HOUSE!!!

We bought a house this weekend. Words cannot describe the pure elation and relief. AND, crazy- my sister and Kevin bought a house on the same day! I was starting to really feel the pressure and stress of baby coming and no house, especially when I hit the 6 months pregnant mark last week. Thomas and I just prayed and prayed. We learned that things don't always come when you want them to, but God does answer. We had to be very patient, as have my parents who did not expect having us as house guests for 9 months, but we are so excited and feel like this is the "one." We wanted central OKC- close to work, daycare, church, etc, and we wanted a safe neighborhood that we could picture having a family in. It is small, but has a huge backyard and a lot of charm. We move in April 10th! Aghhhhhh... this soon-to-be momma is happy!

Baby Training

My closest college girlfriends and I all went to visit Katy in Houston a few weeks ago. While we would love nothing more than an adult girls trip, everyone always brings their kids bc we all live in different cities and don't get to see each other OR the little ones often enough. It was crazy chaos, but so wonderful (we ALL stayed at Katy's house!) I learned a lot about babies of all ages, and we all just played and caught up! All of my friends' babies are so beautiful and full of personality. It is really cool to see my friends transform from the college girls I once knew, to moms. Everyone parents differently, and everyone was amazing with their child. This was good for me to see- how babies and kids can be so different. Libby is the first one to have two, so I watched in awe of her parenting a toddler and a new baby. I took lots of mental notes. :) The only one that couldn't make it was Jordan, as she lives in Australia, but she is preggo with her first as well! Five of us are due this summer.

 This is us before our senior year "Kite and Key" date party in early 2005. You can tell little slinky silk dresses were "in." Geez, we were skinny!

 AND this is us now. 6 babies later with 5 more on the way (including Jordi.) How times have changed...

I also got to play with my sweet neice and nephew while in Houston. My sister-in-law is where I get the most parenting tips bc I have spent the most time with them over the past few years, and she is amazing- she kills it being a working parent (as I will be.) They are both at such fun ages right now. Jackson is 5 and was reading a book to me for the first time (dreamy for a reading teacher) and was slamming baseballs off the tee in the backyard. Charley, almost 2, finally really knows me, talks to me nonstop, wants me to hold her, to do her hair, and to read with her. I love every second of it! Love being an aunt to these two! I keep telling my sisters how much fun being an aunt is! You get to love on them constantly, and you don't have to worry about the discipline and constant decision-making of a parent- it's awesome! 

23 Weeks with a Feisty Acrobat

At 23 weeks I am feeling very pregnant! I make a weird "umph" sound when I get up from the floor when teaching or tying my shoes or when I have to bend over. My bigger non-maternity clothes no longer fit. My appetite is quite large, though I have finally gotten over my crazy sweet tooth (though don't ask me to turn away a cupcake.) This is me maternity clothes shopping Tulsa to try to expand my currant rotation of a wardrobe.

My favorite thing about pregnancy has been feeling our baby move around, which has been constant lately! I started feeling it for a few days at 15 weeks, but then felt nothing for 3 more weeks after. Starting at about 18 or 19 weeks I started feeling the occasional flutter. But now, at 23 weeks, it is ALL THE TIME. Sometimes it is a hard kick, and sometimes I just feel like the baby is rolling around. It is so cool, and I really love when both Thomas and I can feel it. The first time he felt our baby was when we were praying for the babe, as we do when we are lying in bed at night. His hand was on my belly and in the middle of the prayer we felt a huge one. Our eyes flew open and we simultaneously said "did you feel that?" It makes the whole thing so real. The babe is showing off his/her skills in the below ultrasound. We call this the acrobat pic because the baby is literally folded in half, with feet above head. This was at 21 weeks.

This has nothing to do with baby, but Thomas and I used our new kitchen "toys" this week. Thomas used his mandolin and fryer to make these amAzing rosemary parmesan french fries, and I used my new juicer for the first time to make juice! I asked my friend that makes juice all the time, Maggie, for her favorite combination.

This is pear, carrot, pineapple, and lime juice. It was so good!