Dear baby: 3 more weeks!!

Dear Baby,

There are 3 weeks left until your due date of Valentine's day, and we are super excited!!! You are moving as much as ever and are just as strong as ever. The doctors all said that your kicks and punches would not be as strong, but goodness gracious little one you are STRONG!! We see your doctor every week now and last visit your heartbeat was 150 and we are measuring perfectly.

Everything is ready for you to come (there is one thing left to do but it's your dad's responsibility and I will just trust that he will do it! ahem!). Your car seats are loaded in the cars (1 for each just in case!), all of your clothes/blankets/sheets/etc are washed and folded, your room is tidy, we are pre-registered, the hospital bags are packed, our birthing plan is done, your dad has his plan for driving us to the hospital and parking, we are doing a birthing class, and everything you need is purchased. All we need is YOU!!!!!

Your doctor said you have not dropped yet, but rather are "hovering" over your dropping area and so any day now we expect that you will do your thing and prepare for your appearance! We are so overwhelmed with joy at your arrival, and I'm sure the feelings we have now will in no way compare to how we will feel when we see you face to face. I think the three of us will be crying in unison and in joy!

Loving you more and more each day,

Mommy and Daddy

You know you're a Social Worker (or Therapist!) when...

1. You think $40,000 a year is "really making it".
2. You don't really know what it's like to work with men.
3. You know all the latest lingo for drugs, where to get them, and how much they cost..
4. You've started a sentence with " So what I hear you saying is... "
5. You've had 2 or more jobs at one time just to pay the bills.
6. You tell people what you do and they say "that's so noble".

7. You have had to explain to people that not all social workers take away kids.
8. You use the words 'validate,' 'appropriate' and 'intervention' daily.
9. You spend more than half your day documenting and doing paperwork.
10. You think nothing of discussing child abuse over dinner.
11. People have said to you "I don't know how you do what you do".
12. You've never been on a business trip or had an expense account.
13. You know a lot of other social workers who have left the profession for another.
14. You've very familiar with the concept of entitlement.
15. Staying at a job for 2 years is " a long time " .
16. Your phone number is unlisted for good reason.
17. Your professional newsletters always have articles about raising salaries...but you still haven't seen it.
18. You've very familiar with the term "Budget Cut " .

19.. You can't imagine working at a bank or crunching numbers all day.
20. You've had clients who liked you just a little too much.
21. Having lunch is a luxury many days.
22. You've been cursed at or threatened...and it doesn't bother you.
23. Your job orientation has included self defense.
24. You have the best stories at any cocktail party.
25. Your parents don't know half of the stuff that you've dealt with at your job.
26. You know all the excuses clients use for a failed a drug test by heart.
27. You repeat to yourself "you work to live not live to work."
28.You find it hard to get babysitters as you don't trust anyone with your children..
29. You're exhausted but you keep smiling!!
30. You dream of stacking shelves at a Supermarket!!
31. You enter strangers houses to talk about their children and not one ever asks for an ID
32. You tell your hairdresser the truth of what you do to only to then find out she is a)adopted b)tracing her long lost father or c)victim of some terrible abuse which she then discusses in a packed salon over the noise of the hair dryer!
33. You assess your date (in your head) while out on a date just to see if they meet criteria for any DSM IV diagnosis.
34. Your significant other has learned that when someone greets you in public not to ask "who was that?"
35.You ever wanted to hold a seminar entitled "Suicide - How to Get it Right."
36. You ever had to put a client on hold before you began laughing uncontrollably.
37. You believe the government should require a permit to reproduce.

Shower of Blessings: Part Deux!!!!

My wonderful friend Marissa was kind enough to host a shower for me, and it was truly a great time. We played some fun games, had YUMMY treats, great fellowship, and of course there were super cute gifts!!

Hard at work............
.....trying to figure out what "secret" baby items are in these bags!!!The amazing gifts!!!
Some of the YUMMY treats!!!

Me with the super cute blanket that Marissa made for The Girl......

Having FUN!!!!!!!!

A BIG "thank you" to everyone who came- I had a really great time!!!! Thanks Marissa for all of your time and energy - You are the best!!!!

Final Trip

Justin and I made one final roadtrip before "the bump" becomes "the girl"!!!!! So over New Year's Eve weekend we headed up to Denver, which we were excited for as we spent New Year's Eve there one time before.

We stayed here:

We went to this:
Shopped here:

Ate here:

We got "the girl" $250 worth of clothes for $80 at the outlet malls, which was fantastic!! Not that she needed another clothing item, but hey!!! We had a great trip, and had so much fun........

Dear baby - 5 more weeks!!

Dear baby,

We have approximately 5 more weeks until we meet you. It literally seems like a few days ago that we found out we were pregnant!! Your dad and I had dreamed of having you for some time, and while it took us a little while, you are well worth the wait. This past year we took test after test to see if you were on your way yet.....each test ended with a disappointing NO....until June 2009. June 2009, almost as if you were a little birthday present for me, came and the test said a joyful YES!!! I remember trying to figure out the fastest way to get to the doctor to confirm my findings....I remember sitting in the doctor's office and hearing those words YOU ARE PREGNANT!!!!!!! Your daddy and I were so overjoyed, and each day our joy has continued to multiply.

This past Sunday you weren't moving/kicking/punching/rolling....which isn't like you.....it really scared us and likewise made us realize our immense love for you already. We called your doctor and they sent us to the hospital to have you checked out, and thankfully you were perfectly fine. You started moving promptly after we arrived at the hospital which made us look like crazy first time parents- but we got to see you again (via ultrasound)! Your daddy also considered it a practice run for the REAL big day --which if Sunday was any indication I will be a wreck. Your daddy will be our rock.

Our lives revolve around you now, and forever will. In 5 weeks (or so!) we will meet you face to face. You will never understand how much meeting you means to us!!!

We love you!!!
Mommy and daddy

Uncooperative....

Today we went for our final ultrasound of this pregnancy.....We are now pretty much at week 35. We had read that oftentimes you cannot see a whole lot in an ultrasound this late in the pregnancy just because there isn't a whole lot of room in my belly anymore and so it's harder to see specific things. However, we were hoping that our beautiful, peaceful, kind, loving and cooperative offspring would cooperate. Here is how that went (FYI: I am posting the most "interesting" of the pictures we have):


Here is a femur:

Top of her head:

Her Stomach:

Her Spine:

You may be wondering -- where is the face shot? Where is the picture of her doing something cute? Ummm.........

Well....................

Our little bundle of joy refused to cooperate - She buried her head down and promptly put her hand/arm over her face and refused to move it. She was poked, pushed, rolled, and prodded but she wouldn't budge. She moved her legs, her stomach, her feet, her other hand........but not the one we needed to see her face. The sonographer did tell us that she could see that Ellie has hair and is weighing in at about 5 lbs 13 oz and her estimated birth weight is anticipated to be somewhere around 7 lbs.

Oh and in case you want to see more "action" we have a disk of 40 something more pictures of "things" that we are unidentifiable to us and the general population that are not sonographers.

We love you Ellie -- even if you are already stubborn and uncooperative!

That's our girl!!!!

The bump makes its return!!!

This picture was taken a week or so ago - I actually forgot when I took it!!! It's the latest and great picture of "The Bump" --- We are now at 35 weeks this Friday, which means 5 more weeks to go!!! Let me tell you - I CANNOT wait! I can't wait to meet this little girl. I can't wait to not have my back hurting. I can't wait to have no swelling in my legs/feet/hands. I can't wait to be back on a more reasonable bathroom schedule. I can't wait to be able to sleep on my back and OR stomach OR side. I can't wait for so many things!!! However I have a strange feeling I will discover a whole new world of things I cannot wait for!!!!!

River o' Lights!!!

Right before Christmas Justin, my mom, and I went to the River of Lights and although it was rather cold it was well worth the experience. We had gone the very first year we moved to Albuquerque, which was the coldest winter we've experienced the WHOLE time we've lived here. We braved the elements and headed out once again, but it actually it was not very cold at all!! My mom took so many pictures I don't even know what she'll do with them all!!!

Here are a few shots from our time out....

Justin's favorite animals: Birds!!!!!!
A glimpse of the magic!!!

Not sure what this is???

Zebras!!!!!!!!Justin and the T-Rex!!

Walking amongst the stars!!

Justin by an old-timey car - notice the sheer excitement in his face!!

After the river of lights we headed out for dinner and to warm our frigid bones.......I think we'll have to start making this a Christmas tradition!!