Over Halfway & at the End

At last, it is the second week of December.  I have 5 days left of student teaching, with one more observation, and then I am done with full-time school!  This has been a great semester but I am glad to be tying up some loose ends and finally becoming a certified teacher of music.  I wish I could stay at Norris and continue my work with the classes but I am reminded that I am not getting paid for any of this and I should probably go do something that does not cost us money.  I will still be in contact with Norris on a weekly basis as I will be teaching private voice lessons to some of the students there a couple days a week.  I will also be hopefully substituting at Norris frequently, since I am familiar with the building and teachers.

Substituting will actually be my main career for awhile since I am not looking for a long-term position right now.  I plan to stay at home when baby comes and hopefully teach private lessons and/or sub a couple days a week in the fall.  We have no idea how babysitting will work out for us but we do know that we do not want full-time childcare to be a part of our little girl’s life for the first year or so.  I just know I won’t be able to part with her cuteness for too long.

By the way, it’s a girl!!  We had our halfway point ultrasound right before Thanksgiving and found out then that we are having a girl.  I was elated and surprised since Jacob referred to her as a him so often I basically started believing he was right about it.  He is also thrilled it’s a girl although he’s worried that he’ll never be able to tell her “no.”  He says if she ends up with blue eyes (his) and brown hair (mine), which we both think is a drop-dead gorgeous combination, he will be buying a gun for the boys very soon. 

Everything on the ultrasound looked great so we are ultimately incredibly thankful to be having a healthy baby.  I am almost 23 weeks at this point and can’t believe that we are well over halfway there.  I am starting to feel like maybe we should start actually preparing for this child.  This weekend we took a couple hours to register at Target.  I enjoyed it, a little too much, and Jacob, while he liked being the powerful scanner of items, grew pretty tired after the first hour but he hung in there like a champ.  Today I spent another couple hours online adjusting and adding items.  I have no idea what the grand total of our registry would be but I would be shocked if we got everything.  In fact, I am trying to remind myself of that fact.  Whenever you register it feels like you are somehow buying or reserving that item and every single thing will find it’s way to your door.  I know God will provide for our child in unexpected ways and it certainly does not all need to be brand new, but I do hope we can get the big items off the list so we can have the basics covered.  So, if you’re thinking about a baby gift for us, please try to stick to the registry.  I know it’s hard and you’re all creative people, but we really did register for the things that we like and need.  Yeah, that’s all I’m gonna say about that.

December is a great month though it will be insanely busy.  With me finishing school, subbing immediately, working at the mall December 16-31, various Christmas parties and events scheduled, and traveling to St. Louis December 25-28, we are going to feel a bit tired.  Jacob is also preaching every week, which means that our weekends are not exactly free and flexible.  But, we are both glad for him to have preaching opportunities so he can continue to study with a purpose and every little bit of extra work we do helps us get groceries and pay for ultrasounds, etc.

This year has been a trying one, but one that we are finishing in a spirit of celebration.  We are celebrating first and foremost the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; we are celebrating the many pregnancies of our friends and family–some that were expected and others that were completely out of the blue; and we are celebrating our own pregnancy blessing that is currently growing in my womb and kicking me more and more every day.  She is so cute.  I can’t decide if she kicks when she’s happy or annoyed–maybe both.

Below are the pictures from our last ultrasound.  I can’t get over that cute little nose.  Oh my goodness, how I want to kiss it already.

Here she is facing the "camera" with her hand up by her face and the umbilical cord coming up from the bottom.

Side shot of her body. The head is on your right and the dark space in the middle is her heart. Again, note the adorable nose.

Toes, look at those toes.

This is a side shot of her arm with her fist clenched by her head, which is still on your right. Excellent bone structure, if I do say so myself.

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