30 weeks...can it be??

Yes, already it seems our sweet Emmy-Grace is a whopping 30 weeks. She weighs in at about 3 lbs and seems to be happily growing and wiggling inside me! We can't believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by, and yet there seems to be so much to do to get ready for her birth. I have been feeling pretty good; still working, and doing my best to battle the back pain that comes from being petite and carrying a baby. My last day at work is Dec 12, if I don't go into labor before then, and then I'll be a stay-at-home mommy to Emmersyn until she is at least three months old. We are still praying about whether I will take an on-call position (1-2 days a week) or I will continue to stay at home. We are confident the Lord will work it out when the time comes, either way. Until then, I continue to find too many clothes for our girl, and am getting things ready for her arrival. I think the nesting instinct has kicked in because all I want to do is clean our house, organize her clothes, and pack her hospital bag...

Our lease is up in November, and we are moving to a bigger place. Although I will be thrilled to have a real oven, a dishwasher, and a washer/dryer, I must admit I will miss our tiny apartment. It's cozy and we have enjoyed 10 happy months of wedded bliss in it...

We are headed to Portland on Nov 11, to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary a month early...I didn't think that at 36 weeks pregnant, I would enjoy traveling/shopping/sleeping in a hotel bed, so we decided it'll be easier to travel next month instead. We are hoping to snag some goodies for our new house at the fun IKEA in Portland.

Hubby still is enjoying his job in online marketing, while I pass my days away as a marketing assistant at Southern Oregon University/Social Media Coordinator at CCM Magazine/owner of Wonderment Entertainment. My jobs keep me pretty busy, though I find I am pretty slow getting around these days with tiny girly wiggling 24/7 and kicking me in the ribs and back.

That's about it for us...we have a checkup with our baby doc tomorrow!

Third Trimester!

Our precious, sweet baby is 27 weeks! Weighing in at 2.2 lbs and 15 inches from head to toe, she is beginning to really pack a punch...she kicked her daddy's hand pretty hard the other day, has lots of bouts with hiccups, and enjoys kicking and rolling for about 20 mins at a time during the day. i wish i could see if she was sucking her thumb, but i would need a 24/7 ultrasound to do that :) her daddy and i are beginning baby preparations (eek!) including her darling crib and carseat/stroller combo. i'm not sure where people are taking their babies these days, but they make some serious all-terrain strollers. since we are not taking her to the Alps, or off-roading, we are settling for the "we're going the mall" stroller.

after a scare with pre-term labor, i have had no other contractions, and we are really thankful she is staying put in her cozy little home (i assume my womb is cozy...i have no idea.)

in other news, we have a new car to bring her home in, a lovely, immaculate, new-to-us Dodge Stratus. it's by FAR the nicest car either one of us have owned, and it's really safe and new for the little one we will be bringing home. although i have picked neutral things for her crib, and her pack n' play, and her highchair, etc, the neutral infant carseat was really hideous and had monkeys and bananas all over it. so the one we've picked is pink and brown and since she'll only be in it until she's 22 lbs, we can just get another with baby #2 (i can't believe we will even have one, much less two, ever). i'm all set to go with my CUTE petunia picklebottom bags, in the boxy backpack and the adorable cross town clutch! You can see them here: http://petuniapicklebottom.com/collections/original/boxybackpacks/siestainsevilla/

the bags are spendy, but are really great quality and made out of great coated fabric so they wipe right off.

our Bradley birth class is...interesting...drew and i feel like the trouble makers because we are apparently having too much fun. last week we did "labor rehearsals" using ice cubes (?) and when i started snickering because water was dripping down my clothes, the instructor came over and asked "what the issue" was. "the issue" was that it was hilarious, but she didn't share our humor, i guess! also, i have thought it was my week to bring snacks multiple weeks in a row now, which has resulted in me baking absurdly complicated desserts full of stuff like spelt flour and agave, only to be left with dozens of leftovers upon discovering it wasn't our turn. husband i have gained a ton of weight from eating all of the baked goods! (it really is my week this week, btw. i checked. i have to bring spinach dip. have i ever made spinach dip? no. i will let you know how that goes). all in all, we have learned a little bit, and the couples in the class are super nice, so we will keep going (and getting fat from baking). i am not sure how a "2 hour class" has morphed into a "3 hour class' but let's all just say a prayer of thankfulness that labor rehearsals are at the end and involve lots of pillows and darkness and mini-naps. (if it was happening on a thursday, i would probably hightail it outta there every week so i didn't miss grey's). i'm all for natural birth and i do believe it is the right decision for us, but i simply don't revolve my life around it. the Lord knows when and how she is going to make her appearance. i will exercise and eat healthy and do the workbook, but my life moves on in the next 13 weeks. i think that's why i have trouble with the class...the teacher is a little bit obsessed with it all. i work 40 hours a week so i can't find time to sit there and read 24/7...i have already done the research. anyways, long story short, we love the Bradley, love our fellow parent couples, but could really do without the three hour class.

i'm finally "looking pregnant" according to three ladies at church who announced that they didn't know i was expecting till this week. i feel the size of a small country, but have in fact not gotten out of maternity size XS, so i must not be as big as i feel.

that's about it for an update! can't wait to actually have baby pictures!!!