Say What?!!!!!?

If you will all just take a gander to the right side of the screen, you will note it says I still have over 2 weeks left to go. Not so bad...right? WRONG! Especially when your doctor just told you your baby is still face up (not down like she's supposed to be...she's already being rebellious)...and I'm only 3 cm dialated. Oh wait...there's more. Here's the kicker: she already weighs 9-10 lbs. WHAT?!? How could someone with my small frame grow a child that is a fatty? Again...I blame Reed, which my doc said I am totally justified in declaring. She also said that mama's size and diet has nothing to do with baby's size...which is why it's okay she's a tubby (at least I know I didn't contribute to her girth). She did make me feel better though by assuring me that fat babies are indeed cute--a phrase I have always cringed at and shoved in my bank of ludicrous thoughts--and when I see her and she looks like me, I will just fall in love with her. Didn't I already say I love my doctor? I'm glad she didn't just roll her eyes in disgust at my "I don't like fat babies" comment and exit stage right quickly. Anyway...I'm having a huge baby and that's that. Moving on...
I have passed all of my master's exams with flying colors (who ever came up with that phrase...honestly?) and will graduate December 17th unless I have spontaneously combusted by that point. Thanks for caring.

Trick-or-Treat!

This Halloween was much more of a success than last year. That's right...the door bell rang 7 times this year, instead of the disappointing 2 last year. And...sometimes I would open the door and 4 or 5 creatures would be standing there yelling at me. Ah...such fun. I love Halloween. I actually got rid of almost all of our candy. Yes, we had scaled back a bit on the sweets based on last year's stats, but we still had a big bowl prepared with nothing left now but tootsie rolls and a lone mini-twix bar. Hmmm...guess I'll have to eat that. I may decide to be nice and hand those left-overs out to my primary kids. They really could use the energy. NOT!

Here is my costume I wore for Halloween 2009. I only wore it to work and everyone thought it was brilliant. Too bad I couldn't take any credit for it. It was all Reed's idea. I thought it was pretty funny myself...

...bet ya can't guess what I am.

Whoa!

1. I am so sick of drinking water!
2. I think I look pretty good for 8 months pregnant...that's humble...right?
3. I am uncomfortable doing anything.
4. Sometimes, I think she's going to fall out...so much pressure.
5. No stretchmarks as of yet...gulp!
6. Love every minute of her daily calisthenics even though it occasionally frightens me that she may be having a spasm.
7. I cannot wait to see what she is going to look like.
8. I am starting to get really nervous about the whole labor thing.
9. Heartburn sucks!
10. I can't wait to see Reed with her and raise her together with him.

Fancy Toes!

I finally got my first pedicure. It was lovely. I highly recommend it...and I will be doing THAT again in the near future. My friend Sandra went with me. Here are our toes...

Here are our faces...

Me at 7 months and 1 week, or 29 weeks, or with only 1o weeks and 6 days to go. Whichever you prefer.

"You have a beautiful belly"

The other day, one of my co-workers told me I have a beautiful belly. I thought how nice a comment that was, even though it was coming from a guy. I guess he could have said, "Hey you cow, your belly looks pretty fat today," but he didn't. It totally made my day, too. I always feared that I would retain a ton of water and my face would break out into one giant zit when I was pregnant. Luckily, I have been able to ward off such nonsense. But I still have 3 months to go...so I'd better find some wood to knock on QUICK! In other news, I have just completed my first 4 weeks of school teaching my new middle schoolers. Even though most days are pretty similar, each day brings with it new and interesting "items of business" shall we say. Sometimes these items are pretty down right hilarious. Not so hilarious however are the moments when one of my students decides he is going to throw a big bowl of chocolate pudding across the kitchen in protest of cooking-time and then yells at himself while I make him clean it up. Okay...that last part falls into the 'hilarious' category. Oh...kids! Also, I have just signed up for my master's exams and will be taking my orals October 1. So, please don't curse my name or think bad thoughts about me until after that date...for I shall know it was you. I will finally be done with stupid school in December. I have been going to school now for 10 years (my fault, I guess). I could have been a full-fledged doctor by now. Well, almost. Anyway...to close, here are more pictures of me and my "beautiful belly" at 6 months. Just FYI: I am now 6 months, 3 weeks and counting...

The Best Birthday Present Ever!!!

Yesterday I got to spend an entire 1/2 hour with my baby girl. What a great birthday present! That's right...we're having a GIRL!!! The doctor knew we wanted a boy, so she looked real hard for a penis, but to no avail. Oh well. That's just more incentive to try again. It's just going to be very hard to choose a name now. Reed and I had already agreed on a name we both liked for a boy. Now, we have to start all over. Reed doesn't like the name I want to choose for our girl...but who's doing all the work here? Oh, that'd be me. Who's gonna bring this baby into the world? Oh, that'd be me. So I think I'm entitled to have dibs on the name...right?? Maybe if I convince him to let me name this girl, I will let him name all the other kids whatever he wants. That shows you how much I like this name I chose. Anyway...back to my joyous 1/2 hour birthday present. I am simply amazed at not only nature and God's beautiful creations in action, but the technology we have now to see it happen. I saw just about everything you could see on a human...and she was perfect. Everything was developing normally and she just looked so perfect. She moves around a lot too. It was fun to see her mouth open and close and her arms and feet move right in front of me. It didn't really hit me just how amazing an experience that was until later that day at home. During the appointment, you are so focused on what the doctor is saying and what you are seeing, and then of course the big revealing of the gender. It's hard to really soak it all in and realize what you are priviliged to be seeing. But once I let it all in and was able to concentrate on it, it was the best feeling ever. My first baby. I am already in love with her.

Road Trip!

So, we're back from our very long, but beautiful trip across the country. We flew to West Virginia and met up with Reed's parents and nieces there. We stayed with a very nice couple (my mother-in-law's cousins) for several days. They had such a nice home and lived in a fabulous neighborhood. I was starting to look at real-estate ads. WV is so green and lush. I loved it! After our stay, we began our voyage across the US. We drove through 13 states and eventually ended up in California. We were supposed to end in Utah for the Seamons family reunion, but this ended up being cancelled due to a family member passing away. The family packed up and headed over to California for the funeral. The funeral was very nice and this woman was loved by all. I wish I could have met her. It gives the phrase "never too late" a completely different meaning. This trip allowed me and Reed to meet family we had never seen before, and we are glad to know them. Below are some of our pictures from the excursion. The rest can be found here.

An awesome waterfall just hangin' out by the side of the road. Much more tolerable than stupid, ugly cacti!

WV countryside.

Some of the family...Reed's mom's side.

The state capitol.

Here are some pictures for my mom's viewing pleasure...

Maybe it's a good thing I was born without a butt. These are of my pregnant glory at 5 1/2 months.