Got My Hopes Up

So I really thought last night that Baby Rude might decide to be a March baby rather than an April baby. I'd been having the usual sporadic contractions for most of the evening but at some point in the middle of the night I started getting some that were stronger and closer together. Since I knew that this could go on for awhile, I alternated between trying to time the contractions and also sleeping as much as possible. I don't think I've ever been so uncomfortable! Some of the pains would be within 5-6 minutes of each other but then they would taper off again. My whole abdomen and my lower back were starting to ache and I thought for sure we were progressing toward "the real deal." Then towards 4:00 or 5:00 this morning they started to go away and I felt just fine (besides the fact that I had hardly gotten any sleep!) Boy was I disappointed when my alarm went off a couple hours later and I had to get ready for work as usual. =(

C'mon Baby Rude, we have been busy getting your room all ready! We need to have a snuggly little guy to sit with us in the rocking chair and use up all the diapers!






After all that temporary excitement, I've decided that I'm not really going to hold-out for an April Fools' baby either, because we've only got 1 more day and nothing much seems to be going on in there...

On The Big Screen!

We had another ultrasound this morning to confirm the measurements and growth of Baby Rude. (Yes, this is our 4th ultrasound of this pregnancy - it's been great to get to see him so many times!) The little guy seems to be healthy and growing right on track for the April 10th due date so it was nice to have that confirmed.



We weren't able to get any pics, since he was facing downward during the viewing, but we did get to see: his heartrate is 138, he is practicing "breathing", he has all the major organs in place, and there is spiky hair all over his head - so cute! We tried to get a peek between his legs just to be sure that he is still a "he" but he was being shy in that area too. The technician estimates that he's about 7lbs. 12oz. right now (and I'm feeling all of that on my bladder!)

Next appt is on Wednesday so we'll see if I'm making any progress towards delivery. Only 11 days until his due date!

If it isn't taxes...

...something else is bound to drain our bank account! We were excited that this is the first time since we've been married (almost 5 years now - go us!) that we haven't actually owed money to the government. The numbers are tricky with a ministry income and we had a big change since we bought a house in 2008, so we decided to get a little assistance filing our taxes this year. Nancy was such a help in making sure we received all the deductions possible and even showed us some errors on David's W-2 form. Now instead of forking over a huge wad of cash come April 15th, we are going to get a small amount back!

Sadly, this good news is a bit shadowed by the fact that the engine in our Ford Escort Wagon clunked out and we have to shell out well over $1000 to have it replaced. Silly car, you're supposed to be reliable!




At least the money is going to support our local economy rather than Uncle Sam...

Jamie and Danny Get Old!

In all the baby excitement, I almost forgot to include a blog about Jamie and Danny's birthday party. They have to share their party since their b-days are so close, but that makes it double the fun, right?

For the event, we went to the Greek Cuisina downtown and enjoyed some good food, great music, and fun Grecian traditions and entertainment!

The crazy Greek Plate Man!



He lifted this table with his mouth!




The birthday kids ready to break their plates!



The Greek(?) Belly Dancer!



The "girl" end of the table.



Cupcake time! (This is what parties are all about!)

These Didn't Make the Cut!

These were some of the pics from our maternity shoot that won't be framed or included an album! I think you'll see why...

This shot was taken several minutes before the official photos began (prior to David losing his "mustache march" facial growth!) Scary, eh?



I couldn't stop laughing during this pose - it was a flashback to some of our ridiculous wedding photos!



This one cracks me up... "I think I hear something in there!"



This lighting is NOT working, and why is David making a creepy-face?!



Tucker jumped into the room as this pic was snapped!



Something is not quite right about this photo...




Maybe Jamie should include some of these in her photography portfolio!

Maternity Pics by Jamie

Our friend Jamie is FABULOUS! We wanted to have some casual pics of David, myself, and the "bun in the oven" before he decides to make his grand appearance; and Jamie volunteered to come over and do a photo shoot for us.

I think we got some great pictures out of the deal, despite that fact that:
a.) we used our non-fancy digital camera for the shots
b.) our "studio" was the nursery (which was only mostly cleaned and not very roomy)
c.) our "lighting" consisted of open/closing the curtains or directing a desk lamp towards us
d.) we had to deal with David
e.) we had to deal with Tucker (who watched from the doorway)
f.) we giggled through many of the poses - especially when Baby Rude was kicking/pushing at our hands!

Anyway, here are some of my favs!


































I hope nobody was offended by seeing my belly button! =)

Still Charting the Growth...

These were taken a few days after the 37-week mark, but close enough!







He's going to arrive any day now, right?!

Showering with Love

Last Thursday, our wonderful Eastside Church family threw a shower for Baby Rude. There were probably more than 25 ladies from the congregation there - along with my mom, sister, cousin, and 2 friends from high school. What a blessing to be surrounded by so much love! Of course, we played some cheesy shower games, I opened TONS of gifts (Baby Rude is now well-supplied!), and we enjoyed refreshments and fellowship together. Here are some pics from the event.

My "little" sister at one of the guessing games.



Some of the guests eating and chatting.



Is Baby Rude's nursery big enough for all these supplies and "extras"?



I'm so glad these girls came to celebrate with me!



No party is complete without some cake!




Now I have some serious "Thank You" card writing to do! =)

Thanks for Kicking My Spleen...

It seems like my world has become totally baby-focused and our little guy hasn't even arrived yet! Every thought/decision/activity in my life seems to be influenced by the fact that very soon I'm going to enter the realm of motherhood. (Or am I technically already a mom...?) Maybe all parents-to-be experience something similar. Will the same be true when we are expecting baby #2 or following? I certainly hope that the excitement never wears off! What a joyous time!

Tonight our church family is hosting a baby shower for us and several relatives and friends will be joining us as well. I have to admit that I absolutely love baby showers (and I know that not everyone is a fan, that's okay!) I just think it's so fun to celebrate with an expectant or brand-new mommy, play all the cheesy games, and share in the love and support for a new little creation. It's crazy that this party is going to be for OUR tiny life. Have I really reached that point in my life? Am I ready for all this grown-up stuff? Baby Rude is counting on us to prepare him for the rest of his life, so I guess I'd better be ready! Such a task can be a little overwhelming! I'm am so thankful that we aren't doing it alone though. We have such a great network of people who are always there for us. I just hope I don't do something embarrassing tonight like CRY in front of everyone. At least I would have the hormones to blame it on...




My mom and sister are going to stay with us after the shower for the weekend to get final baby things ready. The curtains for the nursery are almost done (bye bye, mismatched fleece blankets.) We'll put all the crib bedding in place and finish organizing the clothes, toys, diaper stuff, etc. My mom is also going to finish the little jungle animals she has been crocheting for his room. I should probably also put my hospital bag together since we don't know when this little guy is going to decide he's done cookin' - 3 weeks until our due date! At least I've already made a list so it should be quick to throw everything in a bag.

On Saturday, our friend Jamie is going to come over to take some casual maternity pictures. I've been documenting the growth of my belly in my "mug shot" photos, but we'd like to have some decent ones of David and I together with the little bun in the oven. Perhaps there will even be some that will bare my belly button, but nothing too scandalous. =) I'll try to share some pics next week!

Less Than a Month!

Our 36 week pics are a little late (we'll be at 37 weeks in 3 days) but Baby Rude is content to chill in there a bit longer so we're thankful for that!







I'm guessing that we'll make it to at least Friday without incident so our doctor will be pleased with that!

Craftiness for Baby!

One of the joys of expecting a child is all the wonderful ways that family and friends show their love and support. We have received so many offers for help, encouraging cards and notes, tons of hand-me-down clothes, numerous free baby furniture items, and all sorts of gifts and presents. It is such a blessing, and we are truly appreciative of all the people God has placed in our life.

Specifically, it has been fun to receive special "one-of-a-kind" items from those who are skilled in the areas of sewing or yarnery. (I'm pretty sure I just made up that word.) Some examples:


This fleece blanket was made by Irene - one of the very sweet old ladies at our church.



This lovely blanket was crocheted by my wonderful friend Suzie (who is NOT an old lady but is very much a homemaker type.)



This little hat was made with love by Ida - another of our dear church ladies.



Our Eastside Church family is hosting a baby shower for us this week and I am sure that we will receive some additional treasures for Baby Rude that I can add to this list. =)

Spring Has Sprung!

Okay, according to Google, spring doesn't actually begin until March 20th, but I'm pretty sure it's here early this year. We've had like 3 sunny days in a row, and most importantly, the flowers are beginning to sprout forth from the earth!

I was SO excited to see this little clump of crocus coloring the front corner of our yard!



We've been in our house for a year now so I think we've discovered what most of the random vegetation is surrounding our property (not that I know their names or how to care for them), but much of it disappeared for the winter. Now I see clusters of green shoots coming up everywhere and it will be fun to rediscover what these plants are as they color our little world.

Hangin' In There.

Besides a few sporadic contractions, it seems that Baby Rude is content to stay where he is for now. As the doctor ordered, I am taking it easy and hoping that I will also quickly recover from this cold - I would rather not be coughing and sniffling during labor! No fun pictures or clever comments from me today... just wanted to say that nothing much has happened... How's that for an update?

Takin' It Easy...

I had my 36 week check-up this morning and had a surprising report. Without going into details (it would be TMI for many of my devoted fans) I'll tell you that my doctor did an exam and discovered that Baby Rude might arrive sooner than expected. She asked me if I had experienced any back pain/cramping/contractions and I told her that I didn't THINK I had noticed anything out of the ordinary. Sure, my back has been hurting, but I assumed that was from lugging my belly around. And pregnant women are supposed to have gas, so that would explain any cramping, right? I figured that any uterine tightening was due to Baby Rude stretching out in there. So am I having symptoms of pre-term labor?

Well, the doctor didn't seem overly concerned, but she did request that I really take it easy the next 9 days in the hopes that we can at least make it to the 37 week point (considered full-term). She said they wouldn't stop labor at this point if it came to that, but in general it is preferred to wait until the "magic" 37-mark. At first, she said that I should stop working, but when I told her that I have a very sedentary desk job, she conceded that it would probably be okay for me to continue. I guess I will need to change my plans about doing yard work this weekend though...



I'm trying not to worry about it, but it's a bit crazy that Baby Rude could arrive so far ahead of schedule. We haven't even had our car seat inspected and installed yet! We're just praying that he'll be a healthy little guy - no matter when he decides to join us! =)


ADDED BONUS: When I did a Google search for "calendar," this image was in the top ten hits:



Of course, that was really unrelated to my blog post... but an interesting side note...

Mr. Handyman

David was working on the primer/trim/paint for the new windows he's installing in our house and he looked so cute I just HAD to get a picture.



Doesn't he look like a cartoon or video game character in his overalls?! I love it!

Time Flies!

...and before I know it, I have less than 5 weeks until my due date! Yipes!



This is our 35 week picture. The nursery is slowly looking more like a baby's room and less like a storage area for old paperwork, books, and other random items. Hooray!

Gettin' Away

David and I are going to the Youth Worker's Retreat this weekend at Delano Bay Christian Camp (up by Seattle, WA). I've never been to this camp before, but I'm looking forward to getting away for a couple of days and being enriched and energized for ministry!



Perhaps I will have some stories to share upon our return!

Under the Weather

I didn't come to work today until lunch time. I started to feel the beginning stages of a cold yesterday and when I got home last night I crashed on the couch for an hour. My throat was raw, my head was dense and heavy, and my body felt like it had been steamrolled (except my belly, which was protruding and moving around, as usual.) This pic kinda' represents how I felt.



I slept until 8 this morning and then spent the early part of the day taking it easy at home. I finished a book I was reading for book club (The Twentieth Wife) and did a bit of laundry. By lunch, my throat was starting to feel a lot better but I still am achy and my head feels compressed...

Curse you, immune system - you have failed me 3 times this cold season!

"Sibling" Rivalry

Little Rude will be welcomed into our family sometime in the near future, but it is important to note that he is not the first "baby" at our house. We got our Labradoodle, Tucker, in May of last year and he'll be about a year and-a-half when his little "brother" arrives. We are already seeing signs that there will be some jealousy/competition/rivalry going on in our home.



First, let me say that Tucker is great around babies and kids from what we have seen. He seems to know to be more gentle with tiny people and he is never aggressive or possesive of anything like his food or toys. The only problem is that he gets very excitable around youngin's - wanting to chase them when they run, and sniffing and licking all over them. Also, he is a very attention-seeking creature. When David and I are hugging or snuggling on the couch he has to weasel his way in-between us. Also, he will whine incessantly if we separate him in a room by himself when we are at home. He has to follow us everywhere we go (which is why I think he should have been named Shadow.) Anyway, these are all reasons that lead me to believe that there will be some challenging times for the Rude family in the near future.

As our house is slowly accumulating items of the baby-nature, we think that Tucker is becoming aware of an impending threat... He furiously sniffed the Pack n'Play set we brought home a couple of weeks ago, and he watched intently as we assembled it in the living room. I left a small stack of baby socks on the couch the other day, and when I got out of the shower, I noticed that many of the pairs had been separated and scattered in various places around the room. Last weekend, my mom brought over a cute pair of tiny shoes that I placed on the coffee table while we went down to the basement to look at something. When we came back upstairs, we found one of the wee shoes on the floor covered in slobber with the shoelace completely removed and chomped on! Such mischief! - and it only seems to be directed towards Baby Rude's stuff!

I borrowed a book that addresses the subject of introducing a new baby to your dog, and it offers advice for preparing your pet for the transition. I hope the pointers will work, otherwise, I may have some interesting blog posts to share in the near future...

Home Improvements - 2nd Nursery Window

We're taking baby steps in getting the nursery prepared. (Get it? "baby steps" because it's a room for a baby, and those are the kind of steps they take... ha ha...ha....ha...phew...yeah...) Anyway, with the big window already in place, it was time for the smaller window to get an upgrade.


David begins removing the old window.



...and he likes to be dramatic.



The new window is in place. (I didn't have very good lighting for this pic, and the condensation is on the outer storm window that needs to be removed...but you get the idea)



With the new windows, our old blinds will no longer fit, so I'm going to have to come up with some type of window covering. We've done the bedsheet thing for about a year now, so it might be time for something a bit less ghetto...