Ten Weeks

Miss P will be here in just ten weeks! Starting this week I go to the doctor every two weeks. We'll be switching insurance to University of Missouri's in a month and we still have so much to prepare for.

Yesterday I had my glucose test. They have not called yet, which I am hoping is a good sign. I guess my "Just say "not" to Gestational Diabetes" mantra worked? (Knock on wood). It is really hot here, but not as hot as Washington, DC or Texas, so I guess it could be worse. I had to break down and water the lawn yesterday after several days of waiting for rain. Next time I'll try not to be pregnant during the summer.

It's hard to believe she could be here in ten weeks, which is two and a half months.

Greg and I still have so much to do to prepare for her arrival.
I've registered Greg and I for a birthing class, I'm reading Birth Skills by Juju Sundin, I wrote up my birth plan, and we are getting her room ready. Sadly, just when I have adjusted to living in Missouri I'll be adjusting to Miss P's arrival into our family.

Greg returns from DC on Saturday morning and will be here permanently. The next few weeks we'll get him ready to start his new job, finish unpacking our house, finish painting, go to a conference for Journalism Educators in St. Louis (where Greg is receiving an award), and we'll have a yard sale.

Also in August I'll go to Texas for a baby shower for Miss P and get to see my friend Samantha who is coming into town for the baby shower from LA! A lot of exciting stuff.

These last two weeks (in Missouri) have been an adjustment. Life moves a lot slower here. I find myself craving ethnic food like crazy. Earlier this week I went and got Chinese and Indian food, although I wish I could go to Etete (on U Street) and have Ethiopian. Yesterday I heard some people speaking Spanish and it made my day. While there is culture in Columbia it is more difficult to find. In DC I could just get on the bus and hear three different languages. I guess I am experiencing a little culture shock.

That said I do love the culture of hospitality here. I've met some sweet people. I love my new neighbors and our friends the Varners. I am so thankful for all the time they have spent with me while Greg is away. I know I will get to meet some more wonderful people the longer I am here.

Died and Gone to Heaven

A lot has fallen into place in the stressful month (or two) since I've posted on this site. Mimi and I purchased our first house. Woot. I've been offered the opportunity to teach my first semester at Mizzou which is actually a bit rare. I won a student paper award through AEJMC in St. Louis (it comes complete with a plaque!) where I will be presenting in August. Mimi has found a new doctor. We've spotted a couple of ways we could quickly get involved in the community and get to know the people there.

That said, I'm not sure I can completely wrap my head around the stress I feel right now. I'm moving next weekend before returning to DC to finish out at my job. The AEJMC conference is the second week of August. Orientation for Mizzou is the third week of August. And I have a baby due in October. It's a bit overwhelming. We've got to fit house painting, Lamaze classes and CPR training in there.

I've been doing a lot of running. About 24 to 28 miles a week.

People have asked me a lot about what this transition is like.

Basically, I'm going to place I've never been. To program I've never visited. To live in a house I've never seen. In part to prepare home for a child I've never met.

It's kind of like the afterlife. Good friends have told me that Missouri has a great program--the program is truly the stuff of legends. People I trust have told me Columbia's a fun town with very nice people (emphasis on "very"--I'm not sure I'll know what to do after living in DC and Florida). Family has told me that have a child will be the greatest responsibility I'll ever had, make me busier than I've ever been and happier than I could ever imagine.

Am I moving or dying to go to Heaven?

Welcome to Columbia

So for those that do not know as of July 11 I will be living in Columbia, MO. I'm on my last visit there before we officially relocate and I've been creating my own little Arcadian Nest for Greg and Little Miss P to move into. I thought I would share some photos. The first one is of the paint colors I am thinking about for Miss P's room. We decided to go with the color on the right (called asparagus). The second is a front view of the house with a fresh cut lawn.

I've met with people on electricity and been trying to round up a washer and dryer while I am here. I hope that we can put things together rather quickly once we start to move furniture and get settled. After this trip I'll be back in DC for a little over a week. I cannot believe how close the move is getting.

Our neighbors are wonderful so far. Yesterday I met several and their children when they were selling lemonade. They gave me some great tips and explained some things about the neighborhood. I visited one neighbor today and hung out with her and her two kids for an hour or so. I love where we are going to live, and I am feeling better about the community--although I'll still miss DC. I also met with a pastor at the local Nazarene church who is going to get some people to help us unload the truck on July 11 and help my parents when they are here on July 3rd. A lot of coordinating.

I met my new Dr. today at the University of Missouri Women and Children's Hospital. It was a great experience. She has two residents as well who shadow her and work with her patients. It is great to be part of the learning process. Miss P was so active today they had a hard time getting her heart beat. I really love that she is so active.

A home for baby P

After a trip to Missouri to check out Mizzou and a few homes, Greg and I decided on Saturday that Missouri is the best place for Baby P to enter the world. It is a hard decision as we love Washington, DC. We love our church, Mosaic, our neighborhood in the Atlas District and most of all, the friends we have made here. That more than anything is going to make it more difficult to leave (see Greg's Gaelic Gopher blog here).
Columbia is what everyone there referred to as a "progressive" town. It has a lot of parks, recycling, vintage stores and a historic downtown. It was a mixture of several places Greg and I have visited and enjoyed. It will be different, but I think we will enjoy it.
Baby P is the size of a peach today. I had my second ultra sound in a week to see the baby. He/she was not as active this time, but was rather folding his/her hands in a prayer position. It is nice to know that the baby is meditative. This made me think he/she was at peace about our decision to move to Missouri in August.
Greg also got awarded an additional fellowship from Missouri yesterday. This was real affirmation that we are going to the right school. The next step is to figure out where we are going to live. Missouri is so inexpensive we're going to be able to buy a house, which is really exciting!