High Hopes... and Temperatures!

All right, so I am supposed to be posting pictures of the nursery completed, but the camera is finally packed in the ever-so-important hospital bag, and now that it is officially ready, I don't dare disturb it! We have really high hopes to be using it soon! I keep pulling things out and then losing them to the laundry or an equally devastating hiding place. I definitely need more fat lady clothes!

Well, I know as of today Britt would be in the hospital if it were Lydia being born, and all I can say is if it were up to me I would be there with her today! The anxiety is killing me, the temperatures are melting me, and my body has just about decided it has had enough. I told Jared next baby is his turn! If only...

We are still, yes still, setting records at 103 degrees this week, and the highlight is that by the weekend we may break into the 90's. I am thrilled. Oh wait, nope, just hoping that at some point this forsaken desert will hit the 80's. And maybe I will finally stop sweating! NOTHING is more embarrassing than trying to teach piano/conduct choir/simply exist with your face glistening while everyone else seems perfectly comfortable. On the plus side, I can actually freeze Jared out for the first time in our marriage! There is an upside to everything!

As for the anxiety, I no longer sleep. Partly due to the reflux, partly due to the five point turn around (I mean rolling over) that has become a ritual every five minutes, and partly due to the fact that I lay there wondering if what I am feeling is fake, real, important, or just my imagination. Don't worry, I know that if I am wondering, it is not real, but somehow that doesn't help at 2:00 in the morning! Remember when my doctor told me I was a relaxed, easy going person?? She clearly knows me well.

And my body? Well it is safe to say I am large with child...

• as previously stated, constantly sweating - check
• swollen feet- check
• painfully numb and swollen hands - check
• aching knees and hips - check, but only if I go on a long walk... my bad!
• constant headache - check
• nightly Mylanta dose- check
• weight gain - double check
• grunting with every movement - check
• chocolate being the only food group that sounds good still - check
• tying shoes - negative... no longer an option... really considering a revival of Velcro!
• ribs feel like they are breaking - check
• wondering why any mother does this more than once - triple check... I hear one can be prone to forgetting quickly. God knew what He was doing there!
• And lastly, dreaming constantly of what the next phase will be like - check, check, and check.

I know that every pregnant lady goes through this and probably much more, so sorry to sound to whiny, and to have a post solely about me and baby, but as it turns out that is where my life's focus is now. I do know how blessed I am and have been with a healthy, overall problem free pregnancy, and now, with 15 days till due date, I am more grateful than ever. I am just trying to convince myself that it really is not just a waiting game. As all of the mother's before me have said, I really need to focus on enjoying the stage I am in now.

Work is going well for both Jared and I, although we are both battling a bit of a cold. Seminary is still early, and the puppy is still cute. Not much else has changed. We miss home, miss fall colors, and miss cool breezes. Above all, we miss our families, and hope everything is treating them well.

Today, I am really thankful for phones, as I was able to talk to my sister for over 20 min for the first time in months. Thanks for calling Ton! Thinking about you!

Stae

Early Morning Does Not Even Begin to Describe It!

So, it is finally come and gone... our first week of early morning seminary. I wasn't even there for most of it, but boy can I tell you, it was an adventure. Jared has faithfully gotten up at 4:15 to run the dog for 25 min so that he doesn't kill me when I take him for a walk/waddle an hour later when the sun comes up while it is still in the 90's, and then off to pre-class teacher devotional starting at 5:30. The sad reality is, I don't sleep so well anyways, so once he is up, mostly so am I. That means our bedtime has shifted from 10:00 to us climbing into bed acting like we are dying at 8:30, not to mention that whether we are on the phone, eating dinner, or getting ready for bed (which sums up any time we have together these days) it seems all we talk about is planning for the next day of seminary. We have officially turned 80.

So here is the good stuff...

Day 1 - Get to know the students. You have your classic "I dunno" types, your "everyone here is weird" types, and then your "I promise you don't see me eating in the back" types. Overall, it's actually looking to be a great class. 17 high school freshmen, who make it there on time (this week anyways), of which only 5 are girls. Should be interesting.

Day 2 - Get to know the Knudsens. Jared asked me to come that morning, and since I am up anyways, I figured why not! So we put together a little power point of our lives together up to this point, and then opened it up for questions. Question 1: "Brother Knudsen, when did you lose your hair?" Question 2: "Sister Knudsen, do you like him better with hair or without?" Question 3: "What made you decide to shave it?" End of the open question session.

Day 3 - Rules day. I am pretty sure it was the quietest day yet. Probably the kids favorite too. (Yup, keep telling yourself that!) The CES guys have made it very clear they really want the teachers to be strict, so off Jared went, trying to make it feel like Unity was more the topic than rules. In preparing, he tells me "I am going to use that U.S. hockey team from the movie Miracle for an example" to which I reply "Nobody will have seen that movie.. use Remember the Titans". Total students who had seen either one of them? 5. We really are starting to feel old, possibly a bit outdated!

Days 4 and 5 - First days that required actual prep, as they were the first official lessons. Topic: Plan of Salvation. My day? Typing up his handouts, as I can do it 10 times faster than he can... that is, when my hands aren't numb!!! His day? Fill in the blank with the kids. He said it went really well, and I can honestly say, I don't doubt him. However, we have had to re-evaluate how often they get handouts!!

Overall, it was a great week, and I only had two major anxiety attacks thinking about keeping up this schedule with a newborn. We will just have to keep praying!

Today, I am thankful for big, big pillows!

PS - You should all know, Jared has been assigned to teach in the nursury, which means no piano. Did you notice the hymn books?? Let's just say, Jared is practicing up for his big solo during the next Sacrament Meeting!! (Not really, but 6:00 AM is not an ideal time for teenage choir practice... I won't even start in on the pitch!)