We're home from our fun yet busy holiday season in Holland. It was amazing. I don't think I've ever drank so much tea in my life! I can tell that my belly grew because I'm seeing more and more of the bottom of my belly button, but I wonder how much of the weight gain is attributed to all those wonderful pastries, cookies and chocolate! The baby kicked like crazy when we landed in Holland. I said, "It must be as excited as I am to get off this plane" (it was a 9 hour flight). Frank said with a smirk, "No, it's because it's in the Mother Land."I do know more Dutch than I did before, hopefully I can retain it. We bought, and received as gifts, lots of Dutch baby things, even some children's books. So maybe I will learn Dutch along with the baby. Traveling pregnant at 8 months was not as bad as I expected. I was able to go for a walk daily, which helped me stay regular and full of energy instead of gas ;) I was fed more than regularly, pampered beyond belief and again, given ample amounts of fluids. Frank and his family took such good care of me... always giving me the best seat and the best bed in the house. Frank carried my purse/jacket/scarf all the time, massaged my aching feet/legs/back, stayed home from family outings to rest with me and many other such selfless things. I told him, "Next time we go on a family vacation we have to plan for me to be pregnant again!"
We are only seven weeks away from delivery.... kinda crazy to think about! We still have to take Lamaze classes, take the hospital stork tour, register for gifts, find a pediatrician, have a baby shower, prepare a birthing plan.... and the list goes on. I came home from Holland with a nasty cold and have since passed it on to Frank. We will wait until it passes to get started on these things. We are also still fighting jet lag with a 9 hour time difference. These have slowed us down considerably.
For now I am working on the finishing touches of my thesis, it needs to be turned in this week! So I will be glued to the computer for a few days while my nose runs freely. It was almost torturous to stay home from church yesterday... we miss our friends and church family so much! But, we didn't want to pass on this cold virus to anyone. We spent most of the day in bed and on the couch. Frank went to work today even though he didn't feel well. The only alternative was to spend another quiet day at home (without use of the computer since I am using it today). I think the thought of another day without social interaction motivated him to go to work sick. Hopefully it will pass quickly.
Frank is working on putting our pictures into an online photo album. We are trying to combine the pictures from about 4 cameras, so who knows how long that will take. Stay tuned!
