to convince so many people that it was a great idea, and once he was born I wasn't sure whether I was up for the challenge.  We've been using cloth 100% for the past week and it seems to be working really well!  The diapers hold everything in, they're totally cute, and I just love putting those fuzzy things on his little bottom.  They seem so comfortable!  We have been washing them every other day.  Even that doesn't seem too horrible yet.  We are hoping to get a few more so we can stretch it to every two days, but for the most part we are really loving the cloth diaper world. 

See, he loves them ;)

     I have been going in to my classroom almost every day to plan and get things ready to go for January.  Tomorrow is the last day with the current teacher and then it's mine all mine, haha.  She is a wonderful teacher and has told me everything I need to know for the rest of the year, so it should be a pretty smooth transition.

Picture Update

Blessed

     Do you ever take a step back, examine your life, and have to convince yourself that it's really yours?  I have been doing that all week for a few reasons.  I cannot believe that I am old enough to be married and have a baby.  Yes, I got married young and consider myself a young mom, but still...where did the time go?  I think since I was the baby in the family, I always viewed my older cousins and sister and brother as so much older than me, and now our lives are the same.  I just started laughing the other day after I found out I got the Kindergarten position, because that means someone trusts me to be in charge of a classroom and is paying me money to do it!  It's always been a dream of mine to teach part-time Kindergarten when I have kids, and now it's happening.  And not to mention the fact that I have an amazing husband that makes me laugh uncontrollably every single day, is the best dad, and loves me so much.  It's so humbling to know that I don't deserve any of this and God has graciously blessed me with so much! 

Yay for Parker!

    Parker had his 2 month check up on Nov. 30.  He was almost 12 lbs and 23 inches long.  He's just getting so big!  (And cute!)  Not only was that his 2 month Birthday, but it was also the day he rolled over 3 times!  He can lift his head up so high off the ground when he's laying on his belly.  Then he just tilts it a little and over he goes!  It's so fun to watch him learn and discover new things.  Now he is rolling over a few times a day.  He's also wearing new clothes everyday because he's just starting to fit in to the 3 month clothes.

     And the biggest news...(I'm sure you've already heard about it on CNN;), Parker slept 10 HOURS STRAIGHT the past 2 nights!  I'm sure that now I've written that, he will begin to wake up every few hours again, but I had to let the world know.  Ryan and I are so excited!  He still stirred a little bit at the hours he was normally waking up, but he went back to sleep right away.  Then, when he wakes up around 7 he is so smiley and happy!  So... if Parker sleeps 10 hours, that means I slept at least 8, which means it was the first time of sleeping 8 hours in 10 weeks.  It.felt.phenomenal!  I didn't even get out of bed all night...the last few months I was pregnant I had to get up to go to the bathroom 3 times, haha!  I guess you could say I'm a little excited to be getting sleep again, especially since I'll be teaching in the mornings.  Yay for Parker!

     I went in to school 3 days this week to start working with the current teacher, learning the curriculum, and getting to know the students.  I feel pretty comfortable with everything.  I just need to memorize some poems and Bible verses that they already learned.  That way I can review them.  I also have a good start on January's planning.  The curriculum is pretty rigorous, but there is still room for creativity.  Signing my first contract was pretty cool. 

Behind again...

     Man, I'm behind on blogging again...so much has happened since my last post!  Here's my best attempt to catch up.

     The school that I interviewed at the week before (Naperville Christian Academy) asked me to come in and teach a lesson the next week, Wednesday.  They gave me the topic "Changing from Fall to Winter" and a half an hour to teach.  I started brainstorming on Monday, and then Tuesday I was getting a little overwhelmed because I needed to go to the library to find just the right book, but I was too nervous to bring Parker because if he fussed, I would have to leave.  Luckily, Ryan saved the day.  He stayed home from work and we looked up every possible book on the Fall, Winter, and everything in between.  Then we went to the library and checked out about 40 books!  It was pretty funny.  I took all the books home, found one that was age appropriate, and found a good poem book about Winter, too.

     I went in all day on Wednesday and got along with the current teacher right away.  I started my lesson by asking the kids what they had already learned about Fall.  Then I put up the words Fall and Winter and we figured out which months were in those seasons.  I also had pictures that went with each season.  The students came up, picked a picture, put it under the right heading, and made up a sentence about it.  Then I read the story, talked about migration and hibernation, and then read a silly poem about a mom bundling up her child for winter.  I was pleased with how everything went, and the Principal told me I would hear back on that Friday.

     I don't remember what I did last Thursday...Friday I went over to the Knapp/Martinez residence and hung about with some of my best friends.  I am so thankful to have amazing Christian friends to encourage me!  We are all in a similar phase in life, but have very different circumstances.  It's so great to get together and talk, laugh, eat, and watch Kate dye Joei's hair brown.  haha. 

     Friday was also the day I was 'supposed to' hear back from NCA and I never did.  I was trying not to let it bother me, but in the past if I haven't heard back when they tell me, that means I'm getting a reject letter in the mail.  I knew they had observed other candidates, but I really felt like God lead to this position.  Ryan kept reassuring me that they probably hadn't offered it to anyone yet and I just needed to be patient.  (Impossible!)  I emailed the current teacher and asked what the status on the position was and she said they were called references and had not offered it to anyone.  Yay!  Sunday night they called and offered me the position.  Praise God! 

I was right!

     Lots of times when I really look forward to something, I end up being let down because I have such high expectations.  Well this past week was indeed the best week ever.  I feel so filled up and SO blessed!

     On Wednesday Parker and I finally met up with Bobbi and Mayci.  We went to a coffee shop and were definitely the main attraction.  Bobbi looks amazing and Mayci is such a doll!  First Parker had a bottle, then he spit up.  Then Bobbi was trying to wake Mayci up and she wasn't havin' it.  Then they were both content for a little bit, so we decided to prop them next to each other on a chair for a picture.  Right before I set Parker down, he spit up again, and as soon as Bobbi left go of Mayci, she started crying.  Her hand was hitting Parker in the head and then he wasn't sure if it was okay to be happy, so they both ended up crying.  Bobbi and I were getting a kick out of it, and I'm pretty sure everyone was staring at us =)  Then when we were about to leave, someone told us we had cute babies and asked us if they were about the same age.  Of course we had to spill the whole stories about how were were best friends/roommates in college, ran track together, had due dates 1 month apart, and had our babies the same day.  They were flabbergasted.

     Thanksgiving day was wonderful.  We were at Ryan's house all morning and ate at noon.  Then we went to the Ross Thanksgiving for the evening.  I love our families!  We passed Parker around to whoever wanted to hold him, and he did a pretty good job for the most part.  He doesn't love being held when he's wide awake because he'd rather kick and flail his arms like crazy, but we played with him on the floor a lot.  I love seeing all my aunts and uncles and cousins and their families, playing games, laughing about silly stuff, and eating yummy food!  I am so blessed to have a family that loves God, supports us, and loves spending time together. 

     Thanksgiving night, Nat and I planned out our Black Friday trip as always.  We hardly had anything to get this year, and she had to be back by 10:30, so we decided to get up at 3:00am.  (The best part was that my alarm went off before Parker woke me up!  Which means he slept til 3, and he had been waking up around 1 the past week.)  We went to Kohls and Target and were back by 8:30 =)  Always a great time.  The rest of the day was relaxing.  Took a nap, played some Settlers, and played with the Parkster.  Ryan put him in the Bumbo and he actually sits up in it.  It's so cute.  I'll have to post a picture soon.

     Sandy and Malinda had a shower for Parker on Saturday which was really nice.  He got lots of super cute outfits that will fit him when he's bigger.  I can't believe he'll ever fit into some of them.  They look so huge!  After the shower we went to the Saar Thanksgiving, which was also really fun. 

     Sunday morning was quite the adventure!  After I fed Parker, Ryan changed his stinky diaper and picked him up.  As soon as he did, Parker spit up all over Ryan's sweater.  Ryan passed Parker to me and while I was holding, I felt something warm running down my arm...yep, he was going potty through his diaper.  (Don't know how that happened.)  We were able to give him a quick bath, clean ourselves up, and still get to church right as the prelude was ending.  We laughed the whole morning =)  Sunday night we played the first games of ping pong for the season...heck yes!

Best Week Ever

     I am currently in the midst of the best week ever!  Let me just tell you why...
Sunday - Went out to eat at a fancy restaurant for FREE with Ryan's work - I got a steak and it was delicious!  Then we went to a comedy club that required you to buy two items per person.  Ryan and I are pretty cheap, so he asked for the 50 cent keychain...the waitress did not laugh.  We ended up getting a slice of cheesecake, a pop, and 2 cups of coffee.  The absolute cheapest items on the menu.  It was a great time.

     Monday - I interviewed for a part-time Kindergarten position at the Naperville Christian Academy and it went really well!  They asked me to come in next week to teach a lesson.  I know there are a few other candidates that they will be observing, too.  They'll make their decision by the end of next week, and whoever they choose will be starting shortly after that in order to make the transition easier in January.  I'm really excited and I think it would be a great fit for me.  It's only in the mornings, but I can't help but feel a little bit guilty about possibly leaving Parker.  I'm trying not to get my hopes up because I've been excited for several "perfect" positions in the past and they haven't worked out.  We'll just see what God has to say about it all.  

     Today I will be headed home for a long Thanksgiving.  I absolutely love Thanksgiving, and can't wait for the rest of our families to meet Parker!  Plus I got him a shirt that says "gobble gobble." ;) 

     Tomorrow I will be spending more time with the families and hopefully seeing Bobbi and Mayci! Thursday is Thanksgiving, Friday is the annual Black Friday shopping trip with Nat, Saturday we have another baby shower and another family Thanksgiving.  Sounds like a good time to me! 

Picture Update

1 day old - fearfully and wonderfully made

Big blue eyes!

My personal favorite.

Imagine Ryan singing "The Circle of Life" in the background.

Chillin' after his first bath.

"Hmm...should I eat or sleep next? So many choices!"

"I don't have a diaper on...this could be interesting."

"Was I just back in the womb?"

"Are you my mother?"

"Ya know, I think I like it here."

Precious Moments

     Parker has pretty much out grown all of his newborn clothes!  I can't believe it.    One of his very cutest outfits is now in the "save for another kid someday" bag.  It's really happening...time is flying, he's getting bigger, and I keep reminding myself to enjoy every minute of it.  I often make comments about how great it will be when he sleeps through the night, but I am really trying to do my best at enjoying this very short stage of his life.
    
     Ryan has been home during the days, so Parker and him get a lot of daddy/son bonding time.  It's so precious to watch.  Ryan always gets him to smile so big!  Parker also likes to just sit on daddy's lap and chill.  He looks so cute sitting there with his eyes wide open just taking in the world around him.

     I love to play with Parker during the day, rock him, sing to him, etc, but every time I try to read a book to him, he fusses and I never get to finish!  Now, having a teaching background, reading to your child is something I strongly encourage at all ages, and was slightly bummed that Parker was just not having it.  However, the last two nights have been different =)  I feed him at 6, we do some low-key playing, then I feed him again at 7:15.  (During the day he only eats every 3 hours, but I read that if you "cluster feed" toward the end of the night, their belly gets more full and they have a better chance of sleeping longer at night.  I tried it last night and it seemed to work pretty good, so I did it again tonight.)  Anyway, after he's done I put him in his jammies and then he will actually sit on my lap and be content =)  I've been able to read him a few stories out of our Rhyme Bible and he hasn't fussed at all!  I love it!  Then I swaddle him up, put in the plug, (pacifier) rock him and sing to him.  What is it about rocking your sleepy baby that is so precious?  I love watching his eyes get heavy and feeling him relax in my arms.  I love watching him smile at his guardian angels and I am in awe of how perfect God made him.  I love praying for him and dreaming about what he will be like when he's older.  I love these precious moments.      

Oh and 1 other thing

     I almost forgot to mention that my BFF College Edish, Bobbi, had her baby on the exact same day as Parker!  She wasn't even due until some time in October, but she had Mayci Ann around 9:30pm.  Isn't that so cool?  I still can't believe 1- that we were both pregnant and are now moms, and 2- that our babies are birthday buddies!  I love it!  Parker and I haven't gotten to see them yet, but hopefully we will around Thanksgiving =)  Love you Bob!

     One of my other BFF's, also named Bobbi Jo (but goes by Joei), had her baby girl, Elliana Grace, 2 weeks before Parker.  We put the babies by each other on the floor and laughed so hard!  They would not look at each other, but were both staring at us no matter where we went.  Then Parker would raise his arms and knock her in the head and then she's hit him back.  It was so funny.  We tried to get them to hold hands, but they weren't having it.  It will be so fun to watch them grow up together.

AND another one of my BFF's, Kate, is having a baby is March.  They decided not to find out what they're having, but it will either be another girlfriend for Parker or a best friend.  How fun.

AND (last one) my sister-in-law, Malinda, is having a baby girl in March.  We just feel so blessed to have friends and family in the same phase of life as us.  Parker already has friends and cousins to play with =) 

Current Events

     Now I'm pretty much up to date!  Yay me!  Parker will be 7 weeks old this coming Thursday.  Time is flying!  I spent some time with a 9 month old this past weekend and can not believe that Parker will be that big in just a few short months.  One thing I am looking forward to is him sleeping through the night.  I try not to complain about it too much, but it is hard for me to enjoy the days and get things done when I didn't sleep much the night before.  I know people say to sleep when the baby sleeps (and I do), but getting a 1.5 hour nap in the middle of the day just doesn't make up for never sleeping more that 3-4 hours at a time in the night.  He is showing progress of sleeping longer, so that's good.  =) 

     Hopefully now I will be able to blog more frequently and go a little more in depth about other things that are going on in our lives.  Now I am going to attempt to add some pictures!  That way you can skip reading all the posts and just look at the pictures and captions ;)

1 month already?

Before we knew it, Parker was a month old!  He was very easy to get on a schedule and was becoming quite predictable.  The amount of time he was awake during the day was increasing and so was his alertness.  He's starting to grow out of the newborn clothes and is almost 10 pounds!  Play time is so much fun with him because he is smiling so much!  He is just so cute.  He also enjoys tummy time and can turn his head from side to side.  The first day he did it I was cheering so hard for him, and when he looked at me I almost cried.  Then I called about a dozen people to tell them.  It was so exciting because it is the first of many 'tricks' he will learn in the first few months.  Every time he gets done eating I can hardly wait to play with him because he is just so happy and I can't wait to see what he discovers next.  One day Ryan was home and I really wanted Parker to show his daddy how he could turn his head.  Ryan and I were both on the floor by Parker, cheering him, and all of a sudden he was on his back!  We looked at each other and could not believe that he had roller over!  It was so neat that Ryan was there to see him do that.  He hasn't done it since, but we know he's capable ;)  It's fun just to watch him wiggle all over.  

 

I mentioned in an earlier post that Ryan and I were watching YouTube videos to teach us how to knit.  The reason we were doing that was because I found a super cute, knitted football costume online and wanted to make it for Parker for Halloween.  I loved Halloween as a kid, and now I love it again that I get to dress up my own kid =)  Anyway, after several hours of learning, making one that was way too small, and buying more yarn and needles, we finished the football just in time for Halloween!  I must say that Ryan did all of the hard parts, and is a much more accomplished knitter than I, but it was fun to make it together.  On Halloween we went over to the Knapps house for our Small Group kick-off.  We had a chili cook-off, took family pictures, brought the kids trick-or-treating, and just enjoyed the day together.  We love our friends so much!  We attempted to take a nice family picture, but Parker was a little upset at the moment =)

Parker's Best Friend, Ella.  She was a little lady bug.

The first few weeks

     The first night in the hospital was a bit rough.  Our nurse was not the most friendly, and I was incredibly exhausted.  I got very emotional in the morning when my mom and dad came, but then things started to improve.  I could finally move around a little better and was becoming more comfortable and relaxed with Parker.  We stayed another night in the hospital and finally got to go home Saturday afternoon.  It was so fun putting him in his take-home outfit.  I bought it the weekend after we found out we were having a boy, and looked at it almost every day until I packed it in our hospital bag.

    The first week was a total blur...actually the past 6 weeks have been!  We had our newborn check-up on the Monday, and our Pediatrician (who we love) reassured us that everything about Parker is perfect and we are going to be great parents =)  What a great thing to hear from a doctor.  When the nurse measured him, he was only 19 and 3/4 instead of 20 and 3/4 inches.  He shrunk because the cone on his head right after birth had shrunk back to normal.  Isn't that crazy?  The human body is an amazing thing.

My siblings came the night he was born!

Papa and Grandma getting their first look at their new Grandson.

Aunt Kate

Aunt Jo Jo - 2 weeks after Ella was born and lookin' mighty fine!

Aunt Natalie and Alaina came when we first got home and made us applecrisp...yumm.

At first Alaina was sort of nervous, but now she loves Parker so much!  She can't wait to babysit, but says she won't be changing any diapers ;)

Aunt Malinda lovin' on her nephew.

Uncle Adam

Big smiles thanks to Uncle Adam joking about something.

Nana enjoying her 3rd grandson.

   
     We had tons of visitors, but all I really remember is figuring out how to take care of him.  By the end of the week I was feeling pretty great.  Again, amazing how quickly a body can recover!  We went home to Stillman and German Valley for Columbus day weekend.  We got to show off Parker to lots of family and friends, work/ride in the field, go to the apple orchard, and take him to church.

      The best part about the first 2.5 weeks of Parker's life was that Ryan was off work!  I was kind of skeptical about whether he would be able to do that because in the month prior, he had been working open-close at the new clinic almost everyday.  I wasn't sure if that place would survive without him, or if people would leave him alone.  He went the whole time without even turning his work phone on and we enjoyed every day together!  What a blessing.  He is a super great daddy and husband, and a huge help and encouragement everyday!

Special Delivery =)

     My due date was September 23, but my body was showing no signs of progress.  On Tuesday the 27th, I went to get a non-stress test and talk about inducing.  My Dr. did not think waiting any longer would do me any good, so we decided to start the process the next night.  I went to lunch with a friend the next day and the waiter asked me when I was due.  I told him 'last week'...he looked a little nervous, haha.  It was really weird all day though, telling myself that I was going to have our baby the next day.  
  
     Ryan and I went to Culvers before we had to check in to the hospital at 8:00.  As we were walking in, I told him that we should try to talk about something other than the fact that we were about to have our baby and how much different our lives would be forever.  We ordered our food, sat down, and just looked at each other like it was an awkward first date.  We were both obviously thinking about what the next few days would bring, so we decided it was okay to talk about what was on our minds.  =)
  
     We arrived at Rush-Copley at 8:00, checked in, took a quick picture, and then I changed into my beautiful hospital gown.  A few minutes later, 3 nurses rushed in without introducing themselves - needles in hand.  Just a reminder, needles and I do not get along well.  I was instantly light headed =)  Before getting there I had mentally prepared myself for the IV, but I didn't know they'd have to draw blood too.  I was a little overwhelmed, but then my main nurse, Andrea, came in and made me feel a lot more comfortable.  She was extremely friendly and talked with us quite a bit throughout the night.

     The reason I went in at night is so they could give start Cytotec.  You can get it every 2 hours, and usually it takes 3 to 4 doses before it takes effect.  Andrea hooked me up to the monitors and little did I know I was already contracting!  I couldn't feel them yet, but I was excited that the process was officially starting.  After the 2nd dose of Cytotec, I was contracting 15 times every half hour.  I was going to get the 3rd dose, but then my water broke at 6:00am.  I felt a little pop and thought maybe it was it, and a few seconds later I KNEW that was it.  I was officially in active labor =)  Then they started me on Potocin to speed up the whole process.
 
     The early morning was pretty easy-going.  Ryan and I were teaching ourselves how to knit (by watching YouTube videos), and my contractions were manageable.  At about 10:00 they started to get a little more intense, so I got some Fentanyl.  That just made me super sleepy.  At 11:00 I asked for the Epidural.  This was probably my #1 fear about the delivery, and it was no big deal.  What a relief!  They upped the Potocin and I could not stay awake for the life of me!  I basically slept from 11:30 to 6:00, except for when my nurse (now Molly) came in to check on me.  I started to push around 6:00, and Molly went to get Dr. Alexander at about 6:15 because she thought the baby would be come in the next 10 minutes.  An hour and a half later, our beautiful baby boy FINALLY made his debute!  Parker Ross Glendenning was born at 7:38 pm.  7lbs, 6oz, 20 and 3/4 inches long.  I instantly thought he looked just like his daddy =)
 

   
     The whole experience was so surreal.  There were several times throughout the day that Ryan and I would just look at each other and get tears in our eyes.  It felt like our love for each other grew exponentially.  The fact that we were in the hospital about to have our first baby was so crazy!  I can't even describe it, but it was one of the best days ever.  I always thought childbirth was going to be incredibly horrible, but it was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.  (Largely because of the Epidural, but the whole process was pretty cool.)  I knew a baby was a total miracle before, but having my own made it seem so much more amazing.  God is brilliant.

Finally!

     Wow!  I made this blog in August with intentions of writing on it very very frequently after our baby was born - now it's mid-November and I haven't written a thing!  In my defense, I sat down 2 other times to start, but none of my pictures would upload.  Let's be honest, who seriously wants to read a blog without pictures?  I gave up those times, but now I think I've figured out a way to upload them and will do that soon.  (Cross your fingers ;)  I'm going to do my best to recap the past 6 weeks, and then try to keep up to date after that.  Here we go!

Due date - come and gone

Well, Thursday, Sept. 23, was the due date.  I didn't actually expect to have him that day, but we couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.  Now it is Saturday, I have had no contractions, and am still feeling pretty great.  At least I am thankful for the feeling great part =)  I'll be back at the Dr. Tuesday morning to make sure he's still moving around and has enough fluid, and then I'll be induced on Thursday the 30th if nothing happens before then.  We're praying for things to start naturally, but we'll see how it all pans out.  In the meantime I have been doing a lot of walking and baking!  Once he finally comes, this blog will be much more exciting to read! haha =)  Hope you're all enjoying Fall - it's the best!

Baby Shower and Anniversary

The baby shower was so awesome. My friends in the Naperville area threw it for me - Angie, Kate, Joei, Katie, and Brittany. It was so great for my new friends to meet my old friends and to catch up with everyone. The food,cupcakes,cookies and punch were delicious, too! We got a lot of awesome presents that we're really excited to use soon. He is going to look so spoiled with all of the Nike onesies and Nike Shox that he got! We got so many cute outfits, some bottles, books, beautiful picture frames, and other baby 'must-haves.' Thanks to everyone that came and made me feel so special!

When we got home, we went through everything again and put some of it away =)

Monday was our 2 year anniversary. Ryan hadn't been golfing in a while, so I walked 9 holes with him. Then we came home and rested a little bit because that kinda wore me out. We took care of some more of the shower gifts and just relaxed together. Then we went out to eat. He knew that I've been wanting to go to the Melting Pot for a while, so I had a sneaky suspicion that's where we would be going out to eat. Joei and I had also talked a long time ago about going there together since her and David have the same anniversary as us. I asked Ryan about that during the day, but he said we weren't meeting them.

When we got to the restaurant he asked right away where the bathrooms were before he told the girl his name or anything. I thought that was kind of weird, but he was trying to hydrate well for his surgery the next day, so I didn't think anything of it. Supposedly he went back to the hostess and explained to her that he was Ryan, but the reservations were under David, party of 4. He wanted to tell her Ryan for 2, sit down, and then have David and Joei show up and it would be a surprise to both of us girls. (I don't think I've mentioned this before, but Joei is due a week before me, so we've become super great friends the past 9 months.) Anyway, I meet back up with Ryan, we walk to the front, and before he even says anything, the hostess says "Would you like to wait up here for your guests or at the table?" DUH! I was like "Oh, who are we meeting =)" Ryan told the girl she blew it and about 30 seconds later she finally realized what he was trying to do. Oh well. Shortly after we sat down, David and Joei came and it was great.

The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant, so we started off with a cheese fondue that we dipped bread in. Then we got a salad and then our meat. We had pork, steak, chicken, tuna, and lobster on a huge platter that we dipped in the oil to cook. Super yummy. Finally, for dessert we got Cookies and Cream Marshmallow Dream and Flaming Turtle fondue that we dipped brownies, marshmallows, pound cake, cheesecake, strawberries, and bananas in. We were there for almost 3 hours! Yes we ate too much, but that's probably the only time we'll ever get to go there, so we made sure we took advantage of it =)

Ryan's surgery went super well. The only trouble he has was that his pupils were pinpointed and he couldn't see very well the whole rest of the day. It was kind of scary because we tried eye drops, sunglasses, being in the dark, turning on the lights, everything, and nothing changed. Luckily after a good night's sleep they were back to normal. We spent Wednesday and Thursday at home and Ryan went back to work on Friday.

Oh, Thursday I had an OB appointment. Everything still looks great and signs of the end are near ;)

Upcoming Week

Before Ryan left we actually got a lot done in our room - organized, threw some stuff away, rearranged, etc. I had a great time at home and he had an awesome time in the Boundary Waters.

I'm super excited for this upcoming week. Sunday we're going to church and my shower is in the afternoon. Most of my bff's will be there (including my SBF), and I just love seeing people I haven't seen in a while!

Then Monday is our 2 YEAR Anniversary. I don't know about other people, but during the week leading up to our Anniversary I get so thankful and excited and happy about being married to Ryan! He is way more than I could've ever asked for in a husband and I feel so blessed to have him! I could go on and on... He took the day off so we can relax and spend it together. We don't have anything spectacular planned, but we're happy just to have quality time and go out to eat =)

Tuesday we'll have quality time, too, but it's because he's having surgery on his hernias. It's scheduled for 8:30 am, so if you'd like to pray for him that'd be great. He's not nervous about it at all. Apparently he'll be able to walk out of the clinic and just have restrictions on how active he can be for a few weeks. He'll be home Wednesday all day, too.

That's pretty much it. Should be a good time.

Nesting?

Currently, Ryan and I live in a one bedroom apartment. It's a super cute place and we really like it, but things will obviously be a little bit cramped with a baby and all the fun stuff that comes with him. It just so happens that our lease is up September 26...3 days after my due date. We thought about trying to move at the beginning of September, but then we'd have to break our lease and pay two extra months of rent - not cool. We knew we didn't want to move right when our lease is up, because if I have to come home to a place that is boxed up and unorganized, I'll probably go nuts. So, we decided to extend our lease two months. We'll be moving out Nov. 30. Now we just need to decide where our next place is! We love the area that we are in, but it is a bit pricey. We are looking at surrounding suburbs that are a little bit cheaper. Hopefully we will find a townhome to rent.

So, since we are staying here for the first two months, I guess I've started to "nest." At least that's what Nat said. The baby is going to be sharing a room with us, so we need to rearrange, organize, and probably pack up a few things to make it work for a short time. We are just going to use a pack n' play to start with, and then maybe when we move we'll get a crib and dresser for the little guy. Ryan is leaving for a week in the Boundary Waters on Friday and I am going home for the week. I have my first baby shower on August 15th, so I'd like to be able to bring all of those gifts back to our apartment and put them where they belong, instead of storing them at my parents or throwing them in a corner in our apartment. That's why I'm trying to get things taken care of before I head home. We'll see how that goes.

I'm almost 34 weeks and I still have a hard time believing this is all real! I was telling people I was 6 months pregnant for two months, and now all of a sudden I'm 8.5 months! It's like I skipped 7 altogether and time is going so so fast! Pretty soon it's going to be September...oh my my my!

Ultrasound Pics

We had our 2nd ultrasound last night. Everything looks perfect, and he's still a boy, haha.

Here are some pictures of him at our 20 week ultrasound on May 12th. He was in a good position to see his profile.







And here are some from lastnight - week 29. He looks so much bigger and human-like! The first one is his face (his mouth is open), and the second one is one of his feet that kicks me all day =)