A Home for Baby J...

Well, as promised, the baby furniture!  It's done, it's beautiful, and it fits in Baby J's little room perfectly.  If you know me well, this was a slight fear of mine.  Beau repeatedly attempted to reassure me; however, as every new piece of furniture was carefully placed in the room, I grew more and more wary of it all fitting.  Once again, I learned to trust and listen to my hubby and his dad.  They're pretty smart...

...and pretty damn talented. 

If it wasn't for the fact that I have been carrying this child for nine months, battling with pelvic pain, heartburn, allergies, weight gain, exhaustion, abnormal sleeping positions, and now, 'kankles,' I'd feel more guilty.  I pulled my share in the creation of our kitchen, traveling with Beau to Hampton to spend hours upon hours sanding every inch of our hickory cabinetry; however, when it came time to build a set of baby furniture, I had the easy part.  My part involved clipping and snipping random pictures of cribs and changing tables, asking Beau to reinvent a combination of three to five different pictures in order to created what I envisioned as the perfect product.  What started with a couple Pottery Barn catalogs, some sticky note diagrams, and a lot of imagination, turned into a set of furniture that will serve as history pieces in our family for generations. 

Thank you, husband, for your patience, your hard work, and your desire to build something really special for our baby.  Thank you for creating Excel files to help me 'visualize,' for following me to Peek a Boo Baby to survey their cribs, and for wanting everything just right.  Baby J will look so sweet sleeping in his new bed.

Thank you, Grandpa Ray, for helping us both bring our vision to life.  Thank you for the hours you spent configuring and reconfiguring, for your constant, we-can-do-thats and no-problems, and for not killing my bedskirt during 'surgery.'  Thank you for building me a dresser big enough for lots of shopping trips and a tornado shelter that will keep us safe in any storm. 

Assembly Day:  August 15, 2010...approximately seven weeks from D-Day!

Again... a little nervous...

34 Weeks!!!

How far along? 34 Weeks

Maternity Clothes? Today was the first ‘official’ day of school. I wore my white Gap Maternity city shorts, and my new favorite Gap Maternity black ruffle top. The only thing that didn’t fit were my shoes! They were so tight by the time I got home, I had indents on the sides of my feet.

Sleep? The night before school started was restless, but since then, I’ve been so exhausted, I could go to sleep after school and wake up the next morning.

Symptoms? I finally have the bladder of a pregnant woman and it’s a long walk to the bathrooms from my classroom! Let’s just say I’ll probably be a little lenient on tardies for awhile!

The movement has been really crazy this week…I constantly feel that foot of his in my ribs and my entire stomach will flip flop. I feel it the most when I sit in a chair…Baby J is running out of room!

Cravings? Laffy Taffy… Saturday afternoon, completely out of the blue, I had to run to Hy-Vee for some taffy. I came home with three different kinds, tried out three different kinds, and was left with nothing but a stomach ache!

Best Moment This Week? The CRIB IS FINISHED! On Sunday, Beau’s parents delivered it. Contrary to a few initial fears, the crib fits in the baby’s room perfectly. I’ve started unpacking all the decorative treasures I’ve been storing for the past several weeks, but refuse to share pictures until it’s complete! Right now, the room is serving as my escape mechanism…it’s so peaceful in there!

Least Favorite Moment This Week? My swollen feet. It took two days of school for my feet to look as if they were in an MMA fight. I haven’t even attempted to take my wedding ring off…

What I Look Forward To? This weekend I hope to get some wall hangings up and the bedding all washed.

Weekly Wisdom? You like to talk, Mrs. Jorgensen. Drink water and sit down every now and then.

Milestones? Baby kicked away all day during the first day of school. My students loved seeing Baby J’s growth spurt!

Dear YOU...

Baby J...

Happy 34 weeks, little man!  Last night I had a panic attack thinking about that number in my head.  It is getting unbelievably close to your D-Day, and we are overwhelmingly excited.  Pretty soon, when people ask when I'm due, I can reply that I'm due 'any day.'  Will you be a September baby?  Will you practice punctuality and come on time?  Or will you drag this process out as long as possible and arrive somewhere in the middle of October?  My guess right now is that you will be late; however, as much as you continue to squirm, you might be ready to exit that small space sooner than later.  My single request is that you do not decide to exit during the middle of class, resulting in a huge pool of water at my feet.  I'm sure this embarrassing water-breaking scene only exists in my dreams and in movies, but you've surprised me enough throughout this pregnancy, I'm readying and preparing for just about anything!

This week, things have been a little different around the Jorgensen household.  School has started, which means early mornings, quick lunches, a sore throat from talking A LOT, swollen feet, and one exhausted momma!   I can't believe how tired I was Monday night.  I was foggy headed, could hardly put words together in an email, and would have been satisfied crawling into bed at 5:00!  It was torturous, but has been progressively better each day since.

Today was the first day with students.  It was so great to see them!  They already love you!  They flocked over to see your growth spurt, gave me lots of hugs, quizzed me on names, and demanded I bring you in to see them as soon as you are born!  One of my favorite memories was the roaring applause you received during the welcome back reception!  It was almost as if you knew what was going on.  You squirmed, rolled, and tumbled more today than you have throughout my entire pregnancy!  Turns out, you are pretty good at this whole school thing!

Other milestones to record for this 34th week?  Well, your crib is finished and it looks awesome!  Your mom has diligently packed her lunch every day this week.  Oh, and you mingled with the President Ben Allen and his wife, Pat, last night!  It was my first invitation to the President's House and with you in tow, you were a welcome conversation piece with the Allen's!  Beau said that we should have asked them to take a picture with the belly for your scrapbook...
 
As we close the page of another summer, I anxiously anticipate this next season!  I get so excited sometimes that I can hardly breathe!  Thanks for joining me on this ride in a hot school building, for listening to my boring syllabus talk during school today, and entertaining me with your constant belly flops and somersaults.  You keep me on my (now swollen) toes, that's for sure.   

Love you, Baby J! 

Your Mom ;)