We are down to 5 weeks, folks. FIVE weeks. Do you know how many days that is? 35 days, just in case you are too tired to multiply 5 x 7. 35 Days.

So I decided there are lots of things to “do” before baby comes that don’t exactly involve her. I read or heard, can’t remember which, that baby comes at the most UNopportune time; they say this is related to Murphy’s Law. So, in the last few weeks of pregnancy you should start filling your days up as full as you can with activities, and baby will most likely come on one of the days that you are busy. =)

So, starting next week (which is 4 wks before due date) my calendar looks like this:
Saturday July 31st: baby shower in hot springs, last camping trip with J.Tom and dogs before Lexie arrives

Week of August 1-7: I don’t really have plans for this week, so I will have to figure something out.. but it will consist of finishing the nursery

Week of August 8-14th: Prepare/freeze meals for after baby gets here

August 15th: Diaper/Wipes/Necessities shower from girlfriends

Week of August 15th-21st: Get hair done, pedicure, and massage

Week of August 22-28: Hopefully we will have a baby at some point! haha It would be a week early, but sure would be nice.

Of course, each week after next week, we start weekly appointments-that should help the time go by a bit faster. And after each shower, I will get to reorganize things in the nursery. And, I will be at the gym several days a week so that can help the days go by faster, too. I would like to fill some down time in the evenings with date nights with J.Tom, since we won’t get to go out and do that again for a while..

I know I should have that whole, “nesting” thing going on… but I don’t. I mean, we have reorganized cabinets, closets, the barn, packed up out of season clothing and kitchen stuff we don’t use in order to make room for baby bottles and containers, and thrown out more crap than should be legal to have made so many trips to Salvation Army it is sinful, really. However, I have not started that deep cleaning everyone speaks of.. washing baseboards, walls, soaking blinds, etc. Wonder when that is going to kick in?

I also have this thought: the full moon in August is the 24th. Lexie is “due” on the 30th. There are a few studies (maybe I mentioned this before? I know I did on FB) that the full moon causes pregnant women’s water to break.. so maybe she will come early. Although, I think it will be the 26th… I am probably wrong. But, if my water does break, just pray that contractions start on their own, otherwise the dr. will induce me in order to produce a baby withing 24 hours (standard procedure theses days to reduce the risk of infection… blah blah). However, having a natural labor will be rather difficult with Pitocin, as it makes the contractions much more painful than the natural contractions God intended. Blah, modern medicine.

I will tell you this much-not looking forward to the weekly doc appts. This is because he is going to check me every time for dilation, thinning and all that great stuff that helps produce a baby. Apparently this gets more uncomfortable the farther along you get? Lovely. As of last week it wasn’t bad at all, but I guess that will be changing. You know, for all women go through to bear children, you would think more of would be better mothers and take more responsibility for the children they have.. hmm

OK, so the vitamin part of this post: I not only have anemia, but an iron deficiency, which means the iron stores in my body are also depleted. This is probably only because I was anemic before pregnancy… and it is only a big deal if the iron stores don’t get up before delivery, as I am sure they will. But I was looking up info about Iron and did you know having too much is linked to heart disease? That is why heart disease is more prevalent in post-menopausal women, and of course men (because men are rarely anemic). And it makes me wonder if this is because higher levels of cholesterol are also linked to heart disease? Because cholesterol that produces heart disease comes from animals, and most Americans eat too much red meat-steak, burgers, etc- which is high in Iron. Do you follow my thoughts? I just wonder.

But, I am taking my prenatal vitamins, and my little iron supplements… although for proper iron absorption I should apparently be taking vitamin C as well. BLAH Does it ever end? It is like a vicious cycle and I eat healthy, so why all the vitamins? They say that prenatal pills are necessary because no matter how healthy your diet is, even if you’ve upped the ante for your pregnancy, it simply cannot meet the requirements of your growing baby. They need huge amounts of iron and calcium in particular and I suppose I don’t want to be consuming heaps of spinach and milk, so I’ll just take them as it is probably easier.

Pleasant things about my Pregnancy so far:

• I laugh a lot
• J.Tom is extra nice =P
• feeling baby move all the time
• no stretch marks yet
• my innie is not yet an outtie
• everyone is nice to you
• my hair grows super fast
• my nails are hard and longer than they have ever been
• everyone compliments on how good you look, even if you don’t =)
• I got a pool out of the deal (hehe)
• J.Tom put up a privacy fence
• I get to do LOTS of shopping (with no repercussions!)
• I enjoy doing the baby’s laundry
• J talking to baby
• all the pregnancy/family blogs that I am addicted to
• blogging on here

UNpleasant Things about my pregnancy so far:

• I have more moles than before?
• my skin is kinda veiny-er than before?
• got rid of my birds, who were my babies and so much fun
• lots of weight to lose later
• my feet hurt
• my back is starting to ache, even after cooking for just 30 minutes
• I can’t workout as hard as I used to
• get winded MUCH easier
• can’t prop myself up in bed w/o it hurting my chest
• BIG little body parts in my ribs
• getting weighed every 2 weeks at the doctor (EWWW!)
• lack of energy
• sleeping alone because me and my pregnancy pillow take up too much space for J.Tom, too. hahahaa <—sad but true
• the fact that I need a pregnancy pillow to support my tummy now, instead of my back
• Missy Cat has always jumped from the floor, onto my tummy. Now it is not so painless
• no more tanning bed, which was much easier than cleaning/maintaining a pool
• prenatal vitamins
• indigestion from onions, Nutri Grain Bars, and jalapenos

I am sure there are more things I could add to both lists… I will see if I think of anymore.

Of course the good outweigh the bad, but I thought it would be fun to make a list. I have been making lists all morning (FYI:I am a list maker). I have made a Kroger’s list, a Walmart list, a list of baby things we have and what we still need, a list of things to ask our teacher tomorrow night, a list of things to ask the doctor next week, a list of people to send thank you cards to (which are going out tomorrow)… see? I am addicted to making lists.

Let’s see- I have been washing Lexie’s linens and have been looking at the nursery (looking, but not really doing anything). I have read many articles and blogs on what “gear” new parents just “have to have!” and I have registered for some of it, and some of it I thought was a little excessive, or would not fit into our lifestyle. For instance, people SWEAR by the carriers that you strap on, and the slings for when they are a little bigger. But I don’t see myself sporting a carrier across my tummy anytime soon (Although it would be a fabulous way to hide the post pregnancy pounds… hrm, maybe I should reconsider). With J.Tom being so broad and tall, I don’t think he would feel very comfortable wearing a carrier, either. I am just not sure it is one of those things we could never live without; but I know there are many families who love them.

Then there are things like bouncers, swings, and jogging strollers that seem like they may actually be worth investing in for us. Well, I know my stroller was well worth it for my purposes, but the other things we have not gotten yet.

We have a beautiful bassinet to use next to the bed in our room, and that seems pretty essential. It is not big and bulky like some, but just right for our bedroom. Then there is the high chair, which converts and can just sit in the chair at the table (thank you Aunt M.). We have several blankets, bibs and onesies. I need to grab some more burp cloths and bath essentials.

We have some towels and washcloths for her, but we still need to get the bath sponge thing for the sink, baby bath, lotion, etc, first aid kit, thermometer… all those good things. And I need to get a changing pad. I didn’t realize they were so HUGE, but I think I found one that is pretty small to go on the dresser. I wouldn’t get one, except I have to have a place to change her in the nursery and there is no soft surface. And lastly, how many sheets and things do you need? Right now we have the one that came with the bedding, but I am thinking we need several for accidents such as diaper leakage and spit up.. not to mention you have to have sheets for the bed, bassinet, and pack n play… plus covers for the changing table on the pack n play, and of course a mattress pad! How much stuff does a baby really need? I guess if they weren’t so messy they wouldn’t need so much! haha But she will be well worth it.

I have been busy writing thank you cards for the shower in Memphis, although I have not gotten them in the mail yet. =/ Monday, Monday, Monday! It seems like since my last day of school (which was June 30) I haven’t done much of anything, and yet I have been busy. How is that possible? I’m not sure, but the house still seems destroyed, and for no apparent reason..
Maybe because poor J has been putting in the new bathroom sub-floor, which is finally complete. We need to put down new vinyl or tile flooring in there, but have decided it will just have to wait another year or so, when we do the kitchen and entry way. We just can’t do everything we need/want to right now; there is not enough time or energy to go around at this point. He has been working on this house nonstop since we moved in. It is always something, I don’t think he minds too terribly much but he needs a break. (And frankly, so do I-from the mess!) So, now that the bathroom/laundry room is back to normal, I can do laundry on a normal basis, which is wonderful!!!

I still have to wash baby’s clothes, but I wanted to wait until a little closer to time so that the hanging ones didn’t get dusty or anything between now and then.. of course they are in a closet so I don’t know if they will exactly get dusty? I guess I am just being a little paranoid. But I did get the Tide Free liquid detergent for all her things, and I like it so far.

Only about 7 more weeks!

“a study reported in the Family Practice Research Journal way back in 1991 showed that mothers who exercised 20 minutes three times a week for at least 20 weeks of their pregnancy had shorter second stages [of labor] and fewer complications during labor than mothers who didn’t exercise.”

http://www.birthingnaturally.net/exercise/fitness.html

That is one more reason to continue exercising for the next 7.5 weeks.  Provided, I have not been exercising like I did pre-pregnancy (although I wish I had been!), but I have kept fairly active by walking at the gym and doing Yoga.  I wish now that I had been doing more, just because I know I could have, but I guess I will know better next time!  (Next time I won’t stop running when I find out I am expecting!)

I cannot praise my Yoga instructor enough!  We go to church with her (as I have mentioned before) and teaches at the Y; she is amazing with all her tips for pre-labor and laboring positions.  She also let me borrow the “Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way” which is based on the Bradley Method for a natural childbirth.  The classes are not offered here in town and are much different (more natural) than the Lamaze classes.  We are taking the “prepared childbirth” class, which is educating, but I am starting to regret it simply because it is mostly not how I want to have my baby.  BUT, the great thing is the instructor (who is a L&D nurse) knows the ins and outs of our hospital and their procedures so she can literally answer any questions we have about the hospital.

Oh, speaking of which, this is what I have decided, and I am not sure why it took me 8 months to figure it out!!!  (And don’t laugh)  Until this week, I had educated myself on all the medications, their negative effects, the reasons not to use them, and the pain/fear or labor.  I had not, however, educated myself on what to do for a natural childbirth, what it was like, or exactly what happens (if that makes sense?).  Why did it take me this long to realize that NOT knowing is what is so terrifying, and that if you know what you are getting into, and how the body works you will be just fine?!  Well, I realized that like Wednesday.  And, after much reading and research I have decided-I can do this!  There is no reason why I should fear what my body was made to do naturally.  Now, if there are complications or unexpectedly loooong hours of un-progressing labor then maybe we will go to plan B (with me, you should know there will be a plan B).  However, there is no need for me to fear what God created my body to do for my child and myself.  And honestly, it just feels right-like the right thing to do.  So, after much prayer and consideration, this is my plan A: a natural childbirth in a hospital.

I don’t expect everyone to understand and that is fine.  Like I mentioned before, it is a decision you make for you and your family, what is best for you.  J. and I just feel like this is best for us; and what is even better is that he totally, 100% supports whatever decision I make.  So, I found some books for him, since he will be my coach and those should be here very soon.  He seems excited to be a part of it.  It isn’t scary to me after educating myself on what is going to happen.  So now, when people ask or if it comes up in conversation (and it usually does..) I am going to say with confidence, that we have decided to have a natural childbirth.  No cop outs of the whole, “oh, but I may give in and do an epi later.”  Whether I give in or not at this point is not an option, because the whole thing is a mind-set, and I have my mind-set on doing what I feel is best and what I want to experience with my family.  And I feel so great about it!!

So this week we are 30 weeks and my doctor appt was scheduled for Tuesday; but then they had to reschedule for Thursday.  My doctor was not available so I saw a new doctor in the practice, and really liked her.  My tummy is measuring 30 cm which is right on target for 30 weeks.  Lexie Raye’s HR was 140ish, so that is great.  I did not want to know my weight gain so I looked away from the scale and she didn’t tell me how much-thank goodness.  All I know is I have to lose it all, so I am not going to focus on the numbers right now. =)  She said everything is perfect, vitals are good, blood pressure was good… nothing to worry about.  I did ask about some tightening and pain that has been occurring during my workouts or when on my feet all day.  Apparently these are Braxton Hicks contractions which are perfectly normal and healthy to have.  She just warned me that if they’re happening when I am fatigued (like at the end of the day at the gym, or after being on my feet all day) that I need to sit down, hydrate and relax for a while until they stop.  Just the normal precautions, because that may be my body’s way of saying “slow down.”  But they don’t happen often, so it is fine.

I did ask about the baby’s position, because I was worried she was across my tummy, instead of head down.  After feeling around, Dr. Way said she is 90-95% positive her head is down and it is her feet in my ribs.  (That makes me feel a little better about shoving her feet down and away from my ribs… glad it is not her head!)

This weekend is mine and Lexie’s first baby shower, and it is in Memphis!  I CANNOT WAIT.  My family has worked so hard to make it a wonderful, fun get together.  The invitations were precious!  I will post a pic later.  We found these cute shower invitations from like 1950 at an antique store.  So we used those and some scrap booking stuff to decorate the envelopes and stuff.  They were really cute, but I am not sure everyone “got” the old-timey concept…. 
Honestly, I think I am looking most forward to the food!  hehe  Fresh pineapple and other fruits, brochette, and chicken salad!  Mmmm, yum!  And we are having fruit tea and I think a lemon cake?  I am not sure, the cake is supposed to be a surprise.. so I don’t know anything about that yet.  I will have lots of pictures to post though, I am sure.  (Hopefully I won’t be in most of them).  I am excited about seeing my family and friends, too.  That will be nice.

So, we are almost down to 9 weeks to go.  It is going to be a long 9 weeks.  J mentioned that it seems like such a long time and it will never get here.  Part of me wants it to hurry up, and part of me thinks I need more time to fathom the idea. I will be glad to see my arms and hips go back down.  I mean, I have gained basically all over, but I cannot stand having these huge arms!  They were big enough to begin with, but very muscular, and now they are just big and flabby.  So hopefully lifting the baby and just not being pregnant will get some things back to normal.  It still shocks me sometimes to look in the mirror and see myself; and I run into things all the time because I am not used to having a stomach.  Poor Lexie, she goes for quite a ride throughout the day!  And OF COURSE I am looking forward to holding her and just being a mom.  I know J is very excited too, maybe more than I am!  (of course he would be, he won’t be battling with nursing, naps, and shots at the doctor’s office! haha)

So, I keep moving her out of my ribs and she just kicks and flips until she gets right back. It is quite painful. 30 weeks Monday, 10 weeks to go and with my luck I will go over 40 weeks with the first baby. I sure wish she would come about 2-3 weeks early though. That would sure be nice.

This weekend with mom has been crazy! Our bank account is probably hyperventilating… and for good reason. But, I got the nursery completely furnished, mirror, curtains and all! I did not realize what a big deal a mattress is. If it is not firm enough, it will cave in as they get older and since her bed converts to a toddler bed too, I wanted a mattress that would last.

So, here are some pics of the nursery now. They are not very good pictures and don’t really do it justice. Of course it is still pretty empty. I need a few more things for the book shelf, the changing pad for the dresser, and of course all the other baby necessities that go in a nursery. Whenever we get them all in (probably after the showers) it will be just perfect! Mom also caved and let me have the bedding now so we could get it on the bed. Of course it will all have to be washed and everything again before Lexie Raye gets here, but it is still fun to have it in the room.

Here is the lamp and picture from my mother in law,

known to the grandbabies as Gwennie. I have the curtains and rods for the windows, but we are leaving the hanging of the curtain rods to J so we don’t ruin the sheet rock…

This is the bookshelf that also came from Gwennie’s house. My mom got the picture frames for Lexie, the bottom one is a frame that says “Grandma” so that Lexie knows who she is. (She has this fear that the baby won’t know her because she doesn’t live here…)

We got the super cute bookend at TJ (of course) and the books are some I had for teaching school that are necessary for all little ones, but I need to start getting board books for her.

Here we have Lexie’s piggie bank! haha We found this at Target and had to have it. I think am hoping she takes after her cousin Emily and learns to put her daddy’s money in here. =)

This is the bedding in her crib above, and the diaper stacker to the right. It is really sweet. I bought our first diapers this weekend, Huggies for newborns, because that is what I had coupons for. But I will be buying pampers too, I am sure. I have heard both are good. Anyways, it looks really good in there.

Below is the mirror we found at Kirkland’s. I think I am going to get some ribbon and/or tulle and mom is going to try to create a big bow to go above it… we’re not sure yet.

Well, this has definitely been a big week!  Mama arrived Thursday (yesterday) and we laid out all afternoon.  Funny story: So, she says, “I want to see you get on that float.”  (As if it will be hard because I am pregnant..) and I laugh and say ok.  So I go t get on it, and you know how when you get on a float, you and the float go sailing about 2-4ft in the water?  Yea, well I did that, but then continued sailing over the side of the pool, which collapsed and sent me with about 100 gallons of water down the hill into the back yard.  It was hilarious!  I have not laughed so hard, possibly ever.  And it was kinda fun!  Anyways, so that was the adventure for the trip (hopefully).  Then J got home and we went to Rocky’s for pizza and beer special (of course I just had the pizza…)  Which is why I am here blogging at 4:40 in the AM.  Jalapenos.  Mom kept asking me, “How do you eat those peppers without getting heartburn?”  I told her I hadn’t had heartburn in a while and it would be fine…. WRONG.  So, here I am.  But it is ok.  I will hopefully go back to bed here in a while and sleep good.

Today is my Daddy’s birthday, so happy birthday to him!  Hope it is a good day for you, Dad.

Today J is leaving for his trip to St. Louis with some friends.  I think while he is gone, mom and I are going to get a mattress for the crib and get everything in the nursery put together (bedding, curtains, etc.).  I cannot wait!  When we get done, I will be sure to take and post some pictures.  Mom also got to feel Lexie kick for the first time today, well several times today. When we were laying out, she kept saying, “I can see her all balled up on that right side.  Your tummy is lopsided!” (and it is..)  The only time I get relief is if I lay on my side, then sometimes she will move to the front. otherwise she is snuggled up in my ribs.  Stink-pot.

Also, I have to tell you about my steals at Walmart!  They had several of their Cricut Cartridges on clearance for $23.00!!!  I got the Storybook Cart, and grabbed mom the Life is a Beach cart.  We are going to play sometime this weekend.  Maybe Sat evening.  Also, Saturday we are having lunch with Ms. Susie and my niece Emily!  YAY  That will be fun, too.  So this is going to be a BIG weekend!

I should start off with, sorry I have not called anyone lately.  I have not been in the best of moods and you probably did not want to talk to me.  =/  I have been frustrated with school (it is my last class and the most ridiculously absurd, useless class in the world for an education major) and the house and just feeling blah in general.  We have sprung a leak in J’s bathroom.. by sprung, I mean it has apparently been there, under the floor, for a very long time and has gone unnoticed thus far.  The sub floor is now rotten, mildewed and therefore is attracting numerous amounts of gnats.  Yes, gnats.  EVERYWHERE.  I hate them possibly more than I hate flies.  At least you can swat flies and kill them and then disinfect where they have been.  Gnats just flitter around your head and ears and annoy you to death, but you can never seem to smack them.  I Googled to discover you can combine apple cider vinegar, sugar and water in a container and it will attract and drown them.  It is not working as of yet.  Anyways, so the bathroom is destroyed while J works on it in bits and pieces as he has time… what really stink (literally, of mildew) is that his bathroom doubles as my laundry room.  It is not exactly the epitome of neatness right now and I find it hard to want to do laundry in such conditions.  We will probably run out of underwear and socks (him) pretty soon.  Maybe that will motivate J to finish.  haha  I am jk.. he is working hard.

Scarlet update:everything appears to currently be in operating order.  Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that there is no infection or anything festering in her intestines.  After several days of monitoring her and her special deliveries (oh em geee what we will do for the love of our pets) everything seems to be okay, thank goodness.

Well, we are one day and a few hours from 29 weeks.  Last Tuesday (June 8) I went to the doctor for another regular checkup.  Everything is looking good, her heart rate was 140 bpm and apparently I am just having a text-book pregnancy so far.  I was measuring 28 centimeters from pelvic bone to the top of the uterus Lexie’s home.  Apparently, for every week you are you should measure about that many centimeters.  Again, we are textbook here, which is good.  I am now going to see him every 2 weeks until the final month, when I will go every week.  Also, we start our child birthing classes Tuesday.  That should be interesting..

(The following may seem like deja vu, because I have probably rambled about it before on here and/or facebook)
I did ask my doc about epidurals, and how late into labor I can have one (since I am choosing to go as long as possible, in hopes of not getting one at all).  He said it doesn’t matter as long as the anesthesiologist is available.  However, he gave me that head down, eyes up look (like a parent would) and said, “but if you think you are going to get one eventually, don’t torture yourself.  We can usually judge pretty well when you need to get an epidural, if you so choose.”  I have one problem with this, it means he is aaall about epidurals and will probably encourage me to have one during labor.  I am all about them too, except I don’t want to slow my labor down, and then need Pitocin to be induced and then need something else because it causes stress on Lexie.  I realize many women don’t have problems with epidurals, but I would just like to avoid the possibility.  Mainly (and this is going to sound stupid ridiculous) vain to most people, but I don’t want to have to have a C-section.  The thought of having a serious surgery from which I have to recover while nursing and caring for a newborn and living on a few hours of sleep is scary…  OK, so really I don’t want one because I don’t want my stomach muscles cut.  I didn’t think so before pregnancy, but I actually had a flat stomach.  Sure there was not a 6 pack there, but minus a little bit of love-handle on the sides, it was pretty flat.  I want that back. Ehum, no, I need that back.  So, I would like to avoid my stomach muscles being sliced into.  Also, I want the best for Lexie Raye, and that means a natural, vaginal delivery so she is exposed to good bacterias, etc and an immediate skin to skin contact with me once the cord is cut.  You don’t get that with a C-section because they have to take about 30 minutes to stitch you back up and stuff.  Did you know babies delivered vaginally have fewer chances of having asthma and other health issues as compared to babies delivered by C-section?  All because of the natural bacteria they come in contact with during delivery through the birth canal.  Whoda thought?  =)

So, all of that to say, I’d like to avoid an epidural.  But I may cave in immediately and get one… who knows.  But I can try to plan not to.  That is my goal.

Now then..  Let’s see, J is teaching a Bible study in the morning at Sunday School.  It should be good.  We have a wonderful young man at church (who J has watched grow up) and he is going to go to Seminary after he graduates college.  He is working in the church this summer doing all sorts of great things, and teaching a special Sunday School class for young people is one of those things.  However, tomorrow he will be unable to teach, so J has offered to do it.  It is “Gilligan’s Island: The Seven Deadly Sins.”  We will be at church early tomorrow, but it should be fun.  Then he has softball practice with the church team he started this year.  They are apparently pretty good, but just have a few kinks they need to work out.  I have not yet attended a game.  Something has either come up, I had company, or I was exhausted and did not go.  Sometimes they have 8:00 or 9:00 games, and I am usually in bed asleep by 9:30. 
PLUS I HATE MOSQUITOES!  How is that relevant to softball, you may ask?  Well, let me just tell you.  Did you know that pregnant women attract MORE mosquitoes because we produce more carbon monoxide, because our lung capacity increases during pregnancy and mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon monoxide humans produce! Crazy, I know, but true.

Well, first let me tell the great news- WE SOLD MY CAR!  YAY  This is just the greatest thing for me right now, and we got more than we really wanted out of it, which is even better!  So, this afternoon (in about 30 minutes, actually) I am going to get my new car!  It is a Honda Pilot, and I will post pictures later.  I am very excited, and a little nervous.  I am nervous about driving a big vehicle.  I drove my big blue truck for a while, but that was a long time ago… I am so used to whipping in and out of places, and even able to turn in a parking spot going the wrong slanted direction… I know I won’t be able to do that with this one.  Anyways, that is the great news!

Here is a picture from my 27th week-I took it today, so Lexie Raye is 27 weeks, 4 days.  87 more days to go!  (Holy Cow-That is less than 3 months!)  I really need to get busy deep cleaning this house…

We are at 27 weeks, and go back to the dr. Tuesday the 8th.  Lexie is pretty low, and all in my ribs!  I feel her kicking on the inside of my ribs, and when she settles there it hurts my back on the right side.  She favors the right side… don’t know why.  Tonight she loved Yoga, as usual.  She especially bounces around during the stretching at the end, when I stretch out my torso.  Poor thing doesn’t have much room in there since my torso is so short.  Not many changes lately other than being a little more tired than usual.

I started back to school for the Summer I term, which is kind of nice and kind of stinks. Nice, because I get to see some friends, get out of the house, and stay busy.  It stinks because I hate driving that far, it is SO hot, and I would rather be laying in the pool!  Tomorrow, I think I am going to drive to the lake and float just to get away from the house for a day (but I should really be doing laundry and cleaning up the house)..  but it can wait one more day.  I have all weekend to mess with that stuff, not like we have any big plans.

Although we did have BIG plans last weekend, for Memorial Day.  I didn’t have my camera, because my batteries are dead, but we had so much fun with J.Tom’s parents, his sister and brother in law, and of course our sweet niece Emily.  I was SO worn out after the weekend though, it took me about 2 days to recuperate.  Well, as soon as I find some more batteries I will post a new picture.

Also, one of my favorite blogs is doing a give away at:http://www.babywisemom.com/2010/05/product-review-bamboo-junction-giveaway.html
 In order to enter to win I am blogging about it here!  =)  Wish me luck!