The Hals Family World Adventures: 31 Weeks! Settling back in and enjoying home!

Week 31 - January 9 - 15, 2014

After getting home to Maryland halfway through week 30 I had another round of appointments with the OB, chiropractor, and the vet. So by the time I reached Thursday, the beginning of week 31, I was ready for a slower day. (I had had the shower, driven back to Maryland, worked on getting set up for the week, juggled all the appointments, etc).

Through week 31 there have been a few prevailing themes:

a) I'm really really hungry. Seriously hungry! I have a meal or a healthy snack and within 30-60 minutes I swear Hannah is like "more?!" I also have this cute? vision of her grabbing the nearest organ when I don't feed her quickly enough and starting to nom/teethe on it while she's waiting. (Totally not realistic, I know...but it makes for a fun cartoon in my head). And while I am trying to make sure that I eat enough, but not too much...I have never been someone that believes in not eating when you are truly hungry. So NOM!

b) I am super crazy tired this week. Like OMG first trimester maybe worse tired. (I am usually back-blogging a bit, so I am happy to say this has not been the case every day since then). I think it's a combination of sleeping terrible in SC and having a deficit to conquer, staying up late with my besties after the baby shower, and oh yeah...being 31 weeks pregnant! Sunday we de-Christmased the house (I have a personal rule - we never take the tree down until after Epiphany (which was Monday)), and this was the first free day we had. Daniel and I did all kinds of chores around the house as we finally finished putting it back together and polished it up. I kept moving the whole day, but holy cow I could barely keep my eyes open!

c) The nesting bug has bit me pretty hard! I had told Daniel that January is to be the month of Hannah! Now that we have had Christmas and the shower, we really need to figure out what we need to buy and get moving! Up until now I really haven't felt stressed or compelled to get baby things (all of this is probably wrapped up in the fact that up until last week we were also paying Maryland level rent ($$$$) and our mortgage too), but now? It's on! Time to get shopping and crafting and organizing! I don't feel like we are out of time, but I definitely am compelled to get it together!

And now for some puppy pictures with our new camera (I am super in love with it!!!)

She's definitely growing!

The puppies are doing awesomely too! I was a little worried about how they would be once we got them home, away from all of the dog excitement at the Hals house, but honestly? They seem so happy! Chance seems much happier to have more of our attention and for Holly to be "his" playmate again and Holly is doing wonderfully! She didn't forget any of the rules we had established, rather she has just picked up where we left off! And while we were at the Hals there was only one crate for the pups, which Sebastian (the more ill behaved and unpredictable puppy that the Hals had agreed to watch) was given every time, so Holly was left out and about with the other dogs without incident for the two weeks. So when we got home? We daringly tried the same and she's been awesome! I know her cues better now and she also knows how to communicate with us - she cries if she really needs to be let out to potty (although I try to take her out frequently enough that this doesn't come up) and overall she's really doing great!

This was seriously too funny. She slept more and more in a vertical position through the evening. About five minutes after I took this picture she actually fell off the couch while still asleep and was very startled to land on the floor!

This is the watch I bought in Latvia (hence the bag) in 2005 while I was on foreign study and gave to his as an engagement gift. It's been out of commission for a while and for his birthday I found a local jeweler that was Tissot certified and could not only fix the inner mechanism but also rebuffed the exterior and make it all polished and shiny like new! :)

Other highlights from the week? Friday I drove all over creation to work on the crib challenge (story to follow at a later date) and to pick up Daniel's watch (which was fixed and rebuffed and looked amazing!). We attended a yoga/massage/labor & delivery course on Saturday. Yep. Daniel attended and survived! We also met up with some of the coworkers Daniel has steadily been getting to know and had a fun dinner and bowling night! It was great to finally meet some of the people he has been working with for years (he was the liason between APL and his previous company). And, we finally got to meet up with Brad and Ali to have dinner and do a Christmas exchange! And this week I officially declared that Daniel was in charge of the dishes until Hannah is on the outside. It is the one major household task that consistently aggravates my back...(which doesn't bother me so far except for when I was all the pots and pans after a meal). I will also give Daniel props in that we frequently have it arranged that I cook and he cleans so he often does the dishes anyway...it is not just officially his job for the foreseeable future. I guess it's just the angle necessary to wash them...it's an ever so slight lean that ever so slightly strains things and causes discomfort.

Ali and Holly bonding

What did I tell you about taking my picture?!

Ali and Brad's dog Leela

Cousins wrestling pile...unfortunately for Leela mine have learned to work together!

Holly tuckered out after playing with her cousins

A fun note about Hannah? She is very protective of her space! Anytime I cross my arms across my belly or rest the edge of my iPad on the top of my belly while sitting on the couch, or hold Holly in a way that touches my belly, Hannah let's me know that I am invading HER space with a defiant series of kicks and squirms. And it frequently happens with me nonchalantly positioning my arm without thinking it will encroach upon her only to be startled (usually into laughter) by her strong, striking protest. :)