Dropped...

So we've been busy around here. Busy puts it mildly, I think. If it's not actually doing things, it's thinking about doing them. It's been a week of cleaning, getting more things for Drew ready, preparing for the wedding, Bible study, shopping, more cleaning, laundry, cooking (i have so many recipes just waiting to go on the food blog!), looking for houses, talking about renting vs buying (I think we're leaning towards renting), playing with Evan, figuring out our schedule for VA, the list goes on...

...and what happens last night? A mere 6 days before I need to be on a plane? Drew drops. Yup, folks, he's locked and loaded and ready to go. I'm 'smushy' on top now and I'm feeling movement way down there. Yeah. Lovely. I know that it's slightly common to drop this early, but it just makes me nervous...please pray. Not only for my nerves but that I'll be allowed to fly.

I think that's it on this end! I have a Drs appt this afternoon, I'll give more updates if there are any.

Updated 5pm: The Dr confirmed the fact that I dropped and also 'checked' me. I am very glad to say that I'm at a 0 and 0%!!! Never have I ever been so happy as to hear that! He also gave me a Drs note. :) Praise the Lord!

Baby-moon

A friend of mine told me I was on a baby-moon this weekend. And she was quite right!

Friday night found Scot and I driving through snow to get to my folks house in time for dinner. The original plan was for Scot and I to sneak away Friday night to a movie or coffee or something, but once inside my folks' house, we didn't want to leave and ended up drinking wine, swapping stories, laughing, and watching some Olympics instead. We were perfectly alright with the alternative.

Saturday's weather was not what we were hoping for, but we were not to be deterred. My folks had agreed to watch Evan all day while Scot and I spent a day alone doing whatever we wished. It was a win-win situation. They got to hang with the boy (poor them) while we had some alone time before Drew gets here. It's also nice to 'wean' me for when Drew comes and my mom takes Evan for a few days. And that will wean me even further for when she has him for 10 days while we move! (yeah - not looking forward to that, but it's going to be such a blessing!)

We started off the day with a leisurely breakfast of fantastic pancakes like only my mom can make, followed by a large serving of coffee in our travel mugs. With kisses to the little guy who really didn't even seem to mind that we were getting all bundled up without him, we were off.

First stop - a high end hair salon where I was able to use a gift certificate from my birthday. The gal did an absolutely fantastic job! I hadn't been to a professional hair stylist since 10th grade, but with Jared's wedding coming up, I wanted my hair to look...well...professional. So I used the gift certificate and had my hair re-shaped and blended. I couldn't be happier. I'm trying to grow it out for the lovely Cleveland humidity and she was able to do what she needed to without taking length off!

Next stop was the Verizon store to look at phones as we're both up for our free upgrades. It's amazing how fun a typically dreaded trip was without Evan. He's really good in public, but it was so nice to be able to just browse and look and not have to worry about him at all! We stopped in at Borders after that just because and then we were off to Carraba's for a late, leisurely, lunch. A friend had given us a gift certificate for a Christmas gift and we have been saving it for a time where we could get away without Evan. It was so fun to feel like we were dating again and just have a quiet conversation over oil-dipped bread, a hot entree, and...dessert.

On very full stomachs, we headed to Manitou Springs where we spent some time in the neatest little toy shop full of old fashioned games, wooden toys, and fascinating puzzles and mind games! Next door was Salus, an organic, made-to-order, bath shop, where...you guessed it...I had a gift certificate from my birthday. This place was incredible! They start you off with unscented lotions, oils, body sprays, reed diffusers, creams...whatever, and then you get o pick your scent or essential oils you want added and in what strength! I'm pretty simple when it comes to that kind of stuff, so I gravitated towards the lip balms and made-on-site soaps!! Needless to say, I walked out a happy customer convincing myself to not use each soap the second I walked in the door!

We spent our last little bit of time just browsing around in Target. We needed to get a birthday card, and while there -- without Evan -- we just browsed. It was great.

Home again home again giggity gig to a happy boy who hadn't had an accident and who was grinning ear to ear and not wanting anyone but Mimi to hold him! We stayed until Evan's bedtime -- mom and I talking in the kitchen, and the boys and grama downstairs watching speed skating. It was a grand time and Scot and I really felt rejuvenated. I told him that so often I wear the 'mom hat' for so long that it's hard to just throw it off into the corner and put on the 'wife hat' as soon as we put Evan down at the end of the day. But yesterday, I felt like I had the 'wife hat' on all day and it was great!

That was our weekend. We're all still trying to get over a bug. I'm 95% there, Evan, too -- but poor Scot caught it Friday morning and so he's in the thick of it today. He actually went to sleep before Evan tonight to try and kick it out of his system! Lord willing, we'll all be up to snuff by the time flying and the wedding comes around!

Here are a few pictures - enjoy!

After we got back from our day out! So happy!


Working his way through the pillows on my mom's bed to find the reading light!


Enjoying pop-corn with his great grama!


Our son - Annie! My mom uses these things to cover dishes that don't have lids...I guess Evan found the drawer she keeps them in!

34 weeks

34 weeks means:

• 6 weeks until I'm 'due'
• 3 weeks until I'm full-term
• 2 weeks until I board a plane for Jared's wedding

I'm feeling great. My sciatica isn't bothering me as much as it did with Evan, sleeping has been helped by the aid of a body pillow, and strangely, the fatigue hasn't hit yet! (knock on wood!) It's getting harder to paint my toe nails and put on socks, but overall, life is continuing on quite normally. It's been wonderful, recently, to be able to feel Drew's heel or elbow jabbing and pushing. It's been equally, if not more wonderful, to have Scot and Evan feel, too!

I can not believe we're here already. The last 6 weeks. I have done so much and yet I feel like I have so much more to do. Just tonight, I want to send off all the 'progression pictures' I have up til now so I can put them in the baby book. I want to answer the "What was this pregnancy like?" questions in the baby book, too! I have all the clothes and sheets washed, some wipes, bottles ready, pacifiers with their lanyards, blankets washed and folded...all that's left are the diapers and bath time essentials! (being taken care of a week from today thanks to the ladies from church!) Mentally, I'm almost 'there'. I think after the wedding I'll be good to go -- but until then, I still have one big landmark to pass by before I can be completely ready for this guy to get here.

So until then...please pray that I'm just able to get on that plane!

I'm here...

...somewhere.

Even though I thought life would slow down after we found out where we were moving -- it didn't. Now our conversations not only hit the highlights of the day, but now we're talking buying vs. renting. Where to live in this place we've never been to. How many bathrooms are really necessary. The list goes on. I think you get the picture. Add to this the long to-do list that sits by my phone with all the things I want to do baby related before Jared's wedding in a little less than 3 weeks. Sigh. Oh yeah...did I mention I'm sick? Or that Evan's sick?

And get this. It hit me yesterday that within a 6 week period of time, we're going to have a baby, pack up the house, load up a truck, drive to graduation, graduate, and then move to a new house. Sounds like fun, huh?

BIG sigh.

Otherwise, we're doing really well. I can barely talk due to a sore throat (not the typical sore throat, though. I feel like someone hit my trachea and it's bruised...thus the inability to talk normally), but that's ok. We're dealing. I'm realizing that Evan is teaching himself how to be publicly potty trained. I put a diaper on him whenever we leave the house, but recently, he'll hold it til we get home and go as soon as we step in the door, or he'll tell us while we're out that he has to go. The amazing thing is that he can actually hold his bladder long enough for me to find a bathroom and get him all situated! I don't really expect this to last once Drew gets here (the reason I didn't even go there to begin with!), but I'm enjoying it while it's here.

I had my first baby shower this past Saturday and it was so fun. I had a very small list of things I needed (pacis, pack n play sheets, car mirror, etc..) and I think I got it all covered! (thanks gals!) My "Diapers and Wipes" shower from church is in a little over 2 weeks and then I'll have everything. The plan is to have clothes and and such set up and ready to go before I board that plane just in case I come home and pop him out right away.

That about sums it up for us at the moment!

2 things...

...real fast.

1) I'm 33 weeks today!! This is what my email said this morning:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal.

Crazy, huh?

2) I found out yesterday that Alistair Begg's church is a within a few miles of where we're wanting to live!! It didn't come up on the PCA church search b/c it's non-denominational, but I think we may just try that church out, too. :) God is so good to provide.

That's it for me. I have a stress-induced sore throat this morning (Scot and I figure out last night that it will be easier to move the middle of May since we have to drive to Kirksville for graduation anyways. That would put us halfway to Cleveland already, so we're just going to keep on going and be there well by June 1st. Not that big of a deal, but it just means less time here and that's hard for me) and I have 5 loads of laundry to do.

Must get going!

A random little bragging...

Ok. I know I'm not supposed to brag. It's wrong. And yet...here I go.

Tonight while we were out at dinner celebrating, Evan was in the little highchair seat and halfway through our meal he told us he had to pee. We both looked at him. Was he really telling us he had to pee while in a diaper out in public? We actually took about 15 seconds to figure out if we should take him to the public restroom or just let him go. We even asked him "Do you really have to pee?" and were greeted with an emphatic "pee pee". So Scot told him to hold it, took him to the restroom, and he did his thing! We were so astounded and proud of him I just had to share.

He really has been doing well staying dry when we're out, I just hadn't had the "I have to go" experience since we're not pushing the public aspect yet.

Ok. I'm done bragging. For now. :)

Warrensville, oh, Warrensville

What is Warrensville Heights like? I can look at a map. I can look at the climate webpage. I can look at the Warrensville Heights or Cleveland home/info pages and see all the fun events available. I can look at the zoo (which is free on Mondays if you live in the area we're looking at!) and the aquarium. I can see the church that we may attend and the hospital where Scot will work. But what about the people? Will there be gals my age with kids at church? How about the other residents? Will they be married? Will their wives be nice? Will I be liked?

Oh, the questions the assail me when the thought of moving comes along. I can cope with the technicalities of moving. The truck. The boxes. The deciding what stays and what goes (thankfully I've done a lot of that already). It's just the settling in that always gets me. Where will be living. Will we be in a house? A duplex? An apartment? How will we pick? How will I know what's around there?

With all of that being said, here's the scoop.

Scot has signed the letter of intent (a binding, although not legally, contract) for South Pointe Hospital in Warrensburg Heights, OH. They will now send him a contract to sign.It is a Cleveland Clinic Hospital and he will actually get to rotate through CC for 4 rotations in his 2nd year, and 4 more times in his 3rd year. This is huge! Cleveland Clinic is as well known as Mayo Clinic, but not quite on the same level. All in all, it's a great opportunity. And as always, the Lord knows what He's doing. Scot and I are actually happier with OH than we would have been with Tulsa! And I can honestly say that this whole process was fun - we both felt like we had more options, and especially considering where we're going...we really couldn't have asked for a better spot. We will move the end of May in order to be in OH by June first and hopefully move into a house (or something). Orientation begins on June 21st and the program on July 1st. So that gives us 3 weeks, or there abouts, to get settled the 4 of us before Scot starts his official medical career. How exciting!

Just in case you were wondering. No. I am not prepared for the 3 winters we'll be there. People have the common misconception that since I'm 'from' Colorado that the snow is nothing new to me. Well, if any of you have that same thought, let me set the record strait. I am used to snow. I am used to snow falling and beautifully coating the ground and then disappearing after a day or so. I am not used to it sticking around, changing colors, and becoming ice. I am not used to the kind of cold that comes with that snow either. That bone-chilling, can't get warm kind of cold. But with all that being said - I'll deal. I wasn't used to the wet in Washington, or the scorching dry heat in the Mohave Dessert. I wasn't used to the humidity in VA or MO - but I got used to it. Likewise, I'll get used to harsh winters, too. It'll make coming back to live in CO (Lord willing) such a sweet and pleasant experience.

So now, it's time to celebrate. I am not one typically for the idea of using food as a means of celebration (another soap box for another time), but for this occasion...I think it calls for it!

The update...

I'm sorry for those of you who kept checking the blog yesterday to see what was going on with where we were moving. The Lord had plans that did not include Tulsa, OK and so Scot was sent scrambling. Within 2 hours of all the information being released on what programs still had open spot, we had an offer from a hospital in Joplin, MO which Scot verbally accepted. He essentially wanted to get as many contracts in front of him so he could then choose. We should be receiving that contract in the mail today.

After lunch, he was heavily pursued by a hospital in Warrensville, OH - it's a sub-burb of Cleveland about 20 minutes out. This hospital is affiliated and owned by the nationally renown Cleveland Clinic. Again, after several phone interviews and bio checks and talking with current residents there, they also offered Scot a position which he verbally accepted. Their contract should be here tomorrow.

This morning, Scot had an interview with a hospital in Harrisburg, PA. They will be getting back to us some time before tomorrow morning at 8 with what they want to do - offer him a contract or not.

So where do we stand in all this?

Between MO and OH, we'd pick OH hands down. The area has more churches, it's a better program with the potential of 'rubbing shoulders' with some big wigs at Cleveland Clinic, and we just like the area better. It also, believe it or not, has better flight prices home! Direct flights to and from Denver for a great deal! Joplin is small, so it's more to fly out of Joplin, and to get good direct flights, you have to travel 2 hours to Tulsa.

So now it's just a matter of whether or not Harrisburg offers a contract. And even if they do, I'm not sure if it's what Scot wants. He originally thought that the Harrisburg hospital was a lot larger than it actually is. In reality, it's the same size, or even a little smaller, than the Warrensville, OH hospital. I didn't get to talk to him much this morning after his interview, but if I had to guess, I would say that the final outcome will be Cleveland/Warrensville.

How do I feel about this?

Great.

Really.

I did a little research yesterday to calm my nerves - is that normal? - and I actually like both the PA and the OH sites. I do have a certain tendency towards OH for some reason, but I would be happy either place.

I'll try to update again when we know something for sure. :)

As for other updates, because yes, while this is the biggest thing in our life right now, life does still go on and is still just as full!!

The Ladies Tea on Saturday went really well. I'll include some pictures, but I'm warning you, they won't do the tea justice. We transformed a gals formal living/dining room into a tea with multiple card tables and fine china. We had lemon curd, jam, Devonshire cream, milk, sugar, and lemons at each table. The kitchen area was filled with delicious desserts and tea sandwiches. There were 27 gals who attended and everyone had a marvelous time! The entire photo album is on our Picasa page if you want to see everything.

The tour of the Mother/Baby floor on Sunday was really good, too. The hospital s gorgeous since it's still so new and it definitely made things more 'real' to be able to see where I'm going to be in about 7 or 8 weeks and to just think through everything that that means. The huge praise on that front, though, is that they have just recently lifted the H1N1 ban of no children on the floor. I was really bummed originally that I wasn't going to get the 'typical' tired mother, crazed dad, curious sibling, and new little bundle family picture...but now, Lord willing, I will!

I think that's about it. A normal week here. The snow is starting to clear and we're just really happy and thankful to the Lord that Scot has so many offers. All he needs one, but the Lord knows that my dear husband likes to have his options. Stay tuned!

My friend, Rebecca, and also the other planner of this huge event!


My plate before I dug in...and I was so good, I didn't even go back for seconds. But that's mostly Drew's fault.


The laden table...and this is not including the island ful of goodies, too!!


The 'tea room' before anyone arrived!

Catch-up

Huh? You haven't read the blog in a while? Don't worry, we'll catch you up to speed!

So I've been out of my house the last 2 entire days. My dear friend Rebecca took me under her wing and diligently made sure I did nothing more than what was necessary at her house. The kids played, we drank tea and talked, we cooked (the products of our adventures are on the cooking blog!), we talked some more, we watched "What Not to Wear", we laughed, and we planned for tomorrow's tea. Why all this sitting around, you may ask...I had contractions for about 5 days strait leading up to Tuesday and Scot finally said 'stay still'! And really, he was right. I took it easy on Tuesday and had very few contractions, and with Wed and Thurs as 'down days', I'm pretty much back to normal.

The contractions weren't regular, they didn't hurt too much, but still, we were a little on the nervous side since I never had any of this with Evan and we knew it the contractions were not related to dehydration. But then again, I was sitting most of the time with Evan and this time around I'm running after him instead of sitting. I thankfully had a Drs appointment scheduled for this morning and the doctor said that it was nothing to be worried about, it was just my body preparing for labor/delivery and it was completely normal. He did tell me, though, to take it easy. So that's what I'm doing. Taking it easy. I have good motivation, too. Jared's wedding is in 4 weeks and I have to be able to get on that plane!

So Scot is now in charge of taking the laundry up and down our stairs and lifting heavier things. I am trying to limit my picking up of Evan and instead bending down to give hugs or hold him if he needs it. Just no swinging him up into my arms any more. Maybe a little extra-cautious, but with the potential of not making it to my only brother's wedding - I'm going to be extra-cautious.

Other than that, we're doing great. I'm officially 8 months (32 weeks) and Drew is moving and kicking and making his presence very known. I'm starting to wear more maternity tops as my tummy is starting to get bigger and bigger...and I'm starting to eat less as this little guy seems to be taking up more room.

Evan is doing really well. We're in a major teething stage right now complete with runny nose and post-nasal-drip cough. Lovely. We are also beyond a shadow of a doubt 'house trained' - he not only tells us when he has to pee or poo, but this morning, he even told me while wearing his very saturated night-time diaper! He has started 'singing' and is still just a little character. He still minds very well and seems to have a sensitive spirit about him. We can only pray the same for Drew.

We find out on Monday where we will be moving next, so unless I get on here to post about the tea - that will most likely be what the next post will be about! We're really hoping for Tulsa, OK, but we know that the Lord has our best interest in mind and we're just praying for the right heart attitudes when we get that email Monday mid-morning...

Common Occurance Caught on 'Film'

Evan is such a good combination of both Scot and I, it's funny sometimes. He loves shoes like his father and has a fetish for them like no other child I've seen. I'm not talking about "he sees some shoes and tries them on occasionally". I mean, he roots around in our closet to find shoes - matching shoes at that - to try on and walk around in. We can be at home or some one's house, it doesn't matter. If there are shoes to wear, he's wearing them. I have a slew of photos of him in miscellaneous shoes ready to post, but alas, I haven't gotten around to it.

He is also very detail oriented. A trait he gets from me (or my mom?). Since he was little, he has been able to be entertained by the little things, the speck of something on the floor, putting the pea precisely in the middle of the spoon before putting the spoon in his mouth, making sure the toy is standing upright before he leaves it, he lines things up. The list goes on and on. Recently, as in the last few weeks, he has started a new 'trick'. Organizing his dinner-ware after he's all done eating. It's hilarious, and the first time he did it, I about fell out of my chair. He will commonly stack his bowl on his plate, put his silverware in his bowl, and somehow get his cup into the bowl as well. When all is said and done, he lifts it all up and says 'all done'. I have been dying to get this on 'film', but have never been quick enough. Until today. I was in the kitchen and just happened to look over when he started his little assembly. I wish it was dinner and there was a plate so you could really see how it's done, but this will have to do.

Good-bye peanut butter sandwich. Good-bye raisins. Good-bye pretzels and yogurt and juice. Hello organization.

Other little funny things he's been doing recently:

• Coughing into his elbow/sleeve instead of using his hand because that's how daddy does it
• Whenever there is a dishcloth around, he gets down and starts 'cleaning' the floor or the windows. I guess I'm doing something right.
• Sneaking. He will commonly be found 'walking' - if you can call it that - in a crouched position as though he were sneaking up on someone
• Helping mommy off the floor. He will walk up to me when I'm sitting on the floor, take my hands, and pull as hard as he can in order to 'help' me up like daddy does. It's too cute.
• Squeezing his fists together and making the cutest little face as though he's trying to break something!

There are so many more, but this is all that's coming to my pregnant brain at the moment. :)

Happy February First!

I can not believe another month has slipped by right under my nose. I didn't even realize it. And to think that this time last month we were celebrating a new year, and this time next month we'll be getting ready to celebrate Jared's wedding, and this time the month after that...we'll hopefully have a new little guy in our midst. That's right, folks, I'm about 8 weeks out from my due date. Crazy, huh?

I spent the last few days enjoying some relaxation down at my folks house. Scot had a big paper due this morning and since he was going to be swamped with that, I decided to head on down. We were already planning on being down there on Sunday for a birthday party, so I went home with my folks on Wed night (they were up here visiting) and Scot joined us down there Saturday night. It was great fun. I read an entire novel, ate cookies, drank tea, went on walks, did a little shopping, went out for burgers, and in general (as always) had fun with my folks.

I made a big decision on a double stroller, too! I've been waffling for the last few months on what I really wanted in a double stroller. It had to fit on the back of our Civic and we didn't want to spend an arm and a leg. I was set on a jogger-like stroller that would actually fit in the back of the car, but it was going to cost not only an arm and a leg, but a tooth, too! So I started to re-think. What did I really need a double for? Walking and exercising for sure. But do I really need that to fit in the back of the car? No. I will be walking from the house. Ok. So then I really just need a double umbrella - something light and easy to throw and keep in the car for those times I need both of them contained. The occasional Zoo outing (so it had to have good wheels and not be a total cheap thing), and mall trip, but mostly an indoor stroller. Ok. So I had my options. Well, Babies R Us is having this deal right now where if you turn in any used carseat, highchair, stroller, or crib, you get 25% off an item that falls into those categories (as long as it's a participating brand).

So I brainstormed and talked things through with friends and Scot and my folks and came to the conclusion that the Sit n Stand was the stroller for us. Evan loves to walk and hates being in the stroller anyways, but he will get tired. I really loved the Snap n Go with Evan, and this has that feature. I didn't want a tandem stroller originally, but this isn't as long as the typical tandem, and I have friends who have the stroller and they love it. So I returned an old carseat that a friend wasn't using anymore (thanks Britt!) and got 25% off the stroller!! Such a deal!! If you have any big purchases, I highly recommend doing this. And now, all I need to do is craigslist and double jogger! In the long run, I'm getting 2 strollers for less than half of what I originally wanted to get!!

Evan did great, too, while we were down there. Since deciding to hold off on the public aspect of training for a while, I was a little nervous as to how he would do at my folks house. But he did great! He even told us he had to pee when he was sitting eating - and when he was playing - and when he was in a wet diaper!! We were quite excited to say the least. :)

Otherwise, things are going well...here are a couple pictures from the weekend.

Walking with Grammy (who is now turning into "Mimi") and Grama


Sitting having breakfast with Grandude (who is now just "Dude" much to my father's delight)

Trying on the little suit we bought him for Jared's wedding. Madeline's color is a dark purple and we can even use it for Easter a few weeks later!!