I hate the word belly

So here is tummy picture

17 weeks and well on my way to HUGE.

Major craving so far:

Mustard

On a hot dog, a pretzel...or just by the spoonful.

Apparently it's a big deal

It's been my observation that when local sports teams make it to some big championship event, let's say for example the state highschool football championaship, the SuperBowl or the NCAA Championship...people start acting crazy!

They do things they wouldn't ordinarily do like,let their employees where jeans and team paraphanelia, buy exhorbitantly priced souvenir shirts, or throw down in the middle of a grocery store over the last boxes of frozen pizza rolls and jalapeno poppers.

I'm not a sports fan. I don't really care who's playing in which game. So, living in Indianapolis this year has brought me several instances of intense confusion over all this eratic behavior. I just don't understand getting all worked up about which group is going to get the ball into the goal the most times.

So tonight while the rest of the city is glued to the game, I will be folding laundry and wishing we had two t.v.'s. However, all sports cynism aside I would like to say: THANK YOU BUTTLER BULLDOGS FOR GETTING ME OUT OF A 7:00 AM STAFF MEETING TOMORROW. GO BLUE!

I'll root for any reason to sleep in.

Spring Break

No, my last post was not an April Fool's joke. I hate April Fool's. I don't like to think of myself as gullible, I just don't usually realize what day it is and end up getting all worked up by someone else's prank. We really are having a baby.

This week was so wonderful and went by way too fast. My week off from work included lots of house cleaning that I have been too sick/busy to do for the last three months, actually making dinner (which also hasn't happened in a long time,) going to the gym, taking long naps, enjoying the nice weather and going to the doctor to hear baby's heartbeat;such a happy, reassuring sound.

And this weekend was the best of all. How often do you get 85 degree weather in the beginning of April? Not a lot in parts of the country where I've lived. So we took full advantage and went camping in beautiful Brown County State Park with our friends the Turners (two pregnant women camping makes for lots of snacking and bathroom trips.). It was such a nice weekend with only a few hours of rain and lots of fun. And we made it home just in time for Conference Sunday morning and our traditional Easter dinner of Easter Bunny Poo (meatloaf.)

Sigh, having a week off definitely makes it hard to go back to work.

HAPPY EASTER!

No pictures you've noticed? Yeah, our camera is pretty worthless. Maybe some nice husband needs to get me one for my birthday!

I'd even be okay if anyone besides my husband wanted to get me a new camera!

OK!

Just one of the reasons I haven't blogged in a couple months is because my life was consumed by being in a play. I was in the show Oklahoma! at Footlite Musical Theatre in downtown Indianpolis. It was a lot of fun, but I'm glad for some time off. Thanks to my super friends who came to see the show!

qsdfwge

Another reason I haven't been up to blogging is my job. Anyone who's talked to me between last August and now knows that my job this year has been no piece of cake. I've had a particularly rowdy bunch of fourth graders, and I won't get into the nitty gritty details. But the good news is...I will not be enduring the same misery next year. I will be staying home to care for the BABY we're having in September!

ADEQFQE

And that's the third reason I haven't felt like blogging. I'm just about 16 weeks right now, and I think I'm finally over feeling like I have stomach flu all day, every day. I've had a few ultrasounds and baby appears to be doing well. I'm showing a little more than I would wish to this early on, and pants no longer fit, but it's so fun to visibly see the proof. I'm so excited for this baby to come, but so far I feel completely unprepared. That's normal right? Now I just have to get through the last 7 weeks of this school year and I can focus on getting ready for BABY!

You've done it again!

I don't know why I thought Disney wasn't magical anymore!

I wasn't very interested in seeing The Princess and the Frog, because I am a childless adult and the last several Disney/Pixar films just haven't blown me away. But my friend Courtney asked if I wanted to go with her and her kids last night, and guess what?

I think it might be my favorite Disney movie ever! The voodoo part was perhaps a little dark creepy but overall it was fantastic.

I should have had more faith, especially last month when Disney on Ice brought me to tears during the opening number, (0f course I just thought it was due to the glittery costumes, dozens of spinning individuals and my weekened mental state from stress and exhaustion.) But I should have been more sensitive to the beauty and magic that Disney was built on!

I've got to say Disney, you've done it again!

Special Delivery!

All my life I have enjoyed the thrill of getting the mail. It started when I was very young. I would look forward all year to the month of April when I knew there would be brightly colored envelopes addressed to me, filled with birthday wishes and often a 5 dollar bill. I looked forward to getting the friend magazine and those mini cereal box sample. My Grammy was unparalleled at sending cheesy cards for every holiday. Even though my anticipation was only indulged a few times a year, that didn't ever stop me from hoping, or from running down to the mail box in my bare feet.

As I grew up I got more mail, cards from far away friends, the random college letters and credit card offers. Even now that I am an adult and my mail usually consists of grocery store circulars and insurance offers I still get excited everyday when the mail comes. I never quite get over the exhilaration when I hear the distinct sound the mail truck makes as it comes up the street stopping every so often and then slowly passes by my house. I went through quite the phase of ordering free samples of random things last spring, and isn't the purpose behind online shopping to get a package on your doorstep a few days later?

Even though getting free samples is fun, I have a packet of NatureMade Sunbutter (sunflower seed peanut butter) still sitting on my counter from June, and my income can't support regularly ordering books on Amazon that cost more to ship than the purchase price. So, one of my new year's resolutions is to write more letters. I figure if I write letters, I'll get answers to letters, and then I will actually have a reason to look forward to picking up my mail. Besides, I've got to do something about that box of stationary under my bed that's been accumulating for the last 20 or so years.

So, friends far and near...anyone want to be my pen pal?

Hazel sings Christmas carols

For your viewing enjoyment, a video of Hazel singing Christmas songs! (She gets better toward the end.)

Yesterday on our way to the children's museum we had to stop and take pictures with these festive displays!

This is Bryce's favorite present this year. A custom-made pair of flannel pajamas made by yours-truly. Doesn't he look cute?

Merry Christmas to you!