mid-week update

In my normal life (non-pregnant state), I LOVE the sun. I bake in the sun for hours on end and am disappointed if I'm not sweating and tanning in the heat.

That was then. This is now. Mother Nature has decided to teach me a lesson and beat all previous records with this heat! Yesterday, it was 105 degrees in Bellevue. Our house is roasting. I am miserable. This isn't fun as a preggers woman! I am overheating.

So, I decided to head to the mall to enjoy the air conditioning and break up my "woe-is-me" day. Here is a conversation that occurred:

Trendy, non-pregnant, Nordstrom sales lady: Oh, my, you must be hot in this heat.

Me: Yes, I'm slowly dying!

Trendy, non-pregnant, Nordstrom sales lady: Well, you look like you're due any day now, so I guess that's good news.

...I have three more months...please pray for some rain.

Week 26

Doug and I just returned home from a wonderful and relaxing 10 days away! Our trip started with a Johnson family reunion in Lincoln City, Oregon. It was special to have my grandma, uncles, aunts, cousins, and spouses converge in one place for the weekend. Then, Doug and I headed to Priest Lake. We had a couple days to relax just the two of us (plus our karate-loving daughter in my belly) before our generous and hilarious friends--the Minahans and the Heidergotts--joined us with their boys for three days of fun at the lake. Check out their blogs in the coming days for more photos. I'll spare you the photos of me in my maternity swimsuit!! I called it my "Fat Suit."

I continue to feel healthy yet big. I definitely cannot accomplish as much each day as I'm accustomed to, but I have a helpful husband who is dealing with my high-maintenance needs! We can lie in bed and watch my stomach change shape as she moves around; at about 1.5 pounds and 13-15 inches in length, she kicks me to sleep each night and kicks me awake each morning. Such a sweetheart!

D and I celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary this Friday, July 31st. The little girl will probably get a good meal that night :)

Love, E

Week 24

This has been a productive week for the Whitfields, baby girl included. Here are the updates:

Baby Girl Whitfield: Now that she is approximately 15 inches long and 1 1/2 pounds, she has decided to show us what she is made of: strength. She has been kicking the hell out of me!! (Excuse my language...). Doug finally felt the kicks this week and continues to say, "I cannot believe that you have another living being growing inside you...that's so weird." It is such an awe-inspiring experience.

Elizabeth: In addition to some home projects (repainting the master bedroom, gardening, and preparing the nursery), I've been extremely busy....thanks to my bladder. Last night was an all time record: 7 times. Just when I have finally fallen asleep and found a comfortable position that doesn't hurt my back or cause her to kick me, I realize that once again my bladder is full. I recognize that this is bathroom talk and probably not appropriate for the blog community, but it's getting to be ridiculous! I guess I'm becoming prepared for short bursts of sleep interrupted by a crying baby....

Doug: He has been working extremely hard at work and at home; our downstairs bathroom remodel is coming along. I'm so appreciative of Doug's energy and enthusiasm about this home improvement. He designed this room from start to finish. We are just a couple weekends away from having 2 bathrooms in this house! This weekend, we were at Home Depot for the third time in less than 24 hours, and I noticed this little girl (4-5 years old) with her dad. The dad was looking for a certain tool, and his daughter diligently tried to help him by picking up every tool in the aisle and asking, "Is this the right one? Is this the right one? Daddy, what about this one?" I nudged Doug to make sure he saw this cute father-daughter interaction. In a few short years, I can see our baby girl joining her dad on many Home Depot errands. Doug will be an amazing teacher, and I'm sure our daughter will have her own tool belt or tool box (as I did).

D and I have been really enjoying our time together with picnics, lunch dates, naps in the backyard, watching movies, and bbqs. Granted, I have to leave Doug every 30-45 minutes to relieve my bursting bladder, but this quality time has been wonderful. And just think, in several weeks, we'll have two toilets in this house so I'll actually get to decide which one to use!

Love to you all!

E

Week 23

We hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! Somewhere amidst the fireworks, dinners with friends, and home improvement projects, I lost two important body parts: my ankles and my belly button. I hope they return at some point....