The family has a pool going on Brenden’s delivery date. I finally compiled most of the guesses into a calendar. This link is also on Brenden’s page. I originally said July 31, which is listed on the calendar, but the way things are going, I think he’ll actually arrive sooner, maybe July 24. Woohoo! Comment or email me if you want in.
Hi all! Andy has been mentioning that I haven’t posted in a while, so I thought I’d take a minute to say hello. I couldn’t think of anything really interesting to post about, so I’ll just give you a list of the weird things I’ve noticed during this pregnancy. Feel free to add others, all you moms out there….
1. I seriously think people think my eyes are now around my belly button. I’ve never been one of those voluptuous women who have men looking at their chests instead of faces, so this is a totally new experience! I feel I should wear a sign down around the belly that says “don’t worry, it’s not going to explode.”
2. Feet swelling is the weirdest feeling.
3. Until about a week ago, the general public would just look at me and grin. Now, for some reason, they all have the desire to ask questions about how far along I am, whether I’m having a boy or a girl, etc. I wonder if I finally crossed the “is she chubby or pregnant” line over into “holy cow, she’s going to give birth any minute” category that is making people more bold.
4. I tried to ride a stationary bike at the gym yesterday instead of walking on the treadmill. That was an interesting experience. Think about trying to waddle on a bike. Not pretty.
5. Swimming pools are the greatest invention. Ever. All pregnant women should be given access to one as a prescription as soon as they find out they are pregnant.
6. I haven’t gone into full on nesting mode, but I have moments. They’re kind of scary!
7. The phrase “barefoot and pregnant” actually sort of makes sense now. I now dread having to put any type of shoe or sock on my feet – it takes way too long.
8. Brenden has really bad hiccups – poor guy. I wonder if he’ll continue to struggle with them once he’s born. It’s not like you can scare a newborn and expect good results!
9. I am a notorious over-packer, especially in situations where I’m going into the unknown. You should see all the stuff I keep trying to add to the overnight bag for the hospital. I think we’re going to need a sherpa by the time I’m done. Does that count as nesting?
10. We have less than three weeks to go before we stop being just a couple and become parents. I have moments where I’m beside myself excited and can’t wait to meet him, and others where I want to look around and go, “WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?” Being afraid and excited at the same time is almost as weird a feeling as swelling feet.
Now that I’m “retired”, I’ll try to post a little more often. For now, I need to go be productive and finish out some thank you notes that have been sitting around for a while now!
Much love,
Jenny
The results from Brenden’s bday poll are in: Aug 3-9 was the most popular choice with 7 votes, followed by July 13-19 with 5 votes. You can view the results here. I have arranged to be off work from July 27-Aug 9, so I hope he shows up somewhere in that window. It won’t be long now!
I posted a new poll that asks a simple question: how often do you visit my site? If everyone visits on a daily basis, I’ll feel much more guilty when I wait several days between updates. =)
If you have any ideas for my next poll, send them in!
Saturday night we went to Jenny’s parents’ house for a cookout to celebrate Father’s Day, Eric’s and Jim’s birthdays, and Jenny’s parents’ anniversary. Some of their family friends came over, as did Katy and Eric. As usual we had a great time. On the way home, we reflected briefly on what seems like an anomaly in America: the longevity of our people’s marriages. On Monday Jenny’s parents will celebrate their 36th anniversary. Two other couples there were just behind them, at around 33-34 years. My parents will celebrate their 35th this December. My mom’s parents are approaching their 60th. Jenny’s dad’s parents have already reached 60 years. Naturally none of these marriages is perfect, but they’ve all been strong enough to last for longer than I’ve been alive. We are grateful to have such a stable family foundation on both sides and hope to celebrate our own 50th anniversary someday. We believe God intends marriage to be permanent and committed on our wedding day to make our marriage a permanent bond. Marriage is supposed to be like Krazy Glue, not a Post-It Note.
More than one writer has said that the most important thing parents can give to their children is a strong marriage, which provides them a sense of security and a host of other benefits. After Brenden arrives, we plan to work hard to keep our marriage strong and not make him the center of our universe, no matter how cute and wonderful he might be. So if you’d like to babysit sometime so we can go on date night, we accept with gratitude.
I am currently enjoying a much-needed three-day break. As usual, I’ve found plenty to fill it. In addition to spending some quality time with the PS3 myself, last night Jenny and I watched Red Sonja, a childhood classic (?) “B.O. movie” that she used to watch with her dad. It’s funny how the same movie can seem so wonderful as a kid and then…less than wonderful as an adult. As usual, Ah-nold reminded me of what a girlie man I am, but I just don’t have the time or motivation to work out that much. We also packed our hospital bags, which helped us realize that Brenden really is coming soon, very soon!
Today I’m working on Brenden’s closet, which is full of junk that needs to be in the garage. I also moved Jedda’s stuff out of his area so it’s more sanitary and pleasant. I’m also supposed to be helping Brenden with his thank-you notes, but I’m on a roll with cleaning (which is rare), so they might need to wait until tonight after our breastfeeding class.
A long time ago, long before we got pregnant, we saw a Slipknot onesie at Hot Topic and thought it was awesome. While at Vista Ridge Friday night we went in Hot Topic to shop for Brenden. Although we’re not big Slipknot fans, we knew a Metallica or GNR onesie would look great on him. Unfortunately, the 17-year-old punk girl on duty said they didn’t carry onesies anymore. We’ll keep looking, maybe online. As we walked away, we realized something: you know you’re old when you go to Hot Topic to shop for your kids.