38 Week Update

No news on baby Ramers....Saw the doctor today (last time, as she heads to China for 4 weeks, and I better not still be pregnant then!) and other than saying for like the 5th time in a row that I'm "measuring big" and ensuring that the baby's head is down (it is!), there's no news to report.

On a different note, I ordered Pampers Swaddlers online today, and with the promotion code for new customers and ordering more than $50, I got free shipping and $10 off. That brought the price of each diaper down to 16.5 cents each. That's cheaper than at Target or Babies R Us or Safeway! Also, I am going to do a trial with cloth diapers. The diaper service didn't seem too appealing to me, so I ordered a trial package online for just $10 that I can return in 21 days after using them. Or, I can keep what I like, or send them back and get free shipping on an order with ones that I liked. It seemed like a smarter investment than buying a bunch of different types and testing them out. Cloth diapers have really evolved since my brother was in them 25 years ago...this should be an interesting experiment. I may hate washing the diapers and the hassel, so that's why I ordered the disposable ones, too, just to be prepared.

Nothing else to report. Check back in a week.

Baby Memories

I have been sorting through boxes of baby clothes and toys to get ready for #2. So many memories of Diego's adoption and our first sight of him have come to mind. All of his little outfits bring back specific memories of when and where he wore them in Guatemala and then back home. This morning I sifted through our first photos of him....and I'lll post a few here as a reminder to everyone. Time flies, and kids grow up so fast. It's really amazing our little baby boy is a talkative, opinionated, playful preschooler now. Enjoy the memories....Lauren

37 Weeks

No baby yet.....but I'm 37 weeks HUGE! Stay tuned for the big announcement in the next few weeks. We'll reveal a name when she's born!

I stopped working this week. I'm still not sure whether working is easier or harder than staying home with a 3 year old all day. At least we stay busy with swim lessons, gymnastics, play dates, and afternoon naps. I do have some work to complete from home, but I got nervous about going into labor away from home...At least now I'll be near our dear friends who have agreed to take Diego until my mom arrives. Baby is growing well and moving around a lot, but has not dropped, so I am constantly struggling to get in a deep breath, waddling around, and praying for sleep. Insomnia has plagued me most recently...ah, the joys of month 9! I've started seeing my OB doctor every Friday now until the baby is born, and we have a closet full of clothes all ready for her arrival. I have never seen more pink in my life!! We have all the necessary equipment and gadgets to take care of a newborn, I think, so all we are doing now is waiting with eagerness to meet her. I can't wait to see the face and feet of the alien who has been kicking my right side these past three months! Stay tuned!

Easter Baskets and Chocolate Galore

Yummy fruit covered waffles!

What an Easter Sunday this family had! Diego began the morning with finding his basket in front of his door. He was so excited and surprised; it was a joy to spy on him from our bed. We had a lovely waffle breakfast, then went to our church-like place (borrowed phrase from our friend Bob in Durham), West Seattle UU Fellowship, for a lovely sermon on Joy and Jesus' teachings and an Easter Egg Hunt for Diego. After a brief visit to see Julian, Henry and the West Seattle gang, we headed home for some R and R! Enjoy the photos!

The Countdown Begins

35 weeks! (I'm 36 weeks on Monday....this was taken last week)

Diego the Super Skier

Last weekend we took a all-too-quick trip to Mt. Bachelor, OR. Papa snowboarded for two days, and Mama and Aba dragged Diego up and up and up the hill for hours so he could practice his skiing. By 2 pm, he had gotten quite good at going downhill very quickly! No "pizza" or snowplows yet, but he sure is stable on his skis!

Recent Diego Photos

Happy March to all! These pics are from the beginning of January when his Grammy, Christian's mother, came to stay with Diego for the week. I was in Mesa, AZ working. On her last evening here, we went out to dinner, and Diego used chopsticks for the first time....a valiant effort on his part! Lately, Diego has been so sweet and cuddly and FUNNY! He has so much to say, especially at 6 am in the morning when he crawls into bed with us. Mr. Chatterbox usually wakes us up by telling funny stories and getting us to laugh, when in reality we both want to roll over and hide under the covers. No better alarm clock than Mr. Diego!

All is well for me, at 34 weeks on Monday, I'm "measuring big" according to my OB-GYN. Nothing to worry about, just means that a healthy, big baby is growing inside my belly! I measure at 36 weeks, which could just mean a recent growth spurt that will even itself out, or it may mean a BIG BABY....Everything else looks A-OK, and while I'm definitely feeling all the effects of third trimester, I'm trying to maintain a positive outlook by swimming, staying active with Diego, and focusing on work, getting the house ready for baby, and having fun with friends and family. This next weekend we are driving down to Bend, OR to meet my family (sans East Coaster sister) for a weekend of skiing at Mt. Bachelor. I'll stay home, or curl up in the lodge, but the rest of the family will have fun hitting the slopes. Weather reports are predicting spring-like weather with an amazing snow base. Jealous? Ah, just a little.

Today Diego, his two best friends, Henry and Julian, and the moms are venturing on a field trip to the Burke Museum on the campus of U of WA. There will be a dinosaur exhibit for kids today from 10 - 1 pm. I'll post some pictures later this week. Diego wants to make sure that we don't see any "real" dinosaurs...only "pretends" ones that don't talk. Hee hee!