due

Yesterday was Nicholas's due date. It's strange,
we feel like he's been with us forever already.
He was meant to be a part of this family,
and we see now how much our Heavenly Father must love us, to send Nicholas to us.
We feel so blessed. It's amazing.

We celebrated his due date by drinking the Kiwi Nectar juice we bought in France last year. We've been saving it for a special occasion,
and I don't think it gets any more special than having a new baby.

I also made Nectarine Cobbler. Kent said right away that it is a "do again" recipe. The carmelized butter--SO good.
Yeah, I would recommend it.

We also celebrated by spending a lot of extra time holding Nicholas. He was needing some extra love yesterday, but he still gave us a good night last night, so I won't complain!

And because I would still be pregnant if he hadn't come early, here's one last look at how being pregnant changed me.

38 weeks:


40 weeks:

beautiful

Melissa (from my ward here) was sweet enough to take newborn pictures of Nicholas on Monday. It was a challenging photo shoot- Nicholas wasn't asleep like I wanted him to be, he was fussy from getting a shot at the doctor's office that morning, and Melissa's little girl was understandably jealous of all the attention we were giving the baby. Melissa got some great shots anyway, and I'm so happy to have these beautiful pictures of my beautiful boy.
She said she'd be willing to take baby pictures of him when he's a little older, too. I think I'll have to take her up on that offer!

the life

Kent and I have a saying.
"Ah, this is the life!"
We got it from a funny little moment from a funny little boy we know.

Having a new baby is kind of chaotic, but when I get a chance, I sit back and look at this beautiful baby boy and I can't help but think, "Ah, this is the life!"

He is a great baby. We're exhausted, and sometimes overwhelmed,
but he's very patient with his new parents.
And on Friday night he slept for six hours in a row!
We keep praying he'll do that again.
If he doesn't, though, at least he's still cute at 2 in the morning.

Sunbathing. Can life get any better? I just want to eat him up-all those rolls and dimples and brand-new baby skin. Umm!
Of course, right after I took this picture, Nicholas decided to shoot poop across the carpet.
Anyone know of any good stain removers? We took him on his first outing on Saturday. We walked around some gardening places nearby. It was beautiful, not too hot, and so peaceful. He loved being in the carrier, and he slept the entire time.So yes, although the hormones are wreaking havoc on my emotions, we aren't getting much sleep, and I can't figure out how to make the laundry do itself,
the truth of it is,
life is beautiful, and we are very happy.

home

We got home yesterday afternoon. It was the most wonderful and most overwhelming homecoming ever.

Nicholas was a perfect traveler-he slept the whole way home.


Kent has been the best daddy ever! Also the best husband ever. We've had a few struggles with breastfeeding, and Kent has been so good to both of us when we're in tears after an hour of trying. We went to the lactation center at the hospital today, and things are looking up now.

It's much warmer in our house than it was in the hospital, and Nicholas loves to be undressed! He got his little hands snuggled under his chin, which we thought was just too cute!
(Of course, we think everything our son does is absolutely adorable.)
We spent most of the day and night telling each other to "quick look!" at every little thing he does.I'm in awe at how much I love this little baby.
I never thought I could be this happy about only getting 4 hours of sleep a night.
Being a parent is tough (and we've only just started!) but oh so worth it.

day one

I love this little man. I can't take my eyes off him. He is absolutely perfect, and it amazes me.

This is our family now. I don't think I could have imagined how right it would feel to have him here. He just fits.

Kent is the cutest dad ever. He loves to hold him close and talk to him. Nicholas already knows his daddy, and always calms right down when Kent picks him up.

As for me--I am in love. Even with waking up every single hour last night.
It's completely worth it.

nicholas

He is here.
7 lbs. 6 oz.
19 inches.
Born this morning at 10:01.
We are in love.

meanwhile

It seems that waiting for this baby has taken over. This blog. My conversations. My facebook updates. My thoughts.
Our lives.

But he appears to be perfectly content right where he's at, so we wait.
And meanwhile,
We do silly things, like have a winter-themed dinner.
(San Antonio has had 55 days of 100* or above in the last three months.)

I made snowflakes out of tortillas. Just like they were paper snowflakes. Tortilla snowflakes.
It was pretty much one of the coolest things I've ever done. I had Kent take a full-body shot of me tonight, but this one is all you're going to see. I saw the picture he took and then I realized why the lady at the store assumed I was overdue.
I'm on my way to birthing a nine-pounder, I'm afraid.

And, as you see, I can't even write a "non-pregnancy" post without talking about being pregnant.
I told you it's taken over. I'm sorry.

I made swiss cheese fondue, and we pretended it was snow that we were dipping our food in.
Silly? Yeah. But everyone needs a little silliness now and then.I was thinking maybe I went a little overboard on the decorations for a meal just for the two of us.
Then I spilled a hundred little fake ice cubes on the kitchen floor.
And I think picking them all up made me feel just a little bit colder.
Which at this point, is worth almost anything.

263

For two-hundred and sixty-three days now,
I have been pregnant.
And for two-hundred and sixty-three days
I have craved pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant).
We had them in France. So I didn't think there was any hope of getting one here.
Suppressing a pregnancy craving for two-hundred and sixty-three days isn't the easiest thing in the world. But I've managed.
Until this morning.

And Kent sent me this picture from work:They have them at one of the USAA cafes.
He said he went back to get one for me, but they were all gone.

I think I'm going to work with Kent tomorrow morning.

not so small

Yesterday we went shopping.
I was going to buy a new maternity shirt for me at Kohls,
but I got sidetracked by the baby stuff and decided that it was a much better idea to buy Nicholas two new outfits than to buy myself a shirt I will only be able to wear for a few more weeks.
He needs something to wear for the holiday vacations we're taking, after all.
And they were just too adorable to pass up.So now Nicholas has a new Thanksgiving outfit (on the right) and a Christmas outfit (the left). And I know I haven't seen him yet, but I have a feeling he's going to be just adorable in these.

After Kohls we went to Pier One and experienced an unsuccessful search for curtains.
(I did find this chair that I fell in love with, though. Oh my-this chair just makes me so happy inside. I'm trying to figure out if I have a somewhat reasonable place to put it.)
Anyway, we were out the door and in the process of deciding I'm just going to have to make curtains for our house,
when some lady pulled up in her car and rolled down the window
so that she could yell at me
"When were you due?"
What? Who is this lady?
"Um, I'm due on the 30th." Yeah, still three weeks away.
She couldn't hear me (I have a chronically soft voice), so Kent says again,
"She's not due until the 30th of this month."
And then, as she pulls away again, she looks at me one last time and says,
"Well don't be afraid to try walking."

Just two months ago I was getting hit on by guys at fast food places, and my doctor was telling me how small and cute my belly was.
Actually, I really love my pregnant belly right now. It's so fun, and different, and amazing. And I love how (most) people smile when they see me.

But it is true that I'm not so small anymore.

At least it's obvious that I'm pregnant, right?This isn't a side profile, so you can't really see my watermelon belly, but it's the most recent picture I've got. We had a picnic on the floor last night.
I've got to keep feeding this baby, after all.

self

I tagged myself from Shannon's post-I thought it was a fun one, and I like to do these every once in a while. I'm hoping that I'll be able to look back on them and have a glimpse of what my life was like at this point in time.

What is your current obsession?
Watching Leverage on Netflix. Kent and I watch an episode every night after dinner, sometimes while Kent works out on the exercise bike upstairs. It's a fun show, but best of all, it hasn't yet included any language or content that I find objectionable--and for me, that's rare!

What do you hate (or dislike) the most that everyone else seems to love?
Although it isn't something that everyone else loves, I really can't stand the yappy little dogs next door that our neighbors must love. If they didn't, they would get rid of them.

What are you wearing today?
My only pair of maternity shorts that are still wearable, and a brown and white maternity top that isn't my favorite, but I'm a little short on options at this point. I could buy more clothes, but I'm so close to the end that it doesn't seem worth it. Also a cream colored shade shirt, my wedding ring, and coral-colored toenail polish.

What's for dinner?
Either poppyseed chicken with noodles, breakfast burritos, or mac and cheese-it will all depend on how I'm feeling once dinnertime rolls around. My appetite (and energy level) has been up and down lately. Something that sounds good one minute will be the last thing I want to eat the next minute. Poor Kent has had to fend for himself a lot lately.

What would you eat for your last meal?
Oh boy-I love food, and there are so many yummy things. Right now I would pick Dad's tenderloin, corn on the cob, fresh garden veggies, mom's rolls, grilled peaches, zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting, and a melona bar (Hawaiian ice cream treat). Oh, and a pain au chocolate (croissant with chocolate) from France.

What was the last thing you bought?
I bought two cardboard baby books--one is about colors and the other is a fun touch-and-feel book about counting. I can't wait to read to my baby!

What are you listening to right now?
A great big military airplane coming in for a landing. San Antonio has a couple of Air Force bases, and you can hear these planes pretty much everywhere.

What do you think of the person who tagged you?
Something I've always admired about Shannon is that she possesses grace-she always knows the right things to say and do, in any situation. I feel like I could use a lesson in that; I often unintentionally say things I regret later. She is an incredible mother, always doing creative and fun things with her kids, and she also manages to keep a beautiful house at the same time.

If you could have a house fully paid for and totally furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Kent and I really want to move closer to one of our families--we're thinking either Colorado, Oregon, Utah, or California. We also want to live somewhere with a better climate (not so hot and dry), and I'm hoping for somewhere with mountains. So anyplace that meets those requirements.

If you could go anywhere for the next hour, where would it be?
I want to go toobing the Comal River again. It's incredibly refreshing and relaxing.

What is one of your hobbies?
Sad confession: I don't know if I have any hobbies right now. I like cooking. I also like to read, but I don't do it much anymore. And I love to play the piano, but I haven't touched one for a couple of months. I wonder if I can find a cheap-yet-decent piano on Craigslist?

What are three things that annoy you most?
1. When people chew with their mouths open, especially chewing gum like that.
2. The poodles next door. (I probably just need to learn to ignore them.)
3. People (kids and adults) who say that they are bored. There's so many exciting things to do in the world-they should find something to do and then do it!

What is your favorite color?
I have always loved green.

What is your favorite item of clothing in your wardrobe?
Practical? My flip-flops. Except for Church shoes on Sundays, I haven't worn any other shoes since we moved here.
Impractical? I don't think I have anything that is truly impractical. That's kind of sad. I'll have to find something.

What are you going to do after this?
I'll be heading to the bathroom for the 15th time this morning.

What is your favorite fruit?
Fresh peaches, watermelon, raspberries

What inspires you?
Mothers who delight in their children.

Who was the last person you kissed?
Kent-he gave me a snuggle before he left for work this morning.

What are you currently reading?
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Kent and I started reading the series after we saw the last movie. I've read them before, but Kent hasn't, and I'm so happy that he's enjoying them, because he isn't much of a reader usually.

What delighted you the most today?
I'm stretching it to yesterday--I had a doctor's appointment and found out that the baby is low and in position and I'm already dialated to a 3!! Any day now... We're both excited, but Kent is super anxious to have this baby here already. Every night he reminds me to wake him up if I need to go to the hospital. :D


I tag:
Lisa,
Jesika,
Angie

proud

Today I'm proud of my little brother.

I haven't seen him since May.

I just got off the phone with him, and I probably won't be able to talk to him again for at least a year and a half (Christmas 2010 maybe?) if not longer.

He's going to Lansing Michigan, to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He'll be there for two years, living a life of obedience to strict codes and standards, intense work schedules, and dedicated service.

All because he knows it is the right thing for him to do.

And I'll miss him, but I wouldn't have him any other place right now.

I just hope he doesn't fall so in love with Michigan that he doesn't want to come back.

Oh, and I hope he doesn't forget to write to us. I know I'll be sending him pictures of Nicholas at least once a month.

indian-style

I was sitting indian-style on the floor, next to my packed suitcase,
making lists.
Because that is what I do. List-making runs in the family.
But it seems to be just a girl thing, so I think Nicholas will be spared the list obsession.I sat there for quite a while, even after I finished writing my list.
Why?
It could have been because the house was quiet, I could hear birds outside, I'd done everything on my list of chores for the day, or because I was comfortable,
but actually it was because
once I'm on the ground it's really hard to get up again.
So I started taking pictures of my kitchen from my seat on the floor.

And then the living room.That gave me enough motivation to get up, because I wanted to show you how we've arranged our third bedroom (so far--one wall is empty for our little couch to go; we're buying a couch from some friends later this month).And finally, here I was last night, at 36 weeks.
The last month!! Hooray!