Nesting...

Well, I was busy this weekend. But we got a lot accomplished. Thanks to the help of my wonderful husband, I was able to get our bedroom cleaned immaculately (by my standards--we vacuumed under the bed and dressers even--that's pretty incredible for me) and prepared for baby. This is the most "nesting" I've done out of all my pregnancies I think. I have a completely different perspective this time around and am almost more excited than the last 3 times because I feel very lucky. I have been so very excited ever since I made it past my first trimester yet still I have been reluctant in some ways to prepare and "celebrate" the upcoming events. I guess it's away of protecting myself but the closer my due date gets, the more my wall is torn down. And it is fun! Reese was a part of the entire crib assembly and is very excited to bring a baby home. Even if it is a girl! (which "we don't need", according to him) Speaking of crib assembly, I've put together and taken down that thing by myself at least 3 times (probably more with our moves) but having all the extra help of my husband this time, it was like we had never done it before. The instructions were in a different language I guess becuase we struggled.....but in the end, it all worked out. I had wanted to paint the crib & changing table/hutch black and then distress it. After looking at this project closely, though, I'm not sure I could have tackled this task. Unless we can find osmeone else to do it for us (for less than the original cost of the furniture!) it looks like it'll stay honey brown. That's okay. This set has seen a lot of mileage and a lot of babytime. A lot of history, I guess you could say. Maybe the kids will paint it some day....who knows.

Anyway, I'm 13 weeks away from delivery and counting. Dr. Harkins says the baby is big so maybe will go early. Things are going very well and I feel pretty good. I wish I could share the experience with my sisters and my mom more in person but that's just not possible. I know at least one of them will give me a hard time about the oversized wedding picture above the crib, but I'd take it all just to be able to share.... However, photos, videos and phone calls will have to suffice until we get reunited this spring probably.

We are headed to a big swim meet this weekend and I'll be back to update you on the outcome. Emma has some big goals she's trying to achieve--and Karly, too. And Reese will be there to cheer them on! Here's to a great week!

Swimmers Weekend

We had a fast and furious weekend with swim meets. Wishing we had a weekend to catch up on rest, now. Emma had a meet on Saturday afternoon in Albuquerque at Academy (a very nice school!) where she competed in 8&Under events only. At this meet they award high point swimmers in each age group, male & female. She usually competes in at least some 9-10 year old events because her birthday falls one day short of being able to compete in the 8 year old state championship meet--so she may as well be used to racing these older kids if she is going to compete in a state meet this year. However, if she competed in all 8 &Under events, she could probably have one some trophies so far this season as she performs pretty well in this age group. So this meet, she did so with the intention trying to place overall, hoping to do well.

She did well! She won! We were very proud of her and she was extremely happy! Not only that, but she improved some of her times immensely. Partly because it had been almost 2 months since she last competed, but I think her practicing and work ethic is paying off. She qualified for the state meet (9&10 year olds) in 50 back and came within a second of qualifying in the 100 IM and within 3 seconds of qualifying in the 100 Free. Pretty good, we thought. Then today, she swam a 500 Free in a fun meet (not sanctioned, though, so no qualifying times) with a time 45 seconds faster than she was hoping for so if we're lucky, she'll qualify in that, too. Very good job, kiddo. You have some pretty proud and goofy parents. Keep up the good work.

Next we have Miss Karly Jo. She competed in a fun meet today in Las Cruces and did awesome, too. She got a 3rd place, two 2nd places and a 1st place ribbon. If she wasn't so busy lifting her head to check out her copmetitors during the race, she probably would have 3 1st places! Nonetheless, she was a champion today and got to shine in the spotlight after big sis had the whole thing to herself yesterday. We are very proud of you, too, girl. Stick with it! She's preparing for a gymnstics meet, too, so we have to keep up with her.

So what does all this mean? It means we are the total stereotypical sports mom and dad. Yes, I even wore my big buttons today, one with Karly's face and one with Emma's face, just so everyone would know who were my kids. Not really, I wear them so the girls see me wear them. So hopefully they will know how proud I am of them. It has nothing to do with what other people think because if you ask me, I think moms who wear those buttons are dorks! Well I used to, I mean. Now, no judgement is passed, trust me. Whatever your reason, all the power to you. Fashion statement, hardly not, but a proud parent, heck yeah. It's all about our kids. Patric and I have been comparing times, to the hundredth of a second, speed counting points, awaiting result postings and replaying home videos for the past two days, playing a role we never thought would come this early. Those nutty parents who are so into their kids, maybe too much into their kids?...that they are totally consumed by all this. Perhaps that's why watching Michael Phelps mom can make me cry when she tells Cooper Anderson, "I was just a mom who wanted her kid to do well." I understand. And I am there, too. I think will be this way for the rest of my life.

Hang in there Reese. Before you know it, it'll be your turn!