28 Weeks Large!!!

So my little one just keeps loving kicking and moving and I say, Bring it on! I love to feel the kicks and know that this one is healthy and just stretching in there! I got back the results of the Glucose Test and breathed in relief that I passed!!! We have not made too much progress in adding anything else to the baby`s room! We did buy a used pack and play and lots and lots of LEGO at 2 different yardsales! Those are two important things, right! We got a great stroller with an infant car seat too and I am looking forward to trying it out next Spring! So hard to imagine....

Best parts so far:

• I have loved the steady movements and sometimes I can even feel the little body part briefly! 
• I love collecting little things for the baby and getting ideas of how to decorate. I found lovely material for curtains, just haven`t actually bought it yet.
• I love seeing Danny with his nephews and neices. And can't decide if I think we are having a boy or girl! 
• I love watching him play with the boys, and they just ADORE him. The first thing they say when I walk in is "Where's Danny?" We had a sleepover with Jonah and Levi last Saturday and Dan and I learned a little about our parenting styles that night....it was a little rough at times but we had a great convo on Sunday. I am already aware I may be a bit controlling and helicopter-ish and Dan tends to encourage independence and doesn't like schedules or boundaries in play time...lol! He also is encouraging me to put all the colors of Lego together in one large bin...not sure if I'm ready for that yet, but I can see his reasoning! LOL.

• But I also love seeing him play with his neices. He's so good at pretend. He gets right on the floor and pretends to be a cat. Last weekend we were at a soccer game with these girlies and one of them wanted to crawl on the field during half time looking for "Easter Eggs" and Dan joined in on the fun. I guess you could say my heart melted in a million pieces watching him play. He is so sweet and gentle with them and I know he will be such a great dad to a little girl as he has always encouraged my self confidence and deals amazingly well with all the emotions I carry inside! 

 

• Either way, we are both excited to meet our little one. I got a shock and wave of fear/anxiety last weekend when I held my little nephew Matthew for awhile. I still can't believe we are going to be parents and keeping this baby! It will not be going home to someone else after a sleepover or a night of babysitting....I can't believe that I will be a Mama and Dan will be their Daddy...Dan on the other hand was so excited and was saying how he wished we didn't have to wait so long for our baby to come! He sure looks good holding a baby! 
  
• Our little one is the size of an eggplant. I still haven't felt sick although I had a crazy cold for the last week or so. My back hurts a little each night but I get lots of back rubs, baths and use my trusty Magic Bag as needed. I have collected lots of maternity clothes from FB swap pages and kind friends and realized I had no idea what size I should be getting so some of my summer clothes weren't even used. I just got a bag of treasures from a girl and everything fits so that's great! I am enjoying subbing and have got so many well wishes from other teachers and little ones asking me if there is a baby inside my belly. So thankful for work. Honestly, it almost makes me cry sometimes when I think of how thankful and happy I am to work. I am glad I love going to work and that I am so grateful for every day I get to work. 

This past month I have been excited to hear and see a few other girls who are also in all different stages of motherhood and looking forward to learning from so many mothers in my life, especially my own Ma. I am so glad that I have so many wonderful examples and pray that I will be exactly who the Lord wants me to be as I raise this precious little one. 

Wind and Twilight

I just love the weekends. I look forward to Friday afternoon when Dan walks in the door. I usually feel excited around that time of day but even more when I know we both won't have to work for 2 days! We had a great weekend of visiting and Dan got to play tons of vids with his best friends. We got to eat a delicious and I mean DELICIOUS FEAST! at the lobster suppers...here's what I ate: 2 fresh warm rolls, seafood chowder, mussels with butter, a few bites of potato salad, a full 1 lb lobster, and cherry pie with icecream for dessert.....um....SO SO FULL!!!!! It was so so so amazing though. I have never had such a luxurious meal. I have never gone on a cruise or been to a resort where food is served so extravagantly...sooo this was what I imagined it would have felt like if I ever had gone on one!! Yes I have had a million yummy homecooked meals, but this was just something unreal!!! Anyways, we had a good weekend...and now its Monday.

So as I sit here on a Monday evening. Here's what is happening in my home. My best friend is relaxing with a little game of his newly bought Video game. I am in the kitchen reading a bit of my Tim Keller book on Mark (Jesus the King)....and my deck sliding door is open. All I can hear is wind blowing through leaves (with a few gun shots from the game too, incidentally breaking through the peace!!) and I can't help but think that this moment is just a small breath of "fresh air" literally and metaphorically into our work week.

We are blessed and so thankful for our little, quiet life together. Sometimes I see it as a lazy life. Sometimes I see it as a busy life. But it is our life together as Erin and Danny. The presence of our baby is here (I can quite literally feel this little one pressing up against my stomach and kicking away) but for now we have a very peaceful existence. We get enough sleep each night, we can walk out the door with a moment's notice and we are even more in love then we were one year ago when we said our vows.

I pray to remember these moments. I love this guy so much it hurts. I am thankful for how God lead us together in our "old age" and when I think of how old we will be some day at our 30th or 40th anniversary...or as we joked this weekend---we hope we won't need wheel chairs to get into our children's graduations....we are truly blessed to have each other in this little life, right here. right now.

I just feel so blessed and thankful and pray that I will appreciate this stage of life even as I am quickly approaching another one in less then 3 months (EEEK!!!)

wish I could capture the sound of the wind, but this little pic will remind me of this evening. 

A beautiful morning to blog

This is the first official week of school. I have my badge, log in, and WILL to work, just haven't received THE CALL!!! I can't wait for my first day back, and looking forward to seeing all my friends from last year and meeting all the littles that are joining the troops this year!

But...today is not my day to work. I do have an important Dr. appointment and not looking forward to the GLUCOSE Diabetes drink/test today! But really excited to see and hear how the little baby is doing! I know that there's a TON of movement so that is wonderful to feel.

This was sitting on my table after my darlin' husband made lunch for me on Sunday!!

So we are now heading towards FALL! Its truly in the air, and although that is true, it didn't stop Danny and I from heading to the beach for the past 4 nights! We were safely protected with our amazing new blow up boat, which we flip over so we both fit. I think some of my favorite moments at the beach were this weekend. Just the two of us, floating and talking and enjoying the view. 

Thinking a lot about the next season in our lives...not Fall or Winter, but the one that we will be in FOREVER. To be parents. To be responsible. To be able to love and care for another little human. Its overwhelming and exciting and in some ways so hard to even comprehend what is coming for us. Yesterday Dan read a sweet little article to me that popped up called 28 Rules for Fathers of Sons and just hearing him read it made me so excited. I truly believe Dan was meant to be a Dad. I am so thankful that we are doing this together because he has so many qualities that I don't have. I think our kids will be so blessed and will adore him (as so many kids do---my nephews a PRIME example), I am so glad it is with HIM that I get to learn and grow as a parent with. 

Its amazing seeing how God changes us and leads us and is so involved in our lives. I am so blessed and am aware of the blessings I've been given. 

What a good life!!!

When my whole house has clean floors (well the top floor, anyways), fresh sheets and blowy wind coming in through every window....thats one of my favorite feelings!!!

It's a little dreary out today, but I keep hoping to have one more swim! I bet the waves are terrific!! Saturday mornings are my fave. We usually have a yummy breakfast, and take turns making it for the other! Today I cooked up some bacon, eggs and peanut butter toast! I got to read in my bed, which is another one of my favorite feelings!!! I am so happy and at peace right now...except that one moment Dan dropped a small pile of dirt on the floor! LOL! I handled it pretty good though, and he quickly cleaned it up!!

Today my bebe is 26 weeks old!

Dan made some major progress last weekend on their room, and mama is on the lookout at all times for adorable little things to add! Here's the progress so far:

This room was the UGLIEST room of the house by far! It had a bit of mold in the corner, these NASTY blue curtains and insanely gross flooring! Last March I primed and painted it during the break and we got an INSANE sale on the flooring a few weeks ago!  Dan worked hard and did it all by himself in 2 afternoons! It looks so so good! I'll put up more pics once we get the furniture and finishing touches put in!! Can't wait to see this little baby's face in their own room!

September!!!

Ooooh! Everyone is so excited to write in a fresh month! I love all the happy first day posts today! I am even more excited to have the whole day with Dan even though we are both busy doing other things, I love having him home! I have had a leisurely morning, one that I have wanted for a long time! I got to read my new book that arrived in the mail this week:Jesus the King

Dan and I have a few new challenges for the Fall. We are going to be small group leaders together! Our church is going to study Mark and learn more about making the Gospel real and evident--- in our lives, in our friendships and relationships with all people. I was a bit nervous to make the commitment, knowing that December will bring us our little one, but there is another couple that is going to take over/help out during the last few months! I am so excited to see Dan in this role, like most things, he's not nervous or anxious at all, as compared to me! I don't always like the commitment of attending every week nor have I ever lead a small group before. I'm usually the girl that gets super passionate, riled up and bothered in the group, so I have already been praying for a quiet, listening heart to learn and allow the Holy Spirit to do HIS work in our group. My greatest prayer is that it will be a time that people look forward to and sense that Jesus is lifted up. I don't like going to small group when it feels like people aren't centered around GOD, the WORD and Truth. But this is my own issue. I know that God is big and GOOD and look forward to the Work that will happen in my own heart! 

Looking Back, its hard to say goodbye to such a precious summer. I have spent every work day with these kids:

I can honestly say that as I drove to work every day, I prayed to be an "effective teacher who is gentle, patient and kind"...but this was really hard! Teenagers are....well.....not my forte! But I was SO grateful for work! I know they learned and they were my first class to give me flowers, a card and a Starbucks giftcard! WOW! sweeties! 

 

Fall Renos are all up in here! I can`t wait to get this little room all set up for our cutie! Thankful for a man who knows how to do stuff! I am proud of him! 

I`ve done this before during Christmas time, but saw this posted on FB the other day! Looking forward to get my ``Grateful`` on in this season of thankfulness that will be upon us before we even know it! 

Today`s: 3 Gifts of Summer

• My blow up boat that I only got to use twice so far! I love relaxing in it at my fave beach Canoe Cove
• Work, so glad I got to go to work every day and help contribute to our family this way
• Cow`s Icecream...probably indulged in this too much, but LOVE Messy Bessy (chocolate icecream with SKOR and OREO and homemade caramel sauce)