When I started this blog, I didn't intend to stop for three years! But now that we have come upon the NEXT STEP, it seems appropriate to update. I am pregnant, currently in my third trimester. This pic was taken in my 5th month of pregnancy. It's a BOY! We are so far from actually picking a name, but we'll get there.

I don't presume that many really want to read about my pregnancy, but since I've been pregnant I've found that I'm very interested in the experiences of others. So, for the maybe one person who is interested... here goes... I've had a very healthy pregnancy thus far. I was very fortunate not to suffer from the dreaded 1st trimester sickness, though I was so tired I felt like a zombie. Now, he is moving so much its amazing. What first began as a sensation like an extra heartbeat has turned into the realization that a baby is indeed living inside me. I can feel him stretch, often with obvious bumps visual under my skin where he is pressing against me. He has the hiccups now almost every day (we are at week 31 now). The one complaint I have now would be sleeping (this was NOT a problem my first trimester). I have always been a stomach sleeper- so that's a challenge. More to come after our ultrasound next week!

I never thought I was one of those girls that wanted to dress up my dog. But the excitement I felt about seeing him in his new bandana upon picking him up from the groomers was a dead giveaway. I want to accessorize my dog. HOW CUTE IS HE? I almost lost my mind, it totally felt like Christmas.

Runaway boat

Early Saturday morning after my husband left to play golf, I noticed a strange thing at our dock. A boat that didn't belong to us! Not an anonymous gift, but a drifter that got stuck on top of our dock while the lake level dropped. No worries, it was back to its rightful owners a few days later.

Monday morning slack off

This morning I intended to work primarily on a lecture on police accountability. Unfortunately I kept thinking about the apples in the fridge that desperately needed using up. So off to the kitchen I go to bake some apple bread. The fabulous thing about loving baking is that, for many recipes, you already have most of what you need (flour, baking powder, soda, salt, sugar). The supplemental ingredients can sometimes be tricky, but the foundation is easy! Anyway, now that I'm done blogging about it, back to my lecture.

Losing my puppy face

Look at how fast I lose those puppy features. My nose gets more prominent and my coat gets darker. I look timid here, but every day I swim farther and farther. I love the water, I love the boat, I love practicing my strokes!

Plum perfection

What a wonderful weekend we had enjoying the sometimes warm, sometimes cool waters of our lake. The cove is relatively warm this time of year, somewhat like bath water but refreshing just the same. Swim around and churn up the water and you'll find cool spots that make you say "ahhhh". Better yet, take the boat out to the "big water" (15,000 acres of surface area), shut the engine off, leave the radio on, and dive in. Very chilly indeed. Practice your strokes or have a dive contest (this is very serious and Olympic-like.... the less splash the better). After that, go to goat island peninsula and beach it. Explore what was left behind (unfortunately it's often trash left by irresponsible campers... so get the garbage bags out and do your part), teach your puppy confidence in the water, float on your favorite blue float, and sip on a cold one (or three). Spend the morning, it's not too hot under the shade with some breeze, and take the boat home for lunch (grilled hot dogs, yum!). Early evening calls for plum picking from your ripe tree with your husband's "water golf ball retriever", perfect tool for the job. Get a bowlful, freeze them if you like, but I prefer to eat them. The beauty of having a tree is... there will be plenty next summer too!

I love Jack (when I do)

I had no clue how much work a puppy actually requires! He tries my patience everyday but he gets cuter and smarter everyday too! Today he was definitely devil puppy. I know there is hope that tomorrow will be better as most days are great! He is very attentive during training which I'm so grateful for! He loves carrots, bananas, and hot dogs. He loves to dig up moss, toss it down a hill and chase it. His favorite game is "find it". His least favorite game is getting his ears cleaned. But he'll do anything for food.

Jack is almost home

I am getting my long awaited puppy, a gift to myself for enduring so much school and actually finishing my Ph.D. He's a golden retriever and will be 8-weeks old when he comes home. I pick him up in 4 days and for awhile, I expect him to monopolize my blog. We'll post pics of our many adventures (training, playing, growing, swimming, camping, meeting new people, doing new things, etc.). Tune in and watch him grow!

What family means....

I was with my new family (my in-laws) this Easter. How exciting to see a 4-year old boy learn to ride a bike...and to watch an 18-month old girl participate in her first Easter egg hunt. I spend many holidays with them and not my biological family due to physical distance and I feel blessed that we value time together. Some say that family is not chosen, but I disagree. We have a lot of choice: we chose how we communicate with family and how we treat them. We chose whether to be there when times get tough. We chose to spend time with them. With in-laws, choosing to be with a spouse means choosing to be with that person's family. My blessings are not just my own family.... I have great people in my corner from uncles, aunts, and grandparents to cousins to cousin's spouses. My brothers are great men, my parents loving souls. My brothers married two fabulous women and have a total of 6 precious children. My spouse's family is also something I'm grateful for; they treat me as one of theirs and claim that my husband and I were made for each other. Given the man my husband is, that is one of the greatest compliments I could ever receive. Thank your family, and thank God for them.

March resolutions for life

This year I am thinking of my life resolutions a few months late, the first one being, of course:
-I am going to quit playing by silly rules and living life on my own terms.
-I won't buy magazines that have articles about BOTH losing weight AND baking the best brownies for your family. Are you kidding me?
-I will try to take my relationships back to basics. This means above the basic "I'm ignoring everyone because I'm writing my dissertation."
-I will take my tendency to judge people down one level at a time. First, no verbalizing my judgment, then no thoughts of judgment. If people want to be rude, vain, and materialistic, that's their problem.
-I will adore my wonderful husband at least twice a day; even if it's for his ability to sleep non-stop for 14 hours. Let's face it, it's a desirable trait I don't have and am quite jealous of.
-I will also be genuinely grateful every day; I am blessed with health, love, and a good life. I am not starving and can pay my bills (barely). But most days my troubles are not insurmountable.