You look like you are about ready to pop!!!

This would be the phrase I have heard over and over since getting to Maui.... apparently Polynesian women have torsos and don't carry their babies like I do :) I had forgotten how friendly the Hawaiians are since my last trip, (they rival the Japanese for helpfulness and I believe exceed them in excitement, joy and exuberance :) and the pregnancy has brought out the sweetness in every shop keeper I have met. It is an instant conversation starter and means that 50-75% of the stores I go into, I am unable to leave without first being asked when I am due. One lady in a Makawao gallery was genuinely excited for us and said a blessing for the pregnancy over us in Hawaiian... it was really cool!!

Anyhoo, just checking in to say that it is BEAUTIFUL here, we are loving everything we have gone to see and really loving our first day finds of Toffee and Milk Chocolate covered macadamias and Guava Jelly (which we have been eating on toasted Hawaiian sweet bread). I am typing this on the private balcony that is attached to our room and overlooks the ocean. We are about 6 feet away from the ocean actually and we get to watch the sunset directly in front of our room. I feel incredibly spoiled and am already dreading the return to real life...... although there is a house waiting for us :)

Fun side note- We saw a man riding his bike down a street in Lahaina with a massive parrot on his shoulder.... a real one. Unfortunately, the camera did not make it out in time.....Viva Los Pirates :)

We regret to inform you that Abby is temporarily away from her blog. While there is a slight chance that she will return for some on-site reporting from Maui, consider this the official notice that regular blog service will be suspended through May 1st of 2008. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and encourage you to peruse the linked blogs to the right hand side of this message for all of your blog entertainment needs. We do thank you for choosing to read "My Comings and Goings" and hope to see you back again when full, regular service is resumed in May....Mahalo!!

Future Soccer Star

Yesterday I was sitting at my desk doing a couple of calculations. I typically like to be right up next to my desk which now means that my belly presses against it. I was typing something into my calculator when all of the sudden Micah karate kicked me pretty hard in just the right spot to send my calculator up the desk about an inch. Talk about aim :)

Growth Chart

Here is my 25th week picture....it's amazing how what I am wearing changes how big the belly looks :P

As of today I am 26 weeks pregnant!! That's right, just 14 more weeks (if Micah doesn't come late or early, that is). Micah has been getting more active this week to where I can feel him move around a lot more and not just kick. I am happy to report though that he has not yet begun keeping me up in the middle of the night by moving too much or hiccuping....it happens more than you'd think :)

What is happening with your baby?
The development that is occurring at this stage may seem small and insignificant, but it is very important as your baby begins to prepare for his/her entry into the world. The nerves in the ears are developing and allowing your baby to respond more consistently to the sounds that he/she hears.

How big is your baby?
Your baby is around 13 inches long and weighs 2 pounds.

The Countdown continues...

Part one of the countdown was the food of Maui, part two is........ the towns of Maui. Maui is an incredibly unique and diverse island. Different areas of the island have taken on different personalities and they all offer something unique to the savvy traveler. I'm not going to go too in depth here, I'm just going to mention my two faves and leave it at that :) First is Lahaina. Nate and I are staying in a hotel that is walking distance from downtown Lahaina which is exactly where I wanted to be. The hotel itself has a small private beach and we have our own lanai (balcony) that looks out at the ocean just 20 feet away. Anyhoo, Lahaina is a mecca of sorts for Maui tourism. It houses some of the best shops on the island (also some of the cheesiest) and is known for it's wide array of restaurants. Basically it's a great place to stay near because you don't even have to drive to get your dinner... everything is right there. Did I mention that the sunsets are GORGEOUS there?? Below is me and my mom and brother at a Lahaina restaurant (Kimo's) where we ate watching a beautiful sunset and I was introduced to Mahi Mahi, I am so indebted to the waiter who made me try it :) (Note how much more tan my fam is than me.... this happens a lot)

My second town in this mucho abbreviated Maui guide is Makawao. Located in Upcountry Maui, Makawao is home to the amazing bakery and a slew of art galleries and artisan shops. The little town is quiet and quaint and seems to have found the perfect formula for making it a must stop for Maui visitors. Anyways, that's all I've got... peace out :)

And the countdown begins....

6 days til Nate and I leave for Maui..... 4.5 days of work between now and then :) What, do you ask, is Abby doing 6 days out from the much anticipated trip? Today's task involved a consultation with the fish calculator to determine what types and how much fish I could eat during our stay. Unfortunately, my fave (Mahi Mahi) is one of the higher mercury fish meaning I have to monitor it uber carefully and can't eat it twice a day like I would like to while in Hawaii :) Luckily, nobody has said anything about me not being able to eat these babies...which is good since I might have to beat them if they did :P




Other edible things to look forward to include (but are in no way limited to) macadamia nuts, good coffee (for Nate), and of course the donuts on a stick from the Makawao bakery. I am also hoping this time to get to the bakery early enough to purchase a couple of their "world famous" cream puffs. May sound ridiculous, but I have a shirt that proclaims them as such from last time I was there and the things sell out super early in the morning. Anything that has the locals flocking to buy sounds like I should at least give it a shot :)

Yay, the weekend!!!

Just 4 hours of work stands between me and the undefinable bliss of the weekend.... have I mentioned how much I really REALLY like half day Fridays? Anyhoo, this weekend I am headed up to Dallas with Jen and Laura for our annual roommate reunion weekend!! There were 8 of us girls that all lived together (two apartments, right on top of each other) during our junior and senior years at A&M and we are all still pretty close, for the most part :) More so than perhaps any other situation in college (besides Doulos), these girls have shaped who I have become today. They challenged me spiritually and just in life in general. They were my sounding block and my comfortable place. We got each other through deaths in the family, failure at school and in relationships, divorce, break-ups, engagements, everything under the sun. As Paul says, "I thank my God every time I remember you..." I can't wait to spend the weekend catching up with them! I feel so blessed in my life for having a wonderful family, 3 amazing best friends since pre-school, and for having these 7 girls in my life. Others have blessed my life to be sure, but God definitely had a plan when he put together this mish-mash of personalities :)

Random facts from the other side

Woo Hoo, an unexpected break…. And so soon!! Well, I'm choosing to use today's blog to right a wrong I have been (lovingly) accused of…. Erin said last night that the preggers women in the class were keeping all of the good pregnancy info that is lesser known to themselves. I suppose this is true. Maybe it's because I want my friends to have kids and if they knew what an out of body experience it was, they might decide to abstain :P This leads me to my points for today. Consider them a very quick, very random overview of what you might not know. (and maybe never wanted to)

1) Your body is no longer yours. It is the baby's and the hormones'.

2) Almost all of your normal bodily functions will change in one way or another. A fun side note on this one, everyone is different, so for the most part nobody will be able to tell you how things are going to change.

3) Invisibility begins before the birth. Sure, we all expect the focus to be on baby after they're here, but be prepared for almost everybody to talk to you exclusively about the pregnancy as soon as you announce it.

4) A pregnancy is NOT 9 months. It is 40 weeks. The weirdest thing? They count the weeks such that on the day you conceive, you are already "2 weeks pregnant". Go figure.

5) Your OB/GYN lives for pregnant women. Expect to have a choice of appointments (not having to call 6 months in advance is nice :P) and expect them to spend at least 3-4 times the amount of time with you as before.

6) Micah is not a performing monkey. When I really want him to kick for someone to feel it, he is completely still. If he is kicking, he stops the instant someone places their hand on me to feel it. (He kicked me just now for writing this) He kicks the most when I am completely still and not talking, aka at work or at home in the nighttime. He likes it the most when I eat crunchy things or swallow water. I read in my pregnancy journal this week that at this point he mostly hears me talking, my heartbeat, and things like my stomach growling… pretty cool actually :)

Too Busy to Blog

Really.... I am. Funny thing is that by 10 am or so I'll probably be bored out of my mind, so I guess what I'm saying is expect my real entry at 10 :)

Growth Chart

Ah, the belly at 24 weeks.... told you that last week's pic was deceptively big :P Not that this is much better :) Anyhoo...

I am officially 25 weeks pregnant today which on one hand sounds REALLY far along, but on the other I feel like I should have way less than 15 weeks left. Still, I'm sure it'll "be here before I know it" as many older Baptist women love to remind me as they touch my stomach....even though they don't know me. I've found a useful way of avoiding this is to walk very quickly around church and only stop to socialize inside my Sunday school classroom or after sitting down for service. This is known as the "If they can't catch me, they can't touch me" approach. The elevator can get tricky, but I do my best in there to send "If you don't know me, don't touch me" vibes out. For those of you that do know me, I don't mind the tummy touch... I promise. I just find it odd that complete strangers feel like this is ok. Anyways, growth chart :)

What changes are occurring with your body?
Your uterus is approximately the size of a soccer ball, and the top of your uterus can be felt about halfway between your belly button and the bottom of your sternum. (see above picture as proof that not only is it the size of a soccer ball in volume, it is actually the exact shape of one as well :)

How big is your baby?
Your baby is now 12 inches long and weighs anywhere from 1.5 to 1.75 pounds.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!

A very large congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks after winning the 2008 NCAA Men's National Championship!! This marks the first ever Big 12 basketball National Championship (counting of course from the inception of the conference), and the 5th ever Kansas title. If you didn't see the game, the Jayhawks let it slip away from them a little bit toward the end and then staged a comeback that culminated in a "How did he do that?!!" 3 pt shot going in with 2 seconds left on the clock to tie it up in regulation. KU dominated in OT and came out with the victory over a VERY impressive Memphis squad and it was a beautiful thing :) And who said girls can't talk sports? :P

hmmm

I'm drawing a blank as to what to write today and for some reason "Mambo No. 5" is playing repeatedly in my head. I mean, how does that happen?! Curse whatever commercial or tv show got that song stuck in my subconscious!

Random observation. Nate and I discovered this Saturday that if you go shopping for furniture and tell the sales person that you "just want to look around" that in furniture sales person language, this means "follow me around at a distance of about 20 feet away but pretend you aren't hovering. Oh, and any time I look around, pretend to be straightening couch cushions or something."

Out of curiosity and because we were passing right by it, we did make one of our stops at Gallery Furniture. Surprisingly enough, it was the only store without the amazing hovering sales people. They were close enough if you needed them (stationed at desks throughout the store), but they didn't follow you around like a lioness hunting her prey, nor did they look at you eagerly like a puppy in a pet store window hoping to be taken home. We were surprised by how nice their furniture was and how good the prices were. So if you, like us, have always avoided this store because the commercials scared you off, be not afraid oh shopper. Go forth and visit Gallery Furniture... Mattress Mac himself was manning the front info desk when we walked in....it was surreal :)

"Yes, Doug can read"

The title is a little "Cutting Edge" action for those of you not familiar with early 90's movie quotes :)

Now, while every fiber of my being doubts that he has ever or will ever actually read my blog, I still need to give mad props over to Greg Wassel. He fixed dinner for his roomie and Nate and myself last night and while I could tell he was nervous, it was REALLY good!! The menu went a little something like this..

~ Spinach salad with sliced almonds, Granny smith apples and feta cheese served with Raspberry Hazelnut vinaigrette
~ Baked Chicken stuffed with spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, onion, garlic and some other stuff I can't remember and topped with paprika and a few other spices, all on a bed of brown rice with a side of steamed vegetables
~ A Chocolate mousse / whipped cream pie (the only thing not made by Greg himself, but to put together 3 courses including a homemade pie is a bit too much to expect of anyone on a weekday.... besides, it was really good so who cares :)

Anyways, way to go Greg!!

Sold!!

Ok, wanna know some randomness? Nate and I had an appointment today with the realtor to get the condo on the market and we had gotten it almost completely ready to show on Tuesday night. Yesterday, Nate got a call around noon from someone who works at the church in the missions office but also happens to be a realtor. He had heard about the condo going up for sale and wanted to come look at it around 4. We had no idea what God had planned for this meeting.

Nate met him at our place at 4 and they spent over an hour going through the condo and then talking logistics. Turns out, this guy has a client, a single mother who attends First and whose child attends FBA, who is looking in Bayou Woods. What we expected to get and what he thought we could get for the condo are identical. He basically promised us a contract by the end of the week for that price! He said if she doesn't buy it (she's coming to look today) then he will since he has been looking into Bayou Woods as well. We were...... shell shocked, flabbergasted, and utterly grateful to the Lord for bringing this opportunity to light. It's an amazing offer and here are just a few reasons why~

~ We haven't listed our condo yet or signed any representation agreement with a realtor. Frank will take care of the paperwork for both sides saving us 3% of the sales price that we would otherwise have to give our realtor.

~ We won't have to show the condo! To bypass the listing and bargaining process is a-ok with me and the timing is such that we likely will not have any time in which we have to pay two mortgages... not even a month!

~ I see God's hand so clearly in this situation and feel him blessing us through it. There is no way for something like this to come together so randomly without God as the driving force.

~ We get an opportunity to sell to Christians who really want to be there and will make good use of being so close to the church.

Anyway, it isn't a done deal yet but Frank is going to do his best to have an option period for either the mother or himself by Friday afternoon. It's interesting, everyone had been asking if I was stressed about selling the house and having to go through the process of waiting for a buyer..... quite honestly I wasn't. I had a strange peace about the situation that is utterly un-me. It goes back to a post I wrote a few days ago.... I really feel as though this move is what God has for us, and he has certainly made the road as smooth as possible for us to make this transition. Praise God for his abundant grace even when we do not deserve it! Praise Him that when we trust in Him he will make our paths straight!

Growth Chart and a Drive By

Here is the belly at 23.5 weeks....somewhat unmistakable :)

How big is your baby?
Your baby is now 11 inches long and weighs 1.25 to 1.5 pounds.

What is happening with your baby?
Your baby's brain is growing rapidly at this time. Taste buds are also developing, and the lungs are becoming more developed and complex. The branches of the main lung are beginning to form as well as special cells that will produce surfactant. Surfactant is necessary for the air sacs to inflate easily.

If now is when the taste buds start to form, should I make a point to eat more Cajun food? I mean, I don't want a son who is a sissy and can't eat spicy food.... :P

Kind of fun story~

I was out "in the field" yesterday (which in this case is a fancy term for, "I walked neighborhood streets all day in a subdivision we are evaluating for the City of Taylor Lake Village to figure out where water is ponding and where flooding would most likely occur....round two is tomorrow) and a car was passing us when the driver lowered her window and yelled, "Boy?". Ummm, what? was basically the face I had on. "Are you having a boy?" She clarified. "Yeah..." I replied cautiously. "I knew it." she said matter of factly and drove away. I looked at my coworker and we both just shrugged our shoulders and moved on......I guess I am showing in more ways than one now :)

Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This......

Yesterday was...... bad. It was a bad day. It was stressful and jam packed and really not a whole lot of fun. Apparently this Monday the 31st bad day thing is also genetic. My mother found herself also battling a round of the "Are you kidding me's!!". We commiserated on the phone yesterday afternoon and I think both came out feeling slightly better that at least it was not just us. Here is the (majorly) shortened bullet point version of my day~

~ Read on Fox News that Aloha airlines was very suddenly shutting down all operations and that all flights were cancelled after today.... forever. Hmmm, yup.. I confirm that this is in fact the airline Nate and I are flying between Honolulu and Maui in 3 weeks.

Call Expedia; wait 20 minutes to speak to representative; Receive "special" phone number for Hawaiian Airlines who will honor our tickets and re-book our flights; Call said number; It's a recording; Recording says that I have to go through Expedia; Call Expedia wait 30 minutes this time (receive call during wait time that my appointment I just set up an hour earlier with my dentist to have my crown put back on after it popped off this weekend has to be moved up. Have to cancel meeting to accommodate it); Expedia tells me I can fly standby on Hawaiian for free; I tell Expedia that I will be 6 months pregnant at the time and have no intention of doing this... I ask if I can get a refund; Expedia says I must go through my credit card to get a refund; I call Chase and they turn out to be the first competent people of the day and 2 minutes later the charges are under dispute (Aloha says they will not argue the disputed charges) and I have re booked tics through Hawaiian Airlines' site... really nice actually. 2 hours have elapsed since first Expedia call.

Day can only get better, right?

~ Try to lock in mortgage rate with USAA. This leads to 5 hours worth of phone calls wherein our loan processor tells me one thing and then tells Nate the opposite. Nate continues to call and get different answers from this girl every time. Around 3 pm finally gets to talk to someone who knows what they are doing and it gets resolved quickly (after 4.5 hours of struggling and having to continually prove that what the woman was telling us was wrong.... she would change her explanations every time we proved that something she said the last time wasn't true)

~ Get to dentist promptly knowing they are busy... sit in waiting room for extra 45 minutes (could have left work later, didn't have to cancel meeting) Turns out original appointment time would have been more accurate.

Those are the big things.... you know, the ones that gave me a "twinge" in my back that made it nearly impossible to be of any use at home last night. Oh well, it's a new day, a new month, and I'm liking the outlook on April :)