Head Down

At our ultrasound last week, we found out that the baby's head is down and she is in position for birth! Well, since a couple days before that ultrasound, I have been having pain in my whoo haaa. It's like a burning soreness. I've been doing a lot of research on the internet and in books and the best that I can tell is that this ia result of the baby lightening (or dropping). Dropping is good! I read last night that lightening normally occurs 2-4 weeks before the baby is born. I'm ready! I definitely don't want her to come before it's time for her, before she is ready, but I'm ready! What's a couple more weeks, right????

Flowers in Bloom

Blooming flowers definitely make a house a home. One of our rose of sharon trees has beautiful white buds and blooms on it this year.




While I was admiring the flowers, I noticed something else special in the rose of sharon tree.



This is the second Mama Bird that has made a nest in one of our rose of sharon trees. Guess we offer a safe environment for the birds. Maybe it's just the mama hormones that are radiating from our house....

Picture Pages

I'm so excited to see our little girl and to take picture after picture of her. We are going to dedicate a wall in the nursery for miscellaneous pictures of our family. There is going to be one large central picture of the 3 of us and then we are going to do random pictures around the large one....for example, the baby's hand inside my husband's, their feet together, etc. I've made these picture frames for the pictures that will be hung around the large central one...I still need to get the large picture frame completed.





Just a few more weeks until I get to put pictures in these!

Sewing Patterns

Nesting must be setting in. I decided to purchase these sewing patterns from eBay.



Let's hope that I have the desire and time to use them in a few months!

36 Weeks

Only 4 weeks left! Or less! We had a growth ultrasound at the doctor's appointment this week and they are projecting our baby to be a little over 8 lbs. at birth. That is the size I was. The doctor also said that if my cervix was favorable, that they would induce any time after 39 weeks, so we could have our baby girl here in less than 4 weeks! That is so very exciting! And, yes, she is still a girl. The tech re-confirmed for us :)

Here is my 36 week picture....



As soon as my mom saw it, she commented on how low the baby was sitting. The tech confirmed that she is head down. So, we are just waiting for her to be ready to grace us with her presence!

Today, we are installing the car seat and learning how to use the Baby Bjorn. It's getting close and we are so excited!!!!

Handmade Gifts

I sent one of the blocks that I made to my girlfriend who has a little boy and she sent me this picture...



I'm so glad that they appreciate the little block. My friend told me that her son just started noticing 3-dimensional objects, so it was perfect timing getting it to him. I certainly hope that he has fun playing with it.

Also, I finished the baby blanket for my husband's friend's son. He's a big boy so I made a big blanket. I hope he likes it, too....



Years ago, handmade gifts were the norm and people rarely bought gifts for others. I guess people have just gotten too busy to carry on that tradition. Personally, I love receiving handmade gifts. Not everyone is a professional and not all handmade items are perfect, with no flaws, but they are made with love. They are all unique and were made just for the receiver. Handmade gifts are definitely the most special.

Saying Goodbye

I'm having a really difficult time accepting that my friend is moving to Louisiana. I'm not ready to say goodbye to her. Oh, I know that we can keep in touch, but it just isn't the same. It seems as though something that I wanted so badly, this friendship, was given to me for such a short time and is now being stripped from me. Mentally, I understand that the decision for them to leave has absolutely nothing to do with me. However, emotionally, I can't help but think about how this is impacting me. Is that selfish? Even if it is selfish, is it wrong?

I don't know what to do, how to act, what to say, etc....All I want to do is cry and feel sorry for myself. I know that's not healthy....

Where is My Nesting?

There is much information out there saying that toward the end of pregnany, a woman gets an intense nesting instict to clean, get things prepared for baby, and, in general, turn her house upside down making it perfect for the soon-to-arrive baby. Where's my instict? Where's my need to clean? Where's my desire to wash down the cabinets and go over the bathroom with a toothbrush? It just hasn't arrived yet. Granted, I would like to have my house spotless, but I don't have the NEED to clean. Of course, I don't think I've ever had that need. Maybe nesting is just a more intense version of what you normally are.

The nursery is clean, baby clothes are washed and put away, and the things I've bought have been sprayed with lysol or wiped down with a clorox cloth. I guess only time will tell if the full-blown nesting instict will ever appear....

Sewing Projects

One of my friends asked me to make her some headbands. Even though I was a little leary at first because I am such a sewing novice, I jumped in and made a few. I must admit, I had a great time doing it. Not only was I enjoying sewing, but I was also enjoying doing something special for my friend.



I also made some baby blocks. I thought it would be a cute, easy, straight-stitch project. They've turned out really adorable...



I tried a baby ring, but it just didn't work out. I definitely have not graduated to circles yet! So, I'm back to straight, easy things. Right now, I need to finish a baby blanket for one of my husband's friends who just had a 10 pound, 11 ounce baby boy! What a big boy!!!!

Feeling Pregnant

So far, I have had a great pregnancy. Praise the Lord! Yesterday, though, I went off my diet and I am reaping the results right now. It's 4:00 in the morning and I've been up for over an hour. I think, for the first time ever, I'm experiencing acid reflux. I have this lump in my throat that feels like it is blocking my entire esophagus. When I lay down, it just gets worse. Plus, my hips and back hurt.

I always wondered why people ask you if you "feel pregnant" and what that means. Typically, it's implications are negative. That you can't "feel pregnant" and feel great. From the very beginning, I think that I have felt pregnant. I have put the welfare of this little girl above my desires. I have prayed for her and thought about her. I have talked to her and enjoyed feeling her move. Isn't that "feeling pregnant"?

Why can't "feeling pregnant" be a joyous, wonderful question that has nothing but positive implications? Yes, I feel pregnant! I feel thankful for the wonderful, amazing, perfect gift that God has given us. I feel honored that God has chosen us to be the parents of this precious little girl. I feel humbled that I am responsible for such a perfect gift. Yes, I definitely feel pregnant!

Yard Sale Find

Here is my latest yard sale find. I'm pretty excited about it! My father-in-law said that we need to change the knobs on it to glass and then it would look more authentic.



To the master bathroom it goes....

Changes

Why has it suddenly hit me that everything is going to change? I guess it really is a part of life that things change. And, I know that I'm not in control of those changes. The catalyst that has set me to thinking about these changes is that my very dear friend just informed me that her family is moving to Louisiana. Last week, she mentioned that her husband was applying for a job that would require them to move. I guess that I just chose to ignore that possibility. Yesterday, she told me that her husband had accepted the job in Louisiana and that they are moving. I spent the afternoon crying and then I was so upset that I actually cleaned the bathroom.

I just don't understand why I finally found a friend that is a true friend, who a I enjoy hanging out with, who I trust, and now she is being taken away. I'm fully aware that I am being selfish, and I know that they need to do this if it is the right thing for their family, but it doesn't make me any less sad.

Another thing that has made me think about the changes is that I was looking at the latest weekly pictures of me....

33 weeks...Happy 4th of July!



32 weeks....



31 weeks....with a goat (this is my favorite!)



30 weeks...at the beach