playing catch-up

well it's been a long time since i've blogged, but i have so many topics, i'm not sure which one to write about! unfortunately, i think that leads me to listing, so here i go!

the weeks of pregnancy continue passing, and i am getting larger. with the abundance of my bosom (shall we say?), it is hard to see that my belly is actually getting much larger, but i can tell it is. [you can see that i am THRILLED about the idea of pictures being taken of me in my bloated state] i had some back problems a week or so ago, but barricading myself in bed with thousands of pillows each night has really helped. i have been blessed to have had a relatively lighter work schedule this past month or so, but even working 40 hours like i am this week, i'm doing ok getting through it. i also bought new work shoes, which i believe are contributing to my better back situation. though things like new orthopedically correct shoes are expensive, i have found they are a pregnancy necessity. and, though not a necessity, andrew did buy me a replacement ring to wear on my ring finger since my wedding set has been too small for me for a while now. i finally feel like i'm married again! (i know it's silly, but having the ring on just makes me feel better.)

thanksgiving week was an interesting one for us, as we both worked all day every day except thanksgiving itself. it was sort of a bummer to not have a long time off to celebrate my favorite holiday, but we got to spend some time together with my parents, and that was nice. plus, there was a plethora of traditional foodstuffs, which cannot be forgotten! i know there are pictures, so i'll have to commandeer them from my mother.

the following weekend we got a somewhat impromptu visit from my cousin, michelle, which was awesome. we hung out, talked long into the night (for us old fogeys anyway), and had a TON of laughs. my face actually hurt from all the smiling. there's nothing like family and a good friend wrapped up into one package to remind you what it means to be happy. she offered a lot of pregnancy sympathy as well as a ton of baby-raising advice, and she's a great christian-married-woman sounding board. i really enjoyed her visit. i enjoyed it so much so that i completely forgot to take a single picture! for shame!

this weekend, andrew and i were extremely productive -- i got a wonderful christmas bonus from work, so the penny-pinching we've been doing was able to lighten up for one weekend at least. it was really nice. we got a beautiful christmas tree and decorated it, bought decorations for the house and have been putting them up, did some general shopping for things we needed, and la piece de resistance, we bought a couch! i have been searching for a couch to replace the one we have for at least 2 years now, and though we did not get a sectional as planned, we bought a couch that i love, that will hopefully be very comfortable for me during my huge months of pregnancy. it'll be delivered right before christmas!

today was my day off, so i got to sleep in, have lunch with andrew, straighten up the yard/porch/driveway a little, put up some garland, re-install the driveway lights, and clean the kitchen. and as soon as he gets home, we'll make some dinner -- on days like this i love our quiet little country life :-)