When we first told Jack that he was going to be a big brother, I was concerned that he would have no grasp of time.  And that every day, he would ask us if the baby was coming.

In an effort to stave off that particular line of questioning, I explained to him that before the baby comes, he would have:  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and his birthday.  And then!  Lo and behold, the baby would come.

That has worked pretty well, except that we're down to the last "pre-baby" milestone.  And while we've been going to a lot of awesome birthday parties for Jack's buddies, I can almost see his expectations ratcheting up for *his* party.  [Ulp.]

Every day, Jack asks me:  Is TODAY my burfday?
And I reply:  No, your birthday is in about a month.  It's not time yet.
He aims to refine:  But, I'm having a party?
And I aim to please:  Yes, you are having a party.

Funny thing is that every day, I think to myself:  How many days until the baby comes?
And I reply:  A couple more months.  It's not time yet.
And I aim to refine:  But, I'm getting close, right?
And I aim to please:  Yes.  You are.

I guess Jack and I are both pretty damn excited about upcoming burfdays and such.

Hope you have something totally bad ass to look forward to.

Talk soon,
Heather

One Year Ago, Today

On March 3, 2010, I got up early, turned on the coffee, and said hello to the dogs.  While I was saying hi to Lucy, my water broke.

I had some oatmeal and some coffee, and called the ob/gyn's office.  They said I should come on in to the hospital.  I agreed.

I decided that I needed to look presentable, though.  So, I took a shower, dried my hair, straightened my hair, put on makeup, and got dressed.

Then, Durel and I went for a little spin.

First, we drove through the ATM.

Then, we stopped for kolaches.  I said I wasn't hungry, but Durel bought me some anyway.  Then, I ate three.  Two that he had bought for me, and one that he bought for himself, but also sort of guessed I would eat.

Then, we drove through Starbucks for lattes.  I had a grande with skim milk, no foam.  

Then, we went to the hospital.  I was about to have a baby, and all.

At the hospital, Durel took this picture.

The rest of the day was long and less than glamorous.  Oh, but what happened on March 4, 2010 was miraculous!

Guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow for me to cast my memory back to that special day.

Nostalgically Yours,

Heather

PS:  Yes, my water broke the morning of 3/3.  We took our sweet time getting ready and getting to the hospital because, well, we had a few things to do and I was not having contractions.  The story of our morning that day is one of my favorite stories to tell people.  In hindsight, it's hysterical.   But I knew that they wouldn't give me anything to eat once I got to the hospital, so it was a good thing to strap on the feedbag before we got there!  This goes to prove one of my most deeply-held life philosophies:  It is always time for a kolache.

2010: The Year in Review

I'm a big fan of lists.  I am also a big fan of "recaps," as in the multitudes of "year in review" shows that will be on this weekend.  I really do want to know the biggest celebrity scandals of 2010, the best songs of 2010, and the biggest news stories of 2010.  In particular, I'd like to know this year because I spent a lot of 2010 either on bedrest or in "new baby land," where news doesn't always make it through the sleep-deprived haze.

In honor of how I will be spending this weekend, here's our own Geauxbaby 2010: Year in Review.

January.
After going into pre-term labor in mid-December 2009, I was on bed rest in January 2010.  For those of you who remember, bless you for visiting me.  For those of you who didn't know me then or don't remember, bed rest consisted of me, parked in my awesome leather recliner in the living room (courtesy of the best husband ever), with the remotes, my laptop, my Blackberry, and an omnipresent cup of decaf tea.

I was pretty productive on bed rest:  I read five novels, started this blog, watched an obscene amount of TV, napped a lot, emailed a lot, and scoured the interwebs for (1) information about my baby; (2) items for baby's nursery; (3) things to amuse me.  Still growing the baby.

February.
I went back to work part-time.  This was great, because it meant I got out of the house.  This was tragic, because it meant that I was waddling around with ankles the size of ... Fat Bastard.  Still growing the baby.

March.
Cheeseburger arrived!  And Cheeseburger was a boy, and we named him John, and call him Jack.  Oh, happy day.

April.
Jack, Durel, and I got to know one another.

May.
Still getting to know one another.  Loving every minute of it.

June.
I returned to work and Jack started school!  I was introduced to an entire group of people who love my baby in abundance.  So awesome.

The first ever Photo Shoot Friday.  It started as "Pearl Snap Friday," truth be told.
Maren, Gabe, Jack, Mac, and Eli round out the circle here.

July.
The Rosewood Oaks Gang kicked their activities up a notch.  In case I never blogged this, here's the Independence Day version of Photo Shoot Friday.

Jack, Emma, Gabe, and Jazmin show their patriotic sides.  And their sitting up skills.

August.
August was the month that she introduced Jack to the beach!  We visited South Padre Island with Grammy and Granddad Davies.  Awesomeness.  Jack got to fly the plane visit the cockpit on the trip down.

September.
The major cuteness continued into the fall.  September ushered in a series of ear infections that would result in tubes in December.  The up side?  Jack finds the paper in the doctor's office to be quite a treat.

October.
Happy fall, y'all!

November.
Happy dude.  Happy family.

December.
I promise, Christmas pictures are coming!  Uncle James took most of the ones that are sure to dazzle.  In the mean time, I will say that this month has seen Jack's "real food" intake skyrocket!  He likes all sort of things, and we're trying new things all the time!  Here's to raising our happy, foodie baby in a healthy way!

From Durel, Jack, and I, thanks for following our adventures in 2010.  We look forward to sharing more in 2011!

Cheers,
Heather

Self-Indulgent Flashback

A little over a year ago:

Yeah, life is good.  Have a good weekend.

Heather

Seriously?

Just a quick message from the soapbox:  You don't need these.

Talk normally; read aloud; listen to music.  Your baby can hear you.  You're good.  Save your money for diapers.

Just sayin'.

Hope this finds you well,
Heather

Update: Week 37

How far along are we?  Wow, wow, wow.   We are officially full term at 37 weeks.  I can barely believe it!  Until I look down, that is, because...

My belly is: Ginormous.  I used to see pregnant women and think, "There's no way I'll ever be that big."  Yeah, right.  In fact, my ankles want a piece of the action and are now giving my belly a run for its money.

Highlight of the week:  I don't know.  Getting to each new week has been a milestone since I was in the hospital in December.  At some point, though, the highlight of the week will be Cheeseburger's arrival!  Maybe this week, in fact...

What's Cheeseburger doing these days?  Making me utterly incapable of getting comfortable or sleeping.  How considerate of him or her!

Any odd cravings?  Not really.  I think that phase is over.  I do still love a good burger, though!  And Durel has stories about how I won't share the Girl Scout cookies with him...which he may or may not be exaggerating.

Anything else fun going on?  I was listening to the Beastie Boys yesterday and Cheeseburger went nuts.  I am so proud that he or she already has great taste in music!

What do you really miss? Oh, wow. So many things. Moving without grunting like I am doing manual labor. Moving without doing manual labor. My toes.

What are you excited about? Meeting this kid!  My first run after I get home from the hospital.

What are you not excited about? My ankles.

Have you had any deep thoughts this week?  Durel and I are about to be parents.  Awesome.

Hooray goes to:  My co-workers, who have gotten oddly used to my 6 hour work weeks, yet still treat me like a valued employee when I come back "full time" but am clearly a ticking time bomb, waiting to go into labor.

Belly Update: Week 36

How far along are we? 36 weeks!  We've been hoping to get to this milestone for a long time.  Hooray!

My belly is:  Ginormous

Highlight of the week:  Getting to this week is the highlight of the week, honestly.

What's Cheeseburger doing these days?  Causing me to eat the largest lunches imaginable.  Kicking me in the bladder.

Any odd cravings?  No specific cravings, but I am hungriest at lunch, and have been eating everything that's not nailed down as a result. 

Any feelings about the gender? No.  But the debate about Drew Brees Bernard rages on in the wake of the Saints' brilliant victory...

What do you really miss? Oh, wow.  So many things.  Moving without grunting like I am doing manual labor.  Moving without doing manual labor.  My toes.

What are you excited about? Meeting this kid!

What are you not excited about? My ankles. Labor.

Have you had any deep thoughts this week?  Well, this was the week that I was "supposed to" return to work full time, but my doctor has instead cut me back to 6 hours of work again.  Pregnancy is one long realization that you are not in charge.  Of anything.  :)

Hooray goes to:   The Saints, of course!  And everyone who is expecting ANOTHER 20 inches of snow on the East Coast. 

Week 35 Update

How far along are we? 35 weeks. We'll hit the super duper magical 36 week mark on Monday!  Uh, that means we are about to be parents...

How are those maternity clothes?   They are really great, but I think yoga pants and tshirts are better.

Highlight of the week:  I am allowed to work for 12 hours this week.  Which means I can actually get a few things accomplished!  It's a joy to be back at work, it really is.

What's Cheeseburger doing these days?  Giving me an outie.  Making sleep challenging.  Kicking me, especially when it's time to eat.

Any odd cravings? The cravings seem to be tapering off.  I eat when I am told (kick kick).  The million dollar question is whether I will revert to my non-red meat eating ways when I am no longer eating for two!

Any feelings about the gender?  No, but we are getting reeeeeeeeeeeally curious.  But I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  If it is a boy, we are NOT naming him Drew Brees Bernard.

What do you really miss? Sleeping on my stomach.  Having as much caffeine as I want.  Wine. 
What are you excited about?  Meeting this kid! 

What are you not excited about? My ankles.  Labor.  (Just being honest.)

Have you had any deep thoughts this week? I have some of the best friends in the world.  My shower was on Saturday and I am at a loss for words to describe how generous and loving they are, or how supported and honored I feel. 

Hooray goes to:  Danielle, Kristina, and Jessica, for being the hostesses with the mostest at the shower. 

Week 35 and The Salt Lick

My wonderful and fabulous baby shower was this Saturday.  It was a totally perfect day!  More on that in a bit.

For now, let me fast forward to the way we spent our day on Sunday, with a trip to the historic Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas.  Much like New Yorkers like to debate the best way to get uptown/downtown, or like Marylanders like to debate the best crab cake recipe, Austinites like to debate the virtue of the many barbecue joints in their midst.  All debates aside, people agree that the Salt Lick is just goooood.

Kristina and Jamie joined us in our barbecue journey.  We were all abuzz with anticipation.  The food didn't disappoint!

Happy happy barbecue eaters...

with very large, 35 week bellies!  This picture is at a horrible angle, but Shakira's hips don't lie, and neither does my belly.

Happy 35th week!

-- Heather

Week 33 Update

How far along are we? 33 weeks.  We'll hit the magical 34 week mark on Monday!  I am still seeing the doctor every week because of the preterm labor, but things seem to be going well.

How are those maternity clothes? Best invention ever.  And all of the tops that, at 12 weeks, I could not imagine myself ever being big enough to wear?  Now my favorites.

Highlight of the week:  Returning to work for 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, after one month of bedrest (and house arrest).  My average ratio is 2 hours of work; 3 hour nap when I get home to recover.  A month of bedrest takes it out of a girl!

What's Cheeseburger doing these days?  Kicking me in the ribs and growing.  Most importantly, not making his or her debut yet!

Any odd cravings?  J'adore chocolate, still.  And today I rediscovered root beer.  Who knew?

Any feelings about the gender? Not to be glib, but it's either a boy or a girl.

What do you really miss?  Mobility, running, sushi, my toes.

What are you excited about?  My baby showers!; decorating the nursery; hitting the (even more magical) 36 week mark.  A refill on my root beer.

What are you not excited about?  My ankles. 

Have you had any deep thoughts this week?  Making life is magical.  And uncomfortable.  But truly magical.

Hooray goes to:  Durel.  For a million reasons, but the current reason is that he's upstairs assembling the crib right now, and let's just say that putting together furniture is not his favorite pastime.

Bump Update, With Flashbacks

I am so happy to have reached 32 weeks with Cheeseburger!  For those of you who are uninitiated to the wild world of pregnancy, the way the doctors actually count the journey is 40 weeks. Yup, you got it:  10 months.  As it turns out, that whole "9 month" thing is a lie.  And when you're the one carrying around a bowling ball, every month matters.

I digress.  Speaking of the bowling ball, here is its evolution:

Just starting to show at 15 weeks

Feeling sassy at 19 weeks

I realized I was really starting to show at 20 weeks.

I could not get over the size of my belly!  Ah, little did I know...

Redefining "bump" at 27 weeks

Bringing us to today -- 32 weeks!

The whole point of bedrest is to keep Cheeseburger in there and growing.  Based on the size of my bump, we are succeeding!

Hope this finds everyone in good health. 

-- Heather