Two Weeks until Our Due Date!

It's amazing to realize that we are now two weeks from our due date! Joshua is in position now (and dropped). Friday's ultrasound looked great - he's approximately 6 pounds 12 ounces and very active. We're glad he didn't decide to break any records, like that Indonesian baby in the news this week who weighed 19 pounds at birth. Joshua will be a respectable (and convenient) 7 to 8 pounds.

Sam and Amy got married yesterday and we were so glad Joshua stayed in for the event. The wedding was beautiful, complete with a sunny day be a pond with the trees changing color and heartfelt vows the couple wrote. It was so nice to meet Amy's family and have so many of Sam and Mike's relatives in one spot.

35 Weeks Now!

Wow! I’m 35 weeks pregnant now. It’s amazing how quickly this time has passed. Mike and I keep saying it seems like it was just early January when I was wondering when I’d get pregnant… now Joshua is almost here!

Josh is moving A LOT and is making my whole abdomen move around. Frankly, I don’t know how my students can concentrate on the chemistry discussion when Josh is moving around so much! This weekend, I felt his foot poking out my left side (I couldn’t see the foot shape, but I felt the shape of his foot very distinctly). When I went to the OB’s office last week, I was told that Joshua is head down now. How nice to know that he’s getting in the right position for birth.

I’ve been still feeling so good. I’ve been walking with Mike whenever we can fit in a long walk (like yesterday at Shades State Park or earlier this week on our favorite 5-mile walk around Franklin Colleg from home) and walking 30-minutes daily with Daisy. I nap after work every day, which has kept me feeling happy and sweet. I’m so glad to say that my blood sugar levels have been fantastic – even without taking insulin resistance medicine anymore. Boy, is the endocrinologist pleased.

Joshua's Room is Ready for Him

We finished decorating Joshua’s room for him! Now, the changing table is decked out with the accoutrements to change diapers, the curtains are hung, the dresser has a little lamp to softly light the room during night feedings, the bookcase has books to read to Joshua, and the crib has a beautiful mobile from Grandma Jones. Plus, Mike cleaned the carpet, so the room would be completely fresh for our little boy.

Farm Bureau Baby Shower

The ladies at our Franklin Indiana Farm Bureau Office threw us a Baby Shower two weeks ago! Mike and I had a wonderful time eating, visiting, and playing games. The most challenging game for us was guessing the type of melted candy bar in newborn diapers… Jana made a gorgeous cake for the event with little booties made of marshmallows as decoration. The chicken, cheese ball, veggie tray, chips and dip, mini chocolates, and punch prepared by Alice, Cathy, and Karen were scrumptious. We really enjoyed the evening of fun and appreciated the very generous and thoughtful gifts, like a Winnie the Pooh umbrella stroller, toy chest, and goodie basket of items to take care of Josh.

Little Shoes

This is probably silly to feel so tender-hearted, but I was very touched by these little shoes we got for Joshua. Look how little and cute they are on the doormat beside my foot!

Clean Garage

We hit a major Milestone this weekend! We cleaned the garage so thoroughly (and ruthlessly) that we now have room for a chest freezer. During August, I plan to fill the freezer with casseroles. (Yes, my nesting instinct has kicked in…) Then, we’ll be able to have many healthy and quick dinners after Josh is born by simply warming up a casserole and a veggie. Even better, the Civic can park in the garage over the winter, so Josh won’t travel in a cold, icy car.

Maine Baby Shower Trip

I flew to Maine to visit family & friends in mid-July (July 11-15). What a wonderful trip! Angel and Tom very sweetly came to get me from the airport and drive me to Waterville. With some heavy traffic, I arrived in time for a late family dinner at Cacciatore’s, a fabulous Italian restaurant in Waterville. Boy, was it wonderful to see my parents, brothers, sister-in-law, and (very grown) nieces and nephews!
The next day, I enjoyed a spectacular Baby Shower that Mom organized for me. It was gorgeous in the church hall, including a balloon arch decorating a rocking chair and potted flowers on every table. There was even a special blessing written on the white board for Joshua! Plus, the hall was filled with family and friends I had never had all under one roof before. It was such a wonderful event. My niece Meghan did a superb job as photographer for me to help capture the day on film.
The food was superb, with all my favorite goodies from family reunions, including fruit salad and those scrumptious mini ham sandwiches. The cake was adorable and delicious, decorated with Winnie the Pooh and Friends on a swing set hung from a tree. I can’t even describe how thoughtful and generous the gifts were! We received adorable clothes for Joshua, beautiful handmade afghans and quilts, extremely helpful gift cards, and so many other gifts, too…The remaining days of the trip whipped by so quickly. I walked daily with Angel, laughed in the kitchen with Jeff, Heather, & Ken, visited Grandma at her house, watched movies with Mom and Dad, and went on a fun shopping trip with Mom. One of my favorite moments was hearing Jeff and Ken reminisce about their feelings when they each brought their first children home from the hospital.

July Camping Trips

We spent an extended fourth of July weekend on another fantastic camping trip, at a place called Indiana Dunes. The Great Lakes and surrounding beaches and woods are so incredibly beautiful. We thoroughly enjoyed walking and laying on the beach. Guitar music sounded extra good with the sound of waves lapping the shore or the crackle of the campfire. One of the highlights was hiking Mt. Thom. We took the stairs from the campground to the beach. I don't think it's possible to climb the dreaded Mt. Thom from the dune side...
Then, we went home for one night to do laundry and re-pack before heading to my favorite camping spot – Clifty Falls. This trip was terrific, too. We enjoyed the pool this year, in addition to the wildlife, hiking, and relaxing by the fire to sing and play guitar. We tried a fantastic new combination of trails that had us looking so sweaty, another couple said they were going to ask us directions, but they didn’t want to go the way we had been! Daisy absolutely loves camping in the woods here, too. This time, she was intrigued by the raccoons that approached the campsite in the evening.