Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Happy July!

Well, my intentions of posting on a semi-regular basis seem to have been thwarted by, well, life being pretty busy lazy. Adam, baby Lovebug, Lily & I are doing well. Summer is flying by, which seems to happen when you're a working adult and don't get to spend all day being lazy. It's been pretty hot here in San Jose, which lends itself to lots of swimming in the pool, eating of cool treats, and enjoying the warm nights. We don't have air conditioning, so we're back to the familiar routine of opening up the house at night and closing everything down during the day.

Have any of you have ever read or recall the children's book Fredrick by Leo Lionni? It's one of my very favorite books. Fredrick is a mouse who is preparing for a long winter ahead with his family and friends. Every mouse makes a special contribution by gathering grains, nuts, etc. Fredrick, however, stands out in the sun, closes his eyes, and absorbs the beautiful warmth and feeling of the summer months. No one understands his contribution until one night when the mice have run out of food and are facing one of their darkest winter days. It is then that Fredrick recites his poetry and shares the feelings, colors, tastes, and sounds of summer warming the hearts of the mice in ways no one else could. (I am a really poor storyteller, so please read the actual book to fully appreciate Fredrick.) Anyway, my point is, even in the uncomfortable hot days of summer, I try to take it in. I try to remember the sunshine, the sound of kids playing outside, the taste of sweet corn and peaches, the refreshing feeling of diving into the pool, the sound of fireworks outside...and keep the memories for colder days ahead.


Aside from enjoying the hot days, we've been busy with traveling and seeing family. We drove up to Oregon last month to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday. We pulled off an actual surprise party for her which was a lot of fun. We also visited with friends in Portland, spent time with Adam's parents in Eugene and stayed a couple of days with my dad in Bend.

For my mom's party, we originally planned to rent out a photo booth and ended up doing a DIY version as a more affordable alternative. After we cleaned the party site, Adam & I dressed up for our own silly mug shot.


Hanging on the porch at Dad's house. I have to say, it might just be the cutest little house in all of Central Oregon.


Not too much to share in pregnancy-related news, except that I am now just about 20 weeks and have reached the halfway point in this journey which is pretty exciting. In some ways, I feel like it's gone by too fast and in others, I wish I had more time to get prepared. Generally speaking, I am feeling great. I no longer have bouts of nausea and have started eating things which made me sick early on. Sleeping has gotten interesting, since I can no longer sleep on my back or my stomach, which are my preferred positions. Instead, I now sleep on my side (which I hate) surrounded by an arsenal of assorted-sized pillows to keep me propped up and comfortable. Pretty soon, Adam is going to think he married a big pile of pillows. Additionally, pregnancy means lots of trips to bathroom at night, which makes me wonder if it's some sort of cruel training for life with a newborn. I am pretty sure I'm finally starting to feel the baby move, though it's more like subtle flutters and not full-on kicks. This has been my favorite part of being pregnant so far. It's amazing to finally feel the baby inside of me and know that he or she is growing and doing okay. Our next doctor's appointment is in about a week during which we'll have another ultrasound to measure and check on the baby's growth and development. We're also hoping to find out then if it's a boy or a girl...so stay tuned on that one.

1 comment:

  1. I love the book Frederick! Does baby have a copy yet? I think it is a good lesson for everyone to learn. Life can't be about only work. Pleasure, relaxing, enjoying need to be a central part as well. It is those moments of pleasure that can help us through the difficult times.

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