Brenda’s Pregnancy Journal

It’s fun to go away, but it’s nice to come home too, especially to Charlie. I was so tired when I got in that I decided not to go to work on Tuesday. I slept in, did some laundry, cleaned a bit, ran some errands, and made a yummy dinner. It’s always nice to be home & take care of things here. I have no problem w/ traditional gender roles! I also got to call a few friends & catch up. Several of them are pregnant too & it will be fun for Elliot to have little buddies around.

In the evening I went w/ my mom to a missionary dessert for the women at their church. I enjoyed it a lot. It was good to hear about what is going on around the world, and a reminder to pray for the lost. Sometimes I can get quite caught up in what is going on in my own life - and just ‘leave it to the missionaries’ to take care of. Steph & I had a great talk about this - and I’m feeling challenged to be a brighter light.

I’m still getting ‘fluffy mail’ aka: cloth diapers & supplies from the net. Today I got some microfiber towels that are supposed to be super absorbant, maybe I need to get one of those dolls that pees - do they have those? lol!

Wednesday the party ended & I went back to work. Not so bad really, I only have 3 months left before maternity leave! Woohoo!

We have some water damage in Elliot’s room from the rain so we haven’t been able to start painting or anything. Hopefully the HOA will act quickly so we can get on it. I’m excited to start decorating.

My sister-in-law is due in a few days…can’t wait to get the call that my little niece or nefew is on the way!!

Friday morning I flew out of LAX to Chicago where I changed planes & went to Dayton. I was concerned the weather might affect my travel, but God was gracious & the blizzard waited until I was safe in Ohio. Stephanie’s friend Chelsey picked me up from the airport & we had a fun time getting to know one another on the way to the Beaucar’s home. When we were a few minutes away I called Stephanie on my cell & pretended to be on the bus in LA - she didn’t doubt it for a minute. Once we got there Chelsey went to the door & announced that Steph’s ‘package’ had arrived @ the office today & she was there to drop it off. They had Steph come & stand in front of the door w/ her eye’s closed - and boy when she opened them & saw me she screamed - more like shreiked, then jumped up & down, hugged me & screamed some more. It was the greatest suprise I’ve ever pulled off. She was so excited and wasn’t expecting it at all.

We had a terrific weekend together. I enjoyed being able to see all the places she has talked about & to meet all the people I’ve been hearing about. Her pajama party on Saturday night was  blast & I was so blessed to meet many Godly women that are her friends there. She is blessed. They have a really cute home, it’s got a cabin feel to it & the front room has windows all around. Looking out at the snow was absolutely beautiful! Yep, there was lots of snow, and it was COLD - below freezing most of the time! But really, it wasn’t a big deal b/c we were inside most of the time, it was only when we went from the car to a building when we were out in it.

One of the most fun parts of the trip was being around their daughter Nicci. She’s 15 months and so adorable! Her personality is very sweet. Her big word is ‘dog’ and she says it whenever she sees one. Watching and playing with her made me so excited to have Elliot. Imagining having my own little one running around was so amazing.

It was a gift for Steph, but really it was a gift for me too. I’ve missed her a lot & spending time together was special, especially since she got to see me pregnant & be a part of that. She lent me a book on making your own baby food so you know I’m all over that!!

Seeing life in the snowy winter made me think we could do it - so maybe one day our idea of moving to Colorado will come true.