Week 32: So long dear, football season is here

I feel like I say this every week but I honestly can not believe another week has come and gone and we are one week closer to meeting our little girl.  We have approximately 8 weeks left and in just a few short days we'll be able to answer the question "when is your baby due" with the answer of NEXT MONTH!  Wow.  So many emotions about that one, but there is no stopping this.  And so, without further ado, I present to you, the 32 week belly bump.

Things are going smoothly for me and baby.  I really have been blessed with this part of my pregnancy being relatively easy to handle (nothing like the first 20 weeks thankfully!).  I hope that it continues like this but at the same time I'm expecting to have the pain/discomfort/etc hit hard any week now.  Only time will tell I guess.

We have also been blessed by the generosity of family and friends in the way of new and used baby goods.  Brett and I spent most of our free time this week washing and organizing baby clothes, folding blankets, setting up a baby swing, and marveling at all the cute little girl things that have officially taken over our little one bedroom apartment.

Aside from admiring precious baby stuff, this week was spent relaxing and spending time together.  My birthday is tomorrow but we started celebrating early (Brett took me shopping for new clothes!) because football season also unofficially starts tomorrow.  We actually had a BBQ dinner last night with a bunch of the coaches and the phrase used to describe the party was "So long dear, football season is here."  I talked to some of the other wives and to put it honestly, I don't even know what is about to hit. Football is a big deal here in texas and coaching high school football is not taken lightly. I do know that Brett's schedule for the next month is all day everyday until 8:30ish.  Then school starts and I'm sure that won't help matters.  The advice from the other wives was to stay as busy as possible and be prepared to rarely see your husband.  But...but... I like having my husband around!  We have been spoiled these last few months because our schedules have been less packed than normal and so going back to working/being away for long days will take some getting used to.

I don't think keeping myself busy will be my problem at the beginning, in fact our problem might be that we are too busy!  Between Brett's obligations at school/football, trying to prepare for a baby, having a baby, fulfilling church callings and moving apartments our next few months will be rather full.  The problem is that I need his help for so much of it!  Moving while 39 weeks pregnant is going to be a challenge to say the least.  And then there is the challenge of trying to figure out how to be new parents. And did I mention I can be overly emotional and needy when it comes to wanting my time with Brett?   Learning how to balance everything will make for an interesting few months, thats for sure.  I know we'll figure it out though and so all I can say is bring it on!

Thats right, I said it, we are moving.  The timing could have been a little (okay a LOT) better, but we found a good deal on an apartment closer to the school Brett will be working at.  Our lease starts the week before our baby girl is due so we are hoping that she'll cooperate and NOT come early.  We were hoping for an earlier move in date, but we'll take what we can get.  I'm really excited to get back into a 2 bedroom apartment (especially with all the added baby stuff) and I'm more than a little anxious to set up all the baby stuff.... unfortunately that will just have to wait.  We are excited about our apartment itself too.   The complex is nicer and newer and there are actual sidewalks around so I can take our little girl out for walks (something that would be impossible where we live now).  Our particular apartment also has vaulted ceilings, walk in closets and some built in bookshelf units that I am rather fond of.  Its not huge and its not perfect but for the price we are very very happy with it.   We told some of our ward members today and although we feel like we are doing the right thing for us as a family it is no fun to leave the friends we've made here.  You can add making new friends/settling into a new ward to the list of things that may or may not overwhelm me to the point of breaking in the next 3 months.

Its really easy to get overwhelmed when I think about what is coming so I'm trying to keep a hopeful attitude about it all.  All of the changes really are good things and we have been so blessed in so many ways.  I honestly know that this is where Heavenly Father wants us right now and with him on our side I know we can do it.  I'm trying to prepare as best as I can (freezer meals, super organized packing, etc) but there are some things in life you can't prepare for (ie: motherhood, the unknown that is football season).  I also hope that I can support Brett in all of his new adventures and really be a help and not a hinderance when it comes to his stress level.

Anyway, that is the update here in this neck of the woods. Overall we are healthy and happy and truly are excited for what the future holds!  And like I said at the beginning... only 8 more weeks until we get to hold our sweet daughter in our arms!