Introducing.....

Bethel Lucille Blanshan
Born April 26, 2011 at 10:30pm
8 pounds, 13 ounces
20.5 inches long
Practically perfect in every way.

At almost 41 weeks

*am not surprised at all I am past my due date

*am a little sad the baby wasn't born on my mom's birthday

*feel pretty good

*am a tad tired of people saying "no baby yet?!"

*took today off work and am not going back

*will be induced next week if baby doesn't appear before then

*don't really waddle, but have more of a slow saunter :-)

*get random contractions, but nothing sustained or particularly strong

*finished the nursery except for hanging one mirror

*wonder how I'll do through labor

*got to see some of the baby again on ultrasound today

*get a slight kick out of making Bob really nervous every time I call him

*wonder what kind of personality "Wiggly" has
*really hope this is the last pregnancy picture

At 39 weeks I....

*am ridiculously huge in the middle

*have an insatiable thirst

*can tell the baby has dropped some

*still get out of breath doing simple things, like talking

*get a few short practice contractions a day

*have little appetite for anything except fruit, smoothies, and milk

*am enjoying the last few days as a family of two

*still can't sleep, but feel really good

*have a hard time focusing on anything not baby related

*show up to work every day to have multiple people say, "You're still here!"

*really, really want to know whether it is a boy or girl

*have my hospital bag packed and ready to go

*am ready to meet this little critter

A Non-Baby Related Post

For my birthday, Bob got me a really big present, or I got him a really big present for his birthday (as we're only two days apart) --A 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe.

Love it.  I can't tell you how nice it is to have space after living out of a small pick up truck for the last few months since the Honda died.  I went to the grocery this weekend, popped open the back, and piled two weeks worth of groceries in with no problem, no stacking, no holding-the-eggs-in-my-lap-on-the way-home craziness.  The best part: it only has 34,000 miles, so it should be good to go on many a trip.  I'm sure I will miss the rockin' gas mileage the Honda had, but after two months of car shopping, I think we found a good deal.  Ours is a slightly different color, but I've neglected to take a picture of it yet.

I am one blessed gal

Yesterday I was the fortunate recepient of one of the most fun baby showers that ever has been.

It was Dr. Seuss themed.  I love Dr. Seuss.

Guests got to sign the handmade guest book, guess how many inches around my belly is (37.5 if you're curious), and play a Dr. Seuss finish-that-line game.  Everyone had a great time, and most decided that they actually did like green eggs and ham.  Everyone got to decorate a white onesie using fabric markers, and there were some really cute results.  The afternoon was topped off by words of wisdom shared by Great-Grandma June Blanshan, with a few bonus tidbits of advice thrown in by other moms.

A few highlights from what Great-Grandma shared as she prepares to welcome her 23rd great-grandchild (whom she also blessed with a sweet quilt pictured below):
*Love your children.  Hug them.
*Don't compare your kids to someone else's, or to their own siblings.  Each is different and special.
*Sing to your children.
*Your children will react to things the way you do.
*Write things down: important days, funny things they say, etc.  You think  you will remember, but you won't as time goes 
   on.
*Teach them all about God-your most important job.

Babe-B racked up in the gift department.

Special thanks to the Blanshans: Linda, Jessica, Betsy, Carrie, Polly, and Peggy for making me feel so loved!
Thanks to everyone who came!

At 35 weeks I....

These pics in the link below are really from 34 weeks, but close enough!  These are the sneak peek images from our maternity photo session--better than anything I'm going to take myself!  And don't even think about making fun of my belly button.  :-)

Maternity Pictures

*think the pregnancy after 20 weeks has gone so fast...before 20 weeks seems forever ago.
*am gearing up for an all-day "get things ready" day tomorrow: wash baby clothes, organize nursery drawers and closet, pack a hospital bag, etc.
*am excited about my dad and sister coming after baby arrives
*have experienced killer reflux and really don't enjoy the taste of Tums
*think the baby *might* just succeed in poking a hole in my belly wall sometimes
*enjoy watching my entire torso contort and twist when it moves
*often have a little butt or head or heels or something right under my rib cage, making it hard to sit straight or breathe deeply
*am really looking forward to maternity leave
*had a comical experience trying to paint my toenails
*am so curious as to the gender
*have a least one person a day tell me they think it is a boy, very rarely do people think it is a girl
*can't sleep.  ever.
*can't wait to snuggle this little person

Art Project

I have always wanted to be a crafty, creative person.  Alas, I'm not, naturally, so I have to try really hard.  I wanted to do something special for the nursery, though, and this is what I came up with.  And I admit, I'm quite proud of how it turned out.  I haven't gotten it on the walls yet, but here's what I did, with the whole thing made mostly of fabric scraps....

*Painted a "sky" on three panels of canvas



*Added some grass and planted a tree

*Made a few animals and attached them with decoupage

*Added some details

*Decoupaged over the whole thing....

Now, to finish the furniture so I can decide where this project is going to hang....

(shamelessly inspired by Andrea and Betsy )

At 30 Weeks I.....

*have one more prenatal class to attend in the series, plus a breastfeeding and car seat class

*can't sleep well, between the baby moving fanatically and the inability to turn over easily

*finished an art project for the nursery walls (pictures to come)

*have made little to no progress on the knitted baby blanket

*have been busy knitting other things for my other pregnant friends

*am growing in confidence of my body's ability to give birth

*have a healthy level of anxiety about the whole process

*can't eat much at one time, leading me to be hungry very soon afterwards

*have to get a 3am snack on a regular basis

*enjoy playing with the little feet that make a frequent appearance on my belly wall

*am mulling over baby names

*feel the nesting began a long time ago

*enjoy the borrowed maternity wardrobe from the ever-generous Betsy

*wonder how the weeks have gone so fast

*like talking to the baby, wondering out-loud what it is doing, and what it is thinking about what it sees/feels/hears

At 25 weeks I...

*have really grown a lot in the last few weeks
*am surprised at how much and how forceful the baby moves at this age
*have a little back achy-ness
*have gained 15 pounds
*am putting together ideas for memory making and nursery decorations
*can eat with the best of them
*start prenatal classes this week
*wear the same 4-5 maternity shirts over...and over....again.
*have gotten too big for one pair of my materity jeans (oops!).  Thankfully I only paid $3.50 for them and still have two to choose from.
*have hot flashes multiple times a day...in the dead of winter....in Minnesota.
*have a gut feeling the baby is a boy, but really am not aching to find out what it is yet.
*think Bob is the cutest dad-to-be in the world and am looking forward to seeing a tiny bundle in his long arms.

2010, bulleted

 In 2010, I.....

*became closer in age to 30 than 20
*finished my master's degree
*passed my certification exam
*became a family nurse practitioner
*took a new job in general surgery
*went to TN a lot
*started couponing
*celebrated our first anniversary
*planted a garden
*went to D.C. to see old friends
*became pregnant
*threw up more times than I ever thought possible
*felt a baby (!) move inside for the first time
*chopped my hair off
*camped in sub-freezing temperatures
*watched my mom die
*enjoyed having "free time" and predictability for one of the few times in my life

2010 probably was calmer, overall, from 2009. 

2011 promises to be a new adventure, a turning point.  I'm ready.  Here's to the excitement of a new year.