Baby Shower / Update

I realize it has been a few weeks since the baby shower but you can't expect a pregnant woman to move with any speed at this stage in the game!

So, July 24th Randa and Katie threw a wonderful baby shower for Jared and I. They did such a great job, the decorations were great, the food was amazing (from the home made enchiladas, tamales, and rice to the home made melt in your mouth airplane cake!) and I had an all-around wonderful time! Below are some pictures from the shower. Jared was able to "join us" at the shower through Skype even though it was 3a.m. for him, he was a trooper and at least acted excited about all the baby clothes!

This is Jared on the big screen for everyone to see! Everyone got to chat with him. He was so patient!

This was by far, I think, Jared's favorite gift we were given...I am sure you can guess why!

The diaper cake Katie made. On the inside of the cake was a bottle of "Mommy's Time Out" white wine! How appropriate! Only a few more weeks until I can enjoy it!


My beautiful sister-in-laws and hostesses with the mostesses!

Ze cake! Randa made this from scratch and even made the good frosting...I could have eaten that cake for every meal of the day (In addition to all the Mexican food Katie and Mom Shackelford made-I did actually eat more than my share over the next few days, It was all sooooo good!)


Ok, so as far as an update goes...I am now at 36 weeks and busting at the seams- at least my shirts and pants tell me that! I have a little less than 4 weeks until my 4 September due date and a little less than 3 weeks until Jared's 27 Aug arrival. I can hardly wait until he gets here! At least I can say now "I get to see Jared THIS MONTH!" A lot of people have been asking me if I am ready to be done with my pregnancy. In all honesty, the answer to that question is no. While one might have good reason to suspect that I am ready to be done with this pregnancy given my graceful waddle, my charming lower back pain and oh so exciting lack of sleep but I have really enjoyed being pregnant. This entire experience (so far- knock on wood) has been very pleasant, there have been no complications and I absolutely love feeling my little one move around inside me. It reminds me every day of the miracle that children are. Soon I will be able to hold her and see her, but for now I can feel her, she reacts to my movements, my sneezes, when I bend over (she doesn't like to be squeezed, at least it seems that way when she kicks me after I straighten up!) she reacts to her fathers voice messages! That is so amazing to me. I play messages for her that Jared sends so that she can get to know his voice and a few weeks ago when I put the headphones on my belly for her to listen to him she curled up right under the headphones. Then, curiosity struck and I moved the headphones to the other side of my belly and sure enough, she took a great leap to the other side and curled up under them again. A little later I moved the headphones (just to make sure it wasn't a fluke) to the other side of my belly and as sure as the sun is bright, she moved back to follow the sound of his voice. Now tell me how anyone in this world could think that infants aren't "alive" until they are born. Anyway, that is a whole other issue we won't go into.

In short, this time I have being pregnant is my time with her, and only my time. No one knows all her movements like I do right now. Soon I will have to share! I am sure I will want to share but for now, in the beginning, before things get hectic, she and I can sit in silence and be one, she can express to me how much she dislikes it when I tighten my stomach and I can stretch out a little when she sticks those little feet in my ribs and we come to an understanding! So, for now, even though I move like molasses and I'm always tired and have a constant back ache, I would rather deal with that for a bit longer than wish it was all over, never to feel her little feet in my ribs again (from the inside at least). I am going to enjoy every minute I have with her for now, because I have a feeling, right now is the easiest time I will ever have with her.

With that said, here is my awful 36 week picture I took last night. If you aren't sure what it is my face is saying in the picture, it is gently explaining how whale-like I feel at that precise moment in my non-maternity tank top.