This house is our house!

I'm exstatic beyond words...we were approved for our mortgage on Wednesday and next Monday we're signing the final closing documents.
I have never been this happy in debt in my life.

We'll be calling this lovely Southern Cottage from 1900 our home, starting Wednesday.

It's got lots of charm and quirks and it will keep us occupied for years to come, but it is my prayer that it will be home to happiness and goodness and that we will - under its roof - share the good fortune God has bestowed on us.

The things we create...

While Bean is God's creation, some of us who will love him and care for him, have been busy with needles of all sizes...

Cousin-aunt Sara is knitting mini-mittens and I can't wait to see them. I've been dropping hints that I want her to go into mass production since Bean is going to make his debut in the fall and will need something warm to keep his tiny hands cozy...she seems to be excited with the progress she is making, so maybe we'll talk her into a pair two and three...I'll get a picture of the mini-mittens on here when they arrive.

Meanwhile I've been busy alternating between sewing, knitting and quilting. While the quilt is slow going (I knew that when we started) each and every time that I take it out, I have to smile at those cows, goats and the flowers. My mother-in-law did such a good job with those. It's too cute and while Bean's nursery may be far from perfectly color-coordinated it will have a centerpiece that almost nothing can trump - at least in my mind.

The hats and the bears are the product of quilt-fatigue. Whenever I can't pick up the needle and make another tiny stitch I revert to making these little skull-toppers or another bear...the orange hat hopefully will be a perfect fit by Halloween - when we can take our very own pumpkin out for a goulish walk. The brown one I made for Bean when he is old enough to "hang with Dad" so he won't have to feel self-concious about being all pastelly around his brown-beige-Carhartt favoring Dad.

And while all this is going on, Granna is busy with a boppy pillow cover, a seat cushion for the high chair (the very one she once learned to eat in) and some other assorted projects...

We may lack the designer labels, but we got all haute-couture going here in expectation of Bean!

All sugary and spice and not so nice!

Good news! I "passed" my glucose screen test this morning, after "almost failing" it a month ago. The test is designed to pinpoint gestational diabetes, which can mean a large baby at birth. My doctor with a glance at my "petite frame" as he calls it, wants to rule that out, if possible. Dr. H has been wonderful so far. Despite the "petite frame" comment he goes to great lengths to assure that being small is not an automatic disadvantage. He's told me several times that small women oftentimes deliver big babies without much of a hitch. "It's what's on the inside that counts, not what we see from the outside," he is fond of saying.

The glucose screen involves a small bottle of incredibly sugary stuff that you have to drink on a sober stomach...then your finger gets pricked every hour for three hours to see how much insulin your body can throw at the sugar buildup...I met four new pregnant couples in the waiting room, did some catching up with a couple we met in birthing class, made good progress on my quilt and fell in love with two little boys (5-month-old and 2-weeks-old)...so I made the most of my quality time at my doctors.

Bean and I aced all other checkups. My blood pressure was solid, no swelling, no complaints, good weight gain (I'm up to 132 lbs) and Bean's heartbeat is at a hearty 140. We are healthy as far as our medical team can see. That's a blessing and we are grateful for it!

I don't feel "petite" right now and I have a sugar-hangover that would impress any Krispy Kreme addict, but I'm glad it's behind us.

About 8 weeks to go!

Pregnancy Week 32

This from babyfit.com...
Your Baby: At almost 4 pounds (2 kg) in weight and 19 inches (48 cm) in length, your baby is nearly filling up your entire uterus. Most of the time her head will be facing upward, but there’s still enough room to somersault now and then. In her spare time, baby is getting ready for her first loving look at Mom, as she practices opening and closing her eyes. Baby's skin is also becoming less wrinkled, as layers of fat continue to plump out the body.

Due when due is due...

...The due date is definitely starting to run away from me...whenever people ask me the standard question of "how far along are you?" I frantically begin complicated calculations and inevitably come up (most of the time) with the wrong figure...then I mumble something about "I'm due in 2 months or so" at which point I get a long searching look...I know, I should know this by heart down to the minute and second, but as I told a good friend of mine yesterday....my instincts tell me that the countdown really isn't that important - at least to me - because from now on, it can be any day or weeks later than expected, so why do the numbers?....Bean will make his appearance when he is good and ready...

Good friends of ours welcomed their first babyboy yesterday (5 lbs, 11 oz.)...we got text message updates on Jacob's cellphone which is not only a great idea on the part of the brandnew Daddy - not sure if we'll be that diligent and able to multitask- but also gave us the opportunity to experience the anticipation...thank you to the Baldwin's for sharing and welcome to the world, Boone!

Aside from an appetite befitting of a ditch digger, I don't have any complaints about this last trimester. Still feeling good, still sleeping well enough, still able to do most things I want to do.
Bean's starting to settle into a daily routine. He likes to kick it up a notch intermittenly during the night, rest during my morning excercises, then do his own push-ups and sit-ups mid-morning, take a prolonged nap over lunch, tidy up his digs mid-afternoon - lots of poking and scraping around - then lay low until dinner, which he reserves for his big acrobatic moves, much to my astonishment...it's a weird feeling to see your bellybutton slowly - or jerkily - move north or west, while you are reclining perfectly still on the couch or in bed...

Birthing 101

This past Saturday, Jacob and I went back to school to learn how to give birth...

Labor and delivery is a substantial topic, we gathered from the extensive class schedule and the fact that our class at the Transylvania Community Hospital started promptly at 8 and didn't let out until 4 p.m.

Clutching two pillows we were welcomed by Terri a wonderfully funny, bubbly and very knowledgeable maternity nurse, who is also the mother of three - we knew we were in good hands almost from the start. Joined by two other couples, who will give birth about 2 weeks before us, we wasted no time wading into an exploration of the many ways to safely deliver a healthy baby.

We learned many useful facts, saw a lot of new and helpful things and Jacob even excelled at demonstrating a proper birthing position himself (if there is back labor...he is ready)

We joked a lot, laughed a lot and I enjoyed how much at ease everyone was asking some potentially embarrassing questions without hesitation.

For example, according to Terri, nurses will applaud you if you poop during labor...that means you are pushing and bearing down properly...and farting...don't even worry about that now, because when the contractions come, you won't care ...she also regaled the guys with stories of testy women (during the second stage of labor that's almost inevitable) who tell their husbands and boyfriends to get lost ... and how they will have to pack hurt feelings away and patiently continue offering light massages, ice chips, encourragement etc.

Dads don't have it easy either nowadays. Gone are the days of nervous pacing by the coke machine.

We saw four different movies and by the end of it, not one of them too gory or graphic (the guys all enjoyed one that should have been titled "The projectile birth of a fourth child" but since we are all first-timers, that's an unlikely scenario for any of us.

We saw the birthing center (a separate wing of the hospital) and the actual labor suites, complete with big tubs, TV, and a sleeper seat for Dad. The rooms seem really small but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this small community hospital is very "en vogue" when it comes to walking, active un-medicated labor...they will let us roam, squat, get in the tub, shower, hop around on a medicine ball - whatever we want to do... I'm very excited about that since I hope to be pro-active in how I approach contractions and pain and how I deliver this Bean.

We both appreciated all the information - it really has eliminated whatever anxieties I harbored before - and I think it has made Jacob very comfortable with what's coming his way.

If you talk to him ask him about the mucus plug!

It's July and I'm heating up!

Modesty is quickly cast by the wayside, when temperatures sore and my personal comfort level tolerates only the thinnest layer of absolutely necessary coverage...

I measured my waist this week just to see and I came in at 36 inches, that's a pretty "round" number considering I used to wear 25-inch waist jeans and Jacob today tops out at a 30 inch waist....

Bean continues to thrive. His heartbeat measured 150 per minute this morning at the doctors and he is kicking with much power now (yesterday I was reading on the couch and he managed to make me "rock" from side to side to where I lost my spot in the book).

About 10 more weeks to go. We're excited to meet our "bulge"

Sprinting toward the Finish!

We did it!

Jacob, Bean & I, together ran the Brevard Rotary Firecracker 5K on 4th of July. We made it across the finish line in 30:35, which is a very respectable time for me (thanks to Jacob's selfless pacing and company). Previously on solo "practice runs" I had run the same distance in a time anywhere from 32 to 35 minutes, so averaging a 10 min./mile is pretty impressive for me.

Our sweet little cousin Sara ran the same race in 23:something, but then again she's only been retired from college field and track for a couple of months now. We'll just see how fast she can go once we load her down with a jogging stroller and an infant...

Along the route Jacob and I got some cheers and a few raised eyebrows, but overall it felt great to be able to mark this milestone of our first pregnancy's last trimester's beginning (we are almost 30 weeks along now) in a fun and casual community event on our nation's birthday as an independent country.

For the rest of the day, we ate pie and took naps at home, looked at old cars and new pottery at the town's fair and rested up for the fireworks show. Another lovely day with my two favorite guys!

I've kept up with my running with an eye on running this race and now I'm ready to take it easier and go slower...this morning was my first foray into power-walking...and it felt just as good and is probably going to be a lot easier to keep up on my back and knees.

I just hope & pray that I will continue to be able to be active and keep moving about as Bean puts on the weight and I keep making more room for him.

Summer of love

True, we've been surly all winter long feeling homesick for the snowy slopes of Colorado, but now as high summer hits North Carolina, we're falling in love with our new homestate.

Though there isn't much snow to speak of during the winter months, Transylvania County has a seasonal treat of equally supreme nature - swimming holes.

Since temperatures have climbed into the 80s, Jacob's newest obsession is to find the perfect place to swim - and not one of these places contains chlorine or floaties - unless you count leaves and flowers, which make the whole swimming experience not only refreshing but akin of a luxurious spa treatment.

This past weekend we took Jacob's parents, Cindy and Ronnie, to Jacob's best find so far - Wolf Creek, a dammed stream with dozens of dramatic waterfalls, numerous serene pools and a raw and wild beauty that takes my breath away when I look around and consider it.

To get to it, we do have to take a drive and then this pregnant woman has to brave a steep hike down - which I have done with a small tumble here and there - but it is all worth it. Look at the pics - this is living it up in Transylvania.

Showered with goodness

Friday, June 29, Bean & I got to be the guests of honor of our first baby shower (Bean was the only boy in attendance). Hosted by my three dear friends, Kris, Carol and Alston, the affair was as much fun as it was meaningful to me. The guests represent almost all female friends I have made in the time since I married Jacob. We ate delicious food, we laughed, we told stories & I got to unwrap countless generous gifts that ranged from cute to useful - some of them even Jacob approved of.

I feel blessed that so many could come and celebrate the almost-arrival of a new life with me. As I make the transition from woman & wife to woman/wife/mother they will be invaluable to me with advise, comfort, laughter or even simple distraction. I will cherish the non-mothers for how wise they make me feel in their admiration and I will treasure the mothers for all their experience that they are so free to share with me.

I am strong in the knowledge that all these women are only a phone call away when/if things get tough or are just too cool not to share - that, to me, is what makes life truly glorious.