Almost There

This picture was taken last Sunday at church -- it's of us pregnant girls. I'm lamenting that we didn't take a picture like this of us sooner, because there would have been a couple more of us in the picture who have since had their babies! But from left to right: Della (due November 30), me (due December 1), Rachel (due Christmas Day), and Sara (due at the beginning of February).

December napping (actually, me snapping this picture of her is what woke her up from the nap...oops)

Brad and December reading a bedtime story

Aren't they cute?!?

Brad's been really busy lately, writing all of his papers. Last night, he finished writing his second of four, most of which are due December 5. After all of those papers are due, he has a few days to catch up on writing Greek notes and the thousands of pages of theological reading before exams begin. He'll finish his last exam on December 17, and until then he's going to be (and already is!) a very busy man. We're really excited because Brad's Mom is going to be coming to visit us next Monday! She's coming to help out when the baby is born, and we can't wait to have her!

Only two weeks left...At my last doctor's appointment I wasn't dialated at all, and I was told that the baby is face-up instead of face-down. I was pretty upset after hearing that! I did some research, and the baby facing this way (the wrong way) makes the chances of EVERYTHING awful increase. Like your chances of extremely tough labor, tearing to your rectum, getting a large episiotomy, needing a vacuum to get the baby out, ending up getting a C-section, etc etc. Yikes! So we would appreciate prayer for the baby to face the right direction. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow, so we'll see what the baby has decided to do this past week. I'll keep you posted...

Wild Animal Park

On Thursday, we went to the Wild Animal Park with Naomi, Noah, and baby Isaac. Here we have stopped by the monkeys, and December and Noah are enthralled.

Here's the monkeys! This black one in the foreground is playing with a small mirror attached to the fence -- he was pretty funny about staring at himself in it, and you can see a small white baby monkey in the background, swinging around the cage.

The Wild Animal Park has a children's play area that we spent most of our time in, as December and Noah had a great time. These two love to run around together and actually play together -- I like seeing December begin to grow out of her "parallel play" stage and actually begin to interact with her friends. And you can see December's new haircut! I cut it a few nights ago -- the length is somewhere between her chin and her shoulders.

The baby is getting ready to come! At my doctor's appointment this week, I was told that the baby is head-down, which I'm so thankful for! I was really hoping that the baby wouldn't be breech, and he/she isn't! If the baby would have been breech (feet down instead of head down), it would have been an almost guaranteed C-section. But the baby is in the right position. And I've been getting more and more Braxton-Hicks contractions, which are light contractions preparing for real labor. All this week, it feels like I can no longer close my legs because I have a bowling ball stuck between them, which is a strange feeling and one that really accentuates the graceful duck waddle I've acquired! So, everything is getting ready for this baby! They say that your due date is flexible by +/- 2 weeks. If it's -2 weeks, this baby is coming next week! Yikes! That is very soon...

Babies, Triangles, and One Very Pregnant Woman

Last week, Noah and baby Isaac came over to play. December loves baby Isaac and talks about him all the time! Hopefully that bodes well for her loving her new brother or sister.

December held him and did NOT want to give him up!

He's a sweet little boy...

Brad and December snacking on Halloween candy -- December would eat chocolate all day long, if we let her.

December still loves this picture frame -- it really is weird, the "toys" (that aren't really toys at all) that kids find and decide to play with for hours on end!

December picks the frame up and, thinking it's shaped like a triangle, sings this song, which you probably won't know unless you're an avid watcher of Seseme Street (as we are):

The song makes me laugh -- it's so crazy...and yet, so very catchy. I must admit that I find myself singing this song during the most random times of the day, like when I clean the bathroom or go get the mail. Very weird.

Dancing

Normally I'm hesitant to have pictures taken when I reach the behemoth stage of pregnancy, as I currently have. Brad tells me that I have grown so much that I now have my own gravitational force field. Ha! It's a pretty accurate statement, hehee...but my dear mother wanted to see a current picture, and since I love her so much, I had Brad take one of me. This picture was taken on Sunday. Not too much longer now -- 3 1/2 weeks!

Holding the Status Quo

December playing with a picture frame




Daddy and December cuddling.


December watching "Curious George"

The past couple of weeks have been fairly ordinary...not much that is new has happened. Brad's school is coming along, with a midterm thrown in last week. He is currently working on one of his papers. All of Brad's 3 papers are due only a few days after the baby is due, so he's trying to work ahead on them. Very smart idea! As for December, she's been doing her daily, normal things: playing, going to the park, hanging out with her toddler friends, potty training (which is going WAY, WAY better!! I have hope that December will be fully potty trained by the time the baby is born.). My "nesting" has been kicking in, and I've been getting things ready for the baby. I'm nearly finished. Actually, if the baby DID decide to come right now, we'd be fine -- my hospital bag is all packed and ready to go! My friend Naomi (that you saw pregnant in the pumpkin pictures) had her baby almost two weeks ago, a beautiful baby boy named Isaac. What a precious little one! December and I LOVE going over to visit him.

So as you can see, most everything here is ordinary. In fact, things have been so normal here that I haven't even taken any pictures! I took the second and third pictures above just right now, so that you'd have at least something to look at! hehee. Today, Brad is off to work in the school's library, I'm going to be sewing some pillowcases, and then December and I are going to my friend's baby shower (she is due just a few weeks after me, on Christmas Day.) So that's our update! I apologize that it's not more fascinating for you...our really interesting news will be coming in about five weeks' time! YAY!