Thanksgiving and Seattle snow

At the Gaarde house for Thanksgiving

Kahlua pecan pie that I made (fancy, huh?)

All bundled up to walk to the store in Seattle's Snowmegeddon.  My coat is getting a little snug around the middle.

19 weeks and a Christmas tree 

Stay tuned........We find out the sex tomorrow at 10:15AM.  We have been feeling lots of little kicks and are listening to the heartbeat with our fetal monitor.  On Sunday we got to take a wonderful trip to the urgent care because of some really terrible stomach cramps.  They quickly stuffed me in a wheelchair and took me to the Family Beginnings center.  I got to lay in a bed for four hours, hooked up to a contraction monitor and having every unpleasant test done to my poor body.  Yet another example of how your body quickly becomes less of your body and more of a vessel for your baby when you are pregnant.  It turns out gas can hurt so bad you can't stand up straight and you wanna cry every time you move.  The staff at our hospital was really great and we got to see a bit of where we will go when the baby is ready.

California Visit and Baby Research

I visited one of my best friends and her 10 week old baby this last week in Pasadena, CA. Unlike other visits I have made to see friends with newborns this also involved some baby research and introductory registering.  It was a nice, peaceful five days that helped my tendency to be very overwhelmed with all this "baby stuff." Cloth diapers vs. disposable, swing vs. bouncy chair, which stroller, which bottles, is the mattress I bought good enough, should I be using this ointment or this one?  I know I shouldn't get stressed like that and this week has really helped.  Here are some pictures of baby Calvin, Heather, and me.

Calvin wearing the hat I made him for all the chilly weather in Southern California

After church where Heather, the music director, had me earn my keep by singing three songs

When Lars brought me home from the airport he surprised me with the fact that he had completely moved his office into the garage (as planned for later in the pregnancy) and put together all the nursery furniture.  He had planned ahead to have the cable guy come and set up internet for his new office and he cleaned the whole house.  Amazing!

Happy Fall!!!

We, like many soon-to-be parents, are starting a blog.  We would like to keep family and friends updated on the baby's progress and our lives in general.  I have a little bit of a phobia of being boring, that is why I do not have a twitter account and I rarely write on facebook, so if you don't like my posts don't tell me.

We are having a very nice fall so far.  This last Saturday we went to a Halloween party with our friend Scott and all dressed up like zombies.  This normally would not be my top choice for a costume but we found a great tutorial on youtube about using toilet paper and school glue to create the look so we wanted to give it a try.  It turned out great and really wasn't that much work.  On Sunday we were really looking forward to having a few trick or treaters but no such luck.  I really don't know if Seattle kids go out in neighborhoods anymore.  We have lived in 4 very different areas in this city and we haven't had one cute, costumed kid.  Being pregnant, I obviously don't mind having more candy in the house (craving sweets means we are having a girl :) ) but I do miss that part of Halloween. 

Lars and I have made an agreement to not put the Christmas tree up until the weekend after Thanksgiving (boo) so I am trying to embrace fall for the second year in a row.  Lots of pumpkin candles and apple cider don't quite make up for the lack of Christmas music and twinkle lights but I'm trying.  

We are staying busy until the baby comes.  I have 25 students now and I feel like I am always teaching.  I go to Mercer Island to teach 8 of them, Seattle schools to teach 9, and have the rest here at the house.  Lars is working from home, which is fantastic, and we are both singing with the Seattle Choral Company.  Lars sings with them full-time but I am only participating for the New Year's Eve concert of Carmina Burana. http://www.seattlechoralcompany.org/Concerts/NewYearsEve2010.aspx

Ok, enough info.  I'm sorry if that was dull but I promise I was just nervous to get started with the first post.

          The three of us ready to go out

Just Lars and I

And a close-up of the makeup