Most Popular Question #3: Is the nursery ready yet?

I get asked a lot of the same questions lately.

#1 - Q: How are you feeling? A: Pregnant, very pregnant.
#2 - Q: Do you have a name picked out yet? A: We have three, which we're not narrowing down until he's born. You'll just have to wait.
#3 - Q: Do you have the nursery ready yet? A: Almost.

This past weekend we finally got the crib set up and a few more things in place in the nursery. Nathan worked on the crib like any proud expectant father does.

We were so proud of ourselves when it was done.
I have also had fun decorating a little... (this blank wall is where the changing table will go)

As you can see, we're getting there. The glider/rocker needs to be moved from the master bedroom to the nursery, and the shelving needs to be installed in the closet so things can be put away. The changing table had to be re-ordered due to it being the wrong color and damaged upon arrival. But at least now Tater Tot has a place to sleep. And don't worry mommies, all the bumper pads, quilt, and stuffed animals will be removed from the crib until he's much older.

Testing...Testing...1,2,3...Are You Ready?

4:44 am Monday 8/24: Chrystal wakes up...thinks, "wow, that is one hefty contraction..."
4:54 am: "Another one? Ugh. I am not going to get any sleep."
5:06 am: "Seriously? This is miserable! Guess I'll go take a bath so these will stop and I can go to back to sleep. It's way too early for this."
Bath..."hmmmm...these are not stopping."
5:46 am: "Wow, still going strong. Maybe I'll try sitting up in bed and trying to sleep."
...Nope. Nice try mommy.
5:51 am: Nathan hears me tossing & turning. "Are you ok?" Chrystal: "Yep, just contracting. Go back to sleep. I'll wake you later."
.....7:24 am: Nathan wakes up. Chrystal is still sitting in bed, breathing deeply every 5-7 minutes.
9:02 am: Chrystal calls doctor's office. Nurse says to go to the hospital...and that was the beginning of a VERY long, frustrating day that ended in being sent home from the hospital. TOO EARLY TO HAVE BABY--35 weeks and 6 days.

I had a feeling the contractions I was having, although pretty consistent in time and intensity, were not going to produce a baby, but following nurse's advice, we went to the hospital...eventually.

After I called the doctor, I told Nathan I wanted a big breakfast because heck if I was going to
the hospital with cold cereal being the last thing I was going to possibly eat for 10-24 hours. No way! So Nate made me a nice big breakfast of pancakes and bacon. (He insisted on the bacon even though I just wanted pancakes. No matter the fat, he wanted me to have PROTIEN in my system for some energy, not just carbs. I thought that was hilarious, but ate the bacon anyway.)

After breakfast, I sent out emails to people at work to delegate my workload. Of course I had a huge deadline that day! Oh well. Mommy duties first, work later. By then it was almost 10 am.

But wait! I'm not going into labor without taking a shower! Who knows when the next time I'll get to shower will be--2 days? So yep, I took a shower. Makeup and hair were...well, not exactly a huge priority. Those were a rush job.

I had previously gathered some of what I needed for the hospital, but my bags were by no means ready. So we gathered the things we thought we would need, following the list from the childbirth class. I distinctly recall putting things into the bag for myself, for the baby coming home, and a change of clothes and things for Nathan in case he couldn't come home for a day or two. As he zipped up the bag I said, "That's everything for the three of us." We both looked at each other and realized with an excited panic that coming home there may be 3 instead of 2. That was a stark reality.

By then it was about 11 am. We loaded Lola into the car so we could drop her off at a pet place to board her for a few days. Thank goodness Nathan had taken Brody to the trainer's the Saturday before. He'll be there for a few months, so now all we have to worry about is one little dog.

By then it was about 11:30 am. The drive to the hospital was a half hour. As we got closer, I suggested making one more stop (contractions were the same) at Target to get a back massager to save Nathan's hands, and to get a DVD so I could watch something in between contractions for the first few hours. Yeah--bad idea. The stop, I mean, not the DVD.

So we get in the store, Nathan goes in search of a massager, and I head to the movie section, which is thankfully just inside the store. I'm standing there and WHOA!!! Holy moly--this one is BIG! I had to stop, breathe, and focus. I was trying to decide on a DVD when Nathan walked up and another one hit. WHOA--hold the phone! I turned to him and said, "We need to go." Walking back to the car was a real challenge. Contractions at this point were 4 minutes apart and VERY strong.

So we get in the car, and I start crying. I don't know why I'm crying, I'm just crying. Nathan asks, "Are you ok? Are you in pain? What can I do, Honey?" I look at him and scream, "I'm not in PAIN! I'm just crying, OK?!" He gets that look on his face like, "I'm really scared of you at this moment," and starts the car.

So now it's lunch rush hour and we're stuck in a big business area with lots of lunch traffic, and of course, road construction. I'm still crying, and Nathan, being the concerned husband he is, says, "Honey, I know you need to get to the hospital, but are you hungry? It's lunch time and you are going to get nothing but ice chips once we get to the hospital. Do you want something?" I'm still crying and say, "I guess so, but we need to HURRY." So he drives to the nearest fast food place--McDonalds. Yuck. I choke down a cheeseburger on the way to the hospital. This is turning out to be a nutritious day (sarcasm).

We're stuck in traffic for another 20 minutes. I recall saying rather loudly and meanly, "Can you step on it? Go faster!" Nathan was like, "Babe, there's traffic. I'm going as fast as I can." And I was like, "You could have made that light if you had stepped on it." Yeah, not my finest moments.

We get to the hospital and I'm contracting just as terribly while the labor/delivery admissions seem to take F.O.R.E.V.E.R. I mean, c'mon--I already did the preadmission stuff! What takes so long?!?

We finally get back to the room, and I get changed, get into bed, and sigh a huge sigh of relief that we're finally here. They hook me up to the monitors and such, and then...no contraction...no contraction...it's like 15 minutes before I have another one...and it's not as bad. Oh, great, just great.

The midwife comes in about a half hour later to check on me and see what's going on. She looks at the lines on the paper the monitor has been spitting out for the last half hour. Hmmmmm...she looks at it again. I can tell what's happening. She's thinking, "Why in the world are you here?"

So they check my other "labor stats." We'll spare the men the details. Things are not "progressing" even though I'm having pretty good, even contractions, or WAS. So we talk about our options: 1. Have the baby pre-term, or 2. Slow down/stop the contractions and keep him baking in the oven as long as possible. We all opt for #2.

After 2 hours of IV fluids, my contractions, which did eventually show back up, slow down from 4-8 minutes apart to 15-25 minutes apart, and the intensity drops like a stone. PHEW! or not. I had such mixed emotions. I mean, I know it was best for Tater Tot to keep baking, but I am SO over this false labor stuff. After nearly 3 weeks of it, my patience is wearing thin.

At just shy of 5 pm that night we walk (I waddle) back out of the hospital, sans baby in arms because he's still in utero. *sigh*

Now I'm on bed rest for however long I want to keep the baby baking. If I get up AT ALL, even just to make a pit stop, which happens frequently when you're trying to stay hydrated to keep the contractions at bay, I get contractions. Most of the day today if I got up at all, they were exactly 8 minutes apart. Fun, fun! (sarcasm)

The good thing in all of this is that we got a trial run. Next time when it's REALLY time, we'll know what to do or not to do. How long it takes to get out the door, etc. Now we have the bags packed, the paperwork done, etc., etc. We did stop at the store and buy a few more things. And the biggest blessing of all is that Nathan is now also feeling the emminent birth of our son and is on board for getting things done. Now that I can't do those million little things mom's want to do to nest, I'm relying on him. And he's proving to be the wonderful husband I know he is. Yesterday he vacuumed the whole house (Hallelujah! That was driving me CRAZY!), did the dishes, did laundry, ran several errands including the grocery store, and still managed to work. Today he even did the rest of the baby laundry and made a really great dinner. I am one lucky woman.

Thanks, Tater Tot, for giving your mommy and daddy a trial run, a learning experience, and the notice that, ready or not, here you come...

34 weeks - 2 days

I have had so many complaints about not blogging and keeping everyone up to date on our lives over the last few months. Since I'm low on time to blog...here is a run-through of this crazy summer...

June - moved into home (renting); took a trip to Utah to have a vacation, to see family and have an awesome baby shower with family and friends (thank you Camyll and Mom!!!); Nathan started his new job at Bank of American on June 29th. Fill in the rest of the time with unpacking, working, researching baby stuff (gear, doctors, daycare, etc., etc.), oh and sleep. Hitting the 3rd trimester of pregnancy brought on lots of sleepiness again.

July- had a nice quiet 4th of July with just us and our dogs (slept most of the day); shopping for baby stuff; week-long vacation to Cape Cod, MA to enjoy time off work, our last vacation before the baby, another awesome baby shower (thank you Eileen and the rest of Nathan's family!!!!), and lots of fun with Nathan's family whom we hadn't seen in 2 years; getting house ready for guests when baby arrives; more baby shopping; house/yard repairs (Nathan doing honey-do's); working, working, working to get ready for maternity leave; Nathan going out of town twice for work, leaving me home with 2 very active dogs; and finally...trying to rest and get sleep.

Aug- baby prep, baby prep, baby prep. Are we ready yet?; work; try to sleep; nesting, nesting, nesting.

Ok. There you have it. That catches you up to the most recent stuff.

Many of you have been asking for a new belly picture. Here you have it--34 weeks less 2 days.

Do you think I have dropped? The other day the contour of my belly completely changed, and I could breathe again. The baby was already low, but I think he's working his way down, which is normal about this time of pregnancy. By the time he's born I'll be waddling even worse than I am now, at least if he keeps it up at this pace!

So here's a funny story. I had NO idea how huge my belly looked until I saw this picture today. Holy cow! That is one pregnant woman! No wonder I get stares followed by whispers from strangers everywhere I go. Seriously. But that's not the funny story...getting side-tracked.

Yesterday we took a childbirth class. With no family in town, and deciding to save money by not hiring a doula as a birth coach, that leaves my dear husband as the one and only labor/delivery coach/support. As such, I insisted that we take a childbirth class. There were 4 other women in the class yesterday. When we broke for lunch, I asked Nathan, "Honey, would you say my belly is about the same size as those women? (note: their due dates ranged from Sept 1st to late October). Nathan: "No." Chrystal: "Huh. So is it smaller?" Nathan: pensive thinking....pause... "Um. No, not really. You're more out, they're more round." Chrystal: "Hmmmm....So what you're saying is I'm bigger than them?" Nathan: pensive thinking....pause...pause..."Well, not really bigger, just a different shape." Poor Nathan, trying to be kind to his pregnant wife. So today I see the picture we took and I declare, "Holy cow! My belly is HUGE!!! I mean, HUGE!!!!" Nathan: "Um, yeah. That's why I was confused by your question yesterday."

Seriously, I didn't realize just how much things have changed in the size department over the last 2 months, but it's pretty significant. Signs that should have been a dead giveaway to me...

1. Touching my toes for any reason has become a real challenge. The only way to get to them is to sit and pull them up to my side, knees bent, or to prop them up on something like the edge of the tub and grunt and pull with a towel or something to reach them, well, and then there's the belly-squishing attempt when I put on my socks, which is REALLY uncomfortable, leaves me out of breath, and makes the baby kick back in protest.

2. I can no longer see my own body past my belly when standing, and can't suck anything in any more.

3. My LARGE size maternity pants are getting tight around the base of my belly and I often have to unbutton them or be uncomfortable--even the stretchy ones--or I have to wear them REALLY low under my belly.

Ok. That's enough--you get the point.

This weekend we also went and did a tour of the women's center at the hospital where this little guy will be delivered. Nathan has been a really good sport all weekend doing all this mommy prep. His eyes were really opened, and so were mine. I wasn't nervous until this weekend. Now I'm still feeling ready to get this kid out, but not so excited about how it has to happen. Seeing the labor and delivery room brought it all home. It's a very nice, comfortable room. Couldn't ask for better. But the next time I'm in there I'm going to be having a baby. OMG!!!! I'm freaking out! I mean, FREAKING OUT! Wow, this is really going to be something.

So now on top of all the mommy to do's I have listed on my white board, I am starting to add to it all the things I learned this weekend. And I realized...ready or not...he's coming within the next 6 weeks. **FREAKING OUT!!!***

Tater Tot is as active as he's ever been. I enjoy sitting and watching him kick my belly. When he's moving, my entire belly looks like it's alive. Of course, the minute I tell Nathan to look, he stops. He doesn't like to be poked with a finger or heel of the hand (or baby monitor from the dr). He always kicks back. He quiets down when I sing or when I rock back and forth. His favorite place to "kick" me is in the bladder. This a very mean trick. He also responds to my rubbing/patting his bottom through my belly. He's been head down the entire pregnancy, so his bottom is always at the top of my belly. He's settled recently to the right side, head down, and kicks me mostly on the left, but elbows me occasionally on the right. He's a strong little beast, and so active that I swear sometimes he sends me into Braxton Hicks contractions from his movements. Every doctor or nurse that sees his movements tell me we're in for it as parents and not to plan on going out any time soon after he's born. He's going to be just as active outside the womb as he is now inside. Wonderful! (um, not?)

To keep my mind a little sane this weekend---we had a family visitor!!!!! Hooray!!!! At the last minute Friday, my little brother called to say he could take time off from his medical rotation/interview in Charlottle, NC, and drive down here to ATL for a 24-hour visit. I was estatic. He is only the 2nd family member who has ever visited us in the last 2 years on our own turf. Me being so pregnant and today being Sunday, we didn't do much, but it was fun to get to see him and chat. We miss hanging out with my sibs and their spouses so much! Having Bryt here was a huge reminder of that. *sigh*

This afternoon Bryt was a good sport and went with us to the Chattahoochee River to let the dogs run and get some of their energy out. I have wanted to take pictures of this place, and finally had a reason besides just us. This picture is me and Bryt standing in the water, camera looking upstream. The pictures don't do it justice. This is our favorite place to take the dogs. It's a beautiful part of the river with sandy shores, and a nice flat area in the water to wade in, which is a nice respite from the hot weather.
As you can see, Lola and Brody have a lot of fun splashing, chasing, and fetching in the water with eachother and their dog friends.

I'd go on, but this post is getting very long, and my eyelids are getting very droopy. Time to relinquish the weekend and go to bed for the work day tomorrow. If it's awhile before I blog again, know that we are thinking of all of you, missing you, and...you guessed it...getting ready for Tater Tot to join us in a very short amount of time.

A Father's Day Tribute to My Father

For Mother's Day this year (although a few weeks belated) I posted a tribute to my mother. For Father's Day I would also like to pay tribute to my father in lieu of sending a store-bought card that won't mean much anyway. Perhaps these feelings come from the knowledge that in a few short months I will be a parent myself, and that realization has caused me to reflect on what kind of parent I hope to be. My parents are both great examples to me of what a great parent is. This list is in no way all inclusive, but are just a few things I learned from my father.


1. Always be honest--with yourself, with the Lord, with others. After working for my dad for the better part of 10 years, I saw his integrity day after day. There were several times I questioned him on business decisions that I did not think were fair to his business and favored someone else too much. This doesn't really fit with "honesty," but his explanation did. He would say, "I'd rather have things right with the Lord. He is the judge. If I err on the side of the Lord, He will make up for it either in this life or the life to come." I think it's profound that he holds that philosophy so deeply that it even affects his business decisions. He also taught me to always pay an honest tithe. I could list that as a seperate item, but I think it fits here as being honest with yourself and with the Lord. Again, I saw him pay tithing on things that I sometimes thought was taking it a little too far, but he would always say the same thing--better to err on the Lord's side. My father is one of the most honest people I know. His integrity is known by all who know him, and even throughout the business world.


2. Be generous--with your time, in your tithes and offerings, with others. My dad is always willing to help someone out. I have seen him many times help those less fortunate in more ways than just giving them money. Dad also taught me that if I give generously to fast offerings, I will always be blessed by the Lord. In addition, he taught me to be generous to others less fortunate. Dad is also generous with others by giving them the benefit of the doubt. He has taught me how to be forgiving, loving, and accepting of others, and that if someone offends you it's usually because you have taken offense, not because they meant to offend you.


3. Always put in a hard day's work for a hard day's pay. Dad has always been a hard worker. I believe he instilled in me the work ethic I have today. He showed me how to work hard, and that I don't always have to be paid to work hard, but that sometimes the greatest rewards come from the self-satisfaction of being self-motivating and getting something done or achieving a goal. He taught me to work hard at home, in the yard, at church, at work.

4. Nothing is more important than your family. As a young child during a family home evening Dad (and probably Mom too) decided that we were going to have a family motto. I remember at the time (I think I was about 8) thinking that that was a really weird idea. I belonged to 4-H at the time, so I knew about mottos. The family motto he presented to us was, "No empty seats." This means that someday when we're all in the next life, that we want ALL our family members in the celestial kingdom with us--that we don't want any empty seats in heaven. This has stuck with me to this day and I strive to be the best I can be so I can be with my family forever.
Dad also showed how important his family is by always taking us on a few trips a year to various places. Thanks to my parents, I have been to 44 of the 50 United States. I have so many happy memories of family vacations. Dad always took time off work to go on trips.
Dad also took time off work to coach our sports teams, or to attend a recital, etc. He was always there as I grew up to support me in whatever I wanted to do.

5. Never give up on your dreams. My Dad has goals and dreams just like the rest of us. When he returned from his mission, he wrote down a list of goals and the dates by which he would achieve them. These goals ranged from marriage to career to education, etc. I remember him telling me about this list, and what goals/dreams he had achieved, and others he was still working on. At the age of 40 something he achieved his goal of obtaining his Master's Degree, and of attending a school that he had received an offer from 20+ years earlier. He (and our family) made great sacrifices for him to achieve this dream, and it was a huge celebration when he did it. We were all so proud of him; not just for the achievement, but also because it was something he had dreamed of for so long. I know as he's now in his 50s he still works on these goals and dreams.

6. Develop your talents. I have such fond memories of Dad playing his guitar and me singing along as a little girl. To this day I love to sit and listen to my Dad play his guitar and sing those same songs. Dad's not one to boast about or like to perform his talent in front of more than just a few family members at a time, but he loves it just the same. Dad also developed his talent of drawing, painting, etc. When I was young Dad spent hours and hours hand painting a ceramic chess set and creating the chess board and storage case for the pieces. He still has it to this day--although a bit chipped in places from children and grandchildren playing with it. He has some real talents.

7. Love of nature. Of course, growing up the daughter of a landscape architect, I was exposed to plants and nature. Many times driving in the car or taking a walk, Dad would point out this plant or that tree and tell us the botanical and common names. Some of those have stuck with me over the years, and occasionally Nathan will ask me what something is and I might actually know. Dad has always taken good care of his yard, beautifying it and making it a place where we love to be. Every house we've lived in, Dad always made the yard beautiful, interesting, and fun. Dad also taught me to love camping and being outdoors. We used to go camping a lot when I was growing up. It was a lot easier to just take up and go on a whim before the camp grounds became so populated. My favorite places in the world are all outdoors in the mountains, gardens, and parks. Surely this comes from Dad's love of nature instilled in me.

8. Love of music. I already mentioned Dad playing the guitar. Besides that, he can often be found listening to his favorite music, and many times he'd come home and share some favorite old/new song. Thanks to Dad, I was exposed to a lot of music that I probably otherwise wouldn't have heard. This music is called "oldies" but I never could figure out why. It seemed so great to me. From Dad's love of music I learned to love groups like The Beach Boys, The Lovin' Spoonful, Crosby Steel & Nash, and on and on. I love singing along to music in the car or while I work. Dad always did this too. He use to always play "Johnny Lee's Greatest Hits" when we were going camping. Us kids used to sing along with him at the top of our lungs. "Cherokee Fiddle" was one song I have a particular memory of. I also remember as a teenager one night he came home from work and said, "Hey Chrystal, come listen to this funny song I heard today on the radio." He called the radio station and requested it. It was "Beep Beep (Littel Nash Rambler)" by The Playmates. I found the song just as entertaining as he did and must have listened to it over and over for weeks. I can still sing it to this day. Even in the last 5 years Dad has shared some of his more recent favorite songs with me. You can always find some Randy Travis in his car CD collection, and I'll always think of Dad with a lump in my throat, a tear in my eye, and a smile on my face when I hear "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart.

9. It's always good to try new things. Ok Dad, you'll never live down the time you brought home candies papaya spears for a family night treat because you thought they looked interesting and had never had them before. Dad has been a good example of trying new things, even if they don't always work out. Dad's entrepreneurial spirit in business is a great example of this. He started his own business in the early 80s and it's alive and thriving to this day. There have been ups and downs along the way, but Dad is willing to try new things. I remember a few other entrepreneurial ventures he had--a card game he invented with his business partner, his patented phyto-remediation method, etc. I wouldn't say my Dad is a daredevil, but he will occasionally stick his neck out on something, whether it's a business venture, a new hobby, a new food, or some recreation he's not tried before. His example has taught me to not always accept things the way they are, and that sometimes it's ok to push the envelope and get outside the box, and that this applies to all aspects of life.

10. Besides family, the most important thing in life is your testimony of the Lord and your relationship with Him. Dad has taught by example how to live righteously. He can always be found reading from the scriptures each morning, praying morning and night, and trying to gather his family for family prayer once a day. Dad has shared his testimony in public and in private many times, and I will never tire of hearing it. There is something deeply moving about hearing myfather bear testimony that Jesus is the Christ and how he has come to know it, and all the other gospel principles he has come to know and love personally. I love to hear him share his experiences about visiting the Holy Land, about figuring out different gospel principles, etc. He has helped me through many personal struggles. I feel so close to my Dad for being able to have conversations with him that I would probably have with no one else (except Nathan now that I'm married). He knows many of my inner secrets because of his example and willingness to love and help me find the Lord and better myself through his example.

I love you, Dad, and hope to be able to be the kind of parent to my children that you have been to me. Happy Father's Day!

Love,

Your Chrystal Pee Wee Jones Baby Doll Sweet Heart Girl

Ahhhhh...the beach

We recently took a very quick trip to NC, and got to visit Nathan's family while we were there. On that Saturday we took a bit of the day to enjoy the beach. The weather was perfect, and the company was great. Thank you to Nate's dad and Michele for letting us crash at your house! You are always so accommodating.

Brody stayed with a trainer for the week, so we only had Lola. It was her first road trip, and her first time at the beach. She was so funny. She wasn't too sure about the water, but had LOADS of fun digging in the sand with Nathan and laying in the holes. Here are some pictures of our trip.

Nathan and Lola digging a hole.

Lola laying in her hole in the sand. She had sand all over her face and in her eyes, but she was having a ball!

Nathan Sr. in the background fishing from the beach. Nathan Jr. enjoying some relaxation.

L to R: Chrystal (21 weeks pregnant), Michele, two friends of Nathan Sr. and Michele.

A Tribute to My Mother

20 weeks

(This photo does not reflect how HUGE my belly feels)

This was nearly 3 weeks ago. I started writing this post, and then was interrupted and never made it back to finishing it. Even though it's just over 2 weeks since Mother's Day, I still think this blog worthy.
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Today was my first unofficial official mothers day. I say that because as a mom-to-be I don't think I qualify to celebrate mothers day as a mother until I have a child that has actually been born. My husband and a few others disagree, so I got to celebrate for the first time. It was a lot of fun, and I have to admit that sitting in church listening to the talks on mothers, I actually had a new perspective to the whole thing and understood much more from a mother's perspective. I find it interesting that even though the little guy isn't born yet, I already feel such a bond to him and a love for him. Nathan and I were discussing that tonight--that I get to carry the little guy around 24-7 for 9 months. It's no wonder mothers are attached to their children!

So after thinking all day about what it means to be a mother and hoping I can teach my son all the things he'll need to know, I started thinking about my own mother (and grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends, and other women who have helped shape and mold me into the woman I am today). As I was thinking about my mother I started listing in my head some of the things she taught me. I could also list the things my father taught me (most of them the same things), but seeing that it's Mother's Day, I decided that I would like to send out a tribute to my mother and put those things in writing so I can look back at them later as a mother myself and see how I'm measuring up. By all means, this is in no way an all-inclusive list, but just a few of the things that came to mind today...

Things My Mother Has Taught Me:

1. Unconditional Love - This is something that I didn't fully understand until I was a teenager/young adult. It wasn't until I REALLY messed up that I understood that my mother loves me no matter what and that nothing I do will ever diminish that love.

2. Patience - Any mother who tries to teach her child something new has some measure of patience. My mother was very patient with me and taught me so many things.

3. Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ - My mother is an amazing example of what it means to live her religion. Day in and day out my entire life I have seen my mother serve our family, serve others, study the scriptures, kneel in personal and family prayer, hold weekly family home evenings, etc., etc. The list could go on. I know my mother has a deep, personal testimony of the Savior and his atoning sacrifice for each one of us. I can always rely on my mother's unwavering faith, no matter what trial is upon any of us at the moment.

4. Hard work - My mother taught me the importance of work by giving me chores in the house, in the garden, in the yard. She taught me that if I keep something clean and tidy, it will usually last longer and look like new for a very long time. Thanks to my mom, I am a bit of a clean nut. I also learned how to work hard, and to finish tasks. No half-way for me.

5. Play and Friendship - My mother also taught me that after work comes play. I have vivid memories of my mother playing dolls with me--she being the grandma. She was always very supportive of my imagination as a young child. I played with my dolls almost non-stop. In 1st grade I remember her letting me bring a doll to dinner and sit him in the baby high-chair. I also remember my mother singing with me often (I loved to sing), and doing all sorts of other things that I enjoyed. As a teenager and young adult, I knew I could talk to my mother about anything.--and I did. I always felt lucky to have a mother whom I could talk to. Not all teens have that. To this day my mother and I are very close friends, even though I live 1500 miles away. Our current favorite thing to do is "phone shop" together. One of us is usually running errands when the other calls, sometimes we're both shopping at the same time and we'll ask each other's opinion about things. Distance has not withered our friendship.

6. How to cook and clean - Mom made a big effort when I was in high school to teach me how to cook. By the time I left home I could cook many kinds of major family meals on my own. She also taught me the importance of having a clean home, and how to get it that way. It drives Nathan crazy that I still spend 2-3 hours every Saturday morning cleaning house. And if I don't I make up for it somewhere else. He can blame this 100% on my mother.

7. A Love of Reading - As a young child mother always read to me before bedtime. I recall her sitting in the hallway between my bedroom and my brothers' and reading novels to us. I couldn't have been more than 8 years old, and I remember one summer her reading all the C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia to us that way. We used to make frequent trips to the public library as well. She would also usually allow me to order one book off book orders in elementary school, and helped me pick good literature all the way through my teenage years.

8. The Importance of Service - I remember being young and feeling down about myself. Mom told me that the easiest way to feel good about yourself is to serve someone. I remember Mom taking meals to families that had a death in the family, or a new baby born, or some other hardship. I remember her helping ladies clean their houses, or do laundry. I remember her saying that it was always much more fun to clean someone else's house than your own. She also started a tradition at Christmas that helped us serve our immediate family members for the whole month of December and keep Christ at the center of our celebration. She was always very supportive of my service projects as a teenager. I went through a stage where I was very involved in community service. One time I had a clothing drive and collected so many clothes for the needy that it filled the entire family room. She was excited to help me sort through them and take them to the shelter. She was also willing to drive me to the homeless shelter early on Saturday mornings to feed the homeless. To this day I love to be involved and serve others.

9. The Importance of Strong Family Relationships - My mother is so devoted to our family. She was a 100% stay-at-home mom my entire life. She didn't spend her time at home watching tv or being self-indulgent. No, no--Mom was ALWAYS busy spending time with her children. We had so many fun family vacations, family home evenings (every Monday night was family time), nightly family dinners together around the table...I could go on and on. She taught us the importance of attending a sibling's sporting event or recital. She taught me to reach out to my younger siblings and play with them, even when I was at an age when they annoyed me. I am so grateful for the closeness of our family--parents, siblings, in-laws, nephews and nieces. We have such a special family bond and always have so much fun together. That is the thing I miss the very most about living so far away from home. My parents, siblings, and in-laws are truly my best friends.

10. To appreciate Nature - Mom always had a vegetable garden and flowers. She loves to have the sunshine beam through her windows. She loves to sit in the morning and listen to the river and to the birds chirping. She enjoyed camping and being outdoors. She loves the smell of rain. A children's song from church comes to mind....

"I often go walking in meadows of clover, and I gather armfulls of blossoms of blue.

I gather the blossoms the whole meadow over; Dear mother, sll flowers remind me of you.

O mother, I give you my love with each flower To give forth sweet fragrance a whole lifetime through;

For if I love blossoms and meadows and walking, I learn how to love them, dear mother, from you."

I could go on and on with this list, but I'll stop at 10. Thanks Mom for being for being one of my bestest friends, and for being a woman I can look up to and want to emulate. I love you. Happy belated Mother's Day.

It's a......

Today we had our 20-week ultrasound, and we finally got to find out the gender of our little one. The baby was moving and wiggling all over the place as soon as the ultrasound started. It was so fun to watch the little human inside me be so active.

The baby cooperated very well, and not too soon into the ultrasound, the technician ran the wand over the part that would tell the gender, and I saw right away that we're definitely having a BOY!!!!! It was SO obvious, and he was very happy to show off his family jewels to lets us know it is a he. Nathan was VERY excited, and soon thereafter announced that, "Now I get to coach pee wee football!" Tonight he was ruminating about being able to have a little fishing buddy and hunting buddy. He's going to be such a great dad.

The rest of the ultrasound was just as fun. The baby was sucking his thumb and had his left hand against his face most of the time, so it was hard to get a clear picture of his face. His right arm was very actively waving around like he was saying hi.

The technician was having a hard time getting pictures because he was moving around so much, so she said, "Ok baby, stretch so I can see your spine." And he did. Then she said, "Ok baby, give us a high five so we can see your hand." And he did. She needed him to stop wiggling so we could listen to his heartbeat, and she said, "Hold still baby." And he did. She said, "Your baby operates on voice command." I said, "Yeah, he's very obedient." Nathan responded, "That won't last long."

We got to watch him stretch, kick, touch his feet to his head, move his hands to his face, swallow, yawn, and turn around over and over.

Here he is for his first blog debut (these are scans of prints, so they're not very clear). This one is the best profile we could get. So cute!Here he is kicking his feet and legs up near his head.

Here's his profile again.

Watching our baby was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. The pregnancy is so real to me now. I am awestruck that we have actually created this little human who will be joining our family in a little under 5 months. Now let the naming games begin...