Drum Roll, Please...

I have not blogged these past months because I have a little girl that loves to snuggle and hates to be put down. We have just gotten to the point in the last couple of weeks that she will occupy herself for a stretch of time. As I am typing this, she is complaining in her swing...

This is a post of few words and many pictures (I hate typing with one hand). Enjoy!

Smiling, even after hours of work! (Making her debut at 6lbs. 2 oz. and 20 in.)

Curtains by Grammie Gail.

Little Miss C and Main Man on her first night at home.

The binki is half the size of her face!

Little Miss C and Grandma Nancy.

Snuggling with Daddy.

Photographic evidence of the hard fought fight.


Little Miss C and Great-Grandma Pat.

Hangin' with Dad.


Sleeping on Mom - the only way we got any rest for the first couple of months!

Ready for a lunch date with Daddy.


Creative ways to get the binki to stay in.


One month old!


Little Miss C and Great-Grandma Packard.

Little Miss C and Great-Grandpa Packard.


Little Miss C and Great-Grandpa Olsen.


One word: C-U-T-E!!


Ready for church in her pretty dress.


Two months old! (This is her contemplative look)


What a big girl! She is always wants to be sitting up and looking around.


Afternoon conversation with Mom.


She's really into her story.


Love, love, love my little girl!

In Charge

I was in charge today. With PC being so busy in school, I was given the responsibility to research and buy a camera. Not just a point and shoot camera, but a real digital SLR. I feel like I've been inducted into adulthood along with the rest of my family that has cool cameras. Here is the one we (insert "I") settled on...

(photo from Nikon USA)

I am so excited and have no idea how to really use it.

In other news, (since I've figured out how to put pictures with links on here - can you tell I'm pleased with myself?), here is the bedding that I finally decided on for the nursery along with the crib and dresser that we got.

(photo from Pottery Barn Kids)

(photos from Babies R Us)

Off to finish my other baby projects. I will post pictures when they are done and I figure out how to turn on the new camera. :-)

What have we been up to? Here is a quick update as "the date" gets nearer.

PC:

• New job jitters and inevitable settling-in period.
• School, school, and more school.
• Band.
• Making dinners when he's home (my Honey is the best!).
• Being patient when I explain the uncomfortable ins and outs of pregnancy.
• Being cute.
• Getting ready for Baby Girl.

Me:

• Finding new and creative ways to clean for minimal swelling and backache.
• Talking to myself and Baby Girl when we are the only ones home :)
• Finding more and more things for my list of to dos.
• Deciding that those things probably won't get done in the next 2 1/2 weeks.
• Reading everything I can find on pregnancy and newborns.
• Being clumsy (I broke our camera last week by simply dropping it - bummer).
• Weekly Doctor appointments.
• Getting the Nursery put together.

Baby Girl:

• Head down.
• Sinking lower.
  
• Hiccups.
• Punching (luckily no kicks to the ribs yet).
• Moving at the sound of Daddy's voice when he comes home.
  
• Favorite Place: a nerve in Mommy's right leg.

I did take pictures of my swollen feet (I will post next time) and had the intention of taking a "pregnant picture" when I broke the camera. Sorry Rach. Just trust that I'm large. People who haven't seen me in a while walk right past me in the store. It's kind of unnerving. Hopefully we get the new camera before Baby Girl's arrival and I can document my big belly.

New Chapter

Last Wednesday marked the end of the school year for my little class. They were so excited they couldn't contain themselves. The last few days were a party filled with clay, creating posters, treats, snacks, movies, and autographs of friends.

Last Wednesday marked the end of something else for me. It marked the end of my teaching for the foreseeable future as I stay home to raise my baby and her siblings still yet to come. I wasn't sad while winding up the school year and packing my classroom. I am a little now, however, as I put the changes into words.

What a great opportunity I have to be able to stay home and be a mom! It's what I have looked forward to for years. I am grateful for PC's willingness to agree to this arrangement and he is grateful that I have a desire to do so. My attention will no longer be divided. You see, I'm the kind of teacher that is always thinking about her students and what I can do better. It's a blessing and a curse that I can't "turn it off" when I get home. I am also the kind of teacher that goes in early, stays late, and brings home work at night. I think that was the hardest for PC to get used to. But he was very patient with my work habits.

He was also very patient when he came to pick up my boxes. :-) It took me 5 days to pack up and clean my classroom. My sweet mother came to help for a couple of days and my wonderful PC came to load up the cars. (I was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago with signs of pre-labor. They discharged me after determining that I was wasn't in labor, put me on bed rest for a day, and then let me go back to work as long as I was careful and took it easy.)

When PC came on Friday to pick up the boxes, he was surprised. In my defense, I did give away lots of stuff. In the end, I had 3 (big) boxes of storage and organizers, 18 boxes of files and supplies, and a few odds and ends. What can I say, I taught for 6 years!

And now I'm home, looking around at my 3500 sq. ft. house and wondering where to begin. We never fully unpacked from the move and there are boxes in the baby's closet. I'm not quite sure how to do this housewife thing but I will figure it out. I know that I will be very busy once the baby comes. I just need to pack (or unpack) as many things in the next 6 weeks as possible.

I think it's time for a list and schedule.

Food

I would say that I haven't had many cravings since I was pregnant. I think that PC would disagree. I haven't wanted anything really strange, I just want the same thing over and over again.

Beginning: applesauce and mandarin oranges (lots of them).

Middle: cheese on bread or tortillas, apples, and pancakes with syrup (I might be an elf).

Late Middle: peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, milk, and bananas (ever since my sister and her family left).

I think this latest phase has been the weirdest for PC because I don't eat jam like a regular person. I eat it like a Packard - it has to be oozing out the sides. He has never seen this side of me before.

Things that I haven't wanted that seem strange: chocolate, chicken, and Chinese. Maybe it's just foods that begin with "c".

With that, I think I'll go and make a sandwich!

Happenings

First, my apologies for not updating in a timely manner.

For those of you that guessed the baby's gender as girl, you win the prize! For those that guessed boy, better luck next time (I think there will be a next time).

The baby was busy during the ultrasound. It took the Doctor 35 minutes to see her girlie parts, upper lip, and measure her head, thigh, and abdomen. She was moving around too much to get all of the other measurements so I have another ultrasound in a couple of weeks. The Doctor said that she might be big enough at that time to have calmed down. From all of the movement that I feel each day, I doubt that is the case.

It is fun to feel her. I beginning to get too uncomfortable to forget that I'm pregnant - especially when my students ask me to tie their shoes. As a side note - I seem to remember being required to learn to tie my shoes before I went to Kindergarten. My, how things have changed!

Back to baby girl...she is fairly quiet during the day when I am busy teaching. She revs up at night and usually does some kind of two-step on my bladder. Most of the time I can't tell that I have to go to the bathroom until she points it out.

I had to video tape myself teaching today for a reflection that I am required to do. I must say that I'm not a cute pregnant lady like my sister. I couldn't help noticing how wide I am. People tell me that I don't look almost 6 months pregnant. Well, now I know that it's because she's sitting in my hips and making them very large!

I also finished a very extensive and expensive list of everything that we need for the arrival of baby girl. Some may laugh - go ahead - but that's how PC and I budget. We have to see cold hard numbers. I'm really impressed with my night's work. PC says that another night of hard work like that and we may never catch up. He loves it and he knows it! Did I mention that it's in spreadsheet format? You're even more impressed, right? As it turns out, I just have a lot of grading that I am unmotivated to finish.

I will try not to neglect the blog as much next time. Love to all!

Be Counted

I can finally make one of those poles. What do you think: boy or girl?

Most of my school class has voted for a boy. It surprised me that even most of the girls think that. Don't they usually want their gender? I told them I would wear either a pink or blue shirt to announce the outcome. One of my boys said, "What about red?" They know me too well.

We find out on Friday so cast your vote!

P.S. Darn font size. I'm not yelling or commanding. I'm just not as smart as the computer thinks I should be.

P.S.

I never did get to the bathrooms yesterday. I had the day off and thought it would be a great surprise for the house to be clean when PC got home last night. I only got as far as the trash and then threw up.

After that, I moved to the kitchen where it wasn't quite so nauseating. I'm scared to try the bathrooms again. Maybe I'll mop the floors.

More to Love

As most of you are aware (I hope!), we will have more to love at our house come August. I am expecting our first little bundle this summer!

It has been hard to keep to ourselves and now it's hard to remember who we haven't told. At least for me and my pregnant brain. Most of my nausea has gone away and I am beginning to get my energy back. Just in time for the desperate cleaning that our bathrooms need!

PC and I are so excited! As of right now, we can just guess at the gender. We will find out next month. I can't wait! Here is a picture of the baby waving :)


Happy Valentine's Day to all!