Play date

My SIL/friend, Jackie, came to visit the other day. We hung out, hunted for fabric for a little project she is working on (a great deal of discussion went into these fabric choices. It was intense), had some lunch, and hung out at the homestead for a while. It was a fabulous time, and just the distraction I needed.

The end is in sight!

Today is the official due date for the kid (no indicators that anything is happening--sadly), and last week the doctor told us it could happen anytime and it is just "wait and see."  I may have pushed her to give us a date that would end the "wait and see" period, because, honestly, I just need to know when this will be done.  So, if nothing happens before August 7, that is when we are heading to the hospital to be induced (after we call at 6:30 am to find out if they have room and when we can come in.  I think they should just have a bed ready for me, because I am willing to be at their front door by 6:30 am).  I pushed for sooner, but no one listened to me.  Meanies.  Whatever.  At least I have an end date and can mark off the days for that.  Lets just hope things happen sooner than that.  

Crafty Boredom

I have been on maternity leave for two weeks. The house is (fairly) clean, the baby space ready, and I'm bored puttering around the house and equally tired of lacking the energy to leave the house. And so I've resorted to crafty things. We're growing wildflowers from the seeds we handed out at the wedding, so I picked some petals, dried them, and put them in a clear Christmas ornament I had hanging around.  We now have a nice little ornament that has mementos from the wedding.  In a couple years these petals will be dust and shaking around this glass ball.  Until then, I'll just enjoy the few brief moments I had of putting it all together and alleviating my boredom.  

It's cheesy, and I'm okay with that. It amuses me.

My heart is full

I have been sitting here thinking a great deal about how blessed I am in my friendships.  There are several ladies in my ward that I have become friends with since I moved in, and friends I've made through my time in the singles ward.  We've hung out together, had family activities together, and gotten to know one another pretty well.  As I approach the due date (six days away and I hope I don't have to wait out the week after still being pregnant), these women have called and emailed to check in on me, offered to take Maggie on walks and bring dinner, make sure I know they are thinking of me as I go along.  My friends and family in SoCal (and other parts of the country) have also been checking in on me, letting me know that while they cannot be here physically, they are sending thoughts and prayers my way.  It is all appreciated.  Greatly.  My heart is full to know how blessed I am to have these people in my life, and to know that I can truly call on them for anything.  I hope I am able to be the kind of friend that they are to me.      

Fly away with me!

Kevin loves pretty much anything having to do with knights, castles, and the medeval era.  Part of that includes falcons and hawks and how they were used for hunting back in the day.  So, I found a great deal for a falconing lesson and off Kevin went with his brother, Dan, to learn to fly a bird of prey.  I have now found gifts for every birthday and Christmas coming up.  Shopping made easy.

 These guys are speedy; they routinely fight air traffic tickets in court, apparently.

 Artistic shot of the falcon.

The mighty hunters (held by Kevin and Dan).

They made a movie about me...

Have you seen Pixar's "Brave" yet?  I'm pretty sure they based the looks of the main character, Merida,  on myself as a younger lass.  Ok, mostly just the hair.  And maybe, slightly, the eye color.  But hey, after a lifetime of seeing blondes and brunettes get all the hair glory in Disney films (the Little Mermaid doesn't count, because, really? How could I identify with that perfection of a mane?), there is finally one I could relate to.  I thought I'd give photo documentation to prove it.  The movie has me seriously considering growing my hair out, again.  We'll see how long I can stand it.

Merida, from Pixar's "Brave"

Shaine, age four-ish

See?  The resemblance is uncanny. :-)

Stats

I went in for an ultrasound yesterday so the tech could give us a guesstimate on the size and weight of the baby.  Right now, she is predicting 8 lbs. 5 oz (plus or minus a pound) and a size consistent with a July 17th-20th due date (which is this week).  Knowing my luck, the kid will still come in the middle of August and be on the plus side of that weight estimate, by more than a pound.  I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, so we'll see what she says about this situation then.  But in the meantime, I am so absolutely ready to be done with pregnancy.  I want my body back, my range of motion returned.  I'd like to be able to paint my toenails by myself again.  I want to sleep comfortably again, and be able to walk without pain in my joints.  I am over and done with it all.    

Photo Shoot

I was bored last night and decided to do a photo shoot with my favorite subject. Maggie wasn't too keen on the idea, but she sort of cooperated. And our wildflowers are blooming like crazy; I had to get a shot of that.  Besides, it's triple digits here, and I can't get comfortable.  I need something to keep me occupied.  Maggie is just going to have to deal with that.

The long-suffering Maggie.

She's just humoring me at this point.

And she's over it.

Irony

Kevin woke up with what he thought was a sore back, but by the time he got to work, it was intense pain radiating from his back and down the front.  His internet research led him to conclude it was either appendicitis or kidney stones.  I went with kidney stones.  He wound up getting an early-ish appt. at the doctor's office in Walnut Creek, so up we traveled for a day spent bouncing between different departments.  The doctor agreed with the kidney stone diagnosis (who needs medical school and professionals when you have the internet to diagnose everything for you?), gave him some good drugs to manage the pain and wished him luck.  So, now Kevin is drugged and desperately drinking copious amounts of water in order to allow this situation to pass.  Literally.  

On a personal note, I can't help but love the irony that, with 2 1/2 weeks left before the baby's due date, Kevin is struck with the malady that some say is the closest a man will ever know to labor.  Really, the timing could not be more appropriate.  I can giggle and be sympathetic at the same time.  

Happy 4th of July!

Kevin and I spent the 4th of July week in Aptos for the annual family reunion/gathering.  It was perfect weather and absolutely gorgeous and relaxing days.  The Thurmond's joined us, as per usual, and a good time was had by all.  Happy Independence Day.  I hope you enjoyed celebrating our nation's birthday!    

 Maggie greets the beach upon our arrival.

 We're all just pirates at heart.

 When the fireworks commenced, Maggie found a place in the back bedroom, under the bed.  She stayed there for hours and could not be coaxed out for a couple hours.

 Since the country began with an illegal declaration (you know, revolution), it seems only appropriate that we celebrate with illegal fireworks.

 Ren enjoys his first fireworks show on the beach!

 This is one of my favorite views.  Ever.

Enjoying the view on the way home.

Ikea Realized

In my quest to fulfill some crazy want, I decided to make my Ikea wish a reality. After taking a week to set up, then having to reschedule two weeks in a row due to sickness and other circumstances, I finally met Jackie (my SIL) and Nicole (a new friend) in Emeryville for Ikea food and some limited wandering.

The meatballs were good, the chocolate cake amazing, and next time I go, I really want to try their ribs. They smelled yummy. And in addition, there was a bunch of fun stuff there that I really want. I don't need it. Or have room for it. But it looks really cool and I'd definitely enjoy it.

Ok, this needs to be clicked on to see everyone.  I don't know why it cuts off Jackie.  But she's in there.  I promise. And it's a bad shot of all of us.  But it's the only one I got and I needed to record the fact that we actually made this trip happen.

Mementos

My mom always kept a baby box for each of us kids. It is basically a container holding things relating to our childhood. She kept a couple of outfits each of us wore that were her favorites, blankets that people close to us made when we were born, a couple toys and stuffed animals, etc. and things significant to our lives as we were growing up; baptism outfit, church advancement certificates, school stuff. You get the idea.

I want to do the same thing for my kid(s). So, I asked my dad to build a box that I could put these mementos in for baby girl to look through when she's older. And he did. When my parents came down on this weekend, he brought the box. I love it and can't wait to use it.