It's good to know where "Home" is

This is true even, or maybe especially, if you're a dog.

I had an emotional day. I had just finished watching a Lifetime movie about a woman with breast cancer... and it made me cry a lot.

Then the FedEx guy came by to drop off the baby furniture. In order to prop the door open so he could put it in the entry way, I put Henry (our beagle) on his leash.

As I was propping the door open, Henry was pulling because he thought we were going for a walk. The next second, I see him running across the yard while I'm still holding the leash which is attached to his collar. His head slipped out of his collar. We have a harness we use when walking him because we've had this problem before, but I thought it would be fine for the 5 minutes I needed it.

So I walk behind Henry calling his name as he crosses the street. He looks back and then keeps going. I start crying because I know I can't catch up to him. He's really fast, and I'm 7 months pregnant. And he doesn't have his collar on anymore, so if someone finds him they won't know where to return him.

I follow him to the end of the block, and he has disappeared by the time I get there. With the FedEx guy waiting, I go back and finish the delivery, then drive around for 30 minutes, crying, and trying to find him.

I finally just go home. I open the back gate so he can get in if he finds his way back, and I open the front door (leaving the glass door closed) so I can look out. Then I start making calls to the animal clinics and shelters.

During the 3rd call, I walk out on the front porch again just to look up and down the street...


...And Henry comes up and sits at my feet, looking happy and tired.

Of course, he runs again when I reach down to pick him up, but luckily he just runs into the garage, and sits by the door to the inside. I take him inside, and put his collar back on him while he gulps down water.

He seems to know that he got lost, cause he hasn't left my side for the last 2 hours since he got home...but I guess all those walks through the neighborhood were good for more than just exercise. Our Henry knows where his "Home" is.

Movement is more forceful

The fetal development notes for week 29, which I've just hit, are as follows:

Week 29: Movement is more forceful

Your baby's bones are fully developed, but they're still soft and pliable. This week, your baby begins storing iron, calcium and phosphorus.

As your baby continues to grow, his or her movements will become more frequent and vigorous. Some of your baby's jabs and punches may even take your breath away.

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And this is so true for me... The past couple days there have been times when I gasp out loud because the kicks are so strong and sudden. Sometimes you can actually see my entire belly jump. But it's delightful in that I know the babies are alive and well.

The grass is always greener...

... when it rains.

After a drought lasting more than 6 months in which we had less than 1 inch of measurable precipitation... we've had a thunderstorms at least every other day/night for the last 3 weeks. The grass is green, the peaches and pears are ripening, and the flowers are blooming in our yard. Just a month ago we weren't able to keep it green by watering it with our sprinklers every day. Patches would turn green, but large, stubborn brown spots still speckled the yard.

I'm really looking forward to our lowered water bill this month. It should be a lot less than the previous month. We won't run the sprinklers again until we've had at least 3-4 days of no rain.

...the downside is that Barry has to mow more often... but it's very nice to look at.

Oh, and our dog Henry doesn't like the thunderstorms. The only time we've ever seen him sleep in his crate is during a period of severe lightening and thundering a couple weeks ago.

It reminds me of when we moved from Phoenix to San Angelo, TX when I was young. My younger siblings, Krista and Daniel, had never really been in thunderstorms before, and were frightened. It was like the scene from "The Sound of Music" where all the kids go jump on Maria's bed. Only, I was standing at the door laughing at them.

In all fairness, I think Dan was just scared because Krista was...and it's possible she got the whole idea planted in her head by that movie anyway, since she watched it every day when she was 3 years old.

3rd Trimester

If you'd like to see what the 3rd trimester holds for the babies, this is a great site...

Mayo Clinic: 3rd Trimester Fetal Development

My week 28 starts this weekend...

End of 2nd Trimester

This is the last week of my 2nd trimester. The babies are growing steadily, and all seems well with them.

Sometimes they give me a hiccup. Yes, just one or two, and that's all. It's a funny feeling. One or two hiccups, and then it's over.

So we are trying to prepare the house. We are painting the guest bedroom this weekend so that the carpet in the nursery and guest room can be replaced next week. That will be a welcome change because the carpet in there now is really old and gross. It's not stretched fully, so it's hard to vacuum.

We've ordered the cribs, and a changing table. Hopefully they will arrive soon. My baby shower fro the ladies at church is tentatively scheduled for August 16. That's the weekend after schools have started, so most everyone will be back from vacations.

I have my hospital bag half packed, with a list of last minute items to put in it. You know me, I like to plan ahead. Plus, with twins the likelihood of pre-term labor is higher. And as every week goes by it becomes more difficult to lift items or pick up things off the floor. Thankfully, Barry and my friends are all very understanding of this.

Registry Links

We are registered for baby items at the following two websites:

Burlington Coat Factory: Baby Depot

Amazon.com

Mostly this is for the big ticket items we've researched and would purchase anyway... Please go through the registry if you are getting one of these items so that it is accounted for and we won't get duplicates.

Thanks...