Just Playing at Grandma's

Since we have some of Jonathan's grandparents nearby, sometimes I can go months without taking pictures of him with them.  I've been making an effort to keep the camera with me so that I'll start doing better.  Here he is at Grandma's.

Those Lincoln Logs from the 70's just never get old, do they?  And neither does wearing a can as a hat.  Jonathan has come a long way in the past few weeks, from needing help with his buildings to creating them all by himself.  (He says, "all by myselth."  One of the few phrases that he still mispronounces.)

Playing cars with Grandma.

We'll try for some pictures with Grandpa soon!

What to Do With a Cradle

Jonathan tells me that the bedding in the cradle will work for a boy baby or a girl baby.  It sure will...

39 Weeks...Oh, My!

Here's the same baby that the midwife says is "ready to crawl out."  Oh, my.

The "Golden Gate Bridge," by Jonathan

So Thankful

Jeff had to be out of town all day yesterday for work.  (He went to cooking school and had a great time.  If you know him, you can give him a hard time and find out all about it!)  I was really nervous that I might go into labor while he was gone and that traffic would prevent him from getting back.  Well, I didn't...and, as a bonus, traffic was not bad on his way back, either.  I'm so thankful.  And I guess I can take our overnight bags out of the back of the car.

Almond Blossoms

It's almond blossom time, our favorite time around here! It has been rainy, too, so we took Jen's lead and got out in the mud to take some pictures today.  This orchard is not quite in full bloom, but we thought we should get out while we could.  If you're curious, here's a link to last year's pictures, and here's a link to the previous year's pictures, including some special pictures of my grandpa.  He passed away during almond blossom time our first spring here.

And, I should warn you...there are a lot of pictures in this post.  I knew the grandparents would enjoy it, and I had a hard time choosing between pictures of Jonathan.  It's fun to see how much more of a runner he is in this year's photos.

New Blog for You!

I've added a new blog to our sidebar that I know you'll enjoy and find useful: The Frugal Muse. My dear friend, Cherissa, has been honing her tightwad skills over the past few months, and now she's sharing her tips and treasures with us on her blog. Right up my alley! I hope you'll go take a peek.

Today she shares an amazing deal on diapers with us. Even if you don't have kids in diapers, I bet you know someone who does...or might need a baby gift for someone who does. Even though we'll be using cloth, I know we'll need disposable now and then for road trips, plane trips, babysitters, etc. I plan to get in on this deal. Thanks, Cherissa, for sharing your blog with us.

39 Weeks

First of all, the baby and I are just fine!

After watching many friends over the years be told by their doctors, "You'll have the baby anytime," or, "I don't think you'll make it to next week," I had resolved to ignore such comments at my appointments and to be ready to make it to my due date at the least. I was doing pretty well with that until Tuesday night when we were up with contractions all night. Since then, I haven't been so patient.

Today, I was told for the third week in a row, "I probably won't see you in a week..." but I made an appointment for 40 weeks anyway, of course! The baby sounds good, and I am still at 3 cm. and 80% effaced. The midwife is happy with how we're doing. I'm relieved every week we have an appointment that doesn't reveal anything unexpected. No news is good news! The midwife told me that the baby is very low and is "ready to crawl out." Seriously.

No one has brought up induction, as some doctors tend to do, and I'm not going to bring it up, either. As uncomfortable as I am, (and I am!) I figure if the baby is still in there, it's not ready to come out. Unless a checkup finds something to be concerned about or the baby comes on its own, let's let it keep percolating.

We are all so excited about this baby. At the grocery store after my appointment, Jonathan asked if we could get a birthday card for the baby when he/she turns one. I told him we could, and he wanted to choose the card today. Very sweet. We did decide to wait, though!

The Obsession Continues

Although we make sure to do other things each day, too, Jonathan's favorite activity is building with Legos.  Here he is showing off a recent creation:  a John Deere airplane.  If you look at the color on the bottom, you'll see why it's a John Deere.

He has branched out a bit and isn't a gecko every single day anymore.  Today he is a caterpillar taking care of helpful tarantulas.  His hands are the tarantulas.

No Need to Worry

I've heard from a couple of friends who thought the baby might be here since I haven't posted anything new on the blog.  No worries, the baby is not here yet!  We'll make sure to shout it from the rooftops when he/she arrives.  I have my 39-week appointment tomorrow and will let my kind readers know what's going on.  Enjoy your Sunday!