Somedays...Actually Most Days!

Please tell me I'm not the only one out there who doesn't feel the wonderment and bliss-fulness of being pregnant??  Especially at this stage in the game.  Where are those women who go on and on about the luxurious feeling of pregnancy?  More often than not I feel like the following:

I think whoever made this Stretch Armstrong doll left out one important feature....STRETCH MARKS!!  Some ladies out there are lucky enough to never experience these....I know who some of you are (thanks to my never ending poll taking) and I'm not thinking fondly of you right now!   To answer your question, yes, I bought into all the hype of the daily application of lotion.  I've never done something so religiously in my life!  However, apparently I'm one of the few percentages out there that are cursed with bad genes and will get them no matter what I do to fight back.  Most nights I feel like I'm about to burst at the seams from all the tightness.  I literally sit and stare at my belly wondering how on earth it could possibly stretch even more in my last 1 1/2 months.  I shudder to think how many more stretch marks await me in the near future.  They aren't pretty and sadly they are permanent. :( 

The famous bow-legged cowboy.  I've got the bow legs...now all I need is a cowboy hat, some chaps, and some boots.  I think someone failed to mention to me how one's hips begin separating as delivery gets closer.  I feel like an old woman when I stand up and hobble until I can get my joints working like normal again.  All I can say is OUCH!  How much worse will it get?  And I've long since given up on the luxury of bending over to do anything.

I'm reluctantly letting go of the idea that I'll get any more sleep before (or after) the baby comes.  At least once the baby is here, even if I get only 15 minutes, those minutes can be spent dozing on my stomach instead of my side!  I miss not getting the luxury of rolling over.  Funny how you take things for granted until they disappear altogether!  I've seen some pretty interesting infomercials in the wee hours of the morning.

For those who have been pregnant before......I apologize for never taking your pain seriously.  I've learned my lesson and now that I'm experiencing it first-hand, will never doubt another pregnant woman again...for as long as I live.....ever....I promise.

I'm sure more aches and pains await me...especially the finale of labor.  Despite all the war wounds and ailments that accompany pregnancy, I'm sure it's all worth it once you hold the little one in your arms.  At least that's what they tell me!  ;-)  

A Happy Birthday Indeed!

Getting older gets much easier now that I'm married. Especially for the fact that I get so pampered on my birthday each year by John. This year was no different. Each year John and I keep mum on the actual plans for each other's birthdays. Not only is this exciting as you are always guaranteed many surprises, but there is always an element of worry each year as you wonder....do they remember it's my birthday?? The answer is Yes, John always remembers all on his very own and always has great plans.

This year, I spent the day shopping for baby cribs while John was at work. THANKFULLY, we finally decided and bought one so that is one less worry as we prepare for our little Addison. All throughout the day John stayed his tricky self, dropping hints about "special birthday errands" here and there. He definitely knows how to drive me crazy! I love surprises but I hate surprises! The whole element of not knowing can send me into fits!

My only instructions from John were that we needed to leave for dinner at 5:30 and to "wear something nice". Clueless, I did just as I was told and off we were headed to Fayetteville to enjoy a nice relaxing dinner at Bordino's. I have never heard of this place and it definitely was fancy. Prior to our arrival, John had flowers ordered and at our table awaiting us. We have a running joke about me and flowers from when we were dating. But I'm very glad he didn't listen to the random musings of the old me. I love getting flowers! We enjoyed a delicous dinner. Usually I'm not a fan of "fancy fru fru" food but this was definitely the best I've had. After dinner we stopped off and got some frozen custard (my latest pregnancy craving) and headed back home. Once we were home I was presented with my wonderful gifts... All of them MUCH needed at this stage in my pregnancy. First, I got a "Mother To Be" spa package. I can hardly wait to use it! Two blissful hours of them working out all the knots and muscle spasms in my back....ahhhh. And then he so thoughtfully got me two sleeping pillows to aid in my fight for sleep each night. We then enjoyed some DELICIOUS cake and relaxed the rest of the evening. Needless to say it was a GREAT Birthday and I got plenty of wonderful sleep that night...finally!! :D

The two of us on our way out the door for our dinner.

The roses that awaited us at our dinner table

And a random shot of me at 33 weeks!

COMO Here I Come!!

For those unfamiliar, "COMO" actually stands for Columbia, Missouri. It was my stomping ground for 7 years before I met John and moved to Arky. So, everytime I go back, I find lots of friends (and family) to catch up with. The reason for my trip this last time was two-fold. To get my car repaired and to visit with friends/family. My brother Quentin works for a Honda dealership and as a result, "knows a guy" who does routine maintenance for great prices. So, I ventured off on the 5 hour drive all by my lonesome...it was a very eventful few days.

When I first arrived in COMO, I swapped cars with Quentin and headed off to a lunch date with my old co-workers. Sadly I forgot pictures but I did enjoy lunch and catching up with Tracy, Kim, Joy, GaLinda, and Emily. It was great to see all of them and hear the latest happenings about my old job. It's always different walking through my old work and seeing familiar faces and not actually going to work! Different...but still very nice!

Well little did I know, after my lunch date, what would be awaiting me!! I noticed I had missed 13 calls within an hour time frame! Frantically, I was worried and finally got ahold of John just to have him tell me that Quentin had wrecked my car and was trying to get ahold of me! Yikes! I quickly called Quentin and went straight to his work to hear the story and see the damage. Luckily it wasn't bad, just a fender bender while he was out grabbing some lunch. He felt sooo bad and was already having his work repair my bumper while simultaneously resolving the repairs with the guy he hit. Sadly, it effected his bank account more than it did my sanity. I felt so bad for him I didn't want to make it any worse by giving him grief. Instead I just headed to his & Natalie's house to catch a nap and visit with my old friend Wanda.

Later that evening, after Quentin & Natalie got home, we enjoyed dinner at Murry's. We all joked about the car accident and kept giving Quentin grief. Luckily he joined in and poked fun at himself to help relieve the stress. Afterwards we headed back to their place and enjoyed a nice relaxing evening of visiting and eating Natalie's Rice Krispy Treats. Quentin is right, she makes a mean rice krispy treat! We quickly realized this after eating almost the entire pan in one sitting!

The next morning I was on my own and took some time wandering around my old stomping grounds and bringing back memories. I met up with Quentin and swapped vehicles back since my was just finished getting repaired. Then I headed off to meet with my old girlfriends Karra, Lisa, Aliisa, and Wanda. We ate lunch at Shakespeare's (my request since I missed their declious pizza so much). We had a great visit and caught up on old memories and latest happenings. These girls are great friends and thankfully we still keep in touch amidst our distance. In my COMO days, we even had a long running "girls night" every Monday where we enjoyed watching The Bachelor and analyzing the show and gabbing. They are very diligently continuing in the tradition despite my absence. This makes me proud considering I think I was the creator of said girls night! Here's a pic of us enjoying our lunch reunion. Sadly, this is the only picture I remembered to take from my whole time in COMO!!

Lisa, Karra, Me, Aliisa, and Wanda

Catching Up!

As you could probably tell from my many posts, I've finally decided to catch up on the blogging world. Of course, this post is also to talk about the trip I got to take to KC in February to catch up with my oldest sister and her little ones while John was away on a business trip.

The week before Valentine's Day John had yet another business trip and I was yet left to my own devices .... again. Well as we already know, I don't enjoy sitting and waiting for his return (especially since this one was for a week!) so I decided to pay my oldest sister Michelle a visit in KC. Luckily, I got two birds with one stone as I also got to see my sister-in-law Colton and her girls while I was there.

By the time I got to KC I spent a few hours hanging out with adoringly cute Ashlyn and Preston. However, little did I know soon upon my arrival I would be stuck babysitting while Michelle had a Young Women's activity and Kendall stayed late at work. Instead of sitting at home we decided to venture out with Nick & Colton and their girls and enjoy a dinner out at Steak 'n' Shake. I all the sudden got to experience what life would be like as a single mom with two little ones (under the age of 3). Going from zero to two was quite a shocker! Especially trying to feed and eat while watching them. We were heavily outnumbered with the ratio of adults to kids but we managed...even amidst the stares of the onlookers.

The next day we enjoyed a play date at "Toddler Town" (This time Michelle joined us) and the three girls and four kids had a blast playing inside on all the neat toys. Ashlyn, Kayley, and I had created a obstacle course of sorts. I got the easy part. All I had to do was sit and tell them where to run and then time them as they did. It was hilarious to see just how well they memorized the many obstacles I sent them to. Halfway through they would stop, shout across the gym at me asking for directions, and then continue on the course.

Preston, the lone nephew on my side, was such an adorable little guy. He spent most of his time in heavy "Mommy Mode" so I only got limited moments with him. I was his official "nap putter downer" and we had quite a few moments of beligerance (from both of us). However, it didn't take us long to learn how to respect each other's space and enjoy each other's company on our own terms. Preston finally decided to let his hair down on our "movie night" and spent the whole time just giggling and laughing at everyone and everything. He's a cutie.

Ashlyn, also known as my permanent shadow the whole time I was visiting, was a great playmate. It's always nice to be followed around by someone that idolizes your every move. That is, until you just want to sleep in. She spent every morning playing downstairs just waiting until she could hear me upstairs and then beg and beg to come and get ready with me. We took turns putting on my make-up, changing our clothes, and kissing my belly. She literally never left my side so we had LOTS of bonding moments. On our movie night, Ashlyn sat on the floor and watched our movie so intently not wanting to miss a moment. At one point she decided to turn off the lights in the living room. After asking her mommy if she could, Michelle told her to ask everyone else if it was okay. After we all gave our permission, Preston was playing in the middle of the floor and jabbering away "uh uh uh". Apparently, after hearing this, Ashlyn went back to her Mommy and said..."Preston said uh uh" :( Kids say the cutest things sometimes.

Cora just recently came out of the "mommy" stage and all the sudden was my best friend. I wasn't complaining by any means! She's such a cute little tiny girl. Even her voice is the most quiet and shy little voice. I spent an afternoon over at her house and we all made valentine cookies. I was Cora's helper and would place the cookie cutter down for her to push through the dough. Every single time she pushed down the cookie cutter her cute little bum would bounce three or four times. We even silently watched for it to see and sure enough...every time!

Kayley is the oldest and definitely the biggest chatterbox! That must have been because she was the most excited to see me right? She was my first niece so we always hit it off with each other. When it came time for me to head back to Arky, Kayley got sad. So I told her that I had to go because if I wasn't there when Uncle John came off the airport he would be sad and lost. After listening intently she said...."Yeah and then you wouldn't have a John anymore! :(

All in all, the trip was a blast. I managed to get LOTS done and enjoyed spending time with the neices and nephew. It was a long week without John but with everyone in KC occupying my time it made it go by a little bit faster!

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

Alas, to wrap up our Hawaii trip (yes, that was almost 3 months ago by now) we spent a very fabulous and LONG day at Pearl Harbor. This was one of the highlights of our trip since John and I are very much into WWII. We got an early start and headed first to the Arizona Memorial. Luckily we forked over the extra few bucks for the headsets and never regretted it. Since we had a few minutes before our "ferry" took off, we decided to wander around the grounds and listen to a bit of history while standing and looking at exact spots that it all occurred. It was such a humbling, saddening experience just imagining what that day on December 7, 1941 must have been like. Then we headed off for our tour which first took us to a small theater to play some historical footage from that day before we boarded our ferry to cross the harbor and visit the actual USS Arizona Memorial sight.

USS Arizona Memorial:

I guess I was clueless before, but I didn't realize that you could actually SEE the sunken Arizona just below the water's surface. I think I was picturing just open water. However, the actual harbor wasn't that deep thus after the boat sank, it was still visible from the top of the water. Walking through the memorial was a very spiritual experience and everyone stayed very quiet as to not ruin the silence and memories. We took lots of pictures and looked at the wall where all the names were engraved that had died on the boat. It's the actual resting place where most of the 1,177 crew members still remain to this day. I just can't imagine what it would be like to be trapped inside a ship while it sinks. To this day, they still leave the hoisted flag on the bow of the ship in remembrance of those who died.

Us on the ferry riding over to the USS Arizona Memorial

At the memorial. The USS Arizona under water. And a few of the oil remnants that still surface to this day.

A view of the memorial as we arrive on our ferry.

USS Bowfin:

Next we toured the USS Bowfin, a submarine that was named the "Pearl Harbor Avenger" and was launched a year (to the day) after Pearl Harbor. It sank 44 enemy ships during her 9 war patrols. It remains docked in Pearl Harbor to represent all the submarines and lives lost during WWII. While touring it, with our nifty headsets, we learned just what life would have been like on a submarine. Extremely cramped living quarters, restrooms, and kitchen space. It was amazing how compact everything was and how close such huge missiles were in relation to sleeping navy men. Before we started our tour of the Bowfin, they managed to pull John and I aside for a photo op. However, no one mentioned what it was for exactly. I just figured it was their chance to make an extra buck or two. After both giving our cheesing grins, we headed off for our self-guided tour. After the tour, we stopped by the stand to check out our picture. There on a mocked-up version of the WWII front page newspaper were our cheesy smiles with a mocked up headline stating: "WAR! Oahu Under Attack!" Niiiiccceee! I figured they could have at least conveyed the final product before telling us to SMILE!! Maybe we could have mustered up our acting skills and put on a sad face instead of a happy one!

USS Missouri:

This was an exciting part of the day for me. Mostly because of the fact Missouri is my home-state. Needless to say, I was clueless as to how exactly the battleship itself played a role in WWII. We spent the majority of the day on this battleship and literally stopped at every "listening station" along our way. It became a game of which one of us could find the hidden marker first. Then we would hit play and sit and enjoy the automated tour guide talk to us on a freakishly huge audio phone. It was an amazingly HUGE battleship (similar to the ones that sank on Pearl Harbor) but this one wasn't launched until 1944. However, it's notorious for being the exact ship that the peace treaty was signed on to end the war in 1945. It was chosen, simply because at the time Truman was President and he elected it as the vessel since he too grew up in Missouri. We got to stand at the exact spot the treaty was signed. It was amazing to visualize that day way back then. We learned that as they were guiding the boat to Japan for the signing, they still had to have all their missiles ready to fire upon the target (Japan) and prepare for anything to happen. Even up to the very last minute, they did not know if Japan was luring them there with a false promise of a peace treaty or not. It was also interesting to sit in the captain's chair, wander through the kitchen, and check out the cramped living quarters the soldiers had to endure. Even the dining room area was made so they could perform surgeries on the actual tables if need be. Can you imagine the thought of sitting down to eat and wondering who/what was operated on that table just moments before?

A view from the top deck of the USS Missouri

Me, kicking back in the Captain's chair on the USS Missouri

The actual spot where the peace treaty was signed.

All in all, our day trip to Pearl Harbor was exhausting but very interesting. We learned lots of stories about actual experiences. How the Japanese bombers were suspected from the beginning, even before the attack, and radioed in only to be told that they were likely a return of a US Fleet and not to shoot them down. And of course, how perfectly (and ironically) the ships were all docked like waiting ducks to be fired upon by the Japanese. Even more frightening is how perfectly the planes were lined up, sitting and waiting, on the tarmac...making a perfect and easy target for the Japanese. It was a VERY interesting day and easily one of the biggest highlights of our trip. After we were done we toured the gift shop and bought a few souvenirs. John was anxious to meet two WWII Veterans sitting outside the gift shop and giving autographs. We got a few signatures and pictures with them. Here is John between them both. As I told everyone to say "Cheese" one of the old men said...."Cheese??! What about Sex??!" Hilarious eh? I guess no matter the historical moments, old men can still be old perverted men!

Addison Bell Hufford's First Photo Shoot

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Today we got to actually meet our little girl for the first time.  Granted we got to peek into the womb for our 4D ultrasound but it was still just as exciting.  We are very anxious to meet her face-to-face this May.  Just as I predicted....she is adorable and squeezy and cute...just like her parents of course.  It's amazing how many silly little worries I have about labor, birth, life changes, etc just melt away when you see the cute little face.  It's definitely more real now than ever before.  And yes, she definitely has my side of the family in her blood.....we spent most of the time trying to get her to position herself so we could get a good look at her face but after several failed attempts we got the whole ultrasound for free!  She's a thrifty one and knows how to save a buck or two.  I was doubly thrilled, not only did we save the moolah but we still got to see lots of her cute face, hands, feet, arms, and legs.  She had everything that could be in front of her....in front of her.  She was literally sandwiched with her hands and feet right up at her face.  Ouch!  She didn't seem to mind.  The only thing I think she minded was the constant poking/prodding of the x-ray tech trying to get her to move around.  She held her ground though and didn't budge.  No worries, we still got lots of adorable pics and the DVD and CD so we all left happy.  

We got to see her yawn and open her eyes.  Counted her fingers and toes.  Confirmed she was indeed a girl.  Saw her chubby little cheeks and cute little nose.  And yes we are biased but the tech spent the majority of the time telling us how cute she was too!

Walking Along Waikiki

This post is dedicated to our wonderful hotel, Hilton Prince Kuhio which was only located a block from the beautiful Waikiki beach. For those who already knew, we spent at least a year saving credit card points just so we could have the luxury of enjoying this hotel free for a whole week. Knowing we weren't paying a thing (except for the valet that was required) made the hotel stay 10x better than normal. We got to enjoy a room on the 30th floor with a beautiful view of the beach front. Plus, free continental breakfast every morning and hot appetizers every evening. Yes, most of the days we made this our breakfast and our dinner. I'm sure they knew us by name after our visit was complete.

Here is a view from our balcony. John and I had to force ourselves to enjoy it. Typically I'm not afraid of heights but it's crazy how your mind can freak you out when you are so high up, with only a thin wrought iron gate holding you back from sudden death. It's a little blurry but here is our view from the 30th floor looking out at Waikiki.

Here we are on our first night of our trip enjoying the famous Waikiki Beach. Most of the time it was packed with the masses but it was still fun to walk up/down and enjoy the beautiful scenery and weather. We spent some time shopping/bartering in the little straw shops along the coast as well.

We even enjoyed swimming in Waikiki with the masses. John got adventurous and decided to try surfing after he tested his skills on the boogie board. He paid to rent the surf board and decided against paying the ridiculous price for a private lesson. However, seems like after it was all said and done....that may have been the missing link. He never was able to get up on the board but he definitely exhausted himself trying. I even gave it a go, pregnant belly and all, he held it for me while I flopped and flailed my little belly and myself. I'm sure I provided quite the entertainment for the onlookers but I finally got on the board!! Woohoo!

All in all, we enjoyed our hotel stay and the beach and spent most of our time relaxing. I even got spoiled with the valet parking at the hotel. There's nothing like sending teenagers after the car when you are ready for your daily departure. Ah....what it must be like to be rich!

Pineapples & Polynesians

How do pineapple's grow you may ask?  Surprisingly we had the same thought provoking question on our travels.  I've always loved eating the stuff (even though it does torture on my tongue) so we decided to get down to the facts of the matter and discover this answer for ourselves.  Early Monday we headed across the Oahu island to check out the pineapples first-hand at the Dole Plantation.  It was a rainy day, not surprising for a tropical location, but we made the best of it.  I think we were literally the first people to arrive at the park, we may have came in right behind the employees as they clocked in actually.  Yes, we were THAT excited!!!

Immediately upon arriving we signed up for the locomotive tour and the garden tour.  While standing in line for the train, in the rain, we happened upon these:

Actually, we were standing around these plants for quite some time before I did a double take and thought....what the heck is that growing on the end of a stick?  Whodathunk....a pineapple!  I would have guessed they grew on a tree, John was convinced they grew out of the ground....neither of us pegged the plant as growing on the end of a stick!  It was both hilarious and fascinating.  We took several pictures just to prove to everyone that it's true!  Fruit on a stick!  Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?  He probably thought, to heck with all the boring trees and gardens.....lets mix it up a bit and make something grow on the end of a stick!!  

After finishing our locomotion tour that had audio speakers turned up loud enough to deafen anyone in a five mile radius wherein we saw more of the pineapples....out in the field...growing....woohoo exciting!! (note sarcasm), we then ventured on to the garden tour.  Here we met the cutest little Hawaiian man telling us about every little plant in the garden and how it grew.  He also gave us some much valued information about picking out pineapples....such as we in the U.S. rarely ever get fresh pineapple in our stores - so don't waste your time folks.  It's true, pineapple only stay fresh for like 2 days....and no don't bother smelling them either.  Fresh pineapple don't have a smell, the rotten ones do.  Depressing isn't it?  And another pineapple fact:  In order to grow pineapple all you have to do is cut the green pokey leaves and a smidgen of the top of the pineapple and just lay it down in a pot of soil.  No digging...nuthin...just lay it there and come back in 2 YEARS!!  By then hopefully you'll have a pineapple.  John immediately tried convincing me to grow one in our house once we got back home.  I can't commit to a plant for two years...even if it doesn't require sunlight.

Our second part of the day was spent with the Polynesians!!  Yes, some of them were actually my family.  My cousin Shara lives out there with her hubby and little boy named Toah.  My aunt also lives out there working as a traveling nurse.  We were very excited to not only catch up with them but also get a guided tour through the Polynesian Cultural Center.  It was a lot of fun visiting the islands and learning their skills.  We especially liked visiting Samoa (where my cousins actually derive from).  However, the reason we liked it so much was the hilarious Samoan guy who told us all about coconuts, how to pick them, shuck them, get the pulp and milk out.  All during his performance we were rolling on the ground laughing.  John and I still talk about him to this day.  I just wish I had him on video tape.  :(   

We got to see all of the islands perform their dances, some frightening, some interesting, and then we got to eat at a luau and visit some more with my family.  They were wonderful hostesses and we had a great time with them!!  Here's a picture of John & I at the PCC.

Hookie Lau: Part Deux

I bet all my devoted blog fans were starting to wonder if we ever did indeed return from the Hookie-Lau after all.  I know I'm long overdue for the second part of our wonderful anniversary trip to Hawaii.  It's been so long since I posted or came back from the trip I have a hard time remembering where I left off.  We did a TON of stuff on the second part of our journey and because of this, multiple posts will be written to account for all of it.

First, I must describe our snorkeling adventures at Hanauma Bay, where this not-so-pleasant-picture-of-me was taken.  Hanauma Bay was very much a postcard perfect picture.  Years ago it was a volcano that erupted and then broke off into the sea and as a result formed a bay out of the mountain side.  We actually loved it so much we went twice on our trip.  On the first day and the last day.  Out of all my travels (most of them to the Caribbean), Hawaii was the BEST snorkeling I've done.  I was so amazed at the lack of seaweed, the variety of sea life, the beautiful weather, the great rental gear, and the beautiful view - all happening simultaneously!  Both trips were similar although we saw a lot more sea life on our 2nd trip.  We headed up to Hanauma Bay super early to be sure we were one of the few allowed in the park before the parking spaces were gone.  That's when people were turned away.  

Anyway, we lucked out and made it both times as we arrived.  

We started by watching a cute but CHEESY movie wherein the sea life told us how happy and wonderful their world was and how they didn't want any of our food or fingers etc.  I didn't need much convincing of that fact.  I'm a firm believer and agree-er to keep your fins away from me and I'll do the same.  ::Shudder::  The video then sang a goofy little song for the coral who asked us to please not step on them on our adventures.  Happily! I thought...however, they failed to mention the "living coral" was literally EVERYWHERE on the ocean bottom.  To heck with standing on the stuff, John and I had extreme difficulty fighting the waves that chose to beach us on it every five minutes.  

We saw tons of beautiful fish and even found our first turtle sighting (on our 2nd trip).  We enjoyed our private little encounter before we were happened upon by the masses.  I think the whole beach caught wind of our sighting and immediately decided to beach themselves on us.  I can only handle so many mask kicks and fin flips by the general population before I choose to opt out.  Luckily for us, we had our own private photo shoot with Mr. Turtle to leave satisfied of our little adventure.  

All in all, the snorkeling was absolutely PERFECT.  Welp....except for the 3 mile hike back up the mountain afterwards.  We got smarter on our 2nd trip and chose to invest the 50 cent tram ride back to the top.  One can only handle so much walking in a wet swimming suit, up hill, already exhausted from snorkeling.  It was the best 50 cents I've ever spent.  

Whoa 30 Weeks!!

So, it's official.  And no one can be more shocked than me.  Somewhere along the way, without me knowing it, I flew right by my wonderful 2nd trimester and landed in my 3rd.  It wasn't the softest landing either mind you.  It was more like a hard rough landing.....right on my large, awkward, belly.  I swear literally overnight, I woke up the most awkward, huge bellied woman, you've ever seen.  And not only did I look it, I felt it.  Aches and pains everywhere.  I've lost the ability to bend over, tie my shoes, get out of bed or off the couch without John giving me the extra push (literally), and rolling over in bed can be an all night process that leaves me winded and wide awake when finished.  

So what do I do when I'm not moaning, grunting, or wincing in pain you ask?  Well, in those rare times, I sit and get nervous about impending motherhood.  A few things that have crossed my mind....  Picking a name for this child that will last her all of her LIFE!! (No pressure right?), realizing I'll soon be birthing a little human that will follow me around for the rest of my LIFE!!  And the responsibilities in all of this seem a tinge daunting.  However, I do notice my worries wash away the minute I spend time with someone else's cute little human being that has already been birthed.  Sometimes I think I over worry and don't relish in the fact that our baby WILL be adorable (she has no other choice) and her personality will be cute and hilarious (taking after me of course ;).  When I realize these things....I have no fear.  Granted this could all change immediately before labor begins....who knows.  Either way we are very anxious to meet her.  I'm anxious to poke her in the belly a time or two for payback ;-).

Here I am in my current state.  The picture was taken today and I am 30 weeks.  Black is known to be a "slimming" color which is why I chose it...however I don't think it is working.  10 more weeks to go!!