Drum roll please

“Aunt Jenn, your belly looks like a drum.”

This is the greeting I receive from my delightful 3-year old niece each time I’ve seen her for the past month! It’s adorable.   (Her comment, not my belly.)

I mostly agree with her, although I think my belly looks more like an alien pod.  Some strange little being has taken over my insides–so much so that the other day, after having some lunch, I heard and felt the food digesting a bit.  You know how this *should* feel, right?  Somewhere in your stomach area, you feel a gurgling as the food gets processed.

Well, I felt the gurgling on my sides!  Where my waist used to be!  I was alone at the time but couldn’t help but laugh out loud.  My intestines are on my sides!!  How freakish is that?

The event reminded me that I am truly in the final stretch of pregnancy; T-minus 13-ish days until Buddy makes his debut!

In the mean time, I feel pretty good. I’m tired, large, and I grunt each time I get up, sit down, or try to put on shoes.  I’m having a few contractions each day, but nothing too painful or consistent; the docs say it looks like I’ll be right on time.

So, since all signs are healthy, and I still presumably have a few weeks of freedom left, I’ve been doing a lot of my favorite things that might be put on hold for a while after Buddy comes:  meeting up with friends, taking naps, and. . .of course. . . playing drums.

Yep! Believe it or not, I finally had the opportunity to play drums at church again!  A few months ago I decided it was time to take a hop of faith and introduce myself to the music leader (Dave) at church.  Since then, I met up with him for an informal jam session, after which I was scheduled to play last Sunday, May 31.

I nervous beyond belief!  Not only had I never played w/ anyone in the band, but I had also never played in front of a church of 700-ish people!  The band didn’t rehearse prior to Sunday; Dave simply sent me the song list, a few mp3s, and rhythm sheets.

The people in the band are amazing; a number of them play at different churches or are paid professionals.  So for this team, not rehearsing before Sunday isn’t a big deal.  They get their music, look it over, play through the song once, and they’re good to go!  For me, I’m used to running through the song–in its entirety–at least 5-6 times before it’s “show time.”

I could go on about how different this experience was than my 6 years of playing at Ambassador, but in short, the most important part was exactly the same:  I had a blast.   It was so much fun to play and be an active part of leading the congregation into worship.  I can’t wait to play again!

One funny, and rather unexpected moment arose when the Associate Bilingual Pastor got up to do announcements after the first 2 songs were complete.  He said, “Wow, the band sounds amazing today.”  He gave a shout-out to the 5 female vocalists and mentioned how beautiful their voices were, then he said, “And how about our mom-to-be on drums?”  The congregation cheered!   I blushed like nobody’s business.

Nate couldn’t be there because he was at work that day, but I was glad my mom was there; it was nice to share that morning with her.  (Thanks for coming, Mom!)

Although playing drums will be on hold again for a little while, I look forward to getting on the regular rotation some time this fall. . . you know, after Buddy comes. . . and my belly no longer looks like a drum.

Queen for 3 more weeks

Over the past month or so, I’ve noticed something interesting:  Coloradans have become nicer.  Drivers let people cross the street without growling.  People open doors for others.  Some shoppers have let others cut in line ahead of them!

Is it because it’s Spring?  The snow has melted, the sun has come out, and people are more chipper?  I dunno. Maybe it’s just me.

Actually, that’s exactly what I think it is.  I think it’s me.  It’s the pregnancy factor!

I’ve noticed lately that visibly pregnant women get a little extra special treatment.  People give up seats for me and say “excuse me” even if *I* run into *them.*  I even had the most relaxing time as a bridesmaid in early May; most of the bridal party were doctors, and they wouldn’t let me do a thing.  According to them, my only job was to “eat, relax, and not go into pre-term labor.”  Can’t beat that!

There’s one drawback, however. When I see women pushing a stroller or toting a few kids around, they don’t get the red-carpet treatment.  Once the child is actually *outside* of a woman’s body, the magic disappears.  This observation was confirmed last weekend when I met a couple at Starbucks.

I was picking up a few drinks for my family at a Denver Sbux when a lady congratulated me out of the blue.  She asked how far along I was, do we have names picked out, and all that.  We chatted for about 5 minutes, and it was a fun conversation.  Then, at the very end, the husband said, “Just be aware.  People treat you really well now; shoot, you could walk across I-25 and all the cars will stop for you, smile, and wave.  But the moment that child is in a stroller or a baby carrier, the kindness is gone.  People will go back to being irritated.”

He said it with an air of humor, but it did confirm what I’ve been observing lately.

So now I’m wondering:  How can I milk this treatment over the next 3 weeks?  I’m at a loss.  I feel like I’ve been given a free pass to something, but the ink on the ticket is smudged and I can’t read what it’s for. If you have any ideas, I’m all ears!

Well, worst-case, I’ll just keep enjoying the little things.   It’s just too bad that it only works for pregnant women; I wish Julie & Alan could carry around their adoption application and get the same treatment!

Dress quest

At 5′ 10″, I’m not unaccustomed to standing out.

I’ve been “the tall white chick” at a predominantly multi-ethnic church.  I’ve been the  “single female” on a team of married men at work.  I’ve even been one of 2 single women on the dance floor at a wedding–begrudgingly awaiting the bouquet toss.  (I was a bridesmaid; it was my duty.)

At weddings, specifically, I’ve often been the tallest bridesmaid, and it’s not uncommon for me to tower over the poor groomsman who has to escort me down the aisle.  At Betty & Kevin’s wedding, I was maid of honor, and the photographer kept asking me to “squat down a little bit” so I wouldn’t make Betty and other brides maids look short.

Come May 1, I’ll be standing even further out at a wedding:  I’ll be a bridesmaid and nearing my 8th month of pregnancy!  Is there a term for this?  I’m thinking: “bridal boat” or “bridal tank” might be appropriate!

Actually, I’m very excited; my friend Ginny is marrying a great guy right here in Colorado.  I’m honored to be a part of her wedding. She has been a friend for more than 8 years, and she stood by me at my wedding as well.  All exciting stuff, but here’s the dilemma:  I need to buy a dress.

How do you buy a formal dress for a size you haven’t yet achieved? I have to buy for the future with no past pregnancy experience, so I have no idea how big I’m going to be!  Will I look like a balloon?  Do I want to risk bare arms? Will I have cankles?

The normal thing to do, of course, is:  buy for the size you are now, work out like mad to lose 5-10 lbs, then get the dress taken in a week before the event.   That won’t work this time.

My mission (which I’ve chosen to accept) is to find a full-length, chocolate brown dress.  That’s it! Ginny gives me free reign from there on out:  straps, no straps, sleeves, no sleeves, high-waist, low-waist, (or in my case: “what waist?”).  It’s my call. But I continually hit walls.  You’d think this should be relatively easy, right?

Not a chance.  Just try googling around for formal maternity dresses.  You get ridiculously thin models with big bellies wearing these uber-cute, short, strapless dresses.  I’ve found some more reasonable long dresses in black, but not brown.  Brown dresses that are short, not long.  And the few long brown dresses I’ve found are overly ornate!  (I mean really, I’m already going to be huge; do we need to add bows, flowers, and extra layers?)

I think I’ve finally narrowed it down to two possibilities:  this one at David’s Bridal, and that one on Special Occasion Maternity.  I’ve recruited my sister to come with me next week while I try some on; I need an objective eye.

Hopefully this will all get squared away in the next couple of weeks, and I’ll be good to go.  If not. . .well. . .Hefty bags come in brown, right?

Too much to say. . .but not much to write!

First of all, I’ll put down the guilt stick and let it go that I haven’t posted in more than 2 months. It’s a new day, right?

To get back into the writing mode, I’ll post my top 6 list of things going on in life right now.  Enjoy, and I’ll post more pictures and updates soon. (Especially for those of you asking for belly shots!)

1) Buddy’s at 23 weeks! “Buddy” (not his real name. . .just a nick name until some time in mid-June) is growing like a weed! That has to explain all the kicking and movement I feel lately. I’m telling you — I’m housing a future soccer player.   N8 was finally able to feel him kicking for the first time last Saturday. It was fun to finally be able to share that experience with him!

Buddy weighs more than a pound now, and he’s starting down the home stretch. In the next 3 1/2 months, he needs to grow 7 times his own weight!  (I shutter to picture my belly 7 times heavier; I already feel like a Weeble with legs.)

2) Our dads are doing well! As you may know from previous posts, N8’s dad was diagnosed w/ Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last summer, and my dad was diagnosed w/ prostate cancer last fall.  N8 called them the Cancer Buddies.   Thankfully, they’ve both been healing well; Mike is officially in remission, and my dad is slowly becoming less radioactive.

You think I’m kidding?   But oddly, I’m not. Instead of surgery, my dad opted for a treatment that relied on 80-some-odd radiation seeds that were implanted near the prostate.   The pros? No surgery required.  The cons?  He can’t be within 3 feet of small children or pregnant women for 4-5 months.   So, I’ll get to hug my dad again. . .some time in April.

3) N8’s nearing graduation. Only 4 1/2 weeks left for N8 at the Fire Academy!  Man, I have never seen this guy so beat before.  Last year, he was always pretty alert, cooked up a storm, and usually stayed up past midnight reading for fun.   Now this same man wakes up at 4 am, gets home around 6 pm, gets home tired, eats dinner, studies, then hits the sack *no later than* 8:30 pm.  Yep, that’s right. He goes to bed even earlier than my nearly-3-year-old niece!

I’m so happy he’s in a job he loves, but I’ll be even happier when he’s out of the Academy. I look forward to spending time w/ my husband when he’s awake again.

4) Ryan Rice Fine Art is picking up steam. My uber-talented brother-in-law, Ryan, has been working on his “culinary” art for years, and this year, things are starting hitting a stride.  He had a great show a few weeks ago where he began selling kitchen magnets of his art ($15 for 1; $10 for any there after).  He’s applying for a few more exhibits this year and will hopefully get a store set up & some of his work into the likes of cafepress.com and other art commerce sites.  I’ll keep you posted; it’s worth keeping your eye on this guy.

5) We’re making friends! Well, 2 so far, but who’s counting?  Last fall, N8 and I met a couple at church with whom we seemed to click; the lady is a Spanish teacher and the gentleman is a firefighter (fitting, right?)  We’ve been getting to know them a bit through football parties and such (yes, they are Bronco fans), and now they’ll be leading a small Bible study that will start next month.  So I’m excited about the opportunity to meet some more people and get a little more involved in the church we’re attending.

6) Yummy restaurants: For those of you in (or visiting) Denver, here are a few good restaurants we’ve tried lately. Hope you enjoy!

Sullivan’s Steakhouse - we went there for Restaurant week. Their fillet mignon with the bourbon peppercorn sauce was absolutely delicious!  The fillet had a crispy, peppery crust and it was so juicy. I’m drooling just remembering it.

Devil’s Food Bakery – I’ve been here twice now for breakfast and brunch. They have wonderful fresh breakfasts and a nice selection of yummy baked goods you can take home. Cute, artsy, tasty & reasonably priced.

Sunnyside Cafe – Another tasty, cute breakfast place. I recommend the breakfast burrito with green chili, the whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes, and the loaded hash browns (ooh those  were good).

Pappadeux Seafood – N8 and I dined here for a pre-Jenn’s-travels date night.  The fish was fresh and flavorful, and the manager even gave us free dessert since it was our first time at the restaurant!  Can’t beat that service.

Wild Ginger Thai Restaurant – Wow!  I have to admit; I had reservations about finding killer Thai food in south Denver, but this made me eat my words (topped w/ a kickin’ Panang sauce).   If you’re here visiting (or you live here and want to join us for dinner some evening), let me know; N8 and I will meet you there!

Dare to dream

I wonder, sometimes, why I wake up at 5am and can’t get back to sleep. “There’s nothing specific on my mind,” I say to myself. “Nothing I’m particularly stressed about.”  But there’s still the notable sleeplessness, stiff shoulders, and fairly consistent fatigue.

Then, today, after reading a draft of my mom’s New Year’s letter, I thought, “Wow, really has been a pretty crazy year!”  That’s when I realized, at this time last year, N8 & I were in Virginia celebrating our first Christmas together.  We had already decided to move to Colorado “some time in 2008,” but we hadn’t told many people, and a lot of details were still up in the air.  Since then:

• Nate quit his job with no guarantee of getting one in Denver
• We sold my car to pay for moving expenses and have been a 1-car family since July
• We lived out of a suitcase for about a month in VA before moving (although we had wonderful hosts!)
• We had to say goodbye to a wonderful community of friends in Virginia (14 years there for me; 4 for Nate)
• We bought a home in a Denver neighborhood we barely knew
• Nate’s dad was diagnosed with lymphoma
• My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer
• I started working full time from home (the virtual project manager)
• Nate got a new job at the Denver FD
• We got pregnant

I’ve heard that some of the top most-stressful things in life are:  new home purchase, job change, death in the family, new addition to  the family, and a geographic move.  We’ve done 3 1/2 out of 5 this year.

I’m not by any means complaining!  I am so thankful for every change–and thankful that N8 and I could be here for our fathers as well.  I’m so thankful for God’s timing in all of this, but I guess it does explain why I’m tossing and turning a bit more than I was this time last year.

My hopes for 2009?  A healthy baby. N8 to do well in the Academy and graduate in April. Our fathers to have clean bills-of-health.  And maybe, just maybe, be able to squeek in some actual sleep before June 19th-ish when Baby Hamel arrives.  (Dare to dream!)

Ode to Mom. . . again

I find it funny that the impetus for the last 2 posts have been my mom. But hey, she’s post-worthy! Especially today. . .

N8 and I have only 1 car between us. That was a decision we made when moving out here; we needed the money from the car sale to move, and–since I work remotely–it seemed like a reasonable solution.

Now, however, with N8 working, a few circumstances have arisen that make it a little more difficult. Today, for instance, I have two doctor’s appointments; I’m not near a bus line, and they’re way too far for me to walk. So who did I call?

Mom.

My mom said she’d be happy to drive down here, take me to my appointments, and take me on any other small errands I need to run. It may not sound like a big deal, but the thing is, she lives 45 minutes away. . . in good weather.

Which brings me to today.

Last night, about 5-7 inches of snow fell, and from what I can tell, the roads are not all that great. But despite that, my mom is coming down to take me to my appointments.

Maybe it’s fitting that these posts have been about my mom. The appointments I’m going to are OB appointments; I’m 12 weeks and 5 days pregnant today!

For 37 years, I’ve been the recipient of lots of motherly love and sacrifice; I’m sure I don’t even know most of the things she’s done for my sister and me over the years. However, if all goes well, in June, I’ll be on the other side, and I’ll find out what it’s like to be the one giving instead of the one receiving.

Sometimes I don’t feel like I’ll be up for the task; it sounds like a lot of work. But it’s nice to know that I have a great role model.  (And, if there’s something I can’t handle . . .I know who to call!)