4 more weeks?

A month from now, we could be snuggling with Baby I!? Craziness. It's weird that 36 weeks is really 9 months, and we still technically have a month to go. At the beginning of the adventure I read A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, and she warned me. Pregnancy is really 10 months long! Either way it's almost over.

Look bigger yet? I tried the zoom and preggo shirt effect. Growing like a champ, even if it isn't super obvious!!

The nursery is slowly coming together, we're just waiting on the crib to put the finishing touches everywhere. This week we were majorly productive and got a breastpump, dresser, doula and birthball (apparently these things are also grrrrreat soothers for post-baby when driving around in your car is your only supposed alternative; just cuddle and bounce!). We're set with diapers and pretty much everything else, minus a few things here and there. Just a couple more classes to go and we'll be prepped parents (so they say...). Some trees and 3D flower experiments on the wall:

In the meantime, I'm trying to keep myself busy with things OTHER than baby books, like public health articles and swimming and meeting with some new/old friends. I'm majorly itching to take a (short) drive to the mountains or anywhere in nature really. Fall is in the air, even though it's still nearly 90 every day here! I think I will go bake some ginger apple cake to celebrate the season, and of course share a little taste with the babe.

A glimpse into Tim's new store

Yesterday I got to hangout at Tim's new store in Writer's Square of "LoDo" (Lower Downtown Denver) with Kate and my friend Kathryn. He's doing great there (already #1 in sales increase over last year in his district, #1 in VIA this week so far) and having lots of fun!

he has a very spacious patio

there's a disgusting mushroom restaurant (jk, it's a good pizza place)

BBQ stand

cool antique fencing around a French creperie

chocolate factory!!

strange flowy-hair statue (we're still getting used to Denver sculptures)

I need to keep going back because there are some fun-looking restaurants and a cool froyo place right there!

34 weeks...

We've got 6 weeks or about 40 days to go! 40 days seems more like immediate reality since it's associated with familiar periods of prayer and fasting...can't say the fasting will be part of this season but definitely the prayer! The tummy is pooching, baby is kicking, head is down and feet are still, still jabbing. I've got plenty of heartburn and braxton hicks, especially at night, and I've been enjoying some swimming (thanks Kelly for the suit!), garage sale-ing, and making progress on "nature nursery" ideas. I just setup the pack n play since the crib won't arrive until after the baby. We're still searching for a dresser, and when it's all put together we'll share it all! Here's a sneak peek:

We also started our first week of childbirth prep classes taught by a doula and have been assured that childbirth isn't really painful (uncomfortable and intense, yes) unless you fear it or something is going wrong...we'll see about that. But we like the class and look forward to the remaining weeks of learning. Before we know it, it will be baby time!

90 years

This Labor Day weekend, for only the second time in the past 10 years, Tim and I were unable to join our comrades at REACH Camp. Instead, we parted ways: I, with 45 others from mom's side of the family headed to Freeport, IL for my grandma Tina's (Elizabeth "Bettina" Anne Steenrod Opel) 90th birthday party; and Tim, through the lonely, plateau-painted CO and NM landscape, drove south to see our long lost friends the Daggett's (New Mexikooks) to help care for Nathanael.

For me, it was a whirlwind 24 hours of catching up after nearly 15 years since the last time all 16 grandchildren (and 11.5 great-grandchildren) have all been together. My recently-contracted head cold caused me to lose a bit of social strength, but the party and picnic were great. We enjoyed a brief verbal history of her life depicted through cardboard cutouts/photos of her head at various stages of her life (hard to imagine, but cool).

here's one of the cutouts on the table from her younger years

"I never intended to live this long!"

Despite Tim's going to serve the Daggetts, he was also wined and dined by Roxie's gourmet cooking (homemade green chili enchiladas!!), good beer, crossword puzzle victories and much needed fellowship. Everyone was blessed and encouraged, and N seems to be getting stronger. We keep praying!

Lastly, we said our good-bye's to Becka and her friends Tristan and Dusty, who departed from Chicago for Taiwan in search of year-long promised English teaching positions. Their own adventure begins!! They are starting their own blog (link to the right) to document it.

Ice cream at Freeport's Union Dairy (since 1914) before seeing Becka off

Modern-day reenactment of the Lincoln-Douglas debates...

For now, no more traveling, and it's back to what new life and reality is left before Baby I's arrival in about 6 weeks! Tim started his new store in Downtown Denver and will (obviously) dominate in his own gentle and charismatic-leader way. I'm washing baby clothes and will soon tackle the nursery.

Thank you Lord for your blessings and faithfulness!