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Birth Day

Today’s our 2nd birth class, so that’s the way we’re spending my birthday. Luckily, we decided to do a nice dinner on Saturday evening and ‘actually’ celebrate that night. And the classes aren’t bad – in fact, I’m looking forward to it because I did enjoy it last week, so there definitely could be worse things.

We also had a really nice birthday dinner with my family last night. I am so thankful for both my parents, in addition to Nana & Papa and Grandma. Again, we came home with new baby items, including our wonderful nursery bedding! It was fun to bring it home and set it all up – making the room that much closer to done! Good thing since next week is 30 weeks…which leaves us only 10 to go!

Today (on the “real” day), besides birth class, I did choose to leave work really early today and go hiking with Jesse and his cousin, Tegan, who just moved here, and her boyfriend. And THAT was a great birthday! The weather has been beautiful – sunny, clear, and warm, just how we like it! What a great intro for her to California as well, although I’m sure she can handle the little bit of rain that’s supposed to come later in the week.

In other hiking news, I’ve actually been hiking for the past 3 days and it feels so great. I’m super slow, but at least I can do it, and it makes me feel so much healthier. I cannot wait to workout after the baby and get back in shape again!

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Not a Real “Update”, but Important, Nonetheless

I just wanted to say that I have the best husband in the world.

I cannot imagine someone more supportive during this whole pregnancy, and everything else we’ve gone through in the last 2.5 years of being married. He is so stable, and has a special faith in us that I sometimes do not have. Despite any sort of hecticness or ups-and-downs, he is a constant rock. He is going to be the most amazing father; I can already tell. I am just so, so blessed to not only have him in my life, but be married to him too!

So, as we approach Valentine’s Day, I thought I should mention how thankful I am for him, and how much he is loved.

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28 Week Belly Update

Beginning of 28th week
Beginning of 28th week

So, there it is! The big belly (please excuse the horrible skin – I should have thought of that with the picture). It doesn’t seem all that big, I suppose, in the whole scheme of things.

In other news, we started our birthing classes, and to both our surprise, the first class was really fun. We felt more prepared after 3 hours of the class than we have over all the multiple doctor appointments that we’ve gone to the entire time. We have 5 more classes to go, and meet with our doula this Friday. I think that Jesse and I both felt after the 1st class that paying the little extra for the class and the doula was well worth it, and are comfortable with our decision to use her. We’ll see how it all goes…I’m hoping for a late April delivery, which would be just a week early! 😉

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And Apparently I Am Friends With Crazies Too…

because yesterday I gave my “half-ironman-5-months-post-child” idea to 3 of my friends, and they ALL are up for it and ready to do it. So, crazy attracts crazy apparently. Poor Jesse. He might have to get on a bike, which he promised me at marriage to do and hasn’t done since the broken collarbone incident. The things we do for love 😉

The baby is pretty crazy herself. She does some serious ninja-kicking now…during the day at work, right after dinner, and especially around 3 AM or so. Perhaps that will be her schedule of choice. Honestly, I’m fine with anything as long as I’m not working. Making it through the day each day is the toughest part right now, so I’m really looking forward to just focusing on the family for 3 months when I take my leave. I’m also looking forward to attempting to work a 32-hour week (reduced hours!) starting next week. We’ll see how that works out in reality, but I’ll be very, very happy if I manage to reduce for the next 2-3 months.

We’ve also signed up for classes now, and are meeting with a doula. It’s was becoming increasingly clear that we needed to do that, considering health care in Santa Barbara for expecting mothers. Not that it is bad – I definitely think we are blessed to have great health care – but it also was definitely clear that they do not hesitate to put you in induced labor, C-section mode, and any number of modified situations that I may not be completely on board with, as long as there is another option available. So, I’d just like someone consistent there with us to aid in our decision making process along the way. Jesse is completely on board with it too, so that is especially nice!

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Goals

So, now that I’ve gained about 30 pounds, I’m making some plans to get it off. Don’t worry, not before she’s born…but hopefully shortly after. I have to be honest, among the reasons I don’t want a C-section (there are others), is that I really don’t want to have to be away from the gym for longer than I have to. Plus, it just sounds painful from the friends who have had to go that route!

Anyways, I’m wondering if this race: Austin Half Ironman, would be too lofty of a goal to shoot for. I’ll have to ask my race partner, Telli – who roped me into these things before, and it turned out to be so much fun. Plus, I don’t see any way to train for a half ironman without at least shedding some of the weight I’ve put on during pregnancy! 😉

It’s also some motivation to get in the pool this week. I keep coming up with excuse after excuse, when really – it’s just laziness that prevents me from getting in the water. Well, that and work schedule and cold weather. But those perhaps also fall under “excuses”!

Anyone up to train with me? Or do I have to rope Jesse into it too?!

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The Most Recent

Rainbow on the Farm

Belly, Beach, & Golf Course
Belly, Beach, & Golf Course
Sorry it’s been so long for an update! We’ve been doing all sorts of stuff…going to Molokai to visit family, then back to work. The pics are from the trip – one to show that I’m still growing & growing, and one beautiful rainbow over the Wheeler Plumeria farm.

It was so great to see family for a week – wish we got out there more! And great timing because now I feel so huge that I really don’t think I would want to travel much longer. It’s the start of the 3rd trimester, so I guess I need to expect uncomfortable-ness for the rest of the time!

I don’t have much news other than that. We’ve been continuing to build the “nursery”, and my mom is almost done with the bedding. Jesse put the crib together, we picked up additional furniture (thanks, Mom & Dad! We love the couch and wall units!), and it’s all coming together nicely. It’s really the first time we’ve truly been “moved in” to this house together in our two plus years of marriage, so it’s very refreshing for both of us. If this is nesting, I hope we continue to do this!

Work has been a little rough lately, so we can use prayer there. I’m just blessed to still have a job, as they’ve laid off more and more people, and we’ve now taken a 20% paycut across the board for those of us left. I continue to just focus on being healthy and trying to minmize stress so that our little girl doesn’t feel the effects of it all! Jesse is enjoying his job, so we hope to see a sale soon to pay off his hard work. I’m so proud of him for being so diligent with this company – I know good things will come from it some time.

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One More!

Day, that is, until we leave for Hawaii. I’m so excited about visiting – and I’m sure Jesse is too – not based on the same high energy, flurry of packing way that I am, of course…but in his own way. I know this because he’s sent me links to baby onesies online lately that are Hawaii/surf related…and he can’t wait to get another “outfit” over there. I love that he is into baby clothes. Out of the two of us, who would have guessed? 😉

I’m a little worried (ie. dreading) the flight though. Lately my legs swell up to rival the elephants when I sit, so the whole 6-hour (?) flight thing is going to be a little bit of a chore. I hate to complain though because other than that, I feel great. I’m loving my job actually, and feel so, so blessed to be having a baby! It is so much more real now that she is moving up a storm. This morning Jesse even noticed while I was getting ready for work that he could see her on one side of my belly, which bulged out a lot more than the other. I can’t believe at 24 weeks, she is already that big! Maybe I’ll be early…. (wishful thinking).

OK, back to work for the last day. Molokai here we come!

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Busy Bee Countdown

Sorry for the lack of posting lately – life has gotten in the way a bit. In work-related news, my boss resigned and left the company, leaving me to manage our firm’s construction management department. Good career move, somewhat difficult timing, and a loss of working with someone I respect very much…so a mixed blessing of course. I’m now responsible for another 8 people’s jobs in a pretty rough economy, but I also get to do more of what I love – talk! 🙂

The countdown has also begun to our visit to Molokai. We can’t wait to see family – it’s been too long! Just two more work days, then a week out of town. So thankful for frequent flier miles, and even more grateful for family!

There are no “real” baby updates other than I feel like she’s grown a ton – or maybe I’ve just grown a ton! The “experts” (ie. What to Expect” website) say that she is 8 inches this week. Since she was 10.5 inches 4 weeks ago, I’m guessing she is larger…and judging by her kicks and turns in the evening, she is much stronger too! 🙂 Jesse has been hard at work on the house “list” – this weekend he finished sanding the table for me to varnish and moving around furniture, and I was busy dying the couch clipcovers in preparation to sell. All very boring, domestic things, other than his quick trip to the golf course and my walk on the beach boardwalk with a girl friend of mine.

Not an overly exciting update, but it’s ours! Happy Tuesday, loved ones!

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Growing Belly

22 weeks
I decided some of you would want to see the belly growing – because it sure is big now! Jess took this tonight. I feel a lot bigger at night, but not really sure how different it looks. This is 20 pounds of belly though (ok, a little bit everywhere else too!)

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Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone the most blessed 2010! We are sure excited about it, that’s for sure!

I’ve been bad about updating because we’ve been enjoying our time off at home so much. We did a ton to prepare for the baby in the last week, including cleaning out more junk than I thought we could fit in the place! The miscellaneous storage/office room that we have never fully moved into in two years of marriage is now officially going to be a nursery. We actually chose to stay in the small side of the house, and are looking forward to living a simple first couple of months as a family in May before potentially trying to do something different.

Today consisted of going to Home Depot to pick out new paint for the room (light green, which will match the bedding that my mom is so graciously making for us!), and for our room as well, which we will be rearranging a little. We also have researched baby equipment to death, deciding on a crib purchase, skipping the ‘Pack N Play’ for now, and getting a little bassinet for by our bed for the first little bit. We also stopped by Michael’s to take advantage of the 50% off baskets, which I ended up buying a ton of to put in the wall units in the nursery. Although I suppose it could just be classified as “nesting”, I’m just glad to get things done that we’ve really wanted to do for the past 2 years and just haven’t buckled down to do it. As Jesse put it – he just wants to make it a home for his little girl. The most fun part for me is definitely seeing him do that.

Oh, and last night was a fun moment. I’ve been of course feeling her move for awhile now, but she hasn’t been kicking hard enough for Jesse to feel it. I realized last night that she was moving so much that I could watch my stomach deform, so Jesse FINALLY (he’s been waiting for it) feels like he can take part by feeling her move too. Lots of fun, and we try not to take a single moment for granted.