Growing

And so we reach 25 weeks. Sounds pretty substantial. Who am I kidding, looks pretty substantial. I gotta say, I did not expect to be rocking this much of a bump already. I received my first "are you sure it's only one baby in there?" comment, and then proceeded to almost cry before I realized that insensitive people are not deserving of my hormonal tears. I'm saving those for my Redbox night with The Fault in Our Stars. I also received my first, "You must be due soon!" comment, to which I said Thanksgiving, to which the kind stranger looked surprised and sympathetic. Lucky for her I was feeling particularly cheerful at this time, with a long pre-baby to do list on my mind, so I told her I felt like it was going to get here before I knew it. Then she looked at me with kind eyes which also seemed to say, "Girl, you have no idea where this is going, do you."

No. I don't. First time, people, how's a girl to know how big or how miserable it's possible to get? But let me tell you that the right side of my body has upped its game, probably because I publicly humiliated it a few weeks ago. I just called it out on its crap, and that pinched-nerve craziness went away after another week. Walking is totally doable again, hallelujah. Plus, I think I look significantly smaller when I'm not limping, so I've at least got that going for me now.

We took our Activity Day girls exploring around the grounds of the Indiana Museum of Art. Can you handle how perfect this little sign is that we found? The invasive human in me is so busy. I'm getting used to feeling him move (dance?) around in there, and I'm even starting to like it. To date, I am the only person I've met who didn't like that feeling when it started happening, so I'm not sure what that means. Scrooge of a mom. But now I realize that I really do miss the feeling when he goes a few hours without having a party in there.

These days are full of an array of emotions. Excitement to meet this baby. Worries about big change. Motivation to finish projects. Doubts about why I surround myself with such projects. Gratitude for a life inside me. Fear about becoming someone's parent. Wonderment about what my family will grow to be like. Sometimes I feel so ready to hold my baby boy, other times I wonder why Michael and I are adding another life to this already great duo that we have going on. I'm just being honest here, guys - I have a lot of feelings.

But I don't doubt that every single one of those feelings are normal, and felt before by so many, and just part of this only partially lit road that Michael and I are heading down together. It's all ok, you know? Even if it's a lot.

Let's do this, third trimester.

Coming This November...

Changes are coming our way! Our little Baby Daetwyler is joining us November 25th, or at least whatever day around that time he or she feels like it. This explains my blogging absence and a variety of other absences this past little while. I kind of feel like this baby has been trying to kill me, but we've been getting along much better these past few days. 

We found out this little baby was growing when we were in Japan over Spring Break, which was pretty surreal! I chose to not fully believe it until I could confirm that news multiple times after we got home. I remember thinking jet lag was to blame for any changes I may have thought I was experiencing, but then I had a dream one night that I had a positive pregnancy test in my pocket and I was showing it to all sorts of strangers on the street and telling them "Don't tell my family! I want to tell them!" So my subconscious must have been aware of this little one before the rest of me, and I took a pregnancy test that next morning before I even fully woke up. I mean, you can't just ignore a dream like that, people.

Speaking of Japan, that blog post is coming tomorrow. (Really.) It has been about two months in the making, so the suspense must just be killing you, I'm sure. But I haven't accomplished a lot the last few weeks. I can't even enjoyably read a book - it feels like I'm reading while carsick in the backseat of a windy road trip. And I don't even get carsick? So, it has not been fun. Low points have included: laying on the floor thinking I will never, ever want food again while still feeling grateful as Michael makes grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, and trying to remember the last time I cooked a meal. High points have included: hearing that speedy heartbeat just going, going, going inside of me and wondering who this little person is and what our family is going to be like.

So, absolutely no complaints here. Just explanations, and gratitude. We don't really know what we are doing. But we are happy, and in love, and ready to love a little person! I mean let's be real, we have both been giving our cat way too much attention lately. So it kind of just seems like the natural transition at this point, and I think our cat will be grateful. Or maybe she'll hate it. Like I said, we have no idea what is going to happen.

But, here we go... !

Celebrating 25

We had a birthday weekend over here. It was perfect weather (September is the best month, have I told you that lately?), and we had such a fun Saturday. Michael made me a wonderful crepe breakfast and creatively presented my presents. Pretty good, huh?

 

Do you see that laptop? (Not a present. Had that for a couple years now.) I'm talking about what's ON the laptop.....Wicked!! That was our birthday splurge, funded by our four-dog weekend and a 3am verbatim (which is dental school speak for getting paid to type up a class) by Michael. Work hard, play hard, people. I am way too excited to see Wicked again. This will be my fifth time, but Michael's first! Which has me excited enough for the both of us. Which is necessary, because I don't know if Michael is too excited? He's a good sport. Especially when I make him listen to the entire Wicked soundtrack with me on our long drives whenever I need to stay awake.

Living far away from my family is a bummer, but mail is not! Sweet, sweet people sent me birthday wishes from states away, and it was so nice of them. My sister even sent me a purple shirt, which is maybe the fourth purple clothing item I've owned in my life. I never wear purple? So she's helping me break my weird habits. I wore it yesterday, mind you. And yes, those are packages of Reeses and Oreos there in the corner that Michael wrapped up for my birthday. He's a smart husband.

When Michael asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I just said snow cones and bikes. I wish we lived closer to the Monon Trail, it's kind of pain to drive our bikes up to Broad Ripple for a ride. But when we do, I am in love with the whole day. So we got a Pink Lemon Sour (her) and Black Cherry (him) shaved ice, then hit the trail. It was such a beautiful day!

   

Michael made me practice relay handoffs with a stick the whole time. We got pretty good at it. Well, kind of just him. I'm a wimp on a bike, let's be honest.

 

After we finished our bike ride we hurried down south to meet Michael's parents for dinner. They stayed in Indianapolis that night on their way to bike ride in Michigan. We ate delicious Thai food with them and had fun catching up. They are so nice. We love living close to them during dental school.

Then Sunday came and it was the laziest of days. Normally our church is 3 hours, but due to some scheduling conflicts with other congregations, we only met from 10am-12pm that day. It somehow turned the whole day into a holiday...a lazy holiday.

This little cat calms my soul sometimes - I had a little anxiety about turning 25. I know, I know...you are all rolling your eyes and saying "That is so young!" And I know it is. But for some reason, it was the first age that I wasn't excited to turn. It rounds to 30. It means that I'm getting older which means my family is getting older which means life is changing which means there are different stages of life to get used to...and, it just all felt weird. Growing up is one thing. Watching families grow up and lives change is another.

But, I can rent a car now. Gotta focus on the positives of this new age of mine. And I have a feeling there are plenty of other good things waiting for me in 25. I just need a little direction and time to figure out what those things are. All in all, it was a perfect birthday, and all day I just felt grateful for how blessed my last 25 years have been. I have had a lot of treasured experiences and treasured relationships in a short time.

I really do love life.

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We're going to leave you with a product placement here today. I get paid big bucks for these promos. (False.)

Have you ever tried this chapstick from Bath & Body Works? I am full blown addicted to it. Not the bad kind of addicted, where they're putting something in it that makes your lips all dependent and weird when you can't find it in time...just the full on, could-quit-anytime-but-don't-want-to, healthy addicted. It's the best. And for three months they have been sold out in stores and online, which was conveniently when I completely ran out.... but it's back, people! Did you already get your year supply? No? Just me? Well, don't come to me when it's sold out again.

Also, last week my Excedrin looked like a flower, and it was the most pleasant medicine-taking experience I've ever had. So I had to show you. Kind of cool? Ok, maybe not, but in the moment I was pretty impressed.

Ok, that's all. Happy birthday to me! And to you, hopefully in September, because it really is the best month, you guys.... Ok, I'll stop with that.

Change Up In Here

Confession time: After a life of faithful hair trims every 6 weeks, the last time I cut my hair was in MARCH. Pre-wedding. Pre-Indiana. Pre-letting myself go. Just kidding. (No "letting ourselves go" around here - we actually both weigh the same after almost a year of marriage. I feel good about that, except for the Michael part. I think that maybe makes me look bad. See last post: proof I feed my husband.)

So last week, I finally decided it was time. As in, 8 months overdue. Before I went, I had my hair dresser/dance coach in Utah talk me into a change...

And with just a couple snips (right in front of my eyes, mind you. It was a little dramatic for a second), my forehead is gone. Bangs are back in my life, people. It has been a while. As you can see, they were a big part of me back in the day.

So now I kind of feel like I'm channeling my 7-year-old self. Hopefully just the good parts. Does cutting your hair make you nervous? I used to be a pro at it, you could talk me into anything when I was growing up. But ever since I grew it out, it seems like hair cuts just get scarier. Thanks for giving me the final push, Summer!

So, any suggestions for my haircut next February?

Kidding.