Baby Update

Jack decided to cooperate today and let us hear his heartbeat without being difficult.  He has dropped and I've dialated and the doctor says anytime now.  We'll see...

8 things

Okay Katie, I am going to attempt complete this tag.

Eight things I'm looking forward to...

1. Meeting Jack and seeing what he'll be like

2. Watching my two boys become brothers

3. School being over and my summer being free (as free as it will be with a newborn)

4. Fitting into non-maternity clothes again

5. Our next trip to the beach, whenever that will be

6. Going to Ben's wedding today

7. Deciding on my next sewing project and actually sewing it

8. Getting a pedicure since I can't reach my toes

Eight things I did yesterday...

1. Went to work and celebrated my students' good behavior by watching Willy Wonka. We had just completed the book and they had filled their chocolate jar

2. Ate dinner at El Portal

3. Played outside with Ryan in the sprinkler and he threw mud at me

4. Had breakfast with Phil, which is a rare thing these days with his schedule

5. Got the car washed

6. Let Ryan have his first Slurpee

7. Met with my superintendent

8. Cuddled with Rita in bed

Eight things I wish I could do...

1. Travel to Europe with Phil and meet his relatives in England

2. Go to Australia with Phil to see where his dad used to live

3. Go to Hawaii for the first time

4. Take Ryan to Disneyland

5. Change the climate in Bakersfield so it would never be so hot

6. Have the time, energy, resources, and help to paint my kitchen cabinets white and put on hardware

7. Have a patio cover built

8. Immediately be my regular size after the baby is born

Eight shows I watch...

1. Arrested Development

2. 30 Rock

3. The Office

4. The Closer

5. What Not To Wear

6. Project Runway (please come back soon!)

7. Burn Notice

8. Most anything on HGTV

I tag...

1. Phil

2. Alli

3. Sara

4. Stacy

5. Ellie

6. Beth

A ways to go...

So today I had a doctor appointment to check on the baby. He was totally uncooperative. We could feel him moving, but the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat. She got out the ultrasound for a quick check. He was in a tight little ball, head down, with his hands and feet wrapped tightly in front of his body, making it extremely difficult to see, let alone hear, a heart beat. We finally saw it and everything was fine. She wanted to confirm that he indeed is a he, but he was even more uncooperative about that. We will just have to trust that the first ultrasound was right. His head is still very high up so it doesn't look like I'll be going into labor immediately. I guess the good news about this is normally, after 36 weeks she doesn't let anyone travel, but in my case she is going to let me go to my cousin Ben's wedding this weekend.

Baby Shower

Today, I had a "sprinkling" (as Julie and Laura call a second baby shower) at Laura's house. I really enjoyed myself and got some really cute and great things from a group of wonderful friends. Here I am with my lovely friend Anna. I can't believe this belly is going to grow for another month!

The girls provided a terrific and delicious spread of food for the event.

The lovely Kim and Amy

Here is Ryan's second cousin, and Katie and John's little one, Henry. I love the little faces he makes!

Jessi, who I haven't seen in ages, came down for the event, which made me so happy.

Amy and Tiffany

My grandma Net, who is about to be a great-grandma for the third time. (She, however, has always been great.)

A very excited and talented Grandma Debbie

Jill and her little one Cade

Janice and Judy, here is the quilt that you have been wanting to see. I love it and think it is so cute. Cade squealed and had to check it out when he saw it, so it is nice to know that it is kid approved.

Here is the back of the quilt, which matches the bedding in the nursery.

A VERY proud Grandma Gail with baby Henry.

Laura made this for Jack and put the meaning, "God is Gracious." under his name. I love it and think it looks so cute in the nursery.

Jack also got a "Papa Blankie" and a "Baby Blankie" from Grandma Debbie. The "Papa" and "Baby" names are from Ryan given to his blankies based on their size as defined by many readings of The Three Bears.

The cars quilt in the nursery

I am so happy to be surrounded by such a great group of girls and women that love me and my family so much. I am grateful for all of them and their generosity towards my family. Thank you all!

The Birdie Sling is Done!

I finally finished the Birdie Sling today. I had to wait for some fabric to come in, then when it finally did arrive, my sewing machine decided not to work properly. My mom came over and gave it a thorough cleaning and reset the tension and now it seems to be better for the most part. I think a certain little someone in our house had reset a few knobs on my machine contributing to the trouble. I am really happy with the new dimensions. This was by far the easiest Amy Butler pattern that I have followed (and I use the term "followed" loosely). Anyway, I am very happy with the result.

Happenings Around the Ogden Home

We have been pretty busy this past week, and it seems as though the busyness will continue until school is out. Here are some snapshots of some more mundane things that have happened around our house in the last week.

First of all, I couldn't be more proud that my trumpet vine is FINALLY blooming. We planted it when we moved in, about 4 years ago. Last year it probably got 3 blooms total, but look at it now! Patience has payed off for this vine.

Next, I got a new haircut that I am really happy with. She cut it with a razor, which I think is really cool.

Next, Ryan has been using the bathroom more and more by himself. He was gone an awfully long time one night under the guise of "pooping." Here is what I discovered when I went to check on him.

I also snapped this picture of his "remorseful" look after I put him in the tub.

Today...

Today has not been my day. For whatever reason, I just couldn't get my stuff together and get in the car to go to work. I think it took me three trips to get everything into the car and on one of those "trips", due to having no equilibrium from being pregnant, I fell down. I finally thought I had everything in the car and was off to work, only to discover that I had left my lunch in the fridge. My morning at work went fine and when I went to find out if anyone wanted to come with me to get some lunch, my friends let me know there were a ton of subway sandwiches in the fridge leftover from yesterday's author visit. I thought that things were on the up and up. I had left my water bottle in the classroom, but had remembered my purse, so I bought a much needed and not often had, diet coke. I left the lounge, only to open my classroom, walk to my desk, and narrowly miss a drop of water falling from the ceiling. I looked up to see a bowed, soaked, dripping ceiling tile. I called the office to let them know, and I also remembered that my overhead light bulb had gone out in the morning, which I also told the secretary. They said they'd send a janitor over, and see if there were any light bulbs on our budget-depleted campus. (There are not, by the way.)

The janitor came a few minutes later to let me know that the air conditioner repair guy had left a hose running, and hence, my dripping ceiling. A little while later, another janitor came and replaced a ceiling tile, all while I was trying to teach my class about our literature selection of how a deaf percussionist can "hear" and play music. After the janitor left, I asked my class if they knew more about the percussionist or how to fix a ceiling tile. They said, "The ceiling tile." Sigh.

Next, a colleague needed me to watch her class, so I briefly had 41 kids in my room, while I tried to entertain her class and finish Mother's Day gifts with my class. I was so happy when I was walking my class out for dismissal. We had our usual grade level meeting after school, and everything was going well, when I got a phone call from the speech teacher letting me know that I was late for an IEP meeting. Great. And I thought I was going to be going home soon. I am now finally home, watching the special features from "Cars" with Ryan. Hopefully this evening will be a little smoother.

New Wallet

I've been wanting a new wallet forever but I've been unable to find one that is both striking in looks and functionality. I also haven't had the cash flow to spend a lot of money on a wallet. (While I've wanted a wallet, there is hardly any cash inside. Ironic, I know) Anyway, I decided that I could probably design an sew a wallet that lived up to my expectations. Below is what I came up with it. I am mostly very satisfied with it, although I would have added a little stiffer interfacing to the whole project, and probably changed the opening where I turned the wallet right side out. It stretched a little when I did that and caused a pucker when I sewed it up, which was disappointing to me.