The News

Joe was offered the job! Ahhh! They called him on Thursday but played phone tag until Friday morning. They said they would be very excited to have Joe work for them. So, we are discussing the details this weekend and he will give them an answer next week because we haven't decided 100%. . .as my bff Sarah said - this is a huge decision. . .eeek!

As for this past week, I finally bought my baby "stuff" for the first time! It was such a giddy feeling because I have never bought infant girl clothes before. I wanted something to bring her home from the hospital in, so I chose a cute hot pink summer outfit and also two adorable dresses for different days. It was so fun and exciting! I could have bought a ton more items (let's face it, there are so many more fun things for girls), but stopped after her first towel (with hot pink circles), washcloths, and three headwraps.

Joe's mom sent us some clothes, too, which makes it all seem even more real that she will be here soon -- and I'm going to have a GIRL!!!!!!

After my last post, there wasn't much to report on Sunday, May 1st other than it was the international news of Osama bin Laden's death. The funny thing was that all week during Joe's crazy hours (working til midnight and being called in at 4 am) I kept joking, "What are you doing, saving the world?"

When Joe's mom or my parents would ask where he was I'd say, "He's saving the world." Joe kept responding, "By Monday it will be over." So when the news came on Sunday night, I said, "That's it! That's what you've been doing!" HAHA! (If only, LOL.)

Monday, May 2nd was the day that Logan and I went shopping because it's Teacher Appreciation Week at his preschool so we picked out some things at Hallmark for his director Tracy, the assistant director Erica, and his teachers Liz and Michelle. I also wrote them a card to let them know how happy I am that Logan loves it there so much.

In my last post I said that Logan had been wearing underwear in 90% of public places for the past two weeks (and 100% at home since November) but this week I was going to try to make it 100% in public, so Logan was in underwear at the Hallmark store when he said, "Me have to go pee."

I realized that there was no obvious restroom, so I raced to the front counter and asked if they had one. The lady was real nice and said we could use theirs in the back but she'd have to get someone to unlock it. This whole trip took several minutes so I was sure by then that Logan was going to have his first accident in public, since it has never taken us so long to get to a toilet after him announcing that he has to go -- but he waited until we were there, whew!!!

That day was also Joe's face-to-face, final interview in West Des Moines. He said it went real well and they hinted then that they were going to be offering him the job, so we were on pins & needles as the days went by! He met his mom for an hour while he was back, and they shared a nice meal at On The Border.

Tuesday, May 3rd was my maternal grandmother's 94th birthday! As for my paternal grandma (who is 97 1/2), mentally she is doing excellent (as she always has), but physically she is having some not-so-good days. After coordinating with all of my cousins (since there are 5-6 beds in Grandma's house which is in a tiny town with no hotels), Joe, Logan, and I are going to Grant City, MO to visit her next weekend (May 13-15th).

My cousin Betty Gail and her family were the first to go down from Wisconsin since Grandma went to hospice, then my cousins Scott and Matt & their families were there last weekend from Texas, and next weekend my cousin Chad & his family (from Texas) are going to be there with us, as well as my cousin Fran and her family (from Minnesota). My only other cousin on my dad's side, Paul, and his family will come this weekend. My brother is coming back from CA May 17-23 (his youngest brother graduates high school on May 22) so Jacob, my dad, and my stepmom are visiting Grandma on May 18 & 19. I was hoping to see my brother while he's back (and he's bringing a girl!), but it doesn't look like it will work out. :( Joe and I are registered to take our hypnobirthing class on Saturday, May 21st.

You'd think that when someone is almost 98 that saying goodbye is going to be easier because you're prepared. . .but it doesn't feel that way. :( I'm really glad that we took Logan down there last summer and spent a fun weekend (I wrote a post on my other blog about it last June, Weekend In The Country). He probably won't remember it, but in a way it was like getting closure then because I really took notice of all of the things in Grandma's house that haven't changed during my entire life and it was really special sharing them with Logan, and thinking carefully about each memory that I have of Grandma over the years. I'm glad that Logan met her and she's had the chance to see him go from a 7 week old (the first time she met him) to a 32 month old (the last time she saw him). She's represented so much for me as well as our entire family over the years. . .it will be weird without her (the glue holding the family together).

Anyway. . .Logan and I met Brooke & Kaelyn at the zoo on Tuesday but left after two-and-a-half hours because I was just sooooo tired. The past week has been ridiculous as far as my energy taking a nose dive (I did nothing but watch TV on Wednesday, May 4 while Logan was at preschool, even though I should have been working on freelance articles that I'm on deadline for). I'd had an amazing amount of energy during this pregnancy, whether it was the first trimester or the second. But things are definitely changing now that I'm in the third trimester, because it has been a week-and-a-half of taking naps every time that Logan naps (which is not normal for me), going to bed early, and spending more time on the couch -- but yet never feeling rested! I can't even walk up my staircase without having to stop in the middle and take a break, and then use the railing to help me walk the rest of the way upstairs!

To make matters worse, one night I could not fall asleep because I was uncomfortable so I tried every bed and couch in our house before settling on the twin guest bed that we've temporarily had in Logan's room. I was awakened later, though, by Logan talking in his sleep! It was quite funny as he said, "Me ate ALL of my treats all gone!" :-)

Needless to say, I was glad on Tuesday when he took a 5 hr nap (yes, 5 hours) because I had a horrible headache and wasn't able to nap, and Joe had his golf league so he didn't get home til 10:30 pm. I put Logan down early at 1:30 and he slept until 6:30, then we played outside in our backyard until it was time for a shower with me for the very first time. (He's taken two with Joe in his life.)

The other day when we were playing outside he said, "Me have so much fun in my sandbox. . .and on my jumping thing inside. . .and with all of my toys" (and then he proceeded to name most of this toys including who gave him what). Before bed he told me all of the toys that Papa and KayKay have for him at their house, too -- even including that they feed him food, brush his teeth, and give him a bath when he's there -- "isn't that so nice?" Gosh I love my appreciative little boy!!!!

I also love his age. His play is so full of imagination these days as he pretends to be a crocodile or doctor or other fun things non-stop. He's also so full of information -- it's fun for me to start learning from him! He knows his right from his left and that B-A-B-Y spells baby (he can do this by seeing the word as well as hearing it spelled out). The other day he said, "What is the baby's name? Daddy's name is Joe, your name is And-ra, and my name is Logan." So I told him (hopefully he won't let the cat out of the bag, haha), but I thought that was an unusual question so I asked what made him ask that and he said, "Miss Michelle and Miss Liz." So then I knew they'd been talking about names at school. Ever since then, out of the blue, he says, "Mommy's name is And-ra!" I'd heard him refer to "Joe" since he first started talking almost two years ago (who can forget the funny story about how he used to yell "Joe" when he wanted anyone to come to him or he was looking for someone. . .no doubt thanks to hearing me, lol) -- but I had never heard him say my name before -- it's so cute!

The other night I put on the summer night gown that I wore when I was breastfeeding him because my usual summer pjs are to small (my regular winter pjs work for maternity but now they're too hot to wear). He said, "What a nice dress you have! Can you spin?" I started laughing as I twirled around and said, "Like that?" He nodded and said, "Yes, very pretty, Mommy!" Love it.

Lately he's been carrying around his Easter basket full of the Mickey & Minnie Mouse rings that were in his birthday cupcakes and asks us which colors we want -- he does this for like a half an hour with his balls and birthday hats, too! He always gives one to Bella and Cosmo, as well. :-)

For the past several months when Joe leaves for work he always says to Logan, "Be nice to Mommy today." So now before Joe has a chance to say it, Logan says, "Me be nice to Mommy!" :-)

The funniest thing this week was when I was going to the bathroom. Logan said, "Why aren't you pushing your penis down?" (That's what he has to do or else he'll spray everything) I knew the time would come when I'd have to explain, "I don't have a penis because I'm a girl. Only boys have penises."

He said, "Yeah, I'm a boy like Daddy. Daddy has a big penis." I burst out laughing and had to call Joe right away. Of course Joe was all embarrassed :p

Temperatures have been fabulous around here (not too hot and not too cold), but I keep reading that women who are pregnant in the summer have to be careful of the sun because their skin is different and may change colors. Since I don't usually have sensitive skin to the sun or burn easily, I wasn't that worried -- until last week after Logan and I went to the zoo (and I was dressed in long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, and sunglasses), I noticed when I got home that my neck was bright red! Fortunately, it went away after a couple of days, but not the brown spots that appeared on my face! They're tiny and no one can probably see them but me, but I did not have them prior to last Thursday and have never gotten them in my life before so I sure hope they go away! It's the time of year when I usually start wearing sunscreen anyway so maybe that will help (and I'll try a hat), but am I going to have to keep my body covered when it's 100 degrees outside? Weird!

Also weird is that my belly button is a giant hole. In What Is The Deal With Walking? I mentioned that my belly button never popped out with Logan, but it did become flat so I wondered if it would again this time. No! Instead it's the opposite -- it has opened so much that I really think I might have the biggest belly button in Nebraska.

I wore another pair of my maternity jeans for the last time (because they're too tight) so now I have 13 shirts and 6 pants.

I forgot to mention in my last post that my mom's friend's daughter who is due to have a baby in September is having a girl. So girls are still dominating this year! The only two people who I know that are left to find out are my college friend who is due in October and Joe's nephew & wife who are due in December. My guess is that they both are having girls. . .but we'll see!

I've also been meaning to write that Gail is still not recovered from her surgery back in March :( She even spent 8 days in the hospital in April and needed more than one blood transfusion. Very scary, but thankfully she is doing better now. She said that even though she doesn't plan to return to her at-home daycare, she will still watch Logan if I go into labor in the middle of the night (if it's during the day then La Petite said he can go there, even if it's not on one of his normal days).

To conclude this post, not much to report from Thursday, May 5 -- we originally had plans but they kept getting moved back until finally it was just too late so I really don't even know what we even did, other than Logan played outside for a bit. Friday, May 6 he went to preschool while I spent the day making up for my day off on Wednesday when I should have been doing my freelance articles!

This weekend our friend Chris and her family are visiting from Virgina, where they moved from Omaha last March (she used to work with Joe). I haven't seen her since then so it will be fun!

I'll end with the post I wrote at this point of my pregnancy with Logan (well, I'm one week off but it was equivalent with my blood glucose test which, btw, came back good again this time) -- 30 Wks Pregnant: Menstrual Like Cramps