Holy Labor and Delivery!

There's a reason medical professionals recommend that you wait until after week 25 to take the Childbirth Education class. If you took the class (and watched the videos) before you got pregnant you might think twice!! We started our 6 week long Wednesday night class last night. Oh my! I know billions of women have gone through labor and delivery but it still freaks me out. So many things need to happen: the process of the baby's decent is almost like a jigsaw puzzle and it's an absolute miracle when it all goes according to plan. Our nurse warned us that rarely does everything go according to plan so the point of the course is to educate you on all possibilities. Guess it's better to be prepared, but in some sense I am really liking the saying, "Ignorance is bliss"!

The Registry

Diaper Champ, check. Stroller, yep. Bottles, got it covered. Play Mat, you betcha. We recently completed the adventure of registering for baby at Target. Whew! How are first time parents really supposed to have any clue what type of gear we're going to need for this baby? I don't want to fill our house up with unnecessary junk (I know....all of you parents are laughing out loud at me right now) so we tried to keep the list manageable. Some things I learned: Apparently you buy different sized nipples for bottles as the baby grows, it takes a 12 page manual to understand how to operate a high chair and after 2 hours in Target your husband starts scanning items without discussion because he's sick of debating over strollers.

What products do you consider a must have (Yes, I know we'll need diapers)? Which ones made your life easier? I want to make sure we have all of the bases covered.

Shades of Pink

How many shades of pink paint are there? If you answered approximately 2.5 million I think you're close. We want to paint the nursery pink. Sounds like a simple goal. But, after visiting our local paint store we have discovered that it's not quite that easy. The first trip to the paint store resulted in 3 samples purchased and put on the wall. I didn't love any of the three so after another trip to the paint store we have 6 samples painted on our wall. No clear winner yet. The contenders are: Panache Pink, Merry Pink, Impatients Petal, Irresistible, Lighthearted Pink and Childlike.

RAGBRAI

RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) came through Eastern Iowa this week with stops in North Liberty and Tipton. Thursday night Scott's dad and sister spent the night with us as they made their way on the ride. We decided to check out the festivities in town and since I couldn't partake in the fun in the beer tent I made sure to "test" a wide variety of food vendors. Gyros...not so good. Homemade ice cream and cherry pie from the Amish stand...A+.

Pictured above: we're in the beer tent in North Liberty with our neighbors and Scott's dad.

What's in a Name?

I'm quickly learning that there is a mandatory list of questions* that every person is required to ask of a pregnant woman. Also, there is a mandatory order in which these mandatory questions must be asked. My initial analysis has found that the list goes something like this:

Q1: When are you due?
Q2: Do you know what you're having?
Q3: Do you have a name picked out?

I have previously answered both Q1 and Q2 on the blog.
A1: October 18
A2: Girl

But, I haven't yet answered Q3 on the blog so I thought I would go ahead and clear the air by coming forth today with that answer. We have not yet decided on a name, although we have a short list of contenders. That short list includes (in no particular order):
-Evelyn (Evy)
-Emerson
-Madelyn
-Lilian
-Addison

For those of you who are predisposed to smart alec remarks the following names have already been suggested and denied:
Candace (Candy)
Cornelia (Corny)
To get the full impact of these names make sure to add our last name. These names are sure to guarantee our daughter a job in adult entertainment.

So, from our list of 5 which one is your favorite? Or, do you have another name you think we should consider?


*I am not at all annoyed by these questions I just find it very interesting/curious that it's always the same questions in the same order.

Trip Home

As my mother will quickly point out: I hadn't been home since Christmas. So, this past weekend we headed south to the bustling metropolis of Keosauqua to visit my parents and celebrate my grandmother's 85th birthday. On Saturday we visited the Dutchman's Store which offered organic goods before eating organic was cool. The store is operated by a Mennonite family and they have a wide variety of bulk candy, which we stocked up on just to show our support :-) Saturday night we went for a walk around a trail near my parents house. It was so humid that evening and 20 minutes into the walk I experienced my first pregnancy hot flash. WHEW! It took me about 2 hours to cool down.

Most importantly: my brother and his wife announced that they are expecting their first child in January. Just 3 months after I'm due. My mom is so excited that she is going to have "twin" grandchildren.

85 Years Young

Happy 85th Birthday Grandma Maxine!

Heading to the 'Burgh

I'm off to Pittsburgh, PA for the rest of the week for a conference. I know nothing about Pittsburgh except that it's the hometown of the Steelers and the fact that I like their uniforms because they look exactly like Hawkeye uniforms. Give me credit, at least I know what their uniforms look like. Actually, we're having dinner Tuesday night at Bettis Grille 36 named after Steeler standout Jerome "The Bus" Bettis. Wednesday night we're doing a river cruise to see the "legendary" 3 rivers that converge in Pittsburgh and Thursday night is an outing to a historic amusement park...which will be no fun for this pregnant lady since I can't ride any rides. In case you're wondering, we actually have sessions and do some work during the day. Have a great week. I'll check back in on Friday evening!

Weekend in the Windy City

Several of our college friends (and their spouses/spouses to be) live in Chicago. This gives us a great excuse to head into the city a few times each year. We went in this weekend as the last hurrah before baby arrives. Thanks to Kelly and Matt for hosting the Friday night bash, the Simpsons for letting us stay in our guest room, the girls for planning a wonderful day of shopping and to Churchill for providing the entertainment Saturday night at the Street Fest. From the pictures you can tell who was having a GREAT time!

Has Anyone Seen My Husband?

"Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" This is a shout out to my favorite person in the world, my husband. You've come a long way baby! Scott's family has long called him the "lounger" which is a title he earned in his early years because of his affection of lounging around the house. I clearly understood where this title came from when we first moved in together and like most couples we had "disagreements" about who was shouldering most of the household work. Over the past few years he has really started to take on more household chores and I was so pleasantly shocked last night when I could hear him vacuming upstairs. I didn't even have to ask. Woo Hoo!! The lounger is gone!

Fashion Show for Amy

My friend Amy in Florida has been wondering what I've been wearing to work to cover the bump. So, Amy...this fashion show is for you!

Making Room For Baby

Friday marks the beginning of my 3rd Trimester. When I realized this yesterday a bit of panic started to set in. Beyond ordering furniture we have done nothing to prepare for the arrival of Baby C. We plan to combine our guest bedroom and office into one room and use the current guest room as the baby's room. There's a lot of furniture moving that needs to take place. Last night we started the process by moving a recliner out of our downstairs room...it's heading for a garage sale. Then moved the futon from upstairs to downstairs. Tonight we're going to re-arrange the TV and Scott's desk to make room for the queen size bed in the office. Progress makes me feel better!

4th of July Weekend

Here are some other photos from the weekend. Top photo: Wave Your Flag cake, made once a year in our household. The other photos are from a campfire at the beach on Friday night. We went through an entire box of graham crackers making smores and the boys had fun playing with sparklers and making their own fire. Don't worry, plenty of adult supervision was provided.

Bait Motel

Like John (Cougar) Mellencamp, I was born in a small town. So, I am rarely shocked by the quaintness of small town Iowa. However, even I was surprised this weekend in Guttenburg, IA. At the last minute we decided to spend the weekend with Scott's parents who have a houseboat on the Mississippi River. Because the boat was full with other family members we sought out lodging in town. The hotels were full. Upon advice from someone who shall remain nameless (you know who you are) we called a local bait shop owner who also runs a campground and has some "cabins" for rent. Upon check-in we were told only the "roomy" cabin was left and walked around the bait shop to check out our accomodations for the night. Pictured above is our "cabin". The cabin consisted of two sets of bunk beds, 3 plastic lawn chairs and a lawn table. Notice, I did not say that a bathroom was included. There was one public restroom shared with the campground. Luckily it had running water...LUXURY!!! The cabin is as deep as it is wide so we affenctionately describe it to others as a plywood square. I've seen many motels in small town Iowa that resemble the Bates Motel made famous in the movie Psycho. But I have to say this is my first encounter with a Bait Motel. May it also be the last.

Belly Laugh

Over the long weekend we spent some time with Scott's sister's family. Pictured above are my nephews. At dinner Saturday night the following dialogue occured.

Nephews: "Aunt Emily, do you know a good Vet?"

Aunt Emily (Confused): "No. Why?"

Nephews (flexing their biceps): "Because these puppies look sick."

I'm still laughing...

Happy Independence Day!

I have spent 20 years of my life in school but have little retention for anything I learned during those 20 years. My teachers would be so proud! In case you too are not "Smarter than a 5th Grader" I've referenced Wikipedia to remind us of the facts surrounding our upcoming holiday.

"Proclaiming that "all men are created equal" and endowed with "certain unalienable Rights," the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Declaration, drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson, pronounced the colonies sovereign "states." In 1777, the Articles of Confederation were adopted."

So, now that we have covered the important stuff make sure to get out and celebrate that freedom with some ice cream, BBQ and outside fun. We will be spending a couple of days on the Mississippi River with Scott's family. Hope you all have a great 4th of July!

Pain in the Back

In the past week and a half I have started to "feel pregnant". The first 23 weeks of my pregnancy were a piece of cake and I feel truly lucky because I know many women don't feel well from the beginning. Last week the lower back pain and abdominal pain kicked in. At one point I was on the floor of my office (luckily I have a door that I shut because the view wasn't pretty) trying to stretch my back for relief. Over the weekend I referenced a book that my sister-in-law JK gave me and found some great back stretches and exercises so the pain has really been reduced. I'm still living on easy street compared to some of the horror stories I've heard but reality is starting to kick in. Scott, cross your fingers that my feet don't start to swell....shoe shopping time!!!!