Today starts my last week of work!

Here's one of the pictures we had taken at Sears yesterday for our 3-year wedding anniversary and to celebrate the pregnancy in general (Jon is such an indulgent husband--he hates going to have his picture taken but does it for me without a word of complaint because he knows I like it):

Getting close
I feel good preparedness-wise for the baby after this weekend. Not only did I pick our pediatrician and notify both his office and my OB, but I also finished all of the pre-admission forms for the hospital and did several loads of baby-related laundry (washed all baby's clothes, blankets, and bed linens). I also wrote out a list of the other things we have left to do to be physically prepared for the baby (things left to buy, items left to set up, etc.).

Then on Saturday, after Jon put together the stroller and carseat, he and I decided to get started on the furniture rearranging we'd been planning: in order to move our computer desk from the baby's room into our bedroom, we have to move Jon's dresser to a different wall. In order to move his dresser, we have to move an antique writing desk out of our room. Instead of putting that writing desk, my favorite piece of furniture, in the garage, I wanted to work it into the living room, which was already kind of crowded in its current arrangement. Well, I had wanted to rearrange the living room anyway, because it is kind of closed off and doesn't have any room to lay down a blanket to put a baby:

(in this first picture you can also see Jon's dresser in our bedroom, which is what originally had to be moved so we could put the computer desk there)


We figured, since we were going to move around the furniture, we might as well put down the rug underlay that we never put down underneath the rug. We moved every piece of furniture out of the living room (including the bookshelf, which had to be emptied). I'm not supposed to do heavy lifting, so Jon did most all of this by himself. We put down the rug pad and the rug, vacuuming accumulated under-furniture dust along the way. Then Jon decided we needed to put new felt-bottomed feet on the couches, as the metal ones on them had been scratching the tile floors, so he went to Home Depot while I sat around feeling useless. ;) ...Do you see how this very small project of moving the computer desk into our bedroom turned into much more than we had been planning?! So, 6 hours and a Home Depot trip later, our living room is rearranged, the writing desk is out of our bedroom, and the computer desk and dresser are still in their original places. We'll do those next.
Here are the new pictures (and, yes, the dresser still in the wrong place):

I always used to wonder why my friends, toward the end of their pregnancies, said they wanted to be "done" with being pregnant. I'd think to myself, "But they're getting to wear such cute clothes, and their tummies look so cute, and they're getting so much more sleep right now than they will when the baby comes, and don't they want to hold on to these last weeks of being just husband and wife?" Now, I think I'm beginning to see.

The clothes: I could chuck my maternity pants out the window. I'm fine with the shirts--I still like those--but the very limited selection of pants I have to wear to work (one pair of now tight-fitting khakis, one pair black, and one pair grey that we just bought this past weekend) is getting annoying.

The tummy: Sure, I can see the cuteness factor. I like my tummy still (but ask me again when the stretch marks start forming and I may give a different answer); it's the swollen ankles/feet/hands, legs, face, and the rest of me that are getting old... not to mention the fact that carrying around ("waddling around" is more like it) an extra 30+ pounds isn't the easiest thing on one's body. :)

The sleep: I'm still of the same opinion when it comes to the sleep. I love and cherish my sleep, and even getting up two or three times a night to go to the bathroom like I'm doing now is nothing compared to what I know those first few weeks/months (years?) are going to be like with the baby.

The last few weeks of just husband and wife: Although I know I'm going to look back and reminisce with fondness about what it was like to be just the two of us--how relaxing our life was--I now understand, because of the other factors (clothes, tummy, so much anticipation) and because this baby is going to be such a blessing, the feeling of just wanting to be done!

This past Sunday after church was over, Jon found an envelope tucked into his Bible, addressed to JOHN AND KATIE VARELA. Inside was a short typed note (also in all caps) and $200 in cash!--no signature or anything. The typed note says something like, "Hope you can use this for something for the baby--maybe a crib or a glider!" We have no idea who it’s from--but it’s someone who at least knows the couple of things we still have to buy for the baby’s room. I haven't spent too much brain time trying to figure out who might be the giver(s), since they want to be anonymous, but I can't figure out if perhaps they purposely misspelled Jon's name in order to throw us off. :) But then they mentioned the crib and glider, making it obvious that they know us enough to know we need those things... Neat, huh?

I gave my notice (as in, I'm not coming back) to my boss today. I was going to do it this Friday, which is exactly 4 weeks before what I anticipate will be my last day (April 29), but I decided to do it today instead because tomorrow is the baby shower the department is throwing for me. I guess I just didn't want to go to the boss the day after this nice shower and say, "Thanks for the party. I quit." Anyway, she took the news relatively well--I can't imagine she was too surprised--and we decided we/she will probably tell the rest of the department some time next week. The semi-nice thing is that, since another proposal writer quit a couple of weeks ago (which in and of itself is a bad thing, leaving the department short yet another person when I go, but overall is a good thing since he was, frankly, a poor proposal writer), my boss has already started interviewing prospective proposal writers.

I was nervous to talk to my boss, but after it was over I realized I was more nervous in general about the finality of it: I'm actually quitting! I hadn’t had to think about it too much ‘til now. I won't be working anymore...because I will have a kid! This is going to be a huge change...

Baby shower #2
Sunday, March 6 was my second baby shower, hosted by my good friend Casey. It was so lovely and so special! I arrived with Kim a few minutes before 12:30, just as Lucy and her friend Michelle were getting there (they had gone to Mission Hills church for the morning). The other guests were my college roommate Katrina (she helped Casey host), Liz, Colleen (mother-in-law), Jennifer (sister-in-law), Shiloh, Lissa, Amy, and Kristan. Casey took a picture of me with each guest, and she had each guest fill out a scrapbook page she had pre-made--she's going to put each picture with its corresponding page, and then I'll have a nice baby shower scrapbook! We had a delicious homemade lunch of pasta salad, vegetables with dip, delectable herb/parmesan-filled tomato halves (made especially with me in mind), potato salad, ham, warm crusty bread rolls, salad with mandarin oranges, and pound cake with strawberries and blueberries for dessert. We played several fun games organized by Katrina, including the one where guests break off the length of streamer they think will fit around my stomach (I think Lucy's was the longest! Kristan's length was exactly right, so she won).

Then I opened all of the wonderful gifts: this baby bathtub with a little robe, rubber ducky, and bath toys; a monitor (excellent for us since our two bedrooms are on opposite ends of the house; a health and grooming kit I'd picked out; this Snugli carrier like the one Ricci has; a bunch of cute little learning books from Colleen and Jennifer; several very cute outfits, onesies, socks, and shirts; things for help feeding the baby (milk storage kit, etc.); blankets; a sweet card and check from my aunt; and more! Then came the "surprise gifts"--things I definitely hadn't been expecting:

--a gift from Nannie! Lucy brought it with her, but I didn't know. Nannie had made several cute, fluffy blankets--I think there are six or seven of them. All of them but one are white with different stitching along the outside (one blue, one pink, two different greens, etc.). Then one blanket is of a multi-colored fabric with corresponding multi-colored stitching. Now I know what Nannie has been sewing for the past several months when she mentioned sewing over e-mail. :)
--a gift from Nell! This wasn't as much of a surprise, because I did know she sent the gift, but it was still special. She sent an adorable soft-cover book and--how perfect--a froggy dish set (baby's first cup, bowl, spoon, etc.). A little background: in high school and into college, I ended up with a sort of frog collection, and it all started with several very cute little frog figurines Nell gave me one year. Thank you Nell!!!
--a gift from my parents. I thought my mom would probably send something, but I didn't know it would be in such a huge box--that thing must have been over 3 feet tall by 3 feet wide by 5 feet long. When I first started opening it, I thought it was a joke, because I reached in to start taking out the newspaper stuffed in the box and couldn't feel anything but newspaper. But then I saw it: it was the rocking horse that was mine as a child! That my dad made for me! That our family friend painted for me! I had no idea my mom had even saved it all these years. I'm very glad to have it--it looks so cute in the baby's room.
--a gift from Casey. Now that isn't a surprise, but the gift itself was: the most adorable crocheted hat I think I've ever seen. It has a removable flower (remove if the baby is a boy). I didn't even remember that Casey could crochet, so I wasn't expecting such a sweet gift. Everyone in the room "oohed and ahhed." :)

After the gifts, this special shower was finished. Thank you Casey!

Baby is moving and shaking all over the place this afternoon--it's so cool. I'm looking humongous, and here are the pictures to prove it:




:)

Having a kid is a scary thing. First, being pregnant is new, unknown, possibly scary since you don't know exactly what's happening in there. The idea of labor is scary (the physics of it and the pain). Then, giving birth to a tiny, helpless baby means you are 100% responsible for this human being who can do absolutely nothing for himself. If something horrible happens to the baby, it's probably because of something you did or didn't do. Scary! But, even beyond the fragile baby stage, what about "train[ing] up a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6)? How do you do that? How do you not become one of those families in the grocery store (we all know we don't want to become them--but how?)? And then, oh then, the teenage years. Scary! I can read the parenting books and listen to the wisdom of those who have done a good job before me, but it's still daunting. I pray that God will give me grace, wisdom, and peace through all the scary stages...


Yesterday, two people told me something along the lines of "You are huge!" However, I took it as a compliment from Ricci, because she knew I wanted to be showing, and her comment was followed by one about being "cute." The other commenter (a coworker) may have had some ulterior/unkind motives, but I surprised myself at how little I cared, and I replied with a sincere "Thank you." I think I had my pregnancy "pop" in the past week or so; now it's evident to anyone that I'm pregnant.

I will hit 28 weeks--7 months (and the start of the third trimester I think)!--tomorrow, so Jon will probably take a couple of pictures like we did for hitting 6 months. (The picture I was going to add for you here is just not working. It isn't the picture's fault, so don't be mad...)

Since I haven't been posting much at all, I thought I'd use my answers to Nell's questions left in the comments section below as my next post.

When is your last day of work?
Although I haven't officially given a day, I think it will be Friday, April 29. That will give me three weeks before my due date.

What have you decided to tell you boss about your "maternity leave?"
I'm going to continue avoiding questions of this nature (posed by my boss, that is) until probably the end of March, when I will give one month's notice about April 29 being my last day. I'm only obligated to give them two weeks' notice, but I think a month is 1) kinder, as they will have more time to find a replacement and 2) still fairly safe, as they could let me go on the spot, but I doubt they would because I think they need me and will want me to stay as long as I can.

Will you teach your flute students through the first few months with the baby?
Yes. I plan on taking approximately a month off from teaching lessons. I'm sending home a note to my students/their parents in the next week or two to let them know I'm pregnant (I usually don't see the parents--they just drop the kids off) and that there will be a month or so of no lessons beginning around the end of May. I think this will coincide well with summer, actually, so that we can start a summer schedule of lessons for July and August. That summer schedule can be worked out so that either 1) Jon's mom could come over/help with the baby during lessons, 2) I could see about scheduling lessons during baby's nap times, or 3) we could continue evening lessons so that Jon would be home. I figure that, as long as we don't have a super fussy baby and I can make sure I feed him/her at the right times before or after lessons, it should work out well.

I'm also going to continue editing, but the logistics of that aren't as difficult, as that is completely on my own time and schedule, and I can accept or deny jobs as necessary.

:)

I had a doctor’s appointment this morning, and it went well. I had a couple of things to bring up with the doctor, and she was helpful and nice. I told her about my back hurting every day (for the past several months) in the evenings, and she said I could use a heating pad. This was after I asked about a couple of other questions about uncomfortable symptoms I've been having, and so she said something like how she was sorry I was having to go through having these symptoms. I said that it is completely worth it and these things are nothing--it's true! I’m feeling great, I said, and loving being pregnant. She said, "I can tell!" I have that glow, I guess. ;o)

First baby shower
I had such a nice time at my first baby shower yesterday. I tried on a bunch of my maternity shirts in the morning and picked the one that made me look the most pregnant (this isn't me):



After church, Colleen and I went over to the Hutchins' house, and Carolyn and Ashley welcomed us in. Kari and Katrina arrived next, then Ricci (with Miles) and Jenny, Sabrina, and finally Jennaya. We enjoyed punch and had a good time talking with each other, and then we ate a delicious light lunch (quiche, fresh fruit--including blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, yum!--fresh vegetables with dip, and a light spinach-strawberry salad). Next, I opened the gifts--a very generous pile! My mom even mailed a gift to the Hutchins' house so it would be there for the shower--that was very sweet. I got a great mix of practical and fun things--some diapers, onesies, hooded towels, crib bedding (the duvet, bumper, and crib sheets), outfits, socks, bibs, rattles, teethers, etc. And I love the ducky pattern that came on a lot of the things! After the gifts, we ate a good dessert and played two word games. In all, it was a pleasant, lovely afternoon!

Sabrina came over to the house with me after the shower to help put things away and figure out where things will eventually go when we get the baby furniture. The second bedroom is starting to feel like the baby's room now!

I'm at 21 weeks 4 days!

I’m wearing a maternity shirt and pants today. Although I feel like I’m swimming in this shirt, I’m tired of wearing all my old shirts and stretching them out! This has to be the only frustrating/uncomfortable thing about the second trimester of pregnancy--not fitting into any clothes! :o) Anyway, this is a size small maternity shirt, so it doesn’t look quite as silly as some of the other ones might. Oh well! I’m sure in a couple of weeks I’ll fill out these shirts better. The pants are fitting great though.

My first shower is this Sunday! I'm so excited. Maybe I should secure a small pillow around my waist to look a bit more pregnant... :)

This weekend, Jon is flying to Florida and then driving home! Scott bought a car online a couple of weeks ago, and it’s at a dealer in Orlando. So Jon and Scott are flying to Orlando together on Saturday and driving the car straight back to California--they hope to get home by Monday night. Crazy. Jon used one of his free flights on Southwest (just had to use one ticket since it’s just one way for each of them). I hope to spend some of that free weekend time going through the second bedroom and majorly cleaning out one side of the closet to get it ready to hold baby things.

(Can you tell I have baby on the brain?)

Quick pregnancy tidbit
Jon felt the baby move yesterday! I was lying down on my side in the afternoon, and I felt a definite bubble/kick on the left side, where Baby's legs are. I put my hand there, waiting to see if I would feel it again, and I did--both from the inside and with my hand. So I called Jon over and had him rest his hand there. After a moment, I felt the baby again from the inside and said, "There! Did you feel that?" And he did! He said it was faint, but he did feel it. Cool!

Ultrasound picture
Here are two copies of the profile picture from yesterday:




We have one more picture ("Alien Baby"), but we'll have to scan it. ;)

Ultrasound
The ultrasound was this morning. It was SO COOL!!!! We got to see the profile, the face, the little hands and feet, the arms and legs, the heart (could even see the two distinct sides of the heart), the brain, the spine/lungs/skeleton, everything! And it was so fun watching him/her move. The baby stayed relatively still, but every couple of seconds he/she would move arms or legs. It was so neat. We got a picture of the profile and one of the face straight on, but that one just captures the skull (I call it "alien baby"). We did see the facial features, though--especially the nose and lips. I loved it! And I’m so glad Jon came. Then I had a regular appointment after that and that went just fine--just a check-in with the doctor...

Oh, and we did not find out if it's a boy or girl. ;)

I think I felt the baby move today! I can't be positive that's what it was, but still, I'm pretty sure. I was in bed this morning, having hit the snooze button a couple of times. I rolled over on my side and was still, and then, blip! a little tappy sort of bubble. It was a couple of inches below my belly button and a bit to the left. I waited for a few minutes to see if I felt anything else, but nothing felt as strong (and anything else I felt might have been a mind psych-out). Cool!

I'm going to sit still for a few minutes after I eat lunch today to see if I feel anything. ;)

Pregnancy update
Well, there isn't much to update. None of my clothes fit me, and I feel plump, especially in areas that I didn't think needed to get any bigger... This is all for a reason, so I'm not going to obsess too much! I still haven't felt Baby move, but I've been trying to pay attention. I think sitting still after I eat is a good time to feel movement.

My grandparents gave us the stroller/car seat system I found and love for Christmas. Yay! Also, I bid on a nice, gently used white crib on Ebay and was the high bidder, but apparently I didn't meet the reserve price. I didn't want to go above my bid anyway, though, so perhaps the seller will contact me. It's a local pickup arrangement in Del Mar--would be worth it for the money saved.

In other news, I have Friday off from work and am hopeful that they'll let us go early tomorrow too. I'm not taking any paid time off this week or next week in order to save the PTO for later in the pregnancy if I want to take it then. Also, I already used several hours here and there throughout December. That's it!

18 weeks!
We had a nice time at Denny's for breakfast this morning and are just getting lots done around the house now (I cleaned our bathroom and shower, am doing some laundry, will go empty the dishwasher after this, and wrote a couple of thank you notes for Christmas gifts already received; Jon mowed the lawn, will wash one of our cars, and is doing miscellaneous yard work). We're going over to Phil and Katrina's tonight--that should be fun. It's the first time the four of us have hung out since they got married in October. Nothing else big going on today!

Wednesdays are my favorite week day
Wednesdays are nice because I don't have anything scheduled after work. Mondays and Tuesdays are for flute lessons, and Thursdays are for music rehearsal at church. Wednesdays are free. It makes my whole day a lot more relaxing, knowing that I'm done with obligations at 5:00. I usually just relax at home, but today I'm going to Target to shop for a wedding gift and some ornaments for an ornament exchange we're going to on Saturday.

Oh, my next doctor's appointment is tomorrow, and I'm hoping Jon can come! He hasn't heard the heartbeat yet, so it would be neat if he could hear it tomorrow. I'm over 4 months pregnant now!--and our baby is about 4.5 inches long and weighs very little (a couple of ounces).

General news
Work
I have been quite bored here lately. So have the other proposal writers--at least the other two I'm friends with. Because of the restructure of the sales and marketing force in the company and the changing nature of how exactly we're doing business (new products, new sales targets), the salespeople haven't been getting/submitting proposal requests. This is our slow season for proposals anyway, but annual projects are only so interesting (and only take up so much time). The fact that I'm only going to be working here 5 months longer (though no one here knows that yet) also factors in to my boredom/lack of motivation.

Jon's job, on the other hand, is anything but boring. He's working his typical long hours and coming home exhausted. I can tell when he has had a good day, because, though he has usually worked 10+ hours, he feels productive--like he actually got things done. Receiving constant interruptive phone calls and questions surely impedes progress...

Home
We still haven't decided 100% what to do with our house: do the addition after the baby's born? Not do the addition and instead just get a new roof, of which the house is in desperate need? Regardless, we need to have something done about the roof so we don't stay up at night each time it rains praying there are no leaks.

We're still really enjoying our new tile floors and the heat, protection, and comfort God through our home gives us.

Pregnancy
This past week has felt new. I've been feeling great, but I've also noticed that my lower-to-middle back has been hurting. I guess that's typical, even this early in pregnancy when I haven't gained much weight. Also, I've been thinking that it is a boy. Of the 4 or 5 dreams I have had with our baby in it, it has always been a boy. And in discussing names with Jon, I kept thinking about and wanting to talk about boy names--almost like I had forgotten about the girl names I like. This might just be my subconscious "psyching me out," since I have been leaning toward wanting a girl just a little bit more than a boy. But a couple of the boy names we came up with have me very excited, so maybe it's God preparing to change my heart. :)

Weekend plans
My parents are coming to visit this weekend! This is my dad's first time back out to California since they moved exactly two years ago. My mom has been out numerous times (three I think). They're flying in Friday and leaving Monday morning, so this is a short visit, but certainly better than nothing. Though I don't mention it much, I really miss my parents and brother and sister.

We're planning on going to I Love Sushi for dinner at some point over the weekend, and Jon got four tickets to the Clippers game for Saturday night, so we'll go to that too. I think my dad wants to go to Laguna Beach and buy a t-shirt, too (my silly dad).