Holy cow... I'm having a baby!

Sometimes, despite my growing condition, I forget that a little human is coming into our lives and will forever be our son, our responsibility, our little man... It's amazing to me and flabbergasting and a wee bit terrifying, all at the same time! While I'm well aware that I'm pregnant (none of my pajama shirts fit any more and I have to wear Josh's over-sized t-shirts to bed) sometimes I just forget that the result of pregnancy is a baby!

Evie is really really really into babies right now, and that has me soooooo excited! Every time we see an infant car seat carrier when we are out and about, she starts screaming, "BABY!!! BABY!!!" and I'm not kidding- the girl is screaming! She is so excited! (She feels the same way about identifying puppies and kitties :D ) The other night we were at Outback for my mom's birthday dinner and a couple walked in and sat next to us that had a baby in an infant carrier, and much to my dismay, Evie starts in, "Baby! Baby! Baby! Baby! BAAAAABEEEE!! BABY! BABY! BAAAAAAAAAAAABEEEEEEEE! BABY! BABY! BABY! BABY! BABY! BABY! BABY! BABY! " All while, I'm sheepishly and desperately trying to get her to quiet down, "Yes, honey- there's a baby in there. She's probably sleeping, so we should be quiet. Ni-night baby" And it's like she couldn't even hear me, she had to be near that baby, with that baby, and she wanted that baby to know that she LOVED it! She continued her baby babbles and finally I distracted her by talking about... the baby! Do babies have hair? Evie show me your hair... Do babies have eyes? Evie show me your eyes... It has me a bit concerned that this summer we will not be going in public often if Evie insists that everyone surrounding us know that a baby is travelling with her!

Her baby doll is her absolute favorite toy- we have a little plush doll that we call Suzie Sunshine. I don't know why I gave her that name, but it has stuck, and Evie knows to go get her Suzie and loves to push her in the stroller. The other day, during a torrential down pour, Evie dropped Suzie into the gutter! I was concerned- it isn't as though Evie sleeps with Suzie or she a vital part of any nighttime routine, BUT, we now have a stroller for Suzie, and I knew, that if Evie saw the stroller, sans Suzie, I'd be in for it. Suzie was quickly washed and dried, incognito wrapped in some towels (Evie helps me switch the laundry-- side note, our washer and dryer are 10 feet apart, most annoying thing ever but gives Evie a great cardio workout toting our laundry back and forth) and returned to her beloved stroller. In the meantime a pup-pup filled in and did a wonderful job distracting Evie from missing Suzie Sunshine in her seat in the stroller.

My Dad and Evie, walking in the rain... Evie is so in love with her grandparents right now, it's amazing... I told her today that we were going to O'ma's house, and she said, "O'ma! O'ma!" and I'd say, "Yes, O'ma!" and then she'd respond, "O'pa". If I said "O'ma" she'd say "O'pa" without fail! And when we are headed over to my parent's house she screams when we turn the corner to their street, "MAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and when we get there she chants "BONE!" because she gets to give their dog, Sadie, a bone when she walks in the house.

As far as my SON (grinning ear to ear at the moment, MY SON!) Chet- I added a pregnancy ticker to the top of this blog so that my weeks are easier to track for those who care. My OB is going by the due date of May 29 and my ultrasound did match that due date, so I have switched my ticker and thinking to that due date. Right now I'm at 27 weeks- which means.... THIRD TRIMESTER! Holy cow! Ummm, for those of you not well versed on pregnancy, there are only 3 trimesters, so the baby comes at the end of this one! Evie came at 37 weeks and 1 day, and while I'm not banking that Chet will be the same as his sister, I will try and be more prepared this time and not have my poor father frantically packing me a hospital bag in the midst of my contractions.

I have some new goals for my third trimester and I'm posting them publicly so I'll have some accountability to get my booty in gear:

1) Stop eating after 8 pm. And if I get hungry, have something healthy like fruit, a small bowl of cereal, or some yogurt (not my usual junior mints and licorice combo finished off with some popcorn!)
2) Go to be at 11 pm (I'm breaking it right now... ay) I'm much too tired every morning from staying up entirely to late the night before, and that's not fair to Evie. So I'm going to commit to myself to getting to bed at a decent hour.
3) Be active 3 times a week. (Like a walk with Evie in the stroller or getting on our exercise bike) Right now I have a horrible cold so this will be delayed until it gets better, but I do so desire to get on track once this bronchial funk is over with.

I now at am OB appointments every 2 weeks!! Really, am I *that* pregnant? I can't believe that it is March already! So exciting! I love March, mostly because it is my birthday month :D But also because it always marks the turn of the weather... from rainy, dreary winter to sunny Spring!! Hooray!


I know that I'm rambling here... I haven't dialogued on this blog in quite a while, so it is overdue. Thanks for "listening"

Below are some photos- SHOCKER HERE- not of Evie or another kiddo!! The worship/media arts pastor at church asked me to take some photos of the staff at church for the website, and I think they actually turned out alright!! Now, I must give any glory for them being half decent to the Lord, because I was so nervous about taking them that I prayed and prayed, "LORD, pleeeeease! Let me take a least one decent photo!" Because, I mean, I didn't want to let someone down who wanted me to take photos! I think in the future I will still stick mainly to babies and young kids, but these were a great experience to have under my belt! And I have to trust God more when he asks me to do something and not tell him, "Um, Lord, I can't because " . So, here they are :)

This one I snapped of my mom while she was powdering her nose and combing her hair- she will be sooo glad that I posted it, LOL--