Tomorrow will mark the beginning of our 33nd week of pregnancy. Everything is going very well. Here are some highlights and updates:
Gender: We are still waiting to find out if we are having a son or a daughter. We would be excited for either and still find the wait thrilling. Neighbors, who are rather nosey in these regards, are all predicting a girl. Although, extended family members are mostly predicting a boy. Joshua and I are still completely unsure of our predictions.
Names: While we have narrowed down the list, we haven't pinpointed the winners yet. We have a top three list for both genders, although that list adjusts occasionally.
Exercise: Joshua's mother gifted us with some awesome birthing classes through a local yoga studio (
Yoga Child). The classes have been a great way for us to think about and discuss both labor and raising a child. Like pre-cana for parents. The six weeks of Saturday classes come with free prenatal yoga classes. I have been attending at least three days a week. It has been a great way to stay fit and to gain a community of expecting women.
Morning sickness/heartburn: The first 5 months of pregnancy, I suffered through some amazing morning sickness, which affected me every night around 7 p.m. I had a few weeks of feeling great but now I'm starting to get heartburn. Bummer, but it was to be expected since even when I am not pregnant I often get a good bit of heartburn.
Free time: In my first two weeks of being home full-time, I have baked over 14 dozen cookies, a bunch of pies, a few loaves of bread, made a few quilts and arranged most of the closets in the house. Most of the baking was for neighbors, many of whom are not feeling well these days. I just hate to see elderly neighbors suffering though chemo and tons of doctor's appointments. My hope is that the treats will lift some spirits.
Preparation: We have also been doing a lot of work on the house to get the baby's room (and let's face it, the whole house) together. Lots of moving furniture, patching walls, and the like. Next weekend, our street is hosting a multi-family yard sale. We are looking forward to getting rid of some furniture and old books.
Medically: Since the doctor felt that I was measuring a little on the small size, we had an additional ultrasound last week. The ultrasound showed a healthy, good-sized baby. They estimated that the babe is approximately 5 lbs now, which is great. Once again, the ultrasound photos weren't the clearest ... the last time the baby wouldn't sit still and this time the baby decided to cover his/her face with both hands. Ha! SweetPea is shy.
Baby shower: My best friend, Kate, hosted an awesome shower at our house yesterday. It was so wonderful that a bunch of women could gather to celebrate the upcoming birth of our child. I felt very blessed to be surrounded by such wonderfully supportive and loving women.
I would have been happy to just have a day with these great women, but the gifts we received were an added bonus. It is touching that family and friends are so generous. In the same way that I still look around our house and see all of our kitchen utensils, towels, and everything else we received for our weddding as a sign of the support and love of our families, as I put away all these soft baby clothes and useful supplies, I just imagine the nest of care that is going to cradle this babe as we welcome him or her into the world. That is so special to both Joshua and me, although sometimes it is a bit overwhelming to realize how blessed and loved we are.
As can only be expected, Kate made tons of tasty food, had fun games (a matching game with celebrities and baby names -- i.e. Homer is Richard Gere's child, Reignbeau is Ving Rhames child, Ka-lel (Superman's birthname) is Nicolas Cage's child), cute napkins (see photo above), and even a craft project for everyone!
The project was to decorate onesies for SweetPea. They came out so well. Here are a few:
CUTE! My mother even wrote "Sweet Pee" on the bum of one of the onesies, which was one of the funniest comments of the day! Thanks to all the women who joined us!
As can only be expected, Kate made tons of tasty food, had fun games (a matching game with celebrities and baby names -- i.e. Homer is Richard Gere's child, Reignbeau is Ving Rhames child, Ka-lel (Superman's birthname) is Nicolas Cage's child), cute napkins (see photo above), and even a craft project for everyone!
The family also threw us a surprise baby shower. Their gifts were so thoughtful and sweet ... although the idea that we will have an actual baby to put inside the clothing is still a little more than overwhelming.
The party decorations included a pinata, which provided an evening of entertainment as we tried to hit it with rocks. We decided that it would be more interesting (and it ended up being more challenging) than stringing it up and beating it with a stick. 
Joshua was able to go to Seattle a few weeks ago to enjoy some time with his family. He had a great time ... although none of it was documented because Joshua did not bring the camera with him (no photos, bummer). Unfortunately, I did not tag along this year so that I could afford to go to Arizona mid-month to see Erica, Greg and their newest family member. Moreover, we are planning a week-long vacation to Elk Lake in Oregon with the entire Chisholm/Fujimoto family this upcoming summer.
On Saturday, we drove up to Schroon Lake (or as Joshua calls it, Schroot Farms) in New York's Adirondacks for some snowshoeing with the dog. 
Simon loves the snow more than anything and is enjoying our long daily hikes. He is such a good pup -- hiking off-leash, wearing lots of silly clothing (mainly a bright yellow "horse blanket" that helps us to see him in the snow and also booties that protect his feet), and riding patiently in the car while we look for trail heads. 
