What to do while waiting for Baby

The last weeks of pregnancy can be anything but comfortable, but it sure helps to have things to stay busy with! Here's a little of what we've done to keep my mind off of my human time-bomb state:

Move Anne and Lucy downstairs!--complete with new fun curtains I fashioned out of some Walmart panels :).  I was really worried about how tricky it would be having them downstairs, since they have not gotten into very established sleep routines since sharing a room, but it has worked out so well! I don't know if that it's just so far away I don't hear them staying up, or if it's that Dad gets to tuck them in more often (since I can only go down the stairs so many times a day right now), or if the darker corner of the house actually helps, but aside from one night of them climbing up and tipping BOTH dressers, they've done pretty well! (I was gone for that excitement---I'm sure it was just that they sensed my absence :) ).
We've also been able to put all of the baby furniture back into the "nursersy" which is also doubling as my giftwrap/Christmas box room for now :).  I touched up the baby furniture w/ white spraypaint, washed our barrels of little clothes, bought diapers again, and have everything nearly ready to go!

Life goes on, in the meantime, and we've enjoyed a dinner out with the Lisonbee's (to say thanks for all of the campaigning help), a ward temple night where we actually met up with a few other couples, and enjoyed a Mexican birthday dinner for our EQ pres., getting Brent started with his Jr Jazz team, driving practice w/ Maddie, attending Book Club, a performance of White Christmas, and this cute pack meeting for Spencer--here's his skit dressing up as Thomas Jefferson (in an Einstein wig?) on a night about Good Citizenship--Brian was the guest speaker as a City Councilman :).

We were also looking forward to Anne's Christmas violin concert at Temple Square--and had planned to get our favorite sandwiches at Seigfried's (local German deli) beforehand.  We actually left in plenty of time, but just after getting onto Beck St (RIGHT before Salt Lake!)--the van started to wobble, and Brian quickly pulled us over to find our tire stripped completely off! It appeared to have blown through the sidewall pretty randomly, so we took advantage of our Roadside Assistance, and though we had to help a bit by finding a "how-to" on Youtube to detaching our spare from the bottom of the van, we were grateful for the good help.  Fortunately, the weather was really pleasant, and sitting on the side of the road for that hour or so was not so bad.  I was SO glad Brian was with us when it happened!--it was enough excitement for a few contractions (it was my due date after all!), but nothing to call home about.  Unfortunately, we were TOTALLY late for the concert, so Anne played for the kids in the van, and we ended up just having a really long trip for some German sandwiches! They were all great sports though, and Anne has 2 more chances to play with her group.  It turns out her teacher was also gone, due to a really sick family, so that helped her not feel too badly.  Here are finally a few shots of our "new" van!

We also had a great day putting up Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving.  I TRIED keeping things as simple as possible, but the children coerced me into setting up the big tree (I was ready to just use a little one this year)--promising they'd take care of putting it up AND taking it down, and they were huge helps, setting everything up, getting the candy calendar filled, etc. etc.  Now, all that's left is for the baby to come!--I do still need to hang the washed curtains in the nursery, finish wrapping Emily's birthday gifts, and take care of a few other things here at home, so I'm trying to balance the "being ready" with the "staying occupied."  We are all excited!! --well, Brent is a little concerned.  I'm not sure how he pictures labor, but he asked me a few times yesterday, "So, are you still planning on coming to church Mom?--(Oh, sure!)--Because what if you start having the baby there?--are you going to be ready to leave really quick?-- (oh, there's plenty of time even if things do start)---Because I really don't want to be known as the family who went into labor at church!"  Maddie's trying to convince me to start moaning next to him in Sacrament mtg. :) The joy of being a teenage boy!
Though these 35 lbs make motion a little questionable at times, I AM thankfully, still feeling well, able to exercise in the morning, eat most anything, and fall asleep (I just wake up for my bladder a little early--like 4-ish every day, only once in while fall back asleep--which is how I am getting this post in so early today!).