A joyous event!! The cast is off!!

Ringo got his cast off on Friday, and we are all more than thrilled! He is still a three-legged dog for now as he regains strength in his foreleg and paw. He can only go for short walks (no more than a mile), and he can't have a bath (for the risk of slipping) until later this week. Other than that, though, we are all super happy to have Ringo on the mend!



Nicholas brought home some beautiful lilies for me today, and Puck was so cute sniffing the air near them. I know he was trying to figure out what they were. But, alas, I could not capture the photo! The above was my best attempt.

No more belly shots!

I'm sick of belly shots, and I am sure you are, too! So, this post will have none. Instead I thought I would add photos of the coming-together nursery.

The crib (still in the box until we get the nursery painted!):


The bedding, which I love!!:


The rocking chair, sans slipcover, which is a beige color:


The changing table/hold all:


And all the bins to go in it:







Now we just need Baby!! Nicholas and I had a talk with her this weekend, and we decided that May 1 would be the ideal day for her to make her appearance. This gives Nicholas the maximum amount of one-on-one time with her as his classes end April 29 and his REU starts May 30. We are so excited to meet her...but not until at least 37 weeks!!

A sequence of bellies

14 weeks

21 weeks

28 weeks

My view after yoga in the morning. I am holding myself upright with my stomach muscles since both my hands are at the camera, so my belly looks kind of pointy. Usually it is a little more round.

Nicholas and I attended our second child birth class last night. It was three hours of "labor and delivery," including a pretty graphic video of a woman giving birth naturally on her hands and knees (in a hospital bed). I give the class an A+ for all the straight talk, the tour of the hospital--labor & delivery rooms, nursery, NICU, and operating rooms--, and the information on the stages of labor. Next class: Breastfeeding on March 9.

28 week, 3 day doctor visit

We had our first doctor visit of the third trimester today. Baby's heartbeat was incredibly loud compared to the last visits. I'm up 18 pounds total, now, poised for gaining 1 pound a week to hit the 30 pound total that Dr. Chwe wants me to gain. I asked, excitedly, if my uterus was measuring big. He laughed and said I was measuring normally, maybe a 1/2 centimeter big. I'll take it and say that I am measuring big! We start going to see him every two weeks now.

My pictures tonight didn't turn out well, so the following is as good as it gets! Look at that big belly!

Just us and the dogs

It was a good Valentine's day...Nicholas made heart-shaped pancakes with so much skill, I think he might be making all the pancakes from now on!



He even made little bones and a cat for Ringo and Puck!



My only contribution was cutting up the strawberries & peaches. Mmmmm! I wonder what next Valentine's day will be like with our 9 month old!! I'll savor this one for now and dream of the next!

Snow day!

Hooray for us pansies in Alabama! The university was closed on the threat of snow and all non-essential personnel (Nicholas and me!) don't have to report to work. I decided to work from home so that I don't have to take a vacation day when we head up to IN/KY for our last pre-baby trip. The snow is just now materializing at nearly 11 am. Puck is enjoying the show from the office window.



Last night, in anticipation of a snow day, Ringo and I ate peach frozen yogurt (my favorite!!) in bed. I find that laying down is much more comfortable after a long day of sitting, standing, and walking, so I read for about an hour in bed before actually getting ready for and going to sleep.

Boldly going into the third trimester! (27 weeks!!)

I've decided that there are way too many pictures of just me on this blog, and not enough of Nicholas! As it is hard to get him to pose for one on his own, I've been trying to catch him with the dogs or make him take some with me. All this "now we're in the third trimester" business is starting to make both of us realize how much there is to do before Baby makes her debut! I should start a list here, but it would be boring for everyone to read. Let it suffice to say that Nicholas has a "Honey, do.." list a mile long! In addition to all the work for, well, work.

We went to our first class last Thursday. It was entitled "Pregnancy in the Third Trimester," and was pretty informative regarding all the pre-term labor symptoms and what to watch out for. I found out that I have had a couple of contractions (I wondered what was happening!), but they are nothing to worry about as the uterus has to contract in order to grow. So, one contraction randomly here or there is no big deal, and they are more likely to be felt if I am dehydrated or stressed.



I am keeping up with yoga. I try to do it 2-3 days a week in the morning before work and then the hour and a half session on Saturday mornings at Yoga Bliss. Jennifer, the instructor, on hearing that I am keeping a blog suggested I do "dancer's pose" for a picture. The above is what I look like pregnant doing that! (Caveat on picture: the knob on the dresser is from the curtain rod. I took down the curtains this weekend and re-did them, adding a ruffle to the top and a stiffer backing. I have the third one yet to do, so the room is not entirely back in order. Also, Ringo's bed is at my foot because while he is still in his cast, he gets to sleep in our room so that he whines less.)



And sweet Ringo has his cast on for two more weeks. He is getting as fuzzy as a bear! Nicholas is being a good dad, though, and loving and petting and calming both Puck and Ringo.

What will Baby look like?

I am in on the far left. I wonder if Baby will be blond! That's Heidi in Mom's arms...perhaps we could have a red-head? Of course, Nicholas and I both have brown hair now. I need to scan in some of Nicholas's childhood pictures, too!

Week 26: Getting big and getting excited!

This will be a quick one! Baby is still moving all the time. We watched a movie this weekend, and for the entire two hours she kicked up between my ribs. Today in the car some crazy calypso music came on NPR and she kicked around for the duration. I love her already! (Caveat for this picture: I moved offices today including moving all my books and scrubbing the entire new office, did yoga, walked two miles at lunch, vacuumed the whole house when I got home, and cooked dinner. I was tired, and it shows!)



We've got the makings for the nursery. The rocking chair came in, the crib is here, and I found some material for curtains. We haven't put anything together because we are waiting on our parents to paint! I can hardly wait!