Summer Memories

About an hour and a half ago, I arrived home from spending a wonderful afternoon with my in-laws. We ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A, went swimming, and then watched a movie.

As I watched all my sweet nieces and nephews kicking and splashing around in the pool and then crashing with a movie, I couldn't help but remember all my summer afternoons spent like that.

I specifically remember packing snacks and lunches and going to Four Winds Pool to spend a summer afternoon swimming, splashing, kicking, jumping, and flipping around in the water. The only time mom could get us out was during adult swim. Mom would relax with a book or visit with other parents, and sometimes she would swim with us. We'd get out after a few hours (and lots of threats from mom), go home, and enjoy a popsicle (the kind that you buy as a juice and freezes). Jenn and I would then crash with a movie while mom got dinner ready for when dad got home. Even better days were the ones where dad was off and we would have a cook-out for dinner! I can remember coming home, climbing out of our old Explorer, and smelling the hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill... yum!

I smile when I think of those fantastic lazy summer days, and I relished in today knowing that my nieces and nephews were creating the same awesome summer memories I now have in my head.

The next new moon?

On Saturday, after attending morning services of Shoal's annual meeting, we all headed down to a nursing home in Thomson to visit a church member Chris grew up knowing. As we walked in, this sweet older woman was sitting at a table to gather donations for Cystic Fibrosis, and she introduced herself as Mildred Throckmorton. I flipped out! I asked her to repeat her last name, and I told her that my maiden name was Throckmorton. She was a sweet, gentle, polite woman, a lot like my Grandma Throckmorton, and I truly enjoyed getting to talk with her. She asked me when my baby was due, and when I told her, she grinned and told me to find out when the next new moon is. She thinks my baby boy will be born then. I smiled, and we left.

The second we got home, Chris and I went to weather.com to look up the moon cycle. The next new moon will happen on June 22. That would be next week. Next Tuesday, to be exact. If only I could be so lucky! I'm really beginning to wonder if James will come late. We've had all this talk about him coming early, so with all this expectation for the past 8 months, it would be just my luck for him to hang out until well past July 8th, despite his HUGE size. I say this because he has not dropped yet, and nothing has happened to indicate that labor is happening any time soon.

I really want him to come early, which I fear is selfish and self-serving. If he comes on-time or late, I am going to have to take unpaid time off to finish my maternity leave. I do not have enough sick days to cover the time off. I only have 11 sick days, and it would take 15 to finish up maternity leave, if he is born on time. I want lots of time off with this little dude, with sick days left to take care of him when he gets sick.

I'm really thankful that I got bit with the nesting bug last week because I sure don't feel like doing much this week. It hurts! Just walking around is uncomfortable. All i am doing this week is maintaining the mess and tackling school stuff. I have some books to read, procedures to plan, and worksheets to type up. I also want to get the bag packed for the hospital once and for all. Just in case Tuesday is the big day. :)

Summer Routine!

This is truly my first real day of summer vacation, and I am super excited because I think I have stumbled upon the perfect summer routine for me (until little James makes his debut).

I get up in the morning with Chris (which is not too terribly early-- 7am or so), eat breakfast (maybe get ambitious enough one day to make us both breakfast), and send him off to work. Once he is gone, I throw on some "work clothes" and get to work on the house... not a whole lot! Just one chore at a time each day! Today I cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen, plus mopped the floors, all while baby clothes were washing in the laundry room. (I know today was not one chore, and I am feeling it right now-- believe me! I am sitting in bed until Chris can get home and help me out-- my back hurts that much!) I then shower and make myself a simple lunch. That leaves my afternoon open for anything-- reading a good book, getting a pedicure (which I am scared to do until the house is a little more ready for baby), cutting my hair, going swimming, going to the doctor, and other fun stuff like that! :)

I am so excited about this routine, and if I tackle a chore a day, it does not over work me and helps me feel ready for baby. My plan for this week is to work on the nursery tomorrow now that all the clothes and items are clean and ready to go. On Wednesday I am going to straighten up our living room and dining room-- vacuum the furniture and floors and hopefully box up our DVDs. On Thursday I am going to work on our guest room/office and hopefully organize it for good. On Friday I am spending the day with my mom! :)

Right now I am truly thankful for all the work we completed over spring break, even though I was overwhelmed. I can't imagine what I would do right now if our house was in the same order as before spring break. It stresses me out a little bit, actually.'

So a little baby update... or maybe I shouldn't use "little"...

As of Friday, James measured at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. eek!
My doctor's office is doing nothing with this information, which I completely respect. A baby, no matter his weight, is still a preemie when born before his due date... as explained to me.
The ultrasound pictures are hard to decipher because James is all squished in there.
I go to the doctor every week now until he decides to come!

I am still trying to be content in the Lord's timing, even though I want James in my arms now! I watched A Baby Story this afternoon while I folded baby clothes, hoping James could take a hint. :)

The end is near!

Last week, I posted as my facebook status that "the end is near." I was really referring to the end of school since I posted it on Wednesday and our last day was Friday. And oh what a happy day Friday was! I have NEVER been more excited for school to get out. Now I am struggling through this week to get all the post-planning work done, and I can say once again, the end is near! Tomorrow is our last day!

My facebook status, however, could also refer to the end of my pregnancy! As of today, I am 35 weeks pregnant. I can count down to James' due date on ONE HAND. Time seems to have flown by! My pregnancy has been a blessing; I have been extremely fortunate to have no complications and no major discomforts. I credit that to my job, keeping me up and around on my feet, instead of propping my feet up and, as one student told me I should do, eating sweet potato pie all day. Just recently a few discomforts have emerged, like being unable to get into a comfortable sleeping position!

I am SO excited to meet James. The fear and nervousness have not kicked in yet; all I feel is excitement to meet my little dude, to hold him and love on him as much as possible. I have a few things left to do to get ready for his arrival, but, in all honesty, we'd be ready for him to arrive today! I have made myself content, however, to wait on God's good timing, whether that brings James early or late.

Speaking of James' arrival... if you want to make a guess in the baby poll, please do so! It is unlocked now and can be played!

A bittersweet time

Mother's Day in my family was not only a Sunday set aside to recognize mom, but it was also a day, especially once college rolled around, to celebrate dad, whose birthday fell within a few days of Mother's Day. We would go to church, go out to eat a nice lunch somewhere, and open presents- both Mother's Day and birthday. It was like a Parents' Day.

Dad's birthday is this Tuesday.

Today, I am thankful for the time I spent with my daddy. I am thankful that he was born on this Earth nearly 58 years ago, and I got to have him as my dad for 24 of those years (almost). I am thankful for the job he spent over half of his life laboring at to provide my sister and me with everything we could have ever needed. I am thankful that dad's world revolved around his family because I have many treasured memories of time spent with my dad.

Today, I admire my mom. 2008 was an extremely difficult year for her. Her mother broke her hip escaping from the nursing home. Many thought she would not recover. Her father was hospitalized for a serious ulcer due to all the stress resulting from the nursing home accident. Mom spent most of the summer traveling back and forth to Missouri to help take care of her parents. Then, to top it all off, her husband of almost 26 years passes away suddenly and unexpectedly. I admire my mom's unwavering faith in our Lord. Her strength, hope, and comfort all come from Him, and she has found everything she needs to continue on in life in Him. God has taken care of her, and continues to take care of her, and mom fully relies on Him. Some may turn their back on God in tough times, but mom just threw herself at Him, trusting in Him and and His promises.

As I prepare to become a parent, I realize more and more what my parents did for me, and these are just the highlights. I could go on for forever about the sacrifices they made and the many happy memories I have from growing up in such a loving household. I hope with all of my heart that I can be the same kind of parent to James.

Thank you, daddy and momma, for everything.

Play the game!

I think James is going to be unpredictable! He might come early, he might enjoy hanging out and taking his sweet time. What time of day will he be born? We know he is going to be rather, er, large, but how large will he get? Or will he throw us for a loop and be average sized? How long will he be?

Play the Expectnet game and see if you guess correct! If you do, I promise there will indeed be a prize, and I will select an appropriate prize for the winner.

Have fun! Don't be afriad to guess! :)

James is an overachiever!

At my routine doctor's appointment on Monday afternoon, my doctor informed me that according to measurements taken, James is "much larger than expected." He asked that I come in for an ultrasound as soon as possible to confirm. "As soon as possible" ended up being on Wednesday morning, and the ultrasound did indeed confirm that James is growing rapidly and that he is a few weeks ahead. He is in the 81st percentile for growth (50 percentile being normal, of course), and he is already around 3 pounds and 10 ounces! If he continues at this rate, he will be around 9-10 pounds at the time of birth!

All I know right now is that, according to the chart, his Actual Ultrasonic Age is 30 weeks and 5 days (I was 29 weeks pregnant at the time), and his Actual Ultrasonic due date is June 26. The ultrasound tech told me that in another few weeks I will have another ultrasound down to monitor the growth and decide what needs to be done and when.

I don't necessarily understand all of this, but none of it scares or suprises me. Chris was 9 pounds and 15 ounces at birth, and he was 2-3 weeks early! I never really expected to stick to the due date. I laughed when the doctor told me on Monday that he was "much larger than expected."

I'm just taking it all in stride. It's not anything bad, and, the good thing from the ultrasound is some more pictures of my sweet boy!