Monday, November 27, 2006

almost at 8 months!

31 weeks + 1 day
i can't believe how quickly the last part of the second semester went! I felt like it practically flew by. I have been enjoying feeling ava more as she gets bigger. on saturday i could actually feel a boney elbow or foot (still not very good at deciphering the body parts!) sticking out. It's so neat to constantly feel so close to ava and to feel all of her little bumps and hiccups.

ava also is hiccuping a lot. I can barely bend over in the car to get something on the floor when we are driving because she always starts hiccuping. I have read that it's harmless for them and it's not like hiccuping in adults where it can feel uncomfortable.

Last night i dreamt that i went into labor and had ava and got to meet her and see her sleeping in the hospital nursery. it was so real it made me sad to think i still have around 8-9 more weeks until i get to meet her!

I am feeling pretty good except for the backaches and rib pain late in the day. Morning is my favorite part of the day now. I actually called my dr because i thought it was contractions because i had a sharp pain in my ribs constantly. My dr said it was probably the baby resting up high -- ava had her little toes in my ribs. The dr said when this happens it can really hurt! Who knew a little rib tickle could be so painful! Other than that, i have weird fluidy hands, it feels like the fluid in those eye gel packs where you can move the liquid around. When brandon massages my hands it feels like heaven! Any kind of massage feels like heaven!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Brandon's Web site checkout_Therestofeverest.com

Therestofeverest.com
http://www.therestofeverest.com/
Brandon loves watching podcasts from therestofeverest.com. The podcasts are free and show life at base camp and summitting everest! check it out!

From the Web site.
An Almost Unabridged Expedition Experience.
There is a problem that every single film made about Everest suffers from: How in the world can you compress an experience as large as Everest into 90 minutes, or 60 minutes or 45 minutes?

Well, you can't. You can only show a small part of the total expedition.
Finally, through this video podcast, we're going to be able to show the full depth of the experience. From packing for overbooked flights to walking around Kathmandu. Traveling along the Friendship Highway into Tibet to setting up home at Base Camp. Climbing the upper reaches of the mountain and summitting in the worst conditions imaginable. Acclimatization, altitude sickness, pulmonary edema and chipped teeth. Frustration, anger, acceptance and transcendence. The camaraderie of an international climbing community. We even bake a cake at 17,000 feet!

Happy Thanksgiving!


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In annual White House tradition, President Bush on Wednesday granted a reprieve for a turkey -- and its alternate -- so that they can spend the rest of their lives at Disneyland.

The two birds, which online voters on the White House Web site anointed "Flyer" and "Fryer," were raised on a farm in Monett, Missouri. They weigh about 30 to 35 pounds each

In a brief speech, Bush called Americans a "grateful people."

"We're grateful for our beautiful land. We're grateful for a harvest big enough to feed us all, plus much of the world. We're grateful for our freedom. We're grateful for our families. And we're grateful for life itself," he said.


http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/22/bush.turkey/

Grateful hearts at Wendy's.

Last night Brandon and I stopped by wendy's to eat. We saw the cutest little family and since we were sitting close we got to hear their conversation. Two sisters and their mom were saying how grateful they were for everything in their lives. Wow. It was so sweet to hear another family expressing their thanks for family and friends in their lives. The mom said she was thankful that she had friends that listened to her and were there for her. I thought it was such a neat thing to be grateful for and i realized how lucky i was to have such good friends and family in my life.

During the time it took to have Ava, we really relied on our friends and family. So thanks everyone for your support and prayers!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Peppermint mochas return!



You always can tell when christmas is around the corner - Starbucks' peppermint mochas are here! This year it's decaf mochas for me! I was standing in line today at starbucks and you could tell it was christmas - everyone now orders peppermint mochas, gingerbread lattes etc.

We are traveling to Michigan for Thanksgiving and we are stopping at the only Starbucks on the way and wouldn't you know it's in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's a worthy sacrifice for the peppermint mocha!

For some starbucks' gossip - head to http://www.starbucksgossip.com/.

Thank goodness! A Starbucks exec says the chain is launching its holiday celebration now because "this is about the time customers start asking for our annual holiday offerings." (Seattle Times)

music i am in love with right now


I love snow patrol. I think that's a prerequisite of loving Grey's Anatomy - they feature snow patrol's songs in all of their episodes!

I am especially loving Hands Open right now. It's really upbeat and catchy -- it's one of those songs that if it's on it makes you happy (e.g. tom cruise in jerry maguire when tom petty comes on the radio and he starts singing and has the windows down).

Check it out at http://www.snowpatrol.com/music/.

Monday, November 20, 2006

OH-IO!


Sooo. The game this weekend was sweet! We watched the game with our cousins - geoff, mindy, emily and dave and little wesley! Wesley is only 3 weeks old and was our little buckeye. He was wearing a little OSU hat. I can't wait to meet Ava!

Anyways, we were all a little nervous (except Geoff) when Michigan came out and scored at the beginning, but Troy and Ginn pulled it out! Next year we are going to have ava cheering with us in her little cheerleader outfit.
I think Dave's wave helped the buckeyes take it home!

on to arizona!


TOSTITOS BCS NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIP BOWL GAME
January 8, 2007; 8:00 p.m.; Glendale, ArizonaClick here for tour detailsor call the Bowl Tour hotline at 614.292.4200.

feeding your faith

Psal 84:11 For the LORD God [is] a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good [thing] will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

So many times i am afraid to ask God for what i really want, but this verse does such a good job at reminding me to pursue God and to not be timid to bring my burdens or requests to him.

His longsuffering and patience with us when we fail over and over is simply amazing. I know that there have been so many times i have felt really weak and lost. I think the whole key to life is knowing that His grace is enough during those times of weakness or uncertainty.

i really love the song called His Grace is Enough because it shows in such a simple way how He is always ready to give us a second chance - even when we are frail or fail big time. Even in the Bible some of the people God walked with the closest def. weren't perfect -- David, Abraham, Moses---but their hearts yearned for God. They were so hungry that even in their imperfection they kept on coming back to Him. I think that's what God wants from us. Even in our imperfections, He wants us to desire to be with him.

Lately, i have realized that friendships aren't continued through a casual relationship. You have to make an effort, pick up the phone, go out of your way to make contact with the person---meeting them where they are. And it strikes me how similar this is to our relationship with God. We have to make the move if we want to get deeper. We have to put the work into the relationship.

I love the quote below of C.S. Lewis that talks about feeding your faith. It reminds me of how important it is to meditate on Him.

We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed. And as a matter of fact, if you examined a hundred people who had lost their faith in Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn out to have reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not most people simply drift away?- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Kate Spade Diaper bag


i got my diaper bag last friday. so excited. i got it at the kate spade sample sale! So cute! :) It comes with a matching changing pad!

The phone call



Kuhns Cousins!

Baby is doing so good. We had a little scare this week - i took a diabetes test this week because i was at 28 weeks - however they said they would only call if there was a problem with my test. So of course i got a call on wednesday and didn't get a chance to talk to the drs until friday. darn it i have got to start checking my vm! I hate talking on the phone, but i need to get used to it!

Anyways, after a long night i found out it was just that i was low on iron. Not that i had gestational diabetes. Hello! So all i have to do is take two iron pills a day.

I need to chill! That's my motto for this month. Chill out! I think as the baby date gets closer my imagination is getting bigger. I told my sister today in phoenix i need to just go and sit by the pool and relax. Sounds soo nice huh!

Kelly, my sister in law, is having some contractions right now about 15 minutes apart. We can't wait to meet little Ethan! It shouldn't be too long now. i bet that ethan will make his big debut on Turkey Day! ha!