Wow... I mean... Wow!

I can definitely (and amazingly) tell that the little life inside of
me is so different than it was just a few weeks ago. His movements are
very different now and I am continuously entertained by them. I used
to feel more kicks and jabs and it was a little hard for me to
pinpoint for someone trying to feel from the outside. Now though he
has definitely run out of room because I feel more rolls and twists. A
lot of the time I can feel his foot/knee/elbow/hand drag from one side
of my stomach to the other, top and bottom. You can see it from the
outside too!

Unfortunately I'm also having some Braxton hicks contractions too...
Not so entertaining! They mostly pass without discomfort, I only
notice them because my belly gets really hard. A couple have been a
little intense but I am hoping this means the process is getting
started and he won't be hanging around any EXTRA time. We are still
desperately praying he doesn't make an appearence before this Friday
when youth camp ends, and I don't think that's going to happen. Ooooh
there he goes again rolling himself around. I have to be careful
because when he really gets going it makes me want to laugh, not
because it tickles but because I am just so delighted with him and his
acrobatics. That might seem like a silly reaction but sometime I
really bust out lauging just to feel him twisting around. Maybe some
other moms remember feeling that way too and I'm not that crazy but it
is just amazing to me how the whole deal works. What a smart God to
plan it so that you fall in love with the creature who will put you
through so much once it arrives! I think I may be wrapped around that
itty bitty pinky already!

Ugh... Heartburn...

My baby better have a bunch of hair!

Hhheeelllloooo cankles!!

Emergency hospital bag=check

I've packed a small hospital bag to take to camp next week just in
case we need to make an appearance at South Baldwin Regional. We are
praying praying praying though that the baby does NOT come until after
we are safely home from youth camp. I will probably change(and
expand) my hospital bag before the big day but if we go soon, this
will be his going home outfit. The tiny socks might be my favorite part!

Congrats Liberty Softball team! Number 1 in the tournament!

We are having positioning issues

An open letter to as-yet-unnamed-Caspers-baby:

Dear baby,
This is your mommy. You probably don't know it yet but I love you very much. You also don't know that I will always love you even when I'm not liking you so much... now is one of those times. I know you think you're just floating around inside of the world's greatest water bed but you are as a matter of fact in my tummy and that is not the headboard you keep kicking off of, those are my ribs. Also, that fun cord thingy that ties you to me... when you pull on it, I can tell and frankly it doesn't feel nice. Now remember, I said I would love you no matter what cause you are my child and I am your mommy but I have to say, if you bunch up on my left side one more time causing that side of my belly to poke out about two inches higher than the other side, I am going to start pushing back. This could mean war and just remember, for several years now I will be bigger than you and control your allowance.  
Love,
Mom

P.S. This getting the hiccups every few hours thing is also getting a little ridiculous. I'm not even sure how you get the hiccups since you don't breathe air yet.  

Paul says I'm halfway to getting my boy scout fishing badge

My parents were in town this weekend and we had a wonderful time! We got a lot of work done in the nursery... though painting is still the big job that needs to be done. If I can get the camcorder to cooperate I will post pictures/video of Paul and Daddy putting up the baby's crib! Until then though, here are some pictures of us fishing on Yates Lake. It's not a stocked lake so I don't think many people fish on it, but there's also apparently no pressure so we had a pretty good evening. I got three fish and they were all a different species. I have caught other kinds before and Paul says you need to catch five different ones to get your badge so I almost did it in one day!


Here's my stripe which I caught on my second cast! Daddy fussed saying he was ready for us to start catching fish that fast... I can't help it, I'm that good!


Here's my skinny bass!


Here's Paul and I with the perch we caught at the exact same time!


Here's what I spend most of the time doing... I mean, if I didn't take a break the others would never have a chance to catch any!


Paul also caught a bass!


Oh, yeah.... Daddy caught some too!

"Is it going to be cowboy day forever?"

One of my VBS kids asked this about halfway through the week and (though I did have a lot of fun during last week) the answer is happily "Praise God, no"! VBS did in fact end and I think I may have pretty much recovered. We had almost 60 kids each night, about 30 workers, and 2 kids made decisions during the week! I averaged about 10 kids from the age of 2 to 6 and thankfully had two really great helpers. It was definitely a successful week!

31 weeks.. woo hoo! That means we only have 9 weeks left before he is actually "due". According to our OB the overwhelming statistics say that first time moms deliver about a week late, so I probably really do have over 2 months left to go... whew... it makes me tired just thinking about it! We are doing good... my blood pressure, sugar, weight gain etc. are all fine... baby's heartrate, kick counts, and measurements all look good too! So far it's been a very smooth pregnancy but I am really starting to feel it these days. The last two weekends we have been to pool/lake parties and I am loving being in the water. I have NEVER been much of a water person before but it feels so good to just float around. My joints don't bother me nearly as bad and I still feel like I'm getting a little exercise. Unfortunately then I get out and I feel like I weigh a million pounds! I can definitely tell that the baby is getting stronger because his kicks are quite powerful these days. Every now and then he will even make me jump. He is also gets the hiccups about once a day and they are below my belly button so I'm hoping that means he is turned the right way already. I'm thinking August 2 sounds like a good day to have a baby but Paul is hoping for August 9 so that his birthday will be 8/9/10. I think we are narrowing in on a name too! We got a crib a couple of days ago and hopefully the nursery will get finished as soon as we come back from camp. Just hoping he stays in a for a little longer... his current accommodations are much less lacking that where he will be when he gets here!

Blue

I thought I would go ahead and make the blog blue since we do know we are having a boy... if only he had a name....

Yee-haw! VBS week at Liberty!

My belly button is one swift baby kick away from being an outie....

... say it isn't so!

The fine line between lazy and careful

I feel like I spend a large majority of my time these days contemplating this line and which side of it I am on. As I sit here at 10:30 on a Monday night eating blue box Mac n Cheese straight out of the pot, I am thinking about it again. Sure... I could chalk up everything sluggish or selfish I do as being "for the baby", but sometimes I think I'm probably just being lazy and pregnancy provides a wonderful excuse. For instance, I have always been a big fan of naps. I think the entire country should siesta from 1-4... brilliant. Today though I had only been awake for an hour and a half before I laid back down to sleep for 3 hours. (Granted we are having VBS in the evenings at our church this week). Now everyone (including my doctor) tells me I need to take it easy "for the baby", that there are things I have to do slower "for the baby", or can't do at all "because of the baby", and I am NOT saying I want to get those things back, but what I am say is if the pre-pregnancy Jessica would have happily slept until 10:30, then got up, ate, and gone back to sleep until 3, then did I really do it "for the baby"... I'm just saying, I think I did that more for me. (And don't hear me wrong, I don't feel bad about it... I'm planning on doing it again tomorrow... I've just been thinking about it!)

I have the best husband ever!