Odds and Ends

I feel like I'm playing a little bit of catch up. I am 33 weeks along and beginning to feel a few contractions-enough to keep me from say- walking Sabino Canyon despite the amazing weather here. I had made tentative plans with a friend to go walk the canyon until she told me she was making mental notes on what to do chance I go into labor. We'll be saving the canyon for post delivery. I really love my doctor. I began feeling anxious about butting heads with hospital staff concerning my delivery wishes. He was so great-completely assured me that there were nurses there who especially liked working with women who preferred a non medicated route. Then he told me a hilarious delivery story that made me feel so much better. Not to mention making me feel like it was the most normal thing in the world to have a birth plan-YAY for you Dr. Eisenberg- YAY for you. Sorry no prego pictures yet. I need to get over trying to get a really "good" one. As if that's possible. You know I feel pretty good about myself until I see the play back picture on the camera. "That must have been a bad angle-we'll try that later..."

The boys went on the scout Klondike last weekend. Jared took Noah with him and Noah was as happy as could be. Jared even brought him home his very first utility knife for the trip. Hannah and I had a girls day and went out for Italian and did a little shopping. I love our girl dates.

Jared is in Safford today and called to let me know he was asked to help facilitate a research project with one of the doctors he works with. He sounds pretty excited about it. I don't know much more than that. He also is in the process of joining a first assist surgery group where every six weeks he would be on call to first assist for ER surgeries . He is really excited about this.

I took the kids out of school today to go to the Gem and Mineral show. Hannah could look at the pretty rocks and gem stones all day. Noah comes and goes in interest. He had the most fun spending his $5.00-down to the last dime. He found a bucket of polished agate being advertised at $3.00 a scoop full-the vendor got quite a kick out of Noah politely asking him how much for one piece. He gave it to Noah for free. Noah was tickled. Hannah opted to buy a pair of silver plumeria earrings from Hawaii to replace the ones she lost. She was excited about that. We went through the junior exhibit and the kids made out like bandits. We were able to see, touch and compare metals ranging from tin to titanium-then they filled their egg cartons with ten different minerals ranging from Quartz to Calcite. These were huge pieces too. I found a display case for part of our rock collection, and had fun putting it together when we got home.

Projects

I found a changing table on Craigslist that matches our crib we bought from our neighbor perfectly. Hurray!

I found another copy of A Gallery Of Children at Bookman's and cut the illustrations out and framed them for the baby area and Hannah's room. The illustrator is Henriette Willebeek Le Mair. I love this Illustrator.

Past Projects

Favorite Books

Noah is reading The Magic Tree House series and Hannah is reading The American Girl Series-which she has just about completed. She has started in on the American Girl mysteries, which she loves. When Jared is gone during the week nights the kids like to crawl into our bed and read. This brings me sheer happiness. Both completely enthralled in their books- stopping every so often to share a moment in the story with me. Hannah: "Oh momma, Molly just...." Noah: "HA! Mom guess what! Jack and Annie are...." I want to freeze time and just hold the moment. I sometimes picture them as adults musing over these loved stories from their childhood, and there children discovering them on our bookshelves.

These pictures are from Love of Reading Week.

I'm trying to get through Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451... I think I'm pretty past the Bradbury, Huxley, Orwell stage. I'll give Illustrated Man a try then revisit Jane Austen. I'm in much more of a romantic frame of mind these days.

So that's about it. I'm winding down-and savoring the moments of our life right now.