Always Learning

Usually I try to read around 40 or 50 books a year, you know, to keep the ol' brain active. This year, I think I will not reach that goal as I am often a little too tired and scatterbrianed to finish a book. But, praise the Lord, there are always opportunities to learn anyway!
I have learned this week, for instance, that the inside of the human belly button is smooth, soft, and hairless. I did not learn this very interesting trivia from book, magazine, lecture, or web browsing. I learned it because my own belly button is turning inside out. I have also learned that it requires a great deal of will power to keep from playing with an almost-inside-out belly button. It's like those little worry stones some people carry in their pockets and rub with their hands throughout the day...sometimes you just need to touch the belly button skin!
Now you have all learned something new about the human body that you probably wouldn't have learned from books or even medical school. Don't you feel smarter?

P.S. Kelly, thanks for teaching us about Japanese vending machines on your blog.

Time Flies

Wow! I have really not had a lot of time to blog lately....including now! I told Trish I'd blog about my experience with the sexist car salesman (and I will) but for now, just the quick update. It's hard to believe little Benjamin will be here in just a few more months!!!! He's been kicking and somersaulting a lot lately and I just love it every time. He's big for his week and strong (we're so proud) and all parts look healthy. I feel much more relaxed now that I can feel him everyday and I think as a result I'll be bugging my doctor and his staff much less often. We did buy a car since mine ended up being a total loss from the accident, and I'm enjoying having a working cd player and air conditioner on the road!!!! I have a lot of energy this trimester and have been able to get a lot done, but I can't stand the smell of most cleaning products, so my house is still pretty bad (there will always be some excuse!). Oh, and we ordered Benjamin's baby bedding on e-bay and it will be here in a few weeks! I hope all is well out there, and I'll update more later!

One year ago

One year ago today--emptiness, pain, fear of the future, depths of sorrow. I was in bed recovering from surgery. My mom was putting away baby things and pregnancy books so they wouldn't be a constant reminder. My husband didn't know what to do--he just took care of me, made me eat, prayed for me.
But today--joy, fullness, excitement, beauty from ashes. Jon felt the baby kick this morning--what a gift! At twenty weeks we are half way to the completion of the pregnancy and the arrival of our little darling! A new life is an amazing thing and we know that we also have the promise of resurrection and another meeting for the one we lost a year ago. But I believe THIS little one will make it, will bring us great joy in this lifetime, will laugh and cry and experience all of the joys and sorrows of life on earth. And then someday, all together, we will all know the joy, joy, joy of life together where there can be no more sorrow. "The last enemy that shall be defeated is death."

We made a haul!

In our city there is a huge baby and kids consignment sale twice a year, but to get the really good stuff you have to either be a consigner or the guest of a consigner so you can shop early. This year I decided to beg so I could get a pass to the early sale (you know, I asked friends to ask their friends and I just generally harassed anyone I knew might have an extra one) and I got THREE! So last night, my mom, my mother-in-law and I all went to the sale. We got in line at six o'clock and the doors to the guest sale opened at seven o'clock. If anyone has ever seen the Friends episode where Monica buys the cheap wedding dress, you can picture the frenzy this sale creates because it's like the wedding dress sale, but for baby stuff--after standing in line forever, you finally elbow your way in and run to the section that has what you're looking for. I actually broke a nail. I was already tired by the time we got in, but it was so worth it! We got two pack-n-plays (the kind with the bassinet and changing table attachments), a changing table, a nice wooden high chair, a baby papasan bouncer, a really beautiful framed picture for the nursery, and a snugli front-to-back baby carrier all for about $200!!!!!! I think we would have paid at least that much for the changing table alone if we bought it in a retail store. It is so much fun to have baby things in the house--can't wait to have the baby in them! Will y'all think I'm crazy if I unpack one of the pack-n-plays tonight just to look at it all set up again?