Growing...

Here is a picture of the bump at just shy of 25 weeks. Holy moley ... time flies! Baby Girl is moving around A LOT, and it's especially fun when Steve can feel her. A few times she's been so active that we can see my whole stomach move in sort of a blob-type motion. Anyway, I'm feeling great despite spending the better portion of each day on my feet (no, I haven't compromised my heels quite yet) ... besides being tired, no complaints (except for the whole losing-sight-of-my-feet-and-other-parts-bit, but that's another post).

A Few of My Favorite Things Today

-My New Job: I love being back at work, and I love my new job. It's been exhausting and overwhelming at times, but exhilarating, too. The start to this year is unique because our building is mid-renovation, but everyone is happy to be back. I think this new position is going to suit me well, and although I'll miss teaching at times, I'm feeling really good about the move to admin. One thing I don't love is finding a big girl wardrobe for work. I lived in stretchy Old Navy tanks this summer, but those won't cut it. Thanks to two friends -- Sherry and Sarah -- who have loaned me tons of cute maternity work clothes!

-It's Not on the Test: This is the video that my Superintendent showed this morning to all 7,000 PISD employees at convocation. It's clearly satirical, and we all laughed, of course, but there is a sad reality to it. Many districts have had to eliminate fine arts programs, even though research shows that they are integral in developing critical thinking skills and a love of learning. We are in an age that requires us to prepare students to think critically in a world full of technology that has yet to be created, but we are often limited because testing tends to dictate the 180 precious days we have each year with our students. Even the very best teachers often feel like they're forced into a position that causes them to cheat students academically; I've never met anyone who went into education to mold test-takers. I have, however, met many people who went into education to mold children and minds and global citizens. I sincerely appreciate working in a nationally recognized district where the Superintendent, his cabinet, the School Board members, teachers, administrators, and parents believe in doing what's best for kids, even when federal and state laws seem to insist on doing otherwise. Those of you in education will appreciate this video and likely see the truth through your laughter; those of you not in education may gain a little insight to the frustrations and realities regarding testing that public school teachers and students face. And the saddest part is that we're left asking what will become of our students ... even the best and brightest can become lost when they're no longer an individual learner but a cut score on some test. How can we justify limiting so much potential, especially among the minds of our future? Soap box, thank you for humoring me this evening.

-Lucky Charms: I usually try to make healthy cereal choices, but one can only eat so many bowls of cholesterol-minimizing Cheerios. Last week, in a moment of serious weakness, I bought some Lucky Charms and then proceeded to eat the entire box in two days. Right now all I can think about is my carelessness in not buying two boxes (or maybe three).

-The Olympics: Love them! Even sports that don't normally interest me have become totally engaging. Although I'm slightly miffed by some of the gymnastics scoring (and I'm pretty sure that sooner or later we're going to have another French-skating-judge-buy-out-to-screw-the-Canadian-pairs-situation manifest itself), I can't get enough. Nastia Luikin is a hometown girl who lives only minutes from us. Shawn Johnson feels like a hometown girl, too, since she and Steve went to the same high school! We've been rooting for both. And, seriously, how could you not be proud to be an American while watching Michael Phelps? Not possible. However, even though I waited all summer for the Olympics to begin, I'll be glad when they are over so I can start getting decent sleep again. My mind and body won't let me sleep until I see every last minute of the Olympics each night, and I'm seriously paying for it in the mornings.

-Hand-me-down Sweater: My Grandma Lou made this sweater for me when I was a baby. While I was going through some boxes recently, I found it. The sweater was dirty, so I gave it a good wash and now it looks as good as new. It is so soft and sweet, and I can't wait to see Baby Girl in it. We'll definitely have to send a picture of that to Great-Grandma Lou.

-Self-titled Princess Dress:

My mom's friend, Laurie, sent us this precious light blue and brown dress -- a silky masterpiece complete with embroidered flowers, a very puffy skirt, and bloomers. Will someone please invite us to a classy event next summer so Baby Girl can show off in this little princess ensemble?

-The Hills: The drama is back and we love it! Will Audrina move out? Will Heidi's unfortunate-looking sister move to town? And if she does, what will become of Speidi? Is Stephanie really going to mack on Lauren's new man? Will Lo stop being such a Royal B? Only time will tell, I know. Thank you, MTV and rich 22-year-olds with nothing to do but party, shop, fight, and gossip, for giving us a reason to look forward to Mondays.

When in Texas ...

Steve has wanted a truck for as long as I have known him, and he finally has one. I have to be honest, I'm still adjusting. After we paid off the Passat earlier this year, it started having problem after problem (naturally). German cars are not cheap to fix, and with the money we were pouring into it, we decided we'd be better off with a small payment on a car that is easier on the budget in the maintenance department. After lots of wheeling and dealing yesterday, we ended up with an excellent deal on a Chevy Colorado. It's not a big, massive truck, but it does have four doors with plenty of room for family. And I have to say, it gets decent mileage and drives quite nicely.

I was sad to leave the Passat all alone in the parking lot when we left the dealership. I even took one last picture and allowed myself to have a moment over the loss. It was the first major purchase we made after getting married, and although it wasn't the smartest of buys (we definitely walked in and paid full price, no questions asked), it was a good car to us. It made many trips from KC to MN and from KC to Dallas and back again. But like I said, for a car that was paid off, it sure sucked up the $$.

To look in our garage, one would see that we're clearly not part of any campaign to keep America green. Sorry. Maybe someday the term "total practicality" will be linked to our household, but for now we're satisfied with the term "fun and affordable".

P.S. Meredith, please refrain from commenting. Love you :)

The Beginning of a Long List

I went back to the perinatologist today for a follow-up to the amnio appt. He said the follow-up is important because he's able to see development more clearly at this stage than he could when we were in for the amnio, and sometimes surprises pop up. However, no surprises for us ... everything looks exactly like it should! All organs and bones are in place, the heart is strong with four chambers in tact, and the brain activity is good. Baby Girl is very active; as soon as the doctor started the ultrasound, she was punching with her little fists and flopping all over the place. Our biggest relief came, of course, after receiving the normal amnio results a few weeks ago, but I'd been anxious about this appointment, knowing that physical abnormalities could have become more apparent since our last visit. After today's visit, though, there is definitely a sense of peace that wasn't there before. I feel like I can now allow myself to become fully vested. To that end, I'm going to start brainstorming a list of things I can't wait to do with my daughter. Perhaps I'll add to it here and there in the coming months.

I can't wait ...
...to teach her to ice skate.
...to do her hair (and probably tell her over and over that curly hair really is great; all the straight-hair-girls wish they had curls - she won't believe me but I'll give it my best shot).
...to watch her run to the door when her dad gets home.
...to do at-home craft projects during holiday breaks and summer vacation.
...to take her to buy school supplies (this will be a family affair; Steve and I almost bought some for no reason at all at Target the other day ... who can resist?!).
...to watch her experience MN snow.

There is plenty more where those came from, I'm sure, but that's all for now. I'm going to Indiana with my mom's side of the family for the weekend, but when I get back, remind me to post pictures of a couple of my favorite things for Baby Girl!

Quick Random Updates:
Jody asked about the room ... it is pink. Very pink, but so cute. Thanks, Dad and Uncle Mark! Pictures to come. Also, I never did do a craft project of my own. Hobby Lobby and Michael's both proved to be a beating, and my inspiration has gone away for the time being.

My Lovely Baby Bump

Raise your hand if you're going to have "My Humps" in your head for the rest of the day. Sorry; couldn't resist the temptation.

A lot has changed in just a couple of weeks. I've officially made it past the half way mark, and I'm beginning to pop out a bit! Please ignore the outrageous tan lines. Baby Girl's room is in the process of being painted by Steve and Mark, both of whom willingly volunteered to paint this weekend. I was a little beside myself at the offer, but decided not to kick a gift horse in the mouth and encouraged them to proceed with their plans. I am in the mood for a craft of my own, so I'm thinking about undertaking the small project of painting some wall accessories. I plan to check out the craft selections at Hobby Lobby and Michael's to determine if they have anything for people with my level of expertise, which is none. If I end up with anything spectacular (or even semi-decent), rest assured that photos will follow.

MN Recap & Other Stuff

We had a great trip to MN to see my family! I arrived last Monday, and was surprised that evening by a shower thrown by my mom's amazing friends. Many of the people at the shower have known me for a lot of years, either through the various neighborhoods we lived in or skating. Even though they are far away, I am so glad that they can be part of this time ... a number of the ladies have literally watched me grow up. In addition to the array of gifts I received that evening at the shower, some people had selected gifts off our registry and had them sent straight to the house, which means it's been like Christmas since we got home. Our house is quickly filling up with baby gear that we have no idea how to use!

Steve came up on Thursday evening and we all headed to Lake Ida for the long weekend. On Saturday my Wenck relatives came over for a visit and brought more gifts! We spent the day boating, floating, eating, laughing, and catching up. I don't get to see my Wenck relatives very often, but when I do, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be surrounded by so many funny, down-to-earth, genuine people. I'm excited for our visit next year when I'll be able to introduce them to the first member of the next Wenck generation.

It was hard to leave on Monday evening, as always, but it was also good to get home. Higgins was especially glad to be back in his own bed! He lodged with my in-laws, and, from what I hear, spent the better part of his weekend acting as Mark's sidekick. They make a good pair.

Below is a picture of the baby's rapidly filling closet thanks to the showers and, in large part, to my mother-in-law who has been shopping since day one. We had everything stacked on the bed, and this morning I tried to make sense of all the items (it took a while). The clothes in the picture are only some of the items we have, if you can believe that. The shoes came from my Orcutt aunt, uncle, and cousin (the blanket underneath the shoes is a homemade treasure I received at my surprise shower), and the pink items get a posted picture because, well, they're just so cute and pink!

While we were in MN, our friends Jerrod and Kristi and their son, Cohen, moved into our neighborhood. We felt only a little bad that we couldn't help on moving day, but we were so excited to know they would be just down the street when we returned from our trip. Today Kristi and I went to Carter's to look for deals on baby clothes (she's pregnant, too). We found some good buys, but I discovered that buying baby clothes is no easy task. When I shop for myself, I find what I like and always select the same size. When I shop for baby, though, I have to think about size and style, and how they coincide with a particular season. For example, I couldn't buy a cute summer dress in a newborn or 12 month size because it will be winter during those periods in the baby's life. And although one item might be labeled 3 months, it can start fitting around 8 pounds, which may come well before 3 months. I realize this isn't a huge deal, and it won't kill me to use a little brain power while shopping, but it's a notable change in shopping habits nonetheless.

I need to wrap this up because you're probably getting tired (if you're still reading). But before I quit, I have one request. I'm soliciting advice on baby books. My sister and Steve both think we need one, but I was going to go the lazy route and skip it. I'm afraid I'll start the book and never revisit it to finish. So, I want to hear about what you recommend/what you used. Please refrain from promoting the all-out year-by-year scrapbook because it won't happen. Other than that, I'm totally open to your suggestions!

The Lake(s)

I just spent an awesome girls' weekend at a lake house in the area, and now it's time to head north for more relaxation. I'm flying to MN tomorrow morning for a vacation week with my family. Steve is coming up Thursday evening, and then we'll all spend the long weekend enjoying Lake Ida. Two lake weekends in a row! We come back next Monday night, and I head back to work on Tuesday, so I plan to take this opportunity to soak up my last bit of summer. See you on the other side!