another sweet baby shower!

It was another fun day for Baby J! We got to enjoy another sweet baby shower thrown by my friends at church... The girls who hosted it are in the top picture... Jenny, Jennie, Jen, Jenner and Linda! Do you see a theme? We all laugh that we're all named Jennifer. You can tell it was a popular name the years we were all born! Thanks to Linda for spicing it up a little bit for us!

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The shower was a lot of fun!!! It actually started storming right as it was beginning, so just as I started opening gifts, the electricity went out! We were going to wait, but I'm glad we didn't because the lights never did come back on. So thankfully, there were emergency lights and we continued the shower under the emergency lighting. Very memorable! Thanks to everyone who came. We felt very loved!!! I think Baby J is set with everything that she needs!!!

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Well, we're a little over 38 weeks today. I had an appointment this morning and I really haven't progressed any. I'm still not dilated at all and I think this little girl is planning to stay put for a while. That's really fine with me, as I am still really enjoying being pregnant. I've been really HOT wherever I go, but it has been in the 90's outside. But it doesn't seem to matter how cool it is inside, I'm still HOT... Other than that, I feel amazing and am very thankful for that...

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We're slowly getting things marked off of our "to do" list! With every thing that gets marked off, I get more excited to meet my little girl... These next two weeks can't go by quickly enough!!!

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Waiting in Hope! jen

nursery getting closer!

Well, the nursery is getting closer to being completed, so we're posting the pics as we progress! We still don't have anything on the walls cause I want to make sure we have everything in the right place before we start putting holes in the walls... :) I have a tendency to change my mind... Joel has been such a trooper. He's been so gracious with all my "to-do" projects since we've been home... He built her dresser the other day and today I have him building a bookshelf. The nursery is a pretty small room, so we're having to be creative to get everything to fit! I was thinking, "a baby is small...she won't take much space." But I forgot about all the stuff that goes along with a baby! So, things will be kind of tight in there, but she won't know the difference. :)

I decided I needed to get a picture of Joel on here since he never seems to make the blog! I promise I'll be doing more of the "behind the camera" stuff once the baby arrives and you'll see lots of him holding her. I have a feeling she's going to be Daddy's little girl, for sure.

16 more days and I'm getting more excited as each day passes!!! We'll see if she decides to come close to on time!

37 weeks and counting...

We reached the 37 week milestone today! A mere 20 days away from our due date... It's still so surreal to think about, really. I think I'll be ready. Maybe not totally prepared, but ready to meet our little girl! Joel and I have really been trying to take advantage of these days... we've gotten to take walks every morning together and just get great quality time together. It's weird to think that our days of "just the two of us" are rapidly coming to an end... This is all we've known for the last 7 years! But we're so excited for this new season of life and all it holds. I have a feeling I'll be depending on God like I never have before. What a huge learning curve being a parent will be! But I can't wait for all the new lessons, joys and challenges that lie ahead.

Happy Father's Day!

Joel's first Father's Day! He woke up this morning to a card from his little girl and a little gift. He's so ready to be a Daddy! He's gonna be a natural...

Today was a nice day. Our first full day at home since we returned from Jacksonville. We worked on Baby's nursery and got the dresser put together for her room. I washed all of her bedding and got the crib all ready. I also got to take some of her shower gifts out of boxes and put them away. Things are starting to feel a little more settled in there!!! Though we still can't figure out exactly how we want to arrange everything. It's a pretty small room and I'm realizing more and more that babies take lots of stuff. There is room for the baby in there, but I'm not so sure about all of her stuff!

I feel like I'm growing exponentially at this point. I was telling my Mom on the phone today that I don't think my skin can stretch one more centimeter!!! Poor little girl has to be so cramped in there. I am imagining her saying "get me outta here!" I've been so comfortable up until this point and then it seems like overnight I've gotten too big to get around easily... Maybe I'm just more aware since I'm trying to work on house projects (I feel like I have a LOT to do before she arrives! But I'm told that's called nesting) and my stomach is always in the way! :) It's the funniest thing.

We had our 36 week appt. on Friday and everything is progressing well... She said baby is strong and in position! So, now we wait... It's still so surreal that we're going to be parents in just a few days... Wow, what a privilege and responsibility... Makes me appreciate my own parents all the more and everything they did for the three of us growing up... Thanks Dad and Mom for being such amazing parents!

Until next time... jen

36 weeks and headed back to Kansas...

A mere 28 days (or so) from now, we'll be welcoming our new little girl into the world!!! Aaah! I'm so excited! :) But tonight was a bittersweet night as we had to say goodbye to everyone here at the Summer Training Program in Jacksonville, Florida. It was such a sweet night and I know that both Joel and I are going to miss being here a lot. It's hard to leave in so many ways, yet we're ecstatic about what awaits us at home. Our much anticipated new little one!!! :) Above is a pic that was taken tonight with several of the girls that I've had the chance to get close to over the last 3 weeks here in Florida. Many of them are K-Staters that I loved even before we came down and that will come back to campus in the fall, so the parting is for a short time... But it's been amazing to see all that God is doing in their lives. I'm sad I won't get to be here to see it firsthand, but can't wait to hear all the stories!

We're flying out bright and early in the morning, so wanted to get this posted before I packed up the computer...

More soon! love, jen

just about there!

at the end of a long day, as you can tell by how tired I look! but here I am at 35 weeks! One more week left in Florida then back to Kansas for the homestretch! We're almost there!!!