Life...

I feel I should post a few updates...although I'm not sure how many people are reading my blog on a regular basis now. But, here goes.

Since Halloween, I have been very busy and will continue to be so until baby #3 is born. Tis the season and I seem to be the primary drive to organize and include my more local friends in all the fun western Holiday festivities. They have voiced serious interest in celebrating these Holidays with me and I can't be more thankful for their continued enthusiasm. In fact, I realize just how much I have to thankful for this season and I am more than willing to host the event that will allow me to formally announce these blessings.

Thanksgiving!

This year, I plan to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, because of my advanced pregnancy, I felt compelled to "modify" the event from the more traditional Thanksgiving sit down dinner to a fun ladies' bingo night with all the Thanksgiving trimmings! Well...as many as I can put together, that is. My local and international friends have voiced their enthusiasm for tasting traditional Thanksgiving food and my American friends are VERY excited about playing bingo!! haha So, it should be a really good time for all. ;-)

Brandon's B-day!

This year, my Swiss friend and I have decided to combine our boys' b-day parties into one very fun event, thus sharing the cost as well. Both of our boys (who are good friends) have December b-days...so this works out perfectly for everyone. They both turn six this December. We will be having their party at a place called the Technology Workshop. They will spend a few hours with their friends playing on computers, working with various fun computer programs and then they will all work together to build a very cool Lego machine...that will eventually be able to move with a remote. Of course, all this fun will be followed by cake and pizza! haha So, the boys should have a great time!

Christmas!

My chinese friend and neighbor has offered to host this year's Christmas party (last year was her first one - I helped her pick out her tree and decorations). She is very excited about it. However, our little group of mutual friends has increased dramatically over this last year and she now has a guest list of about 30 people who she wants to attend. Yikes! haha While me and another friend have continuously "warned" her about the number of people in her house...INCLUDING 15 kids...she just doesn't have the heart to leave anyone out. I guess this will be her "lesson learned" in throwing a large party. haha She is kind of "new" to hosting events at her house, but I'm sure she will learn a lot about it this year! I, personally, am excited she is so enthusiastic about it, since I am not physically able to host one myself this year. I feel fortunate that our family will have a warm and inviting place to go, to celebrate x-mas this year. We are lucky!

Being the planner that I am, I have everything set for the next few weeks...Brandon's b-day party is ready to go, x-mas presents (with the help of family, of course) have been prepared already, x-mas decorations have been put up...now all we have to do is wait for baby #3 to join us. We are all very excited about it.

Baby #3!

Ryan has especially been expressing a lot of interest in baby #3. He keeps kissing my tummy, kissing me, talking to the baby in my tummy and he has even shown the baby how to play with certain toys already. It's sooooo cute! He has completely taken the initiative in these types of activities. He seems excited to become a BIG brother. :-)

I have been feeling pretty good, despite the "usual" pregnancy discomfort. I have been keeping so busy, the time seems to be flying! I know life as I know it will have to "shut down" for awhile after he comes, so I'm trying to take advantage of having him inside me for a little while longer. I'm having lots of fun right now with all the different activities going on around me and I try to appreciate every little bit of happiness that comes my way with friends, etc.

In retrospect, I don't think I could have planned this pregnancy's timing any better. My due date is December 25th. The boys' school gets out a week or two before and they go back to school a week or so after the baby is officially supposed to be here. Wow...this is really good! The boys will have a little time with mommy before and a little time with baby after the baby is born.

My GD is "off and on". I go through periods where it is really on track...and then I fall off the wagon a bit and the numbers sky rocket again. It has been sooo hard. My doctor still wants me to consider insulin (even at this late stage), but I don't...so we are at a standstill. I'm trying to listen to my body to figure it all out. The baby is officially full term after 37 weeks. I'm almost at 36...so I really think everything will be fine. The baby is STILL constantly moving, despite the lack of space he must now have due to his size. So, that's positive. He has always been such a strong little guy throughout this pregnancy. I feel confidant he'll come out kicking and I'll be chasing this one around for a long time to come! haha His older, big brothers had better watch out!! ;-)

We have his name picked out already, but feel hesitant to announce it prematurely. Don't worry...it'll be officially announced at his birth in just a few weeks! :-)

Other than that...not much else to announce right now. We'll keep all our loved ones posted about the baby in the weeks to come and especially when we have the good news of his birth! XO