Oh, Life...

I am getting more anxious and excited to meet our little guy every day.  On Thursday, I went in for my regular check-up and my doctor decided to put me on bed rest until Monday to do some official testing for toxemia.  So fun!  The idea was kind of exciting for about an hour.  I have had a hard time getting up in the mornings for school because I am tired and sore, and do EVERYTHING slowly these days.  Being on my feet at school has been hard because my ankles had moved from cankles to thankles (as wide as my thighs rather than my calves) and no shoes that I could find would fit me...I thought about giving Shaq...or the circus a call.  Maybe I still will.  ;) So with those issues to deal with, bed rest sounded pretty sweet.  Unfortunately, there are always other issues in life that make things worth the pain.  For example, writing lesson plans is WAY more work than just going to school and doing things myself.  I HATE writing lesson plans!  Besides that, my class has been SO good this year, that I think they were really helping me to stay focused and happy.  They were so responsive and helpful that I never really thought about how uncomfortable I was at school.  I loved just being there and teaching.

Anyway, Thursday, he did a few tests on me and injected me with steroids to help Hyram's lungs develop more quickly and sent me home with a huge jug to collect...liquid specimens in...that was a fun 24 hour adventure.  Friday I went back to turn in my jug and get another shot (which HURT! by the way).  Monday I go in for another non-stress test on the baby, another ultrasound and the verdict on the remainder of my pregnancy.  Hopefully my blood-pressure has gone down and I don't have to stay in bed for another month. I will be good, I promise!  I will stay off my feet often!  But, whatever is best for this little guy is what we will do.  Crossing my fingers.

I am just really excited to meet him and have him join our family.  David is doing really well trying to keep up with everything.  I don't really know how he is doing it.  He teaches seminary most of the day, then teaches piano lessons all afternoon.  He tries his best to go to school and practice the piano to get ready for his senior recital (which is on October 13th at 6:00 pm if you want to come!) and takes his own piano lessons on Thursdays.  On top of that, he has three online classes: accounting, economics, and statistics.  I didn't think I would see standard deviation or opportunity cost again...but here we are. :)  In addition, he is arranging various ensembles to perform his compositions at his recital and directing their rehearsals.  He is also Elder's Quorum President and is always worried about someone, or arranging people to help move, or trying to fix a home-teaching assignment, or attending another meeting.   Probably most stressful of all, he has this little wife of his to take care of..."Honey, I'm really thirsty, can you get me a drink?"  or "DAVID, SPIDER!" or "I can't reach my feet, will you put my socks on?" or "Would you mind making dinner...again?" Throughout all of it, he is such a champ.  He just keeps working and smiling and he is even getting A's in his classes!  What a stud. :)

Lately, I've been imagining what it will be like to have a baby here.  It still is such a strange idea to me.  Even though I can feel him and know that he is growing and on his way, it is still so weird.  It still just seems like I have been growing a tumor or an alien, not a real human that will look something like me.  It does become more real to me however when I think of what he might look like or what he will be able to teach us.  It is fun to think about what songs I will sing to him and the books we will read.  I think about the walks we will go on and the adventures we will have.  It's hard to imagine, but I am looking forward to it all.

This is one of the songs that I love to think about when I daydream of him:

It will be fun to have a little boy.

In other fun news, this weekend, my super cute visiting teachers, Karlee and Marianne threw me an adorable baby shower.  I am so grateful for friends like them!  Karlee took most of the pictures, so I will have to post those later.  But, look at how great my friends are!

I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people around me all the time! :)  Oh, and here is an update on our little nursery.  I am getting so excited!

A Quarter Century

My dear David has reached a significant milestone.  He has now been alive for a quarter century.  We are so glad that he was born and blesses all of us each day! :)

My adorable husband who was sooooo embarrassed when I made him wear this hat :)

Birthday treats 

So let me tell you about David Love...I got home from work on HIS birthday...and these lovelies were waiting for ME!  When I asked him why, he just said, "I just wanted to serve someone else on my birthday." Isn't he the BEST EVER????!?!?!?!

Making waffle bowls to go with our ice cream sundaes :) 

Blowing out the candles... 

Jessica & JT Miller

Mike & Skyla Corrigan 

Me, Hyram, & David :) 

To end the night, all the boys set up our new rocking chair in the nursery!  What great guys! 

Fair is Where...

Last year in my class I taught a lesson on fairness.  I had each student write down a pretend sickness or injury that they would need to go to the doctor about.  Then, one at a time, they came into my "medical center" and told me about their malady.  As each student told me of his or her woes, I proceeded to give them the same advice and a band-aid on their right arm, regardless of their problem.  We talked about how fairness is not always equal for everyone.  I treated everyone exactly the same, but that wasn't really fair for the patient with cancer or the one with a dislocated shoulder.  We talked about how fair is when everyone gets what they need.  I made a poster to hang in the classroom that said, "Fair is Where you get Cotton Candy" and invited them to NEVER use the phrase, "That's not fair..." again.  Ever.

As the year went along, some kids would forget and make the mistake of saying that dreadful phrase, and the other students would quickly remind them that fair is "where you get cotton candy."  Anyway, that is what I thought about as we entered the East Idaho State Fair last weekend. :)

8 months along...I had my first contractions as we were walking around here!

Buying tickets 

Dinner: Mongolian Beef 

Garet and Kayla 

Yes...that IS a scary shark... 

Pretty sweet petting zoo 

Ice cream...who'd have thought? :)

My Baby's Daddy

I hear stories sometimes about the tragedies sweeping families in the world.  I meet a lot of these people too.  I've read books and studied the impact our generation is experiencing with the neglect and abandonment of children and women by fathers and husbands.  I've met women who have little to no available options, whether by poor choices of their own or irresponsible and selfish choices of their partners, because they are left as the sole caregiver of their children and have little education, money or life skills to rely upon.  I've cried with many of these women and pondered often how people get themselves into messes like these and wondered why some men can be such idiots.  

Don't get me wrong.  I don't think all men are idiots.  I am not a feminist by any means...at least not in the way we see it today.  Some of my very greatest role models and mentors in life are men, and I believe women are just as capable, if not more so, as men to do most things this world demands of all of us.  It just makes me so sad to see the choices that some people make which lead to such misery and suffering, especially when those choices belong to the man whose God-given role is to protect, provide, and preside over their families that they chose to create in the first place.

It had become somewhat of a cliche and degrading phrase for bitter or abandoned women to refer to the father of their child as "my baby's daddy" for lack of anything more endearing to call the man they usually can't stand.  I wouldn't blame them if they used a less lovely term. As I've been thinking about this and preparing to have my first baby, I have simply been overwhelmed on many occasions by how truly lucky I am.  I know my road to parenthood could be a lot harder.  I've seen it.  I can't help but wonder why I am so blessed to be able to live each day of this life with the man who stands by my side no matter what comes our way.  He is valiant of character and selfless in service.  I really don't know anyone more humble or happy to help.  He works hard, treats other people with dignity, and always tries to do what is honest and kind.  He cares about my swollen feet and listens to my rants about our broken education system.  He understands the importance of validating me and does it often.  He is responsible and trustworthy.  He never yells or belittles. When I come up with some new problem to cry or whine about, he always responds with sympathy and relief.  He is truly a man among a generation of boys posing as men.  I love him dearly for all that he is and tries to become.  I admire him and I couldn't be more grateful for him.  While I feel deeply for those whose "baby's daddies" are not so admirable, I have to say that my baby's daddy is as good as they come and I can't wait for my son to turn out just like his dad.

My Baby's Daddy ;) 

Isn't he cute?!