not too big . . .

. . . for Grandpa's lap!

We decided kind of last minute to make a trip north to Spencer for the weekend. I had every intention of taking lots of pictures, but this is the only one I snapped. Becky sure was tired! On Saturday, we went out to breakfast, to the pool with cousins Nick and Allison, came back for a nap, had Denny and Dianne, Ralph, Mariann, Nick, Allison, and Grandma Willie over for dinner, did some swimming and water gun fighting, and the three kids took a bath all before bed. Whew! It sure was a nice weekend, though. Probably the last one we'll have as a family of three in Spencer. (We're still trying to decide what to do about the Clay County Fair, but I doubt I'm going to be in any shape to go since it starts the weekend before I have the baby and ends the weekend after. Guess we'll wait and make the call at that time.) On Sunday, we got to spend some time with Grandma Irene and Monte before we headed home later that afternoon. Oh, and Becky went to the park while I took another nap. I sure seem to be tired again. Guess that means I'm on the downhill side of this pregnancy!

32 weeks

Here I am at 32 weeks on Friday. Went to the doctor. Blood pressure was good. I measured good. Baby's heartbeat was 144. I did ask the doctor a few questions about what would happen if I went into labor before my scheduled C-section. He said we would just go ahead and do the C-section at that point, unless I was progressed too far or I decided I wanted to go ahead and try to have a VBAC. I'm guessing everything will go as planned, as Becky was three days overdue, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared just in case! Otherwise, I go back in two weeks. Hard to believe that come September 13th, we'll have another little one to love. It's going to be here before we know it. As you can tell from this picture, Becky isn't excited about it at all! :)

nieces weekend

We had a nice weekend.  Emma came over for a visit on Saturday morning.  After lunch, Sarah, Emma, Al, and Becky went swimming.  I had to stay home and work on transcripts.  It was really okay, though.  It was so humid out, I didn't mind staying inside where it was cool!

On Sunday we headed down to Mt. Ayr to see Kaitlyn and Becca for their birthdays.  We took them out for lunch and then went to the pool for a couple hours.  It was nice to be able to spoil them!

We are so lucky and blessed to have these three wonderful nieces who live close by!

weekend (sort of) project

Al and I decided it was time to redo our kitchen floor since we've been wanting to since we moved in and since we're not moving soon.  This is what it looked like before....

Here it is with the floor ripped up....

 and here it is done!

There were a few kinks in our "weekend project."  Al got all the old ripped up on Friday night.  When we went to start on Saturday morning, all the tiles were bad on the corners.  All three boxes! He took them back to a different Home Depot in case the whole shipment at the one we got them from was cracked.  The guy there talked him into thinking carpet would be easier on the entryway stairs and landing than trying to do the linoleum.  So....he came home and got Becky and me and we all went to Home Depot to pick out carpet.  By the time we got home and got started, it was 3.  We worked for about an hour and a half and decided to stop and call someone in.  We weren't sure we would be able to cut around the doorways and didn't want to get upset with each other.  We had a guy come over on Wednesday to finish it for us.  It looks pretty nice.  (not sure we couldn't have done it ourselves just as good in hindsight, but oh well.  At least it's done!) I did have to cut two tiles to fit in the doorway on Wednesday night because the guy who was here thought carpet would be better there and I wasn't going to have that.  Plus, it was $50 just to have the Home Depot guy come out and remeasure that little area.  There is also one other tile that we may have to replace ourselves, but it does look a  lot nicer, and Al and I avoided fighting with each other while putting it down, so it was worth it to have someone come in and finish it for us!  Hopefully the carpet will be here in a couple weeks and that will be one project we can check off the list before baby comes!

Here is the portion we got done ourselves before we quit.  We thought it might have to be ripped up because we didn't think it was laying quite right, but the guy left it.  Guess we did okay!

30 weeks

 Here I am last Friday at 30 weeks.  I had a doctor appointment.  Baby's heartbeat was 146 or 147.  Everything else was good.  I just keep getting bigger and bigger!

 

Today I am at 31 weeks.  I have been doing some serious freaking out.  I realized on the 13th that my C-section was scheduled for exactly two months away and that I had nothing done!  Why is it you're so ready for the first, but the second one kind of seems to sneak up on you?  Anyway, I've been doing some major reorganizing and trying to get things in order before this baby does come.  Hopefully everything goes as planned and it doesn't come any earlier.  I don't think I'll be ready early this time. (except this humidity is ridiculous!)

Adventureland

On July 5th, we decided to head to Adventureland with the Boedings.  The rain was supposed to hold off until the late afternoon, and Al and I felt bad that we had promised Becky the carnival on Sunday and we couldn't go because it rained the whole day.  What does an almost 7 month pregnant lady do while she's at Adventureland?  Take a lot of pictures!

the teacups

 waiting patiently in line

 Drake and Becky on the ladybugs

 Chase on the ladybugs

 Corky, Julie, Drake, Becky, and Al on the Raging River

 Chase was too little for this one and I was too pregnant, so I did get to ride on the teacups with him and he got to ride the ladybugs two more times.  This was the only time during the day when it rained fairly hard.  The two of us were just as wet as the ones who went on the ride, if not more so.  We were in the rain longer than they were!

on the dragons

 on the stagecoach

 waiting again

 Most of the lines weren't too long, but even in the rain, the water rides proved to be about the longest.  Guess people figured they were already wet!

 Guess who was big enough for the roller coasters!

 This was the only part of the day I was really bummed to have missed out on.  I would have loved to have been able to ride the Outlaw and Tornado with Becky.  Oh well.  She had so much fun.  Al said she was a little scared going down this big hill....who isn't?  But other than that, she loved it.  Unfortunately, Drake was about and inch and  a half too short.  I bet by the end of the summer he's riding the coasters like a pro!

 the airplanes

 The Frog Hopper...which was ridden like three times in a row!

 on the motorcycles

 I wonder if they will like each other forever?

What a fun day we had, despite the rain.  It could have been a lot worse.  It was mostly a light rain off and on.  Becky and Al rode the Tornado twice in a row!  She really has no fear.  I think the favorite ride for Drake and Becky again this year was the Galleon, but since I couldn't ride, no one else was up for going more than once in a row.  The kids had to wait and go once in the beginning and one more time before we left.  Thanks, Boedings, for going with us.  It made the day so much more fun!

fireworks

On July 3rd, we headed to Prairie Meadows to watch the fireworks with the Boedings and the McGuires.  So much fun! 

 Drake, Becky, and Chase watching the horse races.

 Dancing to the music waiting for fireworks.

 They were having so much fun!

 Becky all ready to watch them, decked out in tons of glow jewlery.

 And oh....the fireworks.  It was a spectacular show.  I just love watching fireworks.  It was pretty late by the time they started, so Becky sat on my lap and watched them with me.  Loved it!

July 4th parade

On Saturday, we went with Sarah and Emma to the parade in Urbandale.  The parade was really long and we only lasted about half of it, but the kids had fun anyway!  They got a ton of candy that they didn't need. What kid doesn't love that?

 Here are Becky and I posing.  Not my most favorite picture of myself, but my size obviously doesn't bother Becky, so I'm trying not to let it bother me :)  I didn't  handle the heat too well that day either.  We walked from Sarah's house, and my feet and legs were pretty swollen.  It was hot!  However, I would take that over it raining all weekend.  At least we got one nice day!

carnival

 After the Urbandale parade and lunch, we visited the carnival.  Becky was in heaven.  She was so excited they had the roller coaster that they have at the Clay County Fair.

 Al and Becky waiting for the ferris wheel.  Al was not so thrilled that his wife is pregnant and cannot go on any of the rides with Becky.  He was a trouper though!

 The bumper cars were a little more Al's speed.

 Becky even talked him into the Tilt-a-Whirl!  Al is just yawning here and he'll hate me for posting it, but I love Becky's excited face on this one.  She was waiting so well!

 Around they go!

 Here is a game that we totally wasted money on, but Becky loved it anyway!

The only bad part about the carnival was that we bought enough tickets to use some on Sunday too.  It rained THE ENTIRE DAY!  So....we've got leftover tickets.  Who knows?  Maybe they will work at another carnival?  We'll hang onto them for a while just in case!

cousins

Stew and Brenda and the boys stopped by our house in Des Moines on Thursday night before they headed back home.  It was nice to get to visit with them and let Becky and Bode play for a while.  Becky finally took a few minutes to hold Boone. 

 Emma and Sarah came over to visit with them all too.

 giving Boone kisses

there's a smile!