Since buying this house a little over a year ago, Dustin has really enjoyed doing home improvement projects. Last summer he built a deck off the kitchen and this summer he built beautiful retaining walls/planters across the front of our house. Here is a before and after.
After
My Mom promised my great aunt Martha that she would name her first girl Martha. As my mom was flying from Utah to Oregon to pick me up, she was certain that I was going to be a Martha. As soon as my Mom looked at me she knew I was an Elizabeth. This served as a cautionary tale to me that a name is more significant than something to be known by, or a word on a birth certificate. That in short, is why our baby still remains nameless, mostly. Since week four, when we discovered we were pregnant we have called her "Baby". Really creative, I know. Dustin and I decided that we would wait until we meet Baby before giving her a name. Here is the short list:
On Friday I finally graduated with a masters degree in special education from the University of Utah. I started the program in 2005, but had to stop when I was diagnosed with MS. I returned to the program this past fall and have been student teaching and going to school to finish up. Many thanks to a wonderful advisor, parents, friends, family, and most of all my dear husband.
Most women describe the feeling of a baby inside them as having butterflies fluttering around in their stomach. Libby relates to having an over-sized goldfish swimming around inside. This process of the quickening has intensified and only a few nights ago I felt my baby girl for the first time.
She seems strong to me though I don't know how strong babies should be halfway through a pregnancy. I felt the sharp jab beneath the skin as the baby's foot collided with the uterus. Thoughts of a professional athlete, perhaps a soccer player, popped into my head. I could see a young athletic version of my daughter sprinting down a soccer pitch about to give flight to a black and white ball. My thoughts were interrupted by more temporary protrusions on Libby's stomach. Not only is she strong, my little girl has some endurance. She consistently kicked hard for a half hour before stopping her tirade.
These episodes have started to follow a routine now as our little girl has decided that the best time to kick mommy is right before she goes to sleep. Of course Libby has started to endure the daily thrashing with ease, but it still keeps her up until baby is satisfied with the beating.
A few weeks ago, Libby and I were worried about the baby getting enough nutrients. As the baby continues to grow Libby has actually been losing weight. However, our worries were laid to rest with our monthly visit to the doctor's office.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but your baby is kind of like a ..... parasite. You see, babies have a way of getting all the nutrition they need by leaching off the mother's body even though the mother might not be getting the nutrients that she needs."
While I think the doctor's description is accurate, I would prefer to think of my baby in a different light. Instead of a parasite, I believe she is simply the priority by design. As such she has grown strong and healthy despite Libby's sometimes constant aversion to food. Our heavenly father is taking care of our baby for which we are eternally grateful.
Dustin and I are happy to announce that we are pregnant. Over the past several weeks we have been filled with happiness, fear, anticipation, anxiety, and gratitude. We are thankful that our prayers have been answered and will be welcoming a child into our lives June 10th 2010 or thereabouts. The baby is strong with a heartbeat of 164 bpm.
Morning sickness started about four weeks ago and does not let up. Really, it should be called all day sickness because it never lets up. We were told that it is an indicator of a healthy pregnancy, but it does not make the morning sickness any easier. I am experiencing almost every attribute of pregnancy outlined in What To Expect When Your Expecting. I also learned to only read about the week of pregnancy you are in and not skip ahead. It becomes rather overwhelming and a little frightening to read ahead. So, until Wednesday I will read all about week nine and nothing else.
L&D
At the beginning of August, Dustin and I took care of our niece Taisa (2), and our Nephew Zac (3). Zac worships the ground Dustin walks on and was really excited to stay at our house for a few days. We were able to take advantage of the amenities Daybreak offers and the kids had a blast. Here are some pictures from our adventure!
Taisa (2)
At the pool
Taisa playing in the lake
Beach and bucket fun
Our fun at the beach ends
Time for bed!
