Week 33

   
    This week has seen a few changes.  I am definitely feeling more and more tired as the school days progress through the week.  Breathing has become interesting as I lose my breath when I least expect it.  Bending over and squatting down at school and home takes a bit more thought and planning than I have ever given.  In fact, I looked down the other day and almost grabbed a card off of the floor in my classroom.  One of my kids was pretty close, we made eye contact, and he generously picked it up for me.  He was so sweet about it!
    The most fun part, though, is trying to guess which body part is poking my tummy.  It is the coolest thing to watch my stomach move and then feel the arms, legs, and tush that are pushing for more room.  It has truly fascinated both Chad and me as we anxiously wait to meet our precious daughter.  We couldn't be more excited!

Week 32 - Park Baby Shower

 
       It was such a wonderful weekend as we celebrated our upcoming arrival with the CWF at the church where Chad plays piano on Sundays.  These women truly outdid themselves.  The food was delicious, their company was so special, and their generosity was so appreciated.  We cannot thank you all enough for your love and support!

    

And don't worry, one of our cats has taken a post in guarding all of Baby T's new things!

Crunch Time

Our due date, November 10th, is rapidly approaching.  As the day gets closer, we get more and more excited about the arrival of our baby girl. We cannot wait to meet her to see what she looks like, to see if she got her mom's pretty face, to see if she got her dad's big ears, and to see if she'll be ready to enter the WNBA draft by age 14 (we have an inkling that she might be tall ;).

On the other hand, as November inches towards us comes at us in leaps and bounds, Leigh and I realize more and more just how much we do not know about what we've gotten ourselves into - needless to say, the nerves have set in.  Yes, we have a great support system of family and friends that will be there to help out and to answer pressing questions at 1am; yes, we realize that every other set of parents IN THE WORLD have gone through this with varying levels of success; yes, we are smart people who already love our daughter more than anything in the world; but, we are still getting quite nervous.

Amid the mix of excitedness and nerves in our house, Leigh and I have discussed our hopes and dreams for our daughter.  I hope she follows in my footsteps and plays the piano,

 but I also hope she becomes an astrophysicist and gets to go to Mars one day. 

 Leigh hopes that she is a strong and independent woman who grows up to be Secretary General of the United Nations. 

My father, on the other hand, has recently been exposed to a world that was once unknown to him and our family, and has his own dreams for his granddaughter.  My dad hopes that we encourage his granddaughter into the world of pageantry.  His newfound love for "Toddlers and Tiaras" on TLC has spurred on this excitement. 

He especially loves the likes of Honey Boo Boo Child and was thrilled that she recently landed her own reality television show.

I think he has aspirations of fame and fortune (or perhaps just seeing himself on television).

Unfortunately, we are going to have to refrain from urging our young child in such a direction.  I'm not sure there's enough Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew (aka "Go-Go Juice") to make either of us a crazy pageant parent.

Baby T will be encouraged to do just about anything else that she wants, just as long as her parents can overcome their own nerves about welcoming her into the world! :)

Week 31

   It was a busy week for us at the Turner house.  Between meetings, a retreat with the youth group at church, and even a football game with Doug we managed to take a quick photo.  It was a great week-just busy!  

   As far as Baby T goes, we are getting more excited every minute.  We can't wait to see what she looks like.  Will she have red hair like both of our moms?  Blue eyes like Chad?  Long fingers to play piano?  

   We already know that either soccer, gymnastics, or maybe the circus are in her future.  This sweet thing has an amazing ability to flop her body over, kick a few times, and then contort herself all the way on the right side of my tummy.  She wedges herself between my hip bone and my ribs.  It's amazing to feel how empty the left side feels when she does this!  Both Chad and I have tried to coax her out of her position, but we manage to fail almost every time.  I guess it's a good thing we already have several swaddles and sleep sacks for her.  She obviously loves to be snuggled tight!

Week 30

As space for our little girl becomes limited, her movements have begun to change.  Instead of a pointed kick, I'm feeling her actually move her arms and legs from one position to another.  It's almost like a rubbing feeling instead of a jab.  It's pretty cool!  The other night, it was like she was doing some sort of slow motion dance for about 20 minutes.  Chad and I just laid and enjoyed the show!

As far as life goes, we are in the midst of a "new-to-us" car purchase - much to my chagrin and Chad's delight.  For years now, my Jetta has faithfully transported me from point A to point B without much hassle.  It even gives me a light show (see Figure 1 below) until I get my oil changed and the nice guys turn it off every 3,000-4,000 miles!  (The mechanics have checked it out several times and always tell me that there's really not an engine problem, just something wrong with the light in the dash board.)  So my Jetta and I have trudged on.

Figure 1

Within the past month, the light show has evolved.  Not only have more lights joined the party, but there is now a rhythmic ding that plays randomly (see Figure 2 below).  The first time this occurred was a week or so ago on the highway as we traveled to Indy to visit family and celebrate my Grandma Honey Dearie's birthday.  The new light and music show did not last long, only 20 seconds.  So we moved forward.  It has happened several times since then, but absolutely no doors/trunks/hoods are open!  I promise we have checked!

Figure 2

Finally, during the recent storms, my trusty Jetta has decided to welcome in the rain from the seams around the hood, through the engine compartment, and finally in behind the glove box.  Chad got in a couple of days ago and water squeezed up from the carpet around his feet.

So, I have officially thrown in the towel.  Chad wins!  Let the car shopping commence!

Week 29 - Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?

So I've tried really hard not to complain too much on here about pregnancy woes.  I mean, I realize that every human on the planet came from a pregnant woman who probably felt, in some form or another, what I am feeling now.  I just have to say, "This is not as romantic as most you made it out to be!"

My right thigh has felt asleep and/or on fire for a few weeks now.
The feet are starting to swell regularly at the end of the day.
Nightly calf cramps scare Chad to death.
Tums are becoming my best friend.

The list could go on, but I have a feeling that I might curse myself for the remaining 11 weeks! ha!

Don't get me wrong, these are small prices to pay for the sweet piece of preciousness that bumbles around in my belly every few hours.  I am so thankful for those moments.  In fact, they make it all worth it! Not to mention, I think it's so amazing to watch Chad talk to her through my tummy as well.  The love is awesome!

So, to those of you who think pregnancy is so wonderful - yes, it is wonderful!  But next time someone asks, do them a favor.  Don't leave out the part that lets a prospective mother know that it has it's fair share of aches and pains.