Plugging Along

Long time no...well, you know the rest. I'd love to say I've been busy, but the truth of the matter is I've been succumbing to the fatigue of my third trimester. As of yesterday I am 30 weeks (that's 7 1/2 months for those of you not forced to speak in weeks) and feeling like crap, quite frankly. For the past week I've had excruciating back pain from my sciatic nerve and have a referral to see a physical therapist next week. While I am hoping the PA can figure something out, I'm not holding my breath. I believe my OB's exact words were "welcome to your third trimester." In the meantime I walk slowly, with a limp, and sit or lie down whenever possible. Bill's even been so kind as to give me a new nickname: Weebles. Ah honey, I love you too!

We have had an enjoyable holiday season, as I hope you all have too. We hosted for the first time ever this Thanksgiving and had my parents and our good friends the Mace's over. I cooked so much food I was forced to come to the realization that I am much like my mother in the kitchen. It was exhausting, but it felt so nice to be able to feed instead of be fed. Christmas was lower key than we would have liked, but vow next year to be better. Cole chose to stay in KS w/ his mother for the holiday so we called him that day and mailed him his gifts, though it made it all seem very cold and sterile. Again, we're hoping for a better year next year.

Bill is doing well and looking forward to the end of his time in OWT. The program, like many things in the military, wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and we're finding it now to be a blessing that we will not be pursuing a second year. We have some exciting options on our horizon and look forward to all the new year brings. All will be revealed in good time, but our daughter's birth is of course the number one thing we're anticipating. Admittedly I find myself daydreaming about her regularly; last night, as we watched my nieces and nephews as their parents were out on a date, I was combing one of the girl's hair after a bath and couldn't help but think before too long it'll be my daughter's hair I'll be combing. A wonderfully overwhelming thought, I must confess.

Well, we hope every one's doing well and that so far 2010 is proving to be a good year for all. No resolutions for me this year - instead, I am going to go for mindset which will be God, family and self. Even being able to admit that is where I want to go exhibits more faith than I've probably had since I was a little girl. I am slowly realizing the more I relinquish control, the more I realize God is looking out for me and my family. At 30 I feel like his slowest-learning child yet, but I'm trying.

All our love!