It's a Baby!

Or should I say it's a baby boy! I had my halfway ultrasound today at 22 and a half weeks pregnant and we got to see our little baby today. I have been very impatient for the last month waiting and waiting for this day ever since my doctor said that he routinely waits until 22 weeks for ultrasounds. What gives? Most people I know go in back at 18 weeks! Oh well, I guess it made it all worth it when we got to see our little baby today. The doctor asked Dan and me before beginning if we wanted to know the gender to which we very excitedly affirmed. He gave his little disclaimer about how they can't always tell, and then lowered the little monitor there and immediately said, "Well, this is definitely a little boy!" We are very thrilled and excited with the news--Dan has had a perma-grin on his face all day. And I'm just feeling very excited to feel a little more connected to this baby. It's time to pull out the name books more seriously and figure out who this little boy is going to be! :)

On the other fronts, he is developing well, has the cutest little hands and feet, and was covering his face with his hands throughout the scan. I loved being able to watch him move on the screen and feel the movements at the same time inside of me. So little unnamed-baby-boy is still right on schedule for a due date of November 30. And I'm feeling very positive about my chances for a VBAC this time and maybe not having to have a repeat c-section. I am happy to have a doctor who is supportive of me in trying this, and I am hoping for a non-breech baby this go-around. I've already started the bribery and pep talks with this little guy to convince him he doesn't like being head up... ;)
Anyway, there's our happy latest news!

To stitch or not to stitch

Wow, church was really fun today! Dan and I both taught in our respective YM/YW classes, in neighboring classrooms. Sometime in the middle of Nephi and his brothers going to get the plates from Laban and exercising their agency (guess the objective of the lesson yet? :) ) in how they responded to the Lord's commandment to return to Jerusalem and get the plates, I heard an all too familiar cry of hurt/desperation/sadness in the hallway coming nearer... Dan and I both poked our heads out our classroom doors at the same moment to find Anna in the arms of her nursery leader, tears streaming down her face with a gash on her forehead. Needless to say, the rest of Young Women class was very interesting as I taught with a very distraught little girl on my lap, trying to press ice to her owie. Nephi eventually returned to the city a 3rd time, found Laban drunk, and followed the spirit when it told him to slay Laban and retrieve the plates; a good example was shown from that scripture story and we all (I hope) came away with a greater appreciation of the gift of agency we all have.

So back to our little drama queen with a boo-boo--she wouldn't calm down, so we ducked out of Sacrament Meeting early and came home to let Anna nap. But first I greatly deliberated over whether or not this cut made a visit to the ER or instacare worth it. Of course there are the basic descriptors of when it will need stitches--is it big, deep, gaping, etc. but that doesn't help me too much since I have no point of reference for what is deep or not. You'd think with 10 brothers and sisters I would remember seeing some cut worthy of stitches, but I can only remember the after pictures when stitches are already in place. Because hers was only a little gaping, and not long at all, we settled for a steri-strip and some liquid bandage stuff to help seal it up. Hopefully she'll heal well! I am just too much a first-time mom! Oh well, building experience as I go... Next time she gets any cut bigger than this one, we'll probably go get it stitched. Maybe. After major parental deliberations/struggles/stressing (it will get easier, won't it??). Here's our little invalid!

Creepy Crawlies

Texas is a great place to live. I've really loved it this last year--it's so beautifully green (a perk for the humidity, I guess), people are friendly, the area is gorgeous, lots of things to do here. Yes there's a major attitude of state pride found in just about everyone you meet who lives here, but all in all, it's hard to find things not to like about Texas. Except for the long distance it is to family...
They say there must be opposition in all things, though, and I have certainly found my opposition which I am learning to handle/fight/cope with. Everything is bigger in Texas, and apparantly that is no joke with the bugs and little creatures all around! Which is fine and dandy, I suppose, as long as these said big bugs and creatures stay where they belong--outside!! Heck, I'll even "deal" with them on our covered patio because it is technically outside, but as soon as they try to come into my home they have become Public Enemy #1! A recent duel I had with the world's largest roach reminded me of this little experience/story I had/wrote last summer. So I thought I'd share. I'm sure that my brothers would vouch for the fact that I am a major wuss when it comes to anything of this sort, as they killed their fair share of spiders in my bedroom growing up (of course then chased me with the dead thing in a tissue... they're pros at being brothers!) So Jim, Mike, and Jon, this is for you guys! Know that I am not as complete a wimp as I once was... :)


(sometime last summer...)
I have vanquished the evil known as the over-zealous-gecko-who-overstepped-bounds-by-coming-into-my-apartment!
So I was clearing some things off the couch this afternoon when I saw something move in my peripheral vision--where things definitely should not be moving. The movement quickly disappeared under some throw pillows, and I felt my heart begin to thump wildly in my chest. Fearing the worst (another roach!!! eek!), I ran for the can of Raid and trepidaciously approached the couch on tiptoe, can of Raid brandished as my sword. I picked up the throw pillows one by one by the corner and lifted them, prepared to scream if I saw something on or under them. Under all the throw pillows, there he was. Enemy #1--the creepy-crawly who does not belong--Mr. 2-inches-long Lizard. Before you guffaw into your computer screen in utter mockery of my fears, remember that I am a transplant from Utah (where we don't have geckos freely roaming) who hates all things creepy-crawly that make it inside. However, I am also a kind, humane person (to an extent) and decided that Raid wasn't the way to go. So I quickly backed my way into the kitchen, keeping an eye on the culprit so he couldn't escape, retrieved the trap (one pickle jar, saved for not necessarily this, but for anything I might need a jar for), and returned to the scene. Eyeing my prey, I approached once more, daring him to make a move. As he began to get shifty and run, I plunged with all my might and trapped the perpetrator in the jar and capped it! Good has triumphed once more!!!!
And I am saving one said lizard in his jail to show off to Dan when he gets home.
Here's my captor!


Ok, so yeah, I am still a big wuss. But a wuss that is learning how to deal with the bugs and creatures! Especially since Anna seems to be developing a good, healthy fear of "yuckies", i.e. bugs.

An Offer!

We have an offer! A job offer that is. Or I should say Dan has an offer. I won't be the one to go and work--I don't think I could pass the technical skills off that they require. ;) But really, it's an offer for us considering how it affects both of us. But I digress...

Dan got a job offer yesterday! After a few months of worry, limbo waiting period, and stress not helping my pregnancy blood pressure levels much, all of Dan's interviewing and sending out resumes paid off! We've both been very worried about where we'd be next month when his job ended. Today has been a wonderful relief for both of us--we've been walking around with huge grins on our faces feeling like we can conquer the world. This job is really wonderful for Dan, since it will allow him to move from doing solely IT work over into actual programming. He's wanted to be a developer/programmer for so long, but his work experience has always lent itself well to computer support jobs and then more IT jobs. I'm so thrilled for him that he can use this to jump off into the niche he's always hoped to break into with his computer science background.

We'll be able to stay put here in Houston--the only big change will be that he will have to figure out a job commute into downtown. I guess after living here for a year it's about time we started to actually explore the city where we live. I've created my own little bubble on our side of town since Dan's job has let him work only a short distance from our apartment. So it's time, and I can't think of a better reason to get to know Houston better! We're just so happy and excited at our happy news!

My new secret weapon

Anna is almost two, and I thought by now she would be outgrowing her fear of the vacuum cleaner. But lately it's seeming to be even greater. Yesterday I pulled the vacuum out to clean the living room, hall, and dining room carpets. Anna saw what I was doing, got the deer-in-the-headlights look, said, "Bye, mommy, play!" and ran into her room and pulled the door closed. She played by herself for a full 25 minutes before coming to find me! So today I tested the waters again to see what she would do by casually mentioning the vacuum. She repeated the same thing, closed her door and played for a half hour while I vacuumed the kitchen and had a little free time. Hmm, I'm thinking I have a new favorite chore! It's great to know that Anna will entertain herself, and I can have a brief break from her constant bouncing-on-mommy life. :)