More Entertaining Comments

Some additional size-related comments from strangers (in addition to labor horror stories that people see fit to tell me at a very vulnerable time in my life)...

"DANG, GIRL!!!" This one was from a man in the hospital waiting room, yelled at the top of his lungs. I don't think he was "all there."

"I think I see a foot sticking out!" Again, in the same waiting room, and she was looking at my insulin pump under my shirt. I didn't bother to correct her.

"Holy cow!" Thanks, teen-aged dude.

"Her's gots a baby in her tummy." From a toddler at Target. It was quite sweet.

"No smuggling watermelons!" Uh, okay.

And still the ubiquitous, "Twins?" from a lady at the grocery store.

I told Nathan about the twins thing again and he said, "Next time that happens I'll just tell them you're three months along with quadruplets."

"No... 'cause then they'll ask all kinds of inappropriate questions like if they're 'natural' or through IVF or something."

"Then I'll tell them that we don't know who the father is, but that you're my wife and that I've chosen to stick by you even still."

"Great."

This is not our baby, obviously, but I thought he was cute!

AND WHO STOPPED PRAYING FOR MY SLEEP?!?!?!?! I gave you a good report in a post last week, but then my quasi-peaceful nights went bye-bye. After almost a week without solid shut-eye, I am going cuckoo again. Yesterday morning my mom and Nathan were asking me a simple question about transportation to a doctor's appointment, and I just couldn't answer. The words were in my mind but didn't come out of my mouth quickly enough. I ended up bursting into tears instead.

I told a friend in an e-mail that my behavior lately reminds me of my childhood dog, Bebe, when she was about to have puppies. She whimpered a lot and paced around the house and spent a lot of time in dark closets. I don't actually spend time in dark closets, but I don't feel like going out of the house AT ALL and have been feeling quite anxious. Every night I worry that I'll go into labor right after lying down and won't be rested and ready mentally or physically to get the dang baby out. 

Normal, yes? 

To all you mamas out there, I'm sorry you've probably experienced the same. To all you ladies who long to be mamas, I'm sorry you haven't experienced the same. Being pregnant has been a lot harder than I thought it would be, for sure, but I am grateful. When I'm tired, itchy, annoyed, uncomfortable, stretched out, panicked, grumpy, etc., Nathan says, "This is what we prayed for!" So true.

It's the final countdown. Cue Gob's music from Arrested Development.

A New Birthday Dance

We continued to celebrate my dad's birthday, on his actual birthday this time, last Thursday. I think he was really hoping the baby would come that day so they could share a name AND a birthday (with Philip's birthday too, whose middle name is Harrison), but alas... no dice.

That's a lot of candles on that red velvet cake!

Blowing them all out...

Trying on his new birthday sweater

And of course, lots of dancing

I love June and Dad's similar poses. I'm not sure what's happening here.

Uncle Nathan getting some dance lessons from the girls...

And this is why my parents are already the coolest grandparents around.

Whipped Cream, Early Birthdays, and Selfies

Last weekend we celebrated my dad's birthday a little early at Aunt Deanie and Uncle Bob's house with the family. We had some of my favorite foods including chicken fried steak and chocolate pie. I'm still dreaming about it.

Papa asked for his pie with lots of whipped cream. I think the plate is mostly whipped cream. I love this picture of him and June.

June took the rest of these pictures because I was laid up on the couch trying to get my cankles under control.

June's little selfie cracks me up. I have the best family.

Happy birthday, Daddy. I love you.

My Man, SCC

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have loved Steven Curtis Chapman since 4th grade. My Aunt Deanie introduced his music to me when our family lived with her the summer of '91, when I decided that the song "I Will Be Here" would be played at my wedding (it was). We whistled in the kitchen to "You Know Better" and I fell asleep every night to my Walkman playing "His Strength is Perfect." 

I've seen him a total of 14 times in concert now, and his is the first concert I remember attending (Sandi Patti at 2 weeks old was actually my first concert). I was on my dad's shoulders at some county fair, and Steven still had a mullet. My Uncle Ed banged on his trailer door at another county fair concert (he was working security) and insisted he come out to meet me my freshman year of high school. My mom says SCC commented about how I had my homework with me (I guess it was a school night), but I don't remember that. I saw him in the front row at DC/LA in '95. I think my friend Jordan had something to do with that one, if memory serves. I saw him at Women of Faith with Mary Lou just after he lost his daughter, Maria. These are just a few of the good shows and memories with Steven Curtis Chapman.

I had a wall of fandom dedicated to him in my Taylor University dorm room. In fact, my roomie, Melissa, and I used to write notes to each other on a white board using lots of SCC song titles. I wish I had written some of them down. They were genius. :)

So many of his songs have been the soundtrack of my life, especially ones on the albums Real Life Conversations, For the Sake of the Call, The Great Adventure, Heaven in the Real World, Signs of Life, and Speechless (my late 80s and 90s streak). Most recently, his album Beauty Will Rise (2009) has meant a lot to me.

Anyway, my 14th concert was no disappointment, and I got to see him with some of my favorite people, my parents and Nathan.

We had a little dinner at Jake's Tex Mex first. Awesome.

Yummy food is a necessity before singing one's guts out at a concert.

We got to see him and Laura Story and Jason Gray at the beautiful Fox Theater in Bakersfield. Thanks for coming to see me in my own hometown, Steven. You've still got it.

If you're not a Steven fan yet, you can start with this song, "The Great Adventure." You're welcome.

Work-y and Sleepy

Praise the Lord, Nathan got a temporary job! He started last week working for a local landscaping company. For the first time he's not behind the lawnmower, but rather he's selling commercial maintenance contracts. He's just pumped to be "getting out there" again after a long hiatus due to studying and job hunting. 

There are still things in the works in terms of long-term pastoral ministry, but we are still waiting on the Lord for final plans. No matter what, we know we'll be here in California until the first of the year. I'm grateful we'll be here to have the baby and and have lots of time to be with my family.

This is his first day of work. I packed his lunch and took his picture. The lunch packing for him only lasted one day, unfortunately. I am usually asleep when he is ready to leave, although he wakes me with a little kiss... or a panicked question like, "Where did you put my pants?! Have you seen the keys?! Can you help me find my glasses?!"

On a related note, thanks to many of you for praying for my sleep. It has, on the whole, improved quite a lot. I only feel crazy with insomnia once or twice a week. I got a text from my friend Amy this morning saying she couldn't sleep last night and was praying for me and the baby, and guess what? I SLEPT LIKE A CHAMP LAST NIGHT! I'm sad for her but happy for me. Sorry, Amers.

So what have I been doing while everyone else is working out of the home? Meal planning, shopping, cooking, going to medical appointments, hanging out with my sister and nieces, and so on. I can't do a whole lot without my feet busting out of my Rainbows (British friends, Rainbows are the ubiquitous flip flops that everyone who sees the sun wears every day) and needing to rest and put my feet up to get the blood flowing again. I am feeling pretty good. Tired, but good. In addition to comments about my size (I get asked at least twice a day if I'm having twins, and that is not a joke), people have been asking me if I'm ready for the baby. 

Yes and no.

Yes, I'm ready to escape from the trapped feeling I have in my own body at the moment: the itches, aches, pains, anxiety, insomnia, and general I-can't-get-completely-comfortable-anywhere-at-any-time-in-any-position. 

No, I'm not quite ready for the bajillion questions, insecurities, worries, etc. that come with parenting. I think the main question will be, "Am I doing this right?!" 

Yes, I'm ready to see and hold my son. I know from an ultrasound last month that he has hair and that he likes to smile with his mouth open like his dad. I can't wait to see that in person.

No, I'm not quite ready to give up lazy Saturday mornings dozing and sleeping in absolute peace and quiet. I'm not a morning person. I'm not really a night owl either. I'm a I-love-sleep person. However, the past few months have left me with this thought: if I can't sleep as much as I want/need, at least I'll have someone to hang out with.

My sister put this picture on a Pinterest board she has just for me:

It makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.

Oh, and my sweet friend Lorie took this picture in July when I was here, and I am so glad I have an image of me looking peaceful and motherly and not bonkers and uncomfortable like I feel about 80% of my waking hours. :)

A Typical Exchange About My Belly

This picture was taken by Nathan at least a week ago... maybe two. Yesterday I had a little exchange with a neighbor I don't know well at all (I know her face but not her name) that is typical of the comments I get in public.

Her: "Wow. You're bigger than last time."

Me: "Yeah... nowhere to go but out."

Her: "When are you due?"

Me: "I have six more weeks."

Her: "SIX?! But you're already huge!!!"

Me: "Yeah..."

*Awkward silence*

Her: "You're SURE there's just one in there?"

Me: "Just the one..."

Aaaand scene.

I also get irritated by people who tell me to sleep now (I have been struggling with insomnia for months already!). I know people are curious and showing interest and trying to be nice. If I didn't have diabetes and a higher than average amount of amniotic fluid to worry about, I probably wouldn't be bothered by the "huge" comments, and if I wasn't so dang tired I wouldn't be bothered by the "sleep" comments. But... I do get bothered after a few conversations like that per day, although meeting our son on the other end of this process is worth it. I don't want to complain, but some people just don't realize their comments are insensitive. Or maybe they don't realize that I'm overly sensitive. :)

An older gentleman at Target the other day engaged me in the usual baby conversation and said, "Don't worry. Your husband will be there every second. Just stay calm. STAY CALM. JUST STAY CALM!!!" It was actually really funny how uptight he was when he was telling me to stay calm. I'll have to remember that one while I'm in labor.

People, here is a bank of words you should feel comfortable using with pregnant women: cute, glowing, radiant, adorable, petite, motherly, amazing, beautiful. Don't stray far from these, and you'll be just fine.

Deep Fried Cheese Curds?!

I am so behind on my posting. Like, weeks behind. Almost two weeks ago Nathan and I went to the Kern County Fair. It was awesome for a few reasons: 1) the weather was AH-mazing, 2) we went in the middle of the day when hardly anyone was there (Don't you people have JOBS?! Oh, wait... we don't have jobs.), and 3) there were lots of scrummy (scrumptious + yummy) things to eat.

But first, I'd like to give a public thanks to my parents' friend, John, for loaning us this car indefinitely. It reminds me of Snoop Dog for some reason. The interior is just as maroon (and velvety!) as the exterior... and my shirt matches the whole lot. Brits, that shiny thing inside the windscreen is a sun protector. That's so you don't have to wear oven mitts when you drive, which is better than having your hands blister and burn off from the heat of the steering wheel on a hot summer's day. Desert life... whoop whoop!

See? Nobody there. Usually it's dusty, hot, and packed.

We did not try the deep fried cheese curds, as appealing as they sounded. We were actually very behaved and just shared a corn dog... and a cinnamon roll... and some caramel corn... and some drinks.

Dr. Parker enjoying his first county fair

I got to enjoy lots more comments from people about my unusual size.

"Any day?"

"Twins?"

"Trying to walk that baby out?"

Sorry to disappoint, people, but at that point I had 8 weeks to go.

Nathan is sharing his beverage with a show goat.

I am enjoying viewing some prize-winning produce.

My sister and nieces were featured in a photography display. I was so surprised to see them, but I'm not surprised it got picked to be shown. They're famous!

We skipped all the rides and games (so expensive, and I couldn't ride them anyway due to my delicate condition) but finished the afternoon with a little BMX show. Good times at the Kern County Fair. Wahoo!

Did anyone else enjoy the fair this year?