Top 10 of Pregnancy

I thought I would go ahead and publish this list before I get to the last weeks of pregnancy. Many have told me that any positive feelings change in the final weeks to "I want the baby out now" feelings, so I'm hoping to use this list to remind myself of the great things about expecting a baby...

1. It's okay to have some real ice cream now and then. I have surprised myself with the amount of Maggie Moo's and Coldstone combinations I have been willing to try. Who knew that freedom could bring such a sense of adventure with ice cream and mix-ins? For the record, cheesecake ice cream with strawberries and graham cracker crust has been my favorite so far.

2. People always smile at you. I'd like to think it's because everyone has a memory of someone they love in the big and pregnant stage and smiles fondly at the thought of that person and the baby that entered the world through them.

3. Expectant Mother Parking Only. I have only found this at Babies 'R Us and Best Buy. Oh, how I wish other stores would catch on.

4. If you lie down for a nap, no one sees this as laziness. It's viewed as taking care of yourself and baby.

5. My husband tells me every day that he has "the cutest pregnant wife ever". I'm sure many fathers would disagree as they remember their wives in this stage, but when Jason says this it makes my day!

6. Learning that the number on the scale is NOT something to obsess over during pregnancy. And maybe not so much other times either...

7. The daily reminder that there is LIFE inside my tummy. The kicks, jolts, and flutters reassure me that God is in the business of doing miraculous things.

8. Knowing where every single restroom is in this city. I'm convinced this is good preparation for motherhood because it seems like any "mom compass" always knows exactly where to find the restroom when it's necessary.

9. Prenatal vitamins do great things for your skin, hair, and nails.

10. It's good to be a caretaker. By this I mean that I have to think about all my activities, meals, drinks, medicines, and countless other things in relation to the baby I'm carrying. What a tremendous lesson in learning how to choose what's best for another human being, even though it might not be what I want. I feel certain the world might be a better place if we all lived such a constant life of self-surrender...and it probably involves way more than giving up caffeinated Cherry Coke and sushi.

This IS NOT our baby...but isn't she cute?

I got a sweet new camera and needed a volunteer for my first mini photo shoot. 6-week-old Grace Haugland fit the bill. Her parents, Gabe and Carolyn, are in our Connection Group and are good friends. Such a great family...and very photogenic! Thanks to the Haugland family for the photos and fun!

We're not flooded.

For those of you who have been watching the national news coverage of the flooding in Iowa, I just wanted you to know that we haven't suffered any flood damage. There was a bit of flooding in Des Moines but it was far from us. Thankfully we live on top of a big hill and are not close to the river. So it seems we are safe no matter how high the water rises...

This has been a crazy weather month in Iowa. I thought we might have left the tornadoes, flash floods, and other weather issues in Texas...but I was wrong. There's plenty of severe weather here to keep things interesting.

For the last few days, though, we have had nothing but nice sunshine and great days. It still hasn't even hit the 88 degree mark yet this summer. We could certainly never say that about June in Texas!

33 weeks...We are ready to meet Baby in about 7 weeks. Any guesses as to boy or girl?

Phase 3: Completed Room for Baby

This week my mom is visiting from Texas and we love having her here. She has been so helpful around the house and worked with us to complete Baby's room. She was also the deliverer of our crib bedding and nursery goods. My grandmother is an amazing seamstress and she made all of Baby's bedding and curtains for us. We are so happy to have a homemade nursery we can keep forever. It's so special to know she made it for us and we will always be able to tell Baby (and future Babies) that Maw made their bedding especially for the Reynolds family.

The room still needs a few touches...like things on the walls. But I am really happy that the onesies are in the drawers and the crib is all ready. Now we are just waiting for Baby - we can't wait to see if it's a boy or girl. Such a fun surprise!

Check the nursery goods...
This is the quilt and bumper. Notice that we selected a material with dolls, doggies, balls, and crayons to go with our neutral theme.

Phase 2: Crib

This week we have begun (and completed) Phase 2 of Baby's room. Here's a picture of Jason working his crazy assembly skills on the crib.