labor day? nah!

well, it's labor day weekend, and we are hoping it remains a harper-less weekend! so far, so good! jeff is in abilene until monday night for a golf tournament, but he left harper with strict instructions not to get any ideas while he is out of town. i've got a busy schedule next week at work, too, so i've also left a message with harper to keep herself busy at least thru wednesday! we're closing in on 38 weeks.... man, 38 weeks sure feels like forever! these next two weeks are likely to feel painstakingly slow, too. ugh, i'm torn between wanting harper to hurry up and get here AND taking advantage of every last minute before she gets here.

what else is new?? hmm... well, harper went to her first football game on thursday. jeff asked me not to mention this fact in the interest of it not having been a longhorn game. considering she had womb-side seats to the baylor game, i think there is still hope for her first official "live" game to be none other than a UT game. hook 'em, harper!

our doctor's appointments have escalated to a weekly frequency - things are heating up! i don't know what is considered TMI in this situation, so i'll just say that we are at 1cm and leave it at that. i know that 1cm doesn't mean much - considering that you can sit at that spot for quite awhile or not - but it was awesome to hear that we have begun making progress! i can't wait to go back on tuesday afternoon and find out if we're still making progress.

tuesday is a big day for another reason, too! breyer and coats should hopefully find out the gender combo of their twins! i had a dream last night that they are having a boy and a girl, so we can probably take that prediction to the bank. ;) (it was also the first relatively normal dream that i can remember having this year!) the agony of waiting is tough - i can imagine it is even more intense for breyer and coats since they are just a tad more personally invested! hehe...

time for bed. big day tomorrow...maybe some lounging (which means i won't actually sit down at all) and jazz fest tomorrow evening downtown. nighty night!

fortune cookies...in bed! ;)

Jeff and I picked up take-out from Pei Wei earlier this week, and you wouldn't believe the eerie accuracy of our fortune cookies! Jeff finished dinner first and went for his cookie. He looked at me with somewhat of an incredulous face and read his fortune aloud: "Many pleasurable and memorable adventures are in store for you." On the reverse side, the Chinese word for "Father" was written. A little weird given our current set of circumstances! My interest was piqued, and I grabbed my own cookie expecting to read something about following your dreams blah blah blah. Imagine my surprise when I read this fortune: "Don't be surprised by the emergence of undiscovered talents." On the reverse side, the Chinese word for "Mother!" What in the freakin' heck!? It kind of made my skin crawl...I mean, what are the odds? I have been a little at odds with the Chinese this past week regarding some of the shenanigans with the gymnastics competition and the shady judging exhibited at the Olympics, but I couldn't agree more with their fortune cookie fortune writing skills! Jeff and I are definitely in for our share of adventures with Miss Harper Elle Peel on her way, and I sincerely hope we both discover some unknown talents as we attempt parenthood! (God Bless us all!) Hehehe...

On another note, I am ready to install the car seats this week and to pack my hospital bag. Counting down!!

36 weeks and counting...

36 weeks down and 4 to go. I am absolutely exhausted this afternoon - totally out of nowhere- and at this tired moment, I cannot possibly fathom 4 more weeks! I could definitely go for a nap with the Wrig Pig right about now! Wrigley - if you are reading this, pencil me in to join you for your 5:15PM nap!

I'll post an updated progression picture tomorrow. Harper is still growing, and she is as active as ever. It is quite bizarre to look down and see your stomach "dance" and jut out at random intervals. I do feel pretty special from time to time when I make a comment to Harper and she "talks" back with an extra wriggle or two.

Okidokie, back to work. I hope I don't fall asleep at my desk!

finish line is in sight...

....though on some days it seems more like a mirage. We have five weeks officially until Harper is scheduled to arrive. However, similar to airlines, buses and dentists, babies don't always arrive on schedule! I am still hoping that Harper might want to show up a week or so early (which is not at all like the airlines or buses - those guys are never early!). She isn't ready to join us quite yet, but I am sure getting antsy carrying this extra load around!

I saw Dr. Koeritz yesterday for a regular visit. He informed me that his daughter gave birth last week to a nine lb, some odd oz, baby boy. Lord help me if Harper grows that large over the next few weeks! Oddly enough, while Harper appears to be growing as expected, I have not gained any weight in several weeks. I definitely appear larger in the stomach region, that much I can assure you! I seemed to have plateaued at twenty pounds, so we'll see if that changes. I'll go back to see Dr. K in two weeks after which our appointments will occur on a weekly basis. We're getting down to crunch time!

Dr. Koeritz and Jeff had an interesting conversation earlier this week, too. Jeff may have a chance to play in a golf tournament in Abilene over Labor Day weekend, which happens to fall about two weeks before Harper's due date. We couldn't make up our minds as to whether or not it was a good idea for us to travel four hours away, so Jeff called Dr. K to get his opinion. Dr. K said that nothing is likely to happen at that time, and if something were to progress, then there would be sufficient time to get back to Waco. Jeff was pumped that Dr. K gave us the green light - until Dr. K realized they were not on the same page as to who exactly would be making this trip! He laughed and said that Jeff was cleared to go, but that I was not. Later on, Jeff repeats the details of this conversation to me, and I am okay with staying in Waco. He did challenge me to defy doctor's orders and go to Abilene with him anyway. I told Jeff that while I believe Harper is not likely to come that early, there is no way for us to know that for sure! He assured me that if I started feeling contractions, then we would immediately return home to Waco. Uh, yeah, because a four-hour car ride sounds awesome, especially while experiencing labor contractions! Long story short - I will be playing in Waco over Labor Day, so be sure to let me know if anything fun is going on!

On an unrelated note, I received a random e-mail from HEB today along with a coupon for a free 1/2 gallon of ice cream. HEB must be on to me! Hehe... :) This could only be more perfect if the coupon were for Haagen Daas Fleur de Sel! (Jeff, don't bother looking in the freezer when you get home tomorrow - it is already gone!)

That's all for now, folks!

it's raining, it's pouring...

I've been a bad blogger again, and I apologize! The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity to say the least--we've had a couple of showers (of both the baby and rain variety), my ten-year high school reunion, out of town trips, friends in town, our one-year wedding anniversary and more!

My office threw a shower for Harper week before last, and it was great fun. My coworkers put a lot of effort into the event, and it all came together so nicely. It really meant a lot to Jeff and I - we were definitely touched by their kindness. Besides, where else could I expect to see a "Waco We Do" baby bib? I can so picture Harper dragging that sweet bunny rabbit by his ears once she becomes a mobile bi-ped! To any of my Chamber friends that may be reading this - thanks again for everything!

I'll spare you too many details of my high school reunion. It was great to catch up with some old friends, and I wish I had been more proactive with my digital camera. There wasn't enough time to talk to all the people I would have liked to catch up with, but I should have known that would be the case. It didn't help that two late-night events that I would have loved to participate in were held at smokey bars. I didn't think Harper would appreciate the smog, so I passed. Wrigley joined us for the tour of the Ellison HS that morning, and I think she thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm confident she can pass the TAKS test, and we are hoping she can graduate in the spring! ;)

Alyssa came in town on Saturday to hang out and do a little prep work for the shower on Sunday. I'd insert a photo of our time on Lake Waco, but unfortunately, Alyssa's digi cam died a quick, yet tragic, death as a huge wave jumped into the front of the boat and drowned our bag. I'll just tell you that we looked good, and you'll have to take my word on it. :)

The shower on Sunday was absolutely wonderful. It was graciously hosted by Breyer, Alyssa, Lara, Tiff, Sherri (Breyer's mom) and Linda (Tiff's mom). I was completely and utterly overwhelmed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of everyone in attendance (and even those that couldn't make it). Everything was perfect - the food, the subconscious coordination of all of us wearing shades of blue, the crossword puzzle (I'm not surprised few could guess my pregnancy craving of fresh pineapple and yogurt!), the quiz guessing Jeff's answers (harder than I thought it would be!), the decor... I could go on and on. Of course, the gifts were bountiful and great, but I was truly touched by the kind words and gestures extended by every single one of those ladies. I admit that I teared up a bit thinking about all of them on the way home from Mrs. Breyer's house that afternoon. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life, and better yet, Harper will get to know and love these people as she grows up, too. (Ok, I've had enough with the preggo hormones - I am tearing up all over again. To self: "Get a hold of yourself, man!") I've got a busy night ahead of myself writing thank you notes - suspiciously Jeff is out of town for the rest of the week. Good timing on his part! ;)

P.S. I have about had it with Target and their registry/return policy. I'll save that rant for another day. I am sad to report that my love affair with Target is currently on the rocks!

P.S.S. Happy Anniversary to us - one year down and many, many more to go!