We took a trip to Bogalusa, LA a few weeks ago, and I thought I’d post a few pictures to highlight the trip:

Angie and her Dad… so that’s where she gets it…

Angie with her mom and Aunt…

Kylie and my first real crawfish boil…

Kylie + Tractor = Get out of the way!!! (For the record… yes, she really drove it!)

Bogalusa, LA… If there weren’t alligators in there, it would be nice…

Our family of four… :)

I believe we are officially in the third trimester. This pregnancy has flown by and Angie has been great through it all. She still has some swelling in her feet, but so far it hasn’t be unmanageable. She’s also having pain in her ribs, which we were told to expect, but which I’m sure get’s old after a while.

Some exciting things have happened lately though. First, we received our baby furniture. We have a dresser, crib and nightstand that we picked up on Saturday. Bob and Robin were so nice to go with us and let us use Bobs monster truck to haul it all back to the house. The nightstand and dresser were already assembled, but the crib was not. Let’s just say that it was your stereotypical furniture assembly project. I read, and reread the first few steps multiple times before finally calling in some help. After we got going, it wasn’t too bad and I think it’s going to look great in the room. We have a glider on the way which Angie’s mom sponsored. :) Thanks Mom! Hopefully it will get here soon, so that I … mean Angie… can relax in it.

Another exciting thing is the movement that we can now see on Angie’s belly. The baby is now large enough that we can actually see the movement. No big hands or feet yet, but just seeing her belly jump around is cool enough for me. One of the things we read is that now is a good time for the dad to start talking to the baby. That was a little weird for me, and I found it hard to keep a straight face or be serious, which presents it’s own problems. See, the reason I’m supposed to talk is that it gets the baby used to my voice. That way, when he comes out he will recognize my voice and be comforted. My problem is that he would come out thinking I sound like Darth Vader…. “Tater, I am your father!”. So to fix this little problem I’ve decided that I’ll read to him. (Just as a reminder, the words he, him, etc aren’t meant to infer that he will be a boy… she may be a girl… I just dont’ like “it”.) Lately I’ve been reading a book that Rich and Leigh gave me for my birthday, which takes the pregnancy/first year from a mans point of view. It’s brought us quite a few laughs.

Which reminds me… I’ve been suffering from something commonly knows as “sympathy weight gain” and I realized I was either going to have to do something about it or buy some bigger pants. So I start doing some reading and have started watching what I eat. I figured I don’t have time to go the gym right now, but I did throw in a set of push-ups and sit-ups a couple nights ago for fun (and do plan to do some more). The best part was that the first day I decided to do this (including the push-up/sit-up deal) we were reading the book, and it just happened to be the section about weight gain. To summarize, it essentially said I would get to a point where I tried to diet, and then I’d do some push-ups and sit-ups and then I’d start finding excuses and rationalizing why I didn’t need to do any more. Angie loved that… we’ll have to see if it holds true. I hope for my pants sake that it doesn’t.

I’m starting to notice that I’m getting a little cranky.  I think I do a decent job of controlling it despite what Johnathan and Kylie might think (yes. . . you guys miss out on a lot of what I’m thinking).  Let me tell you about the last couple of days.
Sunday, by the time we left church and ate lunch, my feet and ankles were pretty swollen.  We had a few things to do before going home (one of which was going back to the church to see a friend be baptized..yay!) so the day was long.  When we got home, I was trying to open a bag of mini-Twixes that I had bought at the grocery store.  Well, I couldn’t open it with my bare hands so I decided to grab a pair of scissors out of the drawer in the kitchen (we have 3 pairs that we usually keep there).  They were all gone!  All of them!!  All three freaking pairs!! I was fuming.  My first instinct was to throw the bag across the kitchen, but I knew that at least one pair had to be in the office.  I grumbled all the way to the office (probably because no one was in the house to yell at) telling myself that throwing the bag wouldn’t solve anything. . . but I almost did it anyway.  I actually found 2 pairs in the office. . . arrrggghhh (no, I didn’t move them both back to the kitchen, but I did move one).  Eventually, I had my candy so I finally sat down to put my feet up. . . around 4:30 or 5:00 (yes, I did fess up to my hubby about my hormonal fit of rage…a man should at least be told when he has been in danger of losing his head).
After my ankles were back to a recognizable size, I had to get up and cook dinner, make a dessert for Monday night small group, do laundry and vacuum (not trying to be a martyr, although I think I could be very good at it. . . I’ll admit that Johnathan and Kylie were working very hard outside).  My feet were killing me.  Later that night, while I was taking my makeup off, trying to get to bed, I thought I was going to cry.  Johnathan had just bragged on me the other day that he thought I was doing an amazing job balancing everything.  ;)  Much appreciated, but that is surely coming to an end (so far I have been trying really hard not to use my pregnancy as an excuse, mostly because I knew this day would come, and I didn’t want everyone to be tired of hearing it when I really needed help).
Last night, during small group, I was sitting on the couch and had my feet propped up for obvious reasons, when all of a sudden (well, it took a few minutes) I felt short of breath.  I thought maybe I had eaten too much and was getting indigestion, so I went downstairs and grabbed some Tums.  Didn’t help.  Every time I sat down, it just felt like everything was cramped.  So I finished the last few minutes of the discussion standing up.  That helped a little.  But it progressively got worse.  By the time we got downstairs and I started cleaning the kitchen, I felt like I was going to hurl (kind of like when you’re running really hard…oxygen deprivation).  My heart wasn’t beating fast or anything.  I was just having trouble taking deep breaths.  Johnathan told me to go sit down.  I explained that sitting didn’t help.  I needed to lie down.  So he told me to go to bed.  But there were still people there so I felt I couldn’t.  I kept trying to do little things to help in the kitchen, and he kept grabbing them from me.  He finally convinced me so I excused myself and headed to the bedroom.  On the way, I realized that I had clothes in the washer so I had to get the clothes out of the dryer and switch them over.  He actually came in there and gritted his teeth at me and “ordered” me to bed.  It made me laugh a little (I don’t know why).  But I explained that I had to get the clothes in the dryer.  So he made me promise that it was the last thing I would do.  Then, he went into our bedroom and came out with a pair of scissors.  I asked where he was taking those.  He smiled and said, “I’m putting them back in the kitchen where they are suppose to be.”  I said, “Oh, there’s already a pair in there now.”  He said, “Well, better to be safe. . . ”  Such a wise man.

Teenagers stress me out (duh. . . mull that one over for a minute).  Kylie has known for weeks that she was going to the Dominican Republic.  We were supposed to leave the house around 3:00 heading to the airport.  She started packing around 1:30 (is it just me??).  Then, on the way to pick up another traveler, we uncovered that not only had she forgotten to pack her passport, but she wasn’t sure where it was (mind you, I had just given it to her that morning. . . if she can’t keep up with it for a few hours at home, what will happen in the DR??…I sure hope she can get back into the country).  It got a little ugly, but we eventually made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare.  It was fun (and a little scary) to watch her leave.  I am comforted by the fact that I know almost all of the people going.  They went through security as a group.  We stood there and watched until she was out of sight.  She kept turning around and waving and blowing kisses (it’s a thing we do. . . and I like it).

With Kylie gone this week, it has been a little quiet around the house.  We have spent a lot of “together time”.  We have gone to hear our songwriter friends sing a couple of times (Lindsey even got to feel Tater kick. . . she had said that would make her night. . . ask and you shall receive).  We watched Monty Python (I remember that being so much funnier in college. . . wonder why).  And we registered!!!  Woo hoo!  That was fun.  It took us 3 hours, including 3 bathroom stops and a trip to the snack bar.  Comparing strollers, high chairs, swings, pack –n- plays, bouncy seats, tubs, bottles (how the heck do I know if we need fast or slow flow???), diapers (did you know that there are different sizes for newborns?), diaper bags, wipes, breast pads (washable or disposable???), milk storage bags, pacifiers (not the one that is beaded and says “BLING”). . . arrrrgghhh..  The word “overwhelming” comes to mind.  Leigh sent me a starter list months ago that came in so handy.  I spent a lot of time sitting on the floor looking at the back of the packages trying to decide “is the Baby Bjorn better than the Snuggli?. . . is it worth 3 times as much?”  And my feet. . . we’ll talk about those in a minute. . . but I’m convinced that they hate me.  I kept taking my shoes off and leaving them in the middle of the aisle.  Through all of that, somehow, some way, we survived.  Now, if I could just get the address list together for the shower. . . but that’s another story.

It has been a great week of bonding for Johnathan and Tater.  I started noticing that when I get into bed, and lie on my left side, the baby starts moving. . . a lot.  I feel all kinds of movement on my left side.  It’s like s/he slides down and doesn’t like.  I feel a lot of pushing and feet (or something) moving back and forth.  Sometimes it’s so strong it tickles.  One night, it was happening, so I told Johnathan to slide his hand under my belly.  He got so excited just feeling all that movement.  Then yesterday, I got an email from one of my websites saying that he should be able to hear the heartbeat by just putting his ear to my belly.  He wanted to try it last night so I rolled over onto my back.  Almost as soon as he put his ear to my stomach, he got a swift kick to the head.  Lol  Tater just went nuts.  There was tons of movement.  He kept kicking right where Johnathan’s head was.  Johnathan kept telling him to stop, but it just kept happening.  We had a really good laugh.  Still in the womb and already not listening to us.  ;)  He did get to hear the heartbeat though.

And finally…I am swelling now.  It’s in my ankles mostly.  But my feet are starting to hurt a lot.  I have boxes stacked under my desk to prop my feet on.  It doesn’t seem to make the swelling go away, but it probably helps it to not get worse (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).  For the past couple of days, my fingers have been swelling.  As a matter of fact, last night my rings actually broke the skin on the side of my finger.  So today, I resorted to wearing the simple silver band we bought for our trip to Haiti last year.  It’s slightly larger than my rings.  So we’ll see how this goes.  I don’t go back to the doctor for about 4 more weeks (timing issues).  On the upside, I get to go buy new shoes. . . and Johnathan can’t get upset.  ;)

Well, I thought I should catch you guys up on the happenings at the Brandon household.  We went to the doctor.  Nothing new there.  It’s just so strange to me.  Could I really have a non-eventful pregnancy?  Let me clarify, making a baby is eventful, but so far, it has been normal.  Apparently, I just think bad things should happen to me. . . does that make me a pessimist?? (don’t answer that)

Pregnancy is the coolest thing. . . I mean, aside from the fact that my ankles are starting to show signs of minor swelling (I know you guys have been waiting for that) and that my ribs are actually starting to have muscle spasms (they have more kick than Tater does).  The baby is getting bigger so I feel it so much more when it moves.  My latest update from one of the many websites I signed up for said it should be over a pound now and 8 ½ inches “crown to rump”.  (Oh, that reminds me!  You gotta try this!  Take a regular piece of printer paper and lay the short side (8 ½ inches) on your forearm like you’re holding a baby.  That’s our Tater!  Or at least that’s how long our Tater is. . . Okay, so I found it cool.  Johnathan thinks I’m a loon.  I also held it up to my belly and wondered how in the world it fits in there.)  Anyway, I feel it a lot now.  I am a little disappointed for Johnathan though because he can’t experience it as often.  It seems like every time I tell him to put his hand on my belly, Tater stops.  I’m sure that’s getting old.  I tried to get s/he all worked up the other night with sugar and caffeine so Lindsey could feel it.  No dice.  Why can’t babies just cooperate?

Earlier this week, I got a couple of nights of decent rest.  One night, I slept a solid 5 ½ hours.  Woo hoo!  It’s not much, but I’ll take what I can get.  Johnathan took a couple of pictures of me last night.  I look terrible.  My face just screams tired.

And the big event of the week. . . Johnathan’s 30^th birthday!  We threw him a party Saturday night.  About 20 people showed up.  I totally overestimated the amount of food we needed.  I still have tons of stuff that never got cooked.  We had babies, 7 ½ month old Brady, and 6 week old twins, Arabella and Giselle.  Brady kept us all entertained for a while with his belly laugh.  Giselle kept me occupied for about 20 minutes while I tried to put her to sleep.  All small hints of what we have to come.  ;)  It was a very long day though.  Johnathan and I got up around 7:30.  I scooped poop in the backyard.  Then, he rubbed my rear end and hamstrings because I spent too much time bending over.  He and Kylie cleaned the house while I went to the grocery store.  When I got home, Kylie and I started cooking.  Once we had all of the dips made, we sent the man to his room so we could decorate.  I let Kylie go crazy with the streamer. . . and she did.  It was everywhere!  We got done around 3:30 so I hit the shower.  I was dressed by 4:30.  Just in time to put some finishing touches on the food and for people to show up at 5:15.  So, if you’re not keeping track, by this point, I had not sat down all day (with the exception of the ride to and from the store).  And if you know me at all, you know that, with people in my house, that pattern continued most of the night.  Once most everyone had left, and I had cleaned the kitchen, I plopped down on the couch exhausted out of my mind (I still don’t think my feet have recovered).  Johnathan came, sat down beside me and started rubbing my feet.  Someone said, “That’s love.”  Johnathan said, “No.  Love is a pregnant woman who will spend all day on her feet, cooking, decorating and cleaning the kitchen just to celebrate your birthday.”  Ladies and gentlemen, I have a winner.  ;)

We sent pictures to my dad for his birthday.  One was at the beginning of pregnancy and one was from last week.  I looked at the first one and thought, “man, my tummy was pretty flat. . . what was I complaining about?”  I guess it’s all about perspective. 

Contrary to what my mother predicted, I absolutely love my belly.  I like to stand and look at it in the mirror.  I like to rest my hands on it.  I like to wonder how big it will really get.  But for someone who loved running 20-25 miles a week, it is difficult to imagine myself being so sedentary on purpose.  I’m feeling more like a slug everyday.  I’m still trying to get use to the 17 extra pounds. . . so far.  Enter: the bright idea to come home and exercise last night.  Early in the pregnancy, I bought a yoga DVD and a Pilates DVD.  Kylie and I have done the yoga one a few times.  It’s good.  Not too taxing, but my ribs usually feel better for a little while afterwards.  For some reason, I thought I would be adventurous last night.  I have been putting off doing the Pilates one because I figured it would be harder (when will I ever start listening to that inner voice of mine), but the wrapper was still on it so the guilt overtook me.  I opened it and popped it in the DVD.  My first clue should have been when the leading woman said, “I’m in my third trimester.”  I yelled, “YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!  I’M BIGGER THAN SHE IS!!”  (Then, I had to rewind because I missed some of the instructions.)  I was sent into a panic because one of the items that I “needed” was a wooden dowel (Where the hairy heck am I going to get a wooden dowel?)  I searched the catalog inventory in my mind of mops or brooms that I might be able to rob of a handle, but I settled on a pool cue (I’m sure it was an interesting sight at the very least).  The yoga video has a woman to represent each trimester. . . but not the Pilates video.  Oh, no.  Women in the first and second trimester are supposed to follow this skinny, limber wench (who I will further lovingly refer to as SLW).  I assume that because the leading woman didn’t show until she was into her 7^th month, she saw nothing wrong with me and my big belly trying to emulate SLW.  Of course, she doesn’t know how competitive and hard-headed I can be either.  So while the women representing the 3^rd trimester were supporting themselves on a stool or modifying poses to make them easier, me and SLW were lifting, holding and stretching our full weight.  I will admit that I made my own modification on one exercise.  The 3^rd trimester women were lying completely on their sides while SLW and I were propped up on our elbows.  (For some reason, SLW’s belly didn’t fall over like mine did.)  At another point, I was copying SLW while the 3^rd trimester wimps were supporting themselves up on their precious little stools.  I suppose that I grunted or made some kind of noise that indicated I was struggling.  Apparently, Johnathan heard me so to be “supportive” or something, he asked, “what’s so hard about it?”  grrrr. . . ..Ladies and gentlemen, he has 4 months to go.  Vegas is laying odds on his survival.