Countdown!

I had my 36 week appointment today and guess what...I'm 1 cm dilated! The countdown begins! I know that one can remain dilated for weeks, so I'm not worried about delivering this early, but I can't help but be excited. I had all kinds of Braxton-Hicks contractions today and thought about packing my bags, but they went away after about an hour. Andrew arrived 8 days early and I'm a little nervous that Mia may follow his example. It's my hope that Mia stays right where she is until Dec 10th or 11th - that way my Mom will be here for the delivery. So, everyone keep your fingers crossed!

34 Weeks and counting

I turned 34 weeks on Tuesday and as I now recall from my pregnancy with Andrew, this is when the goin' gets tough. I've got all kinds of pains, from my regular headachs to the much unwanted pressure on my hips. I seemed to have forgotten about this last part, the uncomfortable stage until it hit me a few days ago. It hurts to do most things: sitting, standing, walking and getting out of bed, but the good news is that it's all worth it in the end.

My Mom arrives in San Diego on Dec 9th and I cannot tell you how excited I am to have her here with me. I am so looking forward to just spending some time with her before Mia arrives, hearing her advice and just enjoying her company; something I haven't been able to do very often since she is so far away. I sure hope that Mia holds out long enough for her Grandma to get here as I really want her in the delivery with me. I am so blessed to have her and I have to get my fix before she has to fly back home on New Year's.

32 weeks - Pop goes the baby!

Well, I finally started showing at about 30 weeks. It is obvious to all that I'm having a baby as almost every stranger I run into wants to know when the baby is due and what I'm having. I gladly provide them with the information they're looking for and share any details they are willing to listen to. I'm just a tad bit excited :o)

Neil is still getting use to my belly's increasing size. He keeps bumping into it when he walks by because he's used to there being more room available. This week, we got to the point that I have to turn sideways in order to hug him - we are really blown away by how quickly Mia is coming.

I'll be 33 weeks on Tuesday; here's the belly.

Tag, now I'm it!

Apparently, Kim has "tagged" me to participate in this. You know, as a child I really didn't care for this game, however this form of tag is kinda fun. Ok, here it is...brace yourself:

1) I'm a neat freak. Well, may be it's not that bad, however I do love to clean. Dusting, vacuuming, doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. I know, I'm crazy. I just love a clean house. I've even helped friends clean their bathroom (Kim) and it's a pleasure to help. My Mother did an excellent job teaching me how to keep a proper Southern woman's home...thanks, Mom!

2) I too love to sing. I've been singing since I was a kid, usually at the top of my lungs, much to the disappointment of my brother. Apparently, I used to drive him crazy, singing all day and it didn't stop once I was out of the house. Wether I was climbing a tree, hanging out on top of the roof, swinging on the swing-set or frolicking in the back yard you'd hear me singing. As it turns out, just like my brother said, it does come back to haunt you; my son, Andrew sings constantly, even at the mall, grocery store, restaurant, etc. I love to sing in the house and the car (especially in the car with Kim). I just sang the National Anthem last Sunday for our Firefighter's Recognition Ceremony, that was fun. Nothing inspires emotion more than a fantastic song - you know the kind.

3) I adore old musicals! My all time favorite movie is My Fair Lady, however also on my favorites list are Singin' in the Rain, White Christmas, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Funny Girl, Funny Face, Gigi...oh, forget it - it just keeps going. I also love Les Miserables, Throughly Modern Millie and Moulin Rouge. Going right along with the musicals theme is my love of the theater. I've seen multiple shows on Broadway and I can't wait to make it back there.

4) Going right alone with the neat freak aspect of me, is my love of organization. My closet is organized by color and sleeve/skirt length. I also have them sorted by dress, business and casual clothing. My sock drawer is organized as well. Since Nov 2006 living in San Diego, I've organized the garage 3x's, Neil's office 4x's, my office/craft area about 5x's, and the closets (we have 5) probably about 3 or 4x's. I've had people ask me to organize their closets for them, and I have for about 3 friends. Can you say OCD? Really, it's not that bad! I just like to know exactly where everything is.

5) Daisies are my favorite flower. All the women out there want roses from their husbands, but I long for daisies. They are such a happy flower and I can't look at them without smiling. They truly make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I love them so much that I even got a tattoo of them on my lower back. Loving those daisies!

6) I am addicted to shopping, more specifically to Coach purses. There was a time that I owned 26 Coach purses. I know! It's a sickness! Even my dogs have Coach collars and I gave my doggie niece, Shayla one, too! I've sold many of them on eBay, but I still have my favorites. My collection is now down to about 10, plus I also have a Kate Spade, a Vera Bradley and a Louis Vuitton. My love of Coach is starting to be replaced by my love of buying clothes for Mia, Janie and Jack especially . Thank God for eBay.

There you have it, my quirks. I don't think I'm going to torture anyone else with this assignment. Geeze, Kim - once a teacher always a teacher!

Big Birthday Surprise!

Over the Labor Day weekend, I surprised my best friend with a visit to Maryland. Kim, who had been following the directions of her husband via secret notes, found herself driving to BWI at 9 o'clock on Thursday evening. On her way, she was hoping it was me coming for a visit and when she got to baggage claim to pick up the "package", she found out that she was right! Her husband, Josh and I had been keeping the secret since May, and it was so great to see her, Kate and the whole family again. It had been far too long.

Thanks for the wonderful time, Kim! I hope you had a fantastic birthday!

Beach trip

Much to my surprise, Andrew really wasn't very interested in going to the beach this year. We only took two trips, one with just Neil, Andrew and I and the other with my parents. Andrew made it very clear that he would not go in the water (the Pacific is very cold) and was certain that he wouldn't enjoy himself. Well, as always, once we got there he had a wonderful time and loved the freezing cold water. We had lunch on the beach and enjoyed the afternoon watching Andrew play, lying out in the sun and enjoying a good book.

Andrew having fun in the water/sand.

Dad enjoying his book.

Mom watching her favorite grandson play.

Andrew - up close on the beach.

Camping out...@ home

Neil and I wanted to take Andrew camping again before he left for the summer, however with my parents here and the little time we had left, we were not able to do it. So, we opted for a non-traditional camping trip...a camp out at home!

Saturday morning, I found that Andrew had some wild animals crawl into his sleeping bag...