Surprise, surprise!!

Yesterday was definitely a day of surprises! First off, my friend Traci invited me to lunch since she said she was taking a much needed "hooky" day off from work. It worked out perfectly since I had my doctor's appt at 1:20. I was also looking forward to putting "real" clothes on again since my outfit of choice lately has been black workout pants with black workout zippered hoody. Not that I've really been using the outfit to workout in, it's been more of a can't-find/fit-into-anything-else kind of outfit :) As we were sitting down to lunch, around the corner pops up one of my bestest friends from college/roommate for many years, Dresel! She had been planning a surprise visit from Southern California for weeks and had been able to keep it from me!!! I was so shocked because usually I can read into things or figure out if someone is trying to plan a surprise (for example, my engagement :). It was definitely the best surprise anyone has ever done for me!!!! She had originally planned to come into town to meet the little guy, choosing this weekend since she thought he'd already be here. But since he wasn't, it actually turned out really well because we had the best day/night together hanging out!


Us girls at our "surprise" lunch. (Uggghhh - I hate these pics of me right now!!)


After lunch, I went to my doctor's appointment and found out some other (kind of) surprising news - that we should be induced soon. I knew the conversation was coming since I was almost a week late, but still it kind of shocked me at how real it all was. Our doctor basically told us we could choose our day, although she had some plans next week where she wouldn't be available. Since she was on-call this weekend, we could do it as early as Saturday. Since I still wasn't as far along as I should be, I would have to go in the night before to get things going, even though everything wouldn't really start until the next day. (I guess the 3 mile walk, followed by acupuncture on Wednesday along with the spicy food and pineapple on Thursday, didn't really help to motivate things.) After a lot of thought, we decided it would be best to go in Saturday night. So, tonight it's going to be!!! WOW!!!

After our appt, we met up later that night with (surprise, surprise again :) all my girlfriends and significant others for happy hour at a cute little place on Mississippi St. It was so nice to see everyone and to be able to hang out with so many close friends!! I joked around that this was our last night as a "single couple" so we should live it up as much as possible, which we did until the wee hours of 11:30 :) I also said this was like another bachelorette/bachelor party for us, since the next time we all hang out we'll have another little guy in our lives. It was such a perfect Portland, spring evening and a wonderful time spent with amazing friends!!!

Group shot of all of us girls at Casa de Naranja on Mississippi St. (minus Lyndsey)

Full group shot of all of us

The last night as the "single couple". Tomorrow starts a whole new chapter in our lives!

After all this celebrating, now it's time to bring our little guy into the world!!! The grandparents have been called and are making their way here to help welcome him into our family very soon!!

Happy Mother's Day (and Due Date Day!)

I am happy to report that all of our to-do lists are done!! And perfect timing that they were all accomplished by 11am on Saturday. It allowed us to enjoy the beautiful, spring weekend!

After completing our lists, Brian decided it would be the perfect opportunity to go for his first 10 mile run (which ended up to be 11 miles!) I joked with him that if little guy decided to come that night, Brian would be too sore to be supportive. He would most likely have to sit down during the whole experience while icing his knees/calves/feet. I decided to go the opposite route with my afternoon and take advantage of my sister-in-law's offer and get acupuncture to hopefully speed things along. I am really hoping this will help motivate the little guy to start the process! We then met up with friends for dinner - it was my first time "dressing up" and not wearing sweats in over a week! After dinner, I was still feeling energized, so we decided to meet up with other friends at a BBQ. I think many people were surprised to see us out the night before D-Day!

Since today was both our first Mother's Day and Due Date Day, we really wanted to make it memorable. Brian started the morning by giving me my first Mother's Day present - a locket to put future pictures of our little guy in! I can't wait to be able to do that soon! After a leisurely morning (because we didn't have any more things to check off our lists!), we took advantage of another beautiful day and headed downtown with the doggies for a walk along the waterfront. I think everyone in Portland had the same idea as us as the walkways and grasses were packed with people, strollers and pets! After we navigated the crowds, we then decided that walking was another good way to get things rolling and met up for round 2 with Trav, Bridg & Lincoln on the opposite side of the river. I haven't had this much physical activity in a long time! And Brian was such a trooper considering how sore he was from the day before! We then finished up our Mother's Day with a BBQ at Trav & Bridg's. Gotta love this beautiful spring weather!


Beautiful Portland day!


Walking along the waterfront. I am only holding both of them for the photo opp. I could barely hold on to Bella - every time she saw a bird/person/dog/frisbee, it felt like she was going to pull my arm and the little guy right from my body! Needless to say, Brian ended up with both of them :)


This is what it really looked like on our walk. Brian is much better at man-handling them than I am - especially in my "fragile" state right now :)

Well, our due date has come and almost gone, and still no sign of the little man. Even after acupuncture and a long walk! Maybe tomorrow? We shall see!

Lovin' the maternity leave!

Ahhhh...maternity leave! Or, as I like to call it, my mini-summer break before little guy makes his appearance. I am happily enjoying the first day of my official first full week off. Last Tuesday was my last day with my class and it was nice to have three days off at the end of the week. I told everyone who asked what I was doing with my time off, that I had a week's worth of to-do lists. If he could wait until I was finished, then I would be set! But of course on my first day off, instead of accomplishing my Wednesday list, I took a three hour nap instead - should have put that on my day's schedule!

I have also had a few false alarms within the last week. In fact, the first one was on my last day with my kids. I have had to go in twice a week for the last few weeks to get a non-stress test (where they chart his movements, heartbeat, etc.) and get an ultrasound. Since I have high blood pressure, they just want to monitor him and make sure everything is okay. I had to go in to the hospital for this check-up on Saturday, 4/24, and then was asked to go back on Tuesday, 4/27. Since I didn't know this was going to be a 2/weekly event and wasn't able to talk to our doctor about why I had to go back, I thought we were going to be induced after the appt! So, we packed our hospital bags and prepared ourselves to have a baby that day! Of course we get to the apppointment, and they tell us he sounds great! What a relief - but then I had to change my mind-frame and realize that I was not having a baby that day and needed to go back and teach for the afternoon! I was actually relieved because it would have made me sad to not have been able to spend my last day with my class. And my to-do lists weren't done yet!!


On our way to the hospital last Tuesday, but also dressed for the last day of school. Wasn't sure if this would be baby's birth day or my last day in Pre-K! (We thought this may be the last family photo opp without the little guy. Apparently B&B weren't as excited about this picture opportunity as I was :)

My second false alarm was last Saturday when I woke up thinking my water may have broken. Since I had been experiencing pre-labor pains for the last 24 hours, I thought maybe this was it! But I had a hair appointment to go to that day!! Since I wasn't experiencing any contractions, I decided I still wanted to go to the appt. We packed up our bags again, and Brian took me to get my hair done. Oh, the things we do for beauty, right?! We spent the rest of the day on stand-by while running errands. But it turns out, it was nothing more than a false alarm. We go back in for another non-stress test tomorrow, so we'll see how things are still going. I'm sure there will be a few more false alarms before the little guy arrives! Until then, I'll keep chipping away at those lists and hope we'll be somewhat ready for him to come home!

Meet baby Logan Conaway!

Erin and Dasan welcomed their little guy, Logan Conaway, on 4/14/10 (a whole week early!) He is adorable and looks just like his daddy! I cannot wait for him and our little guy to meet each other soon!!


All of us girls at another Hospital Happy Hour to welcome an amazing little man into the world!


Auntie Lo holding baby Logan. Mama Erin did such a great job!


Falks holding the precious little guy.


Ali and sweet little Aubrey - hard to believe she is already over 3 months old!

One month to go - let the countdown begin!

It's hard to believe that our due date is exactly one month from today! (Or at least it was when I first started this post - now we only have three weeks left - yikes!!)

I am definitely thankful for the lack of problems I've had with this pregnancy. I have really enjoyed this experience and the bonding time my little guy and I have had over the last 9 months or so. It wasn't until recently that I really started having any problems, but at least my body waited until the end! After many doctors, appointments and sleepless, itchy nights, I was finally told that I have PUPPPs and dermatitis - pregnancy-related, super-itchy rashes all over my body!!! The combination of these two things is so awful!!! I've had them for about a month but wasn't diagnosed with them until less than a few weeks ago. I don't think either will really go away until after he is born, so until then, I have to endure many sleepless, scratchy nights. At least I only have a few weeks left until my maternity begins! And, to top it off and probably related to the fact that I'm not sleeping, I also have high blood pressure. I now have to monitor it daily and check in with the doctor if it goes over a certain amount. At least I didn't have to experience all this from the beginning!!! There, now I'm done whining. To end on a good note, I've noticed that my seasonal allergies that usually cause me to constantly sneeze and irritate my eyes for months at this time of year, has pretty much been non-existent!! I've had the worst allergies since I can remember, so this has been a nice break!! It's amazing what pregnancy can do to a body!!


Belly shot at 37 weeks (sorry, it's a little weird with my head cut off, but it's hard to find a full body pic that I like :)

March/April showers to get us ready for our May baby!

We have been very fortunate to have many generous people in our lives who have blessed us with so many great baby items over the last few months! It's been nice to know so many people who have had boys over the last few years (Lincoln, Eli, and even a family from school). We already felt like we had a lot of what we needed before our showers, but were surprised at how many more things we received (and then realized we needed, too)!


Brian a little overwhelmed with all the baby stuff BEFORE the showers!! (This is supposed to be the nursery - notice the weight set still set up amongst the baby items :)

I don't even know where to begin...we have the best friends, family, work friends/families ever!! It all started when my school put on a surprise celebration for Kevin (a fellow first-time-parent teacher) and I. The staff got us both a personalized memory box for our little ones, complete with messages and blessings for our new families. It also doubles as a money bank and was filled with money for the new additions. I love the idea of this memory box and would love to give it as a gift to a future expectant family!




Then that weekend, Brian had his own celebration with a diaper party that his friends threw for him. Clint was generous enough to host a party in his honor at his house. And his significant other, Sarah, was nice enough to allow 15 guys to invade their house with an all day/night diaper party, just weeks after they finished the remodel of their bathroom and kitchen! She has way more patience and trust than I would - thanks Sarah!! In the Evite, Clint told all the guys that we will be using Fuzzibunz, a great brand of cloth diapers that Trav & Bridg recommended to us. Of course, being the guys they are, I think all they read on the Evite was the part that said "What: Party for Brian / Where: Clint's house / When: 3/19/10" The "Why" part wasn't much of a priority. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for the 5 out of 15 guys who brought disposable diapers, but I give extra kudos to Sam who was the only one who actually brought Fuzzibunz. But, I think the real kudos goes to his wife, Jenna, who read the fine print!! At least the rest of the party was a success - corn hole tournament, dude sleepover, etc - I guess that's the part that counts the most! It was almost like a Pre-Baby Bachelor party!!

The next weekend, Falkie hosted my friend/family shower. It was great to have so many close friends and family members there to celebrate! My mom was even able to come down from Seattle and Brian's mom was able to come over from Montana. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon with all the important people in our lives! I couldn't believe how many more baby goodies we got - it was hard to imagine where I was going to put all of these items (see above pic :) Some of my girlfriends heard what had happened with the diaper party and were able to make up for our lack of Fuzzibunz - I think he's set now! And my mom, aunt and good family friend, Sandy, were generous enough to help us out with getting our crib and dresser. And Brian's sister and mom got my Petunia Picklebottom dream diaper bag. We really lucked out!


Trac, Falks, Jenna & Lawrence -
These girls helped put on a wonderful shower!


Good friends Candice & Shannon!


Mama-to-be with Grama Candy & Grandma George!


Trac, Erin, Falks, Jenna & Lyndsey


Opening some Fuzzibunz diapers!


Ang's sweet Haylee & Ali's precious Aubrey - love how their outfits match!!


Even Lincoln came to celebrate!


Three preggo ladies - Erin (37 weeks), me (34 weeks), Lo (24 weeks)


I wish we could have gotten a group shot of everyone, but here are some of the girls who made this day special!

If I didn't feel loved enough already from the generosity of those closest to us, I felt it even more when my Pre-K class threw me a shower as well. There was no way it (or the presents) were going to be a surprise, but any time they talked about it, I always pretended I wasn't listening. Most of the moms came in a little early and decorated our classroom to look like a baby shower - complete with streamers, balloons, flowers and baby shower games. It was so adorable, I left the decor up for weeks afterward! They all chipped in to get me a gift certificate so that we can buy our BOB stroller - yea!!! I can't wait to use it this summer and think of their kindness! They also wrote a book of advice for "Mr. George" and I about what to do with the new baby. Here are a few excerpts to give an idea of how precious they are - "Make sure not to let him drink from the dog bowl." "Feed the baby applesause and noodles and spaghetti so it's easy to slurp." "Let him sleep really long. Really, really long." I'm so glad I will have this collection as a way to remember them and this experience!!







Our attempt at a class pic - they were much more interested in the balloons!


A page from the Advice Book they made for me :)

And last but not least, my wonderful teacher friends also arranged a baby celebration for me at Jenny Lindsay's house. It was so great to spend non-school time with them and have a chance to spend the quality time together. Especially since they have been such a wonderful support system all year long. They are the ones who listen to the excitement, worries and sometimes even preggo complaints that I may have each day! They have been there for me every step of the way and it was a nice way to celebrate this time with such wonderful friends! We all decided that we shouldn't use a baby as an excuse to get together - we need to do it on a more regular basis!

As shown by our wonderful friends and family, this baby is definitely loved!!! I am so excited for him to grow up with these amazing people and know that he is an important part of all of our lives! Now we only have a few more weeks until we can meet him and continue to show him the same kind of love and support for many more years to come!!

32 weeks/8 months = busy, busy busy!!!

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since the last time I posted something on here! We have been so busy every weekend that it's been hard to keep up with much else. And I also apologize for only one picture this time. I take my camera out every time there is an event, but end up getting sidetracked. The next one will have more, I promise!

This has definitely been a very tiring time, especially after hitting 32 weeks. I'm always telling people I don't mind being pregnant, in fact I really enjoy it. What is making it hard for me is the fact that I have to get up at 5:30 and teach 4-5 year olds all day! By about 11:30, I'm done and ready for a nap! It's hard to keep going for the rest of the day, let alone find the energy for the evenings. But, luckily Spring Break is just around the corner and that will be my time to relax!!

I had the fun opportunity to co-host a good friend, Erin's, shower at my house. It wasn't so hard to host at 31 weeks as it was hard to clean the day before!!! Good thing it was the weekend it was, otherwise one more week and my big belly would have prevented me from getting on all fours to scrub the floors! It was a beautiful shower and we played some really fun, non-traditional shower games. Afterward, my brother, Bridg, Lincoln and my Mom and Doug came over for an Oscar party. Whose great idea was it to do back-to-back get-togethers?? I ended up laying on the couch the entire time while Bridg made us dinner and my mom cleaned. Maybe that's why I had them over :)?

Here's the one pic I remembered to take at the very end of the shower, just before everyone left...

The mama-to-be with my co-hostesses - Lo (21 weeks), Erin (34 weeks) & Lawrence.

Last weekend we went to Bend to hang out with Brian's family. We figured this would be the last weekend before the little guy comes. We went to a few baby stores, got to watch a few movies and also got to sleep - a perfect weekend for a preggo lady! We also found the reusable diapers (Fuzzibunz - love the name!!) that we're going to use at a resale shop for less than half the price! Definitely a productive trip! And again, no pics...

People keep asking if I'm "nesting" yet. I tell them that if you know me, I'm always nesting, whether I'm preggo or not. I feel like I'm always getting ready for something, so to have the little one coming soon doesn't feel like anything different than planning our wedding, a bachelorette party, bridal shower, big trip, New Year's Eve, or other big event we have coming up. We've had every weekend planned since I pulled out the 2010 calendar in January! So maybe I'm just a "nester" by nature!

Alright, I'm going to end this post by including some funny Pre-K comments. These guys crack me up all day and I wish I could remember everything they have said. They definitely make life much more interesting!!
* A few days ago, one of the Pre-Kers passed gas while we were out in the hallway. Not an unusual thing - they're 4/5, it happens more than I would like :). But on this day, one of them detected the scent and decided to proclaim to anyone listening in the hallway, "Hey, Mrs. George's baby just farted!" Of course they all believed what she said, because...why not?? I just smiled and didn't deny it. Sorry, little guy - I will definitely defend you more after you're born. This was just too cute to not say anything :)
* Another daily thing I look forward to are the belly massages I receive throughout the day. They not only love to comment at how BIG he is getting, but they can't keep their hands off of him! And not only massages, but also kisses. A few of them have decided that they need to kiss my belly each day before leaving. They give me a hug and then my belly a kiss. This little guy is definitely loved!
* They also include him in the count of our class. Since they are all eye-level with the expanding belly, I think it's just natural for them to think he's an actual citizen of our class. When counting how many boys/girls we have, it's always, "7 boys and 4 girls". They sometimes include me in the count, but it's usually him who is first aknowledged.