Sunday, January 30, 2011

9 Weeks to Go and 1 Trip Down Memory Lane

Since nothing too exciting has happened this week, I bring to you the post I mentioned last time.
***
I have been asking myself recently, "Do I live in Fargo, ND?"  Since the time I've lived in the Kansas City metro, I've never experienced snow and cold like this.  Wednesday we had snow that stretched my commute from 30 minutes to just under 3 hours.  Needless to say, I took Thursday off!

When I'd finally decided I wasn't going to try driving to work, I lay on the couch and slept a good 3 hours longer than I normally would.  I suppose my body is trying to tell me I need to slow down, that the human in there needs more rest than I'm giving her.  I finally decided it was time to be productive and chose to go through boxes of things we'd packed up from my parent's house and I hadn't touched since it landed in our big spare bedroom.  Thus began my roadtrip down memory lane and wondering if my child or children will be as lucky as I have been in the friends department.

The bulk of the boxes I worked through contained pictures from my entire life.  I started by looking through a scrapbook my mom put together for me when I graduated high school.  There were so many people in there that were important to me and most of whom are still very much in my thoughts on a daily basis.  I don't see any of them often enough but I sure do hope they're all doing well.  I followed the scrapbook up by going through tubs of photos that were just in envelopes after developing.  For those of you who don't remember, developing photos means they're in hard copies with negatives.  I spent hours looking through them and want to share with you who I saw and what I hope my kids will get to experience as I did.

The Aalbers Girls
I have to start here because much of my life was spent with and around the Aalbers girls.  I think I've mentioned them at least once before.  My "Aunt Dawn" babysat me off and on my entire life.  She isn't really my aunt but that's what we always called her and that's what she'll always be to me.  She and her husband, Mikey (I called him that too), had 6 girls.  I repeat, 6 girls!  When we fit me and my sister into their family lineup, we almost fill all 8 years, with one or two exceptions.  It goes something like this:  Michelle, Kathy, Beth, Brooke, Me, Megan, Kimberly, and My Sister.  There was never a lack of someone to play with and always something entertaining going on.  Each girl had something interesting to bring to the table.  Michelle was the oldest and she sometimes came to our house to babysit for a week during the summer.  My favorite year she brought a suitcase full of dress up clothes and we dressed up and sang silly songs on our front deck.  Kathy was second and she was probably the most quiet.  She was also a very good musician and I remember her playing multiple instruments, mainly trumpet, when we were at her house.  Beth was next and you would remember her if you met her.  Her laugh is contagious!  I can't forget that sound!  Brooke was a year older than me and my closest friend.  Brooke hated it when you "got into her bubble" which made me try to hug her all the time of course.  We spent a lot of time together and I can't even tell you how many memories I have of her in my life.  From pushing boys out of her treehouse to sharing chicken pox to walking the gravel roads around her house...the list just goes on and on!  Megan was next and she was mother hen to my sister.  She took care of Sarah nearly all the time.  I don't know what it was but Sarah listened to Megan...and Sarah didn't listen to anyone!  And a year older than Sarah was Kimberly who was one of Sarah's closest friends.  Kimberly was and still is unique and Sarah was much like her.  They got along fabulously so you'd usually find Megan, Kimberly, and Sarah together whenever we were all together.

I found post cards from Michelle when she was traveling the world.  I found pictures of all of the girls at my birthday parties.  I found Beth's wedding invitation and photos from the trip I took with her family by car to Colorado for the big day.  I found countless pictures of Brooke and I doing all sorts of things, mostly outdoors, and Sarah's room at home still has pictures of Megan and Kimberly hanging on her boards.  I guess what I hope for my kids is that there is one family or a set of friends that they find in their memories and pictures, that they can look back on and remember how lucky they were to get to know that family.  I hope that they remain good friends, even though they may not see eachother enough.  The Aalbers family is that family for me.  Many of my childhood up through high school memories involved the girls.

Peter and Alex
Every year, my family has gone and still goes to a resort in Minnesota called Cozy Cove Resort.  We started when I was 9 and over the years, other families have come with us.  The most predominant of these was Amber Scearcy (Kain) and her family, sometimes extended family.  We always went the same week from year to year and low and behold who was always there?  Peter and Alex.  Peter is 3 years older than me exactly; we share a birthday!  Alex is my age as well as Amber's.  Though we often only saw the boys when we were on vacation, we always stayed in touch via letters and later via emails.  I had a box FULL of letters from Peter and Alex only.  Alex even went to the same college as I did and Amber was there for a semester too.  Peter, on the other hand, ended up in Iowa not too far from my house.  I found so many pictures of our times in Minnesota and of the boys that I just couldn't help but include them here. 

The funny thing about the four of us is that I was always head over heals for Peter and Amber was the same with Alex.  When we all outgrew that phase, we were still great friends.  I haven't talked to Peter in quite some time as he went into the Peace Corps, got married, and is now living in DC but I still wonder about him and think about him this time of year, given our birthday is coming in just a few days.  Alex is living here in the KC Metro with his wife but again, I don't talk to him too much either.  Amber lives in Seoul, South Korea with her husband and son.  I talk to her now and again via Facebook but I haven't seen her in a couple of years.  Still, she's one of my oldest and closest friends so of course I wonder about her now and again.  Every year when the first weekend in August rolls around, I think of the three of them and wonder if they'll be there or if they're wishing they were like me.  My hope is that my kids have long distance friends like this, people they'd do anything for and always wish the best for.  Some of my best memories are vacation memories with Peter, Alex, and Amber.  I just hope my kids find a couple of friends and they feel the same.

Mike and Sarah
I met a lot of really important people in college but two of them probably saved me.  I say "saved me" because they're the two that made me see the light, so to speak, in relationships and helped me out of my shell.  I met Mike the first weekend I was in college.  Amber had met him and his roommate and we, along with Amber's roommate, decided to go to a college party.  I was nervous.  I didn't know these guys and I had never been the partying type.  However, Mike and I hit it off from the get go.  I spent the majority of my freshman year in Mike's dorm room, watching tv, talking, etc.  After classes, that's the first place I'd go, and if we were gone for a weekend, I'd always stop by to see him when I got back or when he got back.  I spent a lot of long nights talking to Mike about life, relationships, etc. and to this day, I consider him one of my very best friends.  I couldn't have been happier when he met and married his wife, Anne.  I wouldn't have picked anyone better!  And that, I think, is one of the marks of really great opposite sex friendship.

Sarah was, is, and always will be my best friend.  We met my sophomore year during sorority activities.  I don't really know how we got so close but over time, I was never anywhere unless Sarah was there.  While talking, we discovered that her older half sisters babysat me when I was little too.  Sarah is the person who got me out of my shell.  We were "bad" together which was so good!  Even today if we get together, we know some sort of shenanigans are going to happen.  Sarah is the one person that I can get into a fight with and we know that we'll still be best friends anyway.  She's the one that I listen to the most, too.  I remember a specific instance when Sarah said to me, "Renee', what are you doing??"  I didn't like it, but she was right and all that did was reinforce our friendship more.  She was my Maid of Honor at my wedding and even my husband considers her family.  We don't talk too much because we hate phones but that doesn't matter much either.  I have a picture of the two of us on my nightstand so she's the first thing I see when I go to bed and the last thing I see before I go to bed.  She's still my best friend, no matter what!

I hope that my kids have people who tell them what they think and it only solidifies their relationships.  I hope that my daughter knows she can have a friend who is a guy without anyone assuming they're anything more.  It's good for a girl to have a guy's perspective, especially on other guys.  And I hope that she has that one best friend who can say anything to her, even the things she doesn't like, and she remembers that her friend only wants the best for her.  Friends like these are rare and priceless.

I'm sure I've skipped people along the way but in my picture sorting adventures, these are the people that showed up the most and the friendships that I hope that my children are blessed enough to have themselves.
***
So that's the post.  Below is my Week 31 picture.  My body is now sore a lot of the time but I have no big complaints.  At the end of the day, I know I waddle but I just don't care.  My back and feet hurt nearly constantly in the evenings so I just can't bring myself to walk all that normal.  My wedding rings are also a little too snug.  I took them off this afternoon and I still have red rings where they were.  I guess I might have to take them off for a while which will make me very uneasy.  Otherwise, I'm good.  Still all belly and haven't gained a pound in 4 weeks!  Don't worry, the doctor says that's fine and I'm right on track!

Week 31, Only 9 Weeks to Go!!!
I wouldn't be myself if I didn't screw around a little bit, too!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Best Early Birthday Present!

I had an entirely new entry written but I think I'll save it for later given a lot of new and exciting things have happened this week.  This entry will be short but hopefully you will enjoy!

I think I'll start with my 30 week picture.  Now, you have to forgive me here.  We almost forgot to take the picture yet again so by this time at night, I was in my Pooh maternity pajamas looking extra fine.  Looking at pictures like these, I find it hard to believe my husband would be even remotely excited to see me in "that" way.  There is zero sexy going on here!

30 Weeks and I'm ready for bed!!
Starting this week we will be extremely busy from day to day, week to week.  It began with Robin and our friend, Chris, hanging drywall in our basement.  I feel like this project has been going on for YEARS rather than months.  Robin has been doing almost all of the work himself so it's no wonder it is taking some time.  I have to admit I was somewhat nervous when he said he could surely finish this basement himself but he has once again proven just how handy he can be!  We now have framing, electrical (by a professional), lighting (same said professional), and insulation done, not to mention plumbing for the new half bath (another professional job).  Soon enough the boys will have the drywall up and that's where our budget stops for a while.  We'll have to do some saving to really finish it off.

We also started birthing prep classes which we'll have for the next 3 weeks.  I don't know if I've mentioned it or not but I'm pretty nervous about giving birth.  I've told some people I pretend it doesn't even have to happen, except that I only have 10 weeks left and little time to prepare now.  Our class was great and I think it's going to help put me at ease.  I really like our instructor, Karmen, and we were lucky enough to sit with a group of fun couples too.  We spent a lot of the time laughing and as usual, Robin was class clown.  The part I hope to remember to tell my daughter is that when we were to try relaxation breathing (not the hee, hee, ho stuff...more visualization), Daddy decided it would be funny to breathe like Darth Vader.  This made me laugh extremely hard while everyone else attempted to be serious.  I don't know that Robin has much of a serious bone in his body!

Friday night Robin prepared the nursery for paint and I prepared the baseboards.  Basically all I had to do was fill holes while he did the rough stuff like priming the trim in the room.  Saturday morning, Leah dropped Kevin off and he helped Robin paint the nursery.  It is a beautiful purple/lilac color.  It's not light like you might think, more of a deep, cheery color during the day that fades to dark and soothing at night.  I'll share a picture with you as soon as we have all the trim and furniture in its place.  However, this also began some real excitement.

While the boys painted, I spent the morning downstairs cleaning and organizing.  I've mentioned before that the nesting instinct has come on strong for me and I took full advantage on Saturday.  I cleaned out two closets, reorganized them, cleaned and disinfected the kitchen, dusted the entire living room, and even cleaned our oven.  As soon as the projects upstairs are complete, I'll move on to working on those.  Leah came back over around 2 in the afternoon and said something seemed different.  I won't go into details; those aren't mine to share!  But I will tell you that I encouraged her to call the hospital who then told her she should come in to determine if she was in labor.  By now the boys were working on a second coat of paint in the nursery and each had cracked one beer.  Kevin's reaction was to know if he had time to finish his beer and the second coat or if they should go.  After a bit of chatting, I finally told them both they needed to go, Kevin could shower, Leah could get her suitcases, and they'd both be on their way to the hospital.  A couple of hours later, we got a text from Kevin that Leah was in fact admitted and in labor.  I cannot explain how excited we were!

Yesterday was baby Monroe's birthday!  She was born just after midnight and is completely adorable.  We went to the hospital to visit yesterday and I have to say she is probably one of the cutest newborns I have ever seen!  I could be biased.  Leah and I agree that our girls will likely be great friends since they'll only be a few months apart and we all spend a lot of time together.  Plus, Monroe was born a day before my birthday.  Who wouldn't want such a great birthday present!?  Robin took some great pictures and I'll post a few here so you can see just what I mean by how cute she is!

Me meeting Baby Sol's bestie for the first time!  1/23/11
Itty bitty feet!  I love how wrinkly they are and Robin is getting really good with the camera!
Off in dream land on day one of her life!
So that brings me to today, 1/24/11, my birthday.  I think a pleasant feeling I have today is I don't feel old.  I still feel fairly young even though I'm 30 weeks pregnant, many pounds heavier than usual, and pretty tired most of the time.  I think most people think about their lives more when their birthdays roll around and I have very little to complain about, if anything at all.  I have a great husband who I feel extremely lucky to have found, I have a great house, the best family, and lots of friends.  There's nothing I really need right now which is a good feeling to have as well.  I have a baby to look forward to, too!  This year has been a full one but I'm thankful that I made it through mostly on the positive side rather than the other way around!  My mom even reminded me that next year on my birthday, I'll get hugs and kisses from my daughter and that that will be a better gift than anyone could ever give me.  I really look forward to things like that!

I received three cards in the mail today, one from each Grandma and my Grandpa, and one from my Mom and Dad.  I still love getting cards.  It just makes the day seem different somehow.  My Dad called sometime during the day but I must've missed it.  He left me a special message...him signing Happy Birthday!  It was so funny, I can't bring myself to delete it!  Robin gave me a new phone which is extremely newfangled and fancy.  Having internet and things on the phone seems frivolous...which is probably why it's special to me.  I don't do frivolous very often!  And speaking of that topic, we had a fabulously expensive dinner at Plaza III in my honor too.  We had great conversation and excellent food!  I really appreciate having the chance to do things like this from time to time and I especially loved that it really felt like a date.  I still love sitting at a table for two with my husband.  I am so lucky to have him!  Anywho, I'm finally another year older and looking forward to the next couple months of my pregnancy.  Stay tuned!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Once upon a snowy day...

Kansas City is having it's first big snow of the year as I sit here writing this post.  We had heard warnings for days that it might snow, blizzard even, but if you're like me, you take the weather reports with a grain of salt.  In the midwest, the weather changes as fast as a pregnant woman's emotions!  (Good analogy, eh?)  I woke up a few times in the night thinking it was awfully light outside and at some point realized it was so light because the street lights were reflecting off the falling snow.  My first thought was "Please, oh please, let there be a snow day at work!  I'm non-essential!  You don't need me!"  Unfortunately, this prayer wasn't answered and after a 2 hour drive that generally takes 20 to 30 minutes, I'm here at work.

View of our backyard on 1/10/11.
Our patio furniture on 1/11/10.

Since my last post, we've had some excitement here at work.  My coworker, Savannah, gave birth to twins on 1/1/11!!  The twins were quite a bit early as Savannah was only at 28 weeks and are currently at Children's Mercy in the NICU.  Savannah keeps a blog and lets us all know that the babies are progressing well.  The pictures I've seen are adorable too!  Here at work, we've been brainstorming ways we can help Savannah and her husband while they are busy seeing the girls in the hospital everyday.  I won't mention them here since she may read the post, but I will say that she would never ask us to do any of this which makes it even more fun to do!  We're all pulling for the babies to go home as soon as they possibly can!

As of yesterday, I am 28 weeks and beginning the dreaded third trimester!  The nesting phenomena has officially hit me and is driving me more than a little insane.  Over and over in my head swirls the phrase, "What else do we need for the baby's nursery??"  Have I mentioned we don't even have the room painted, let alone set up?  We did replace the horrible dresser I told you about with a nice new one that I think will be a great piece for her to use as she gets older.  We have a rocker/recliner too but now I'm focused on ambiance.  How can we make that room cozy and happy?  My husband probably thinks I've lost my mind!  Thankfully baby showers are coming up in the next month or so and I won't have to keep bothering Robin...until I figure out what we don't have and need.

28 Weeks.  This might be the least flattering picture I've seen in a while...

I'm feeling great these days.  My feet are hurting quite a bit so I stay off them as much as possible when at home.  I tried a bath in our gimundus (I've been trying to fit that word into a blog for a while...it's Marsha's favorite) bath tub but it's so big, the hot water ran out, and I couldn't stay there too long.  Plus, laying back to wash my hair is possible but sitting back up is not.  I probably looked like a beached whale!  One issue a lot of pregnant ladies experience is heart burn.  I've been blessed in that I don't have it very often and not so bad at all (knock on wood).  Usually mine comes if I haven't eaten and normally around 4 or 5 p.m.  If the old wives tales are true, I guess our baby will be a baldy when she's born!  Don't curse me for not having the heart burn issue if you're experiencing it.  Need I remind you of how sick I was in the first trimester?  That was my body paying it forward!

I feel like I am all belly now.  If I look at me from the front, sure, I notice I'm a little rounder in the face, softer in the arms, bigger in the chest, but not much else has changed.  When I turn to the side, though, I feel like I'm looking at a stranger.  I find myself watching my belly dance from side to side quite a bit and thinking how strange it is to have a human in there.  I haven't experienced her having hiccups but if she doesn't like how I'm sitting or laying down, she sure lets me know!  Everyday I wonder what she will be like, who she will take after more, and what habits of ours she will develop.  Mostly, I would say pregnancy has done me a world of good and has been a great experience.  Count me in for at least one more baby down the road!

Monday, January 10, 2011

New Year's Post - Posted a bit late!

Today is New Year's Day and boy do I have a story for you!  First off, here's a short recap of our 2010.

1)  Decided we would finally start trying for kids.  I cried...I was very unsure this was something I could do or handle but look at me now!  I am very excited!
2)  Went to a Roller Derby on Feb. 14th which was also the first day that I had my first flare up.  3 months later, I finally got a diagnosis of non-specific inflammatory bowel disease and meds that seemed to help. 
3)  GOT A NEW JOB!  Thank goodness for small miracles!  I had been in a job that was stressful, long hours, unfulfilling, and overall toxic.  It's no wonder I couldn't get pregnant and my doctor said that the job was the best explanation for what happened with my health.  Excessive stress is BAD!
4)  A few trips in 2010.  Went to Las Vegas with Mary Kate, Nick, Lindsey, and Chad.  Had a great time...except for #2 being an issue the entire time.  That was before the specialist and meds.  Went to St. Louis with Kevin and Leah.  On the way, Leah told us she was expecting and I nearly cried.  We had been trying with no success.  This was the first time I knew I was ready! Toured the Budweiser brewery which was fantastic, a must see, and saw a baseball game in excessive heat.  #2 was an issue now and then but getting better!  Went to Colorado in August to visit Chad and Lindsey and attend a wedding for Andy Johnson.  Had a great time!  #2 was only an issue once..and realized something wasn't quite right with my cycle...
5)  Day after we returned to Kansas City, took pregnancy test #1 and it immediately read "pregnant."  I went to work, took a half day, and told Robin that night!  Extreme excitement!  Confirmed 2 days later and now I'm knocking on 27 weeks' doorstep!
6)  Got closer with a lot of friends and family.  I feel more a part of Robin's family now and wouldn't have a problem calling any of them if we ever needed something or just to say hello.  While big changes have happened in my family, I feel closer to my Uncle than I ever have.  I've also always been a Grandpa's girl, but scares with his health this year brought me closer to all of my Grandparents.  Got close to Kevin and Leah which has been an extreme blessing as she's exactly 10 weeks ahead of me pregnancy wise.  I also feel closer to Phil and Marsha as they have entrusted us to be God parents to their daughter.  Many others that I can't mention here.

2010 was full of challenges, big decisions, big changes, and many highs and lows.  I guess what I can say most is I'm looking forward to 2011, praying that my health issue does not return post pregnancy, and that we're blessed with a healthy and happy baby!

Now, let me tell you about my most recent doctor's appointment.  I contemplated not saying anything because this isn't something that most females wish to discuss.  But I guess I feel that maybe my experience can help those of you who haven't experienced this and who may in the future.  I had an appointment yesterday, 12/31/10.  Since I had the day off and it was my glucose clearance test day, it was the perfect time to kill two birds with one stone.  I had heard nothing good about the glucose test and about the concoction they make you drink but honestly I thought it was just extra sweet fruit punch.  I only had to be there an hour and since they built in my checkup, time flew.  I even had an excellent phlebotomist and before I knew it, the two vials she needed to complete the test were drawn and I was done.

The part of the visit that wasn't so good was, surprisingly, the visit with my midwife.  The first thing they always do is get my weight and while I'm not normally very sensitive to that process, I knew that I had eaten more this Christmas than I had in the past.  I knew and was prepared for the fact that I'd likely gained more at this appointment than at previous appointments.  So, the nurse took my weight, took my blood pressure, and got my urine analysed without issue.  When my midwife came in for the exam, I asked her how much I had gained.  I won't tell you but I will say it was a shock.  She launched into not worrying about it, that I needed to walk more and move my body, that I just needed to watch what I ate a little better now.  The whole time she was talking, I was fighting tears.  I had never in my life been told I was too big or gained too much or even had someone tell me, an exercise physiologist, that I needed to exercise more.  After this discussion, she had me lay back and she examined my belly, listened to the baby, and talked but I couldn't tell you anything she said other than "the baby is doing great!"  The entire time, I was staring at the ceiling, counting tiles, counting dots, anything to keep myself from a full out breakdown.  Finally the appointment was over and I was told to come back in two weeks, they'd call Monday about the glucose test, and have a nice New Year's.  By the way, I now have to go in every two weeks.  This pregnancy is really flying by!

There are two things about women that not one of them wishes to discuss.  The first is their age, unless of course they've aged well and are proud of their progress.  The second is their weight.  Under almost no circumstance do women enjoy discussing their weight.  I have always had trouble keeping weight off.  I'm a champion at putting it on, especially when I don't exercise to compensate for my love of food.  I know I've been a lazy pregnant mom, that if anyone really knew I was an exercise physiologist they might be shocked at my lack of movement during this time.  But I controlled my eating well and to this point had done a good job. 

When I got to my car, I was okay though I turned off the radio (I never do that) and started to make my way home.  I didn't break down until I got into the garage and I sat there, trying to use up the tears before I had to face my husband and pretend everything was fine.  The thing is, I can't hide a thing from him.  I never have been able to, I hope I never can really, so when I walked in the door and he said, "Hey baby, how'd it go!?", I couldn't speak, started to cry, and shook my head "no" when he asked what was wrong.  He was alarmed immediately and I think I probably scared him that something happend with the baby so the first thing I managed to say was "it's not the baby.  She's fine."  I finally blubbered out what had happened, to which I don't think he was sure what to say.  Eventually he sat by me on the couch, rubbed my back, and reminded me that he didn't think I looked like I'd gained that much at all and that he wondered if the measurement was even right.  Afterall, they measure me on a different scale almost everytime.

Finally I decided I should take a shower and calm down.  The best I could do was exercise more, eat better, and try to remember that this is my baby we're talking about and if anyone can get the weight off, it better be an exercise physiologist who works with some of the best dieticians in Kansas City.  As I was stripping off my clothes, I wondered if maybe Robin was right.  Maybe their scale was wrong.  I pulled out my own scale and believe it or not, my scale was 6 lbs. less than theirs.  That would mean I gained only an average amount and am still right where I should be.

One of the first things you'll learn if you ever work in weight management or research for that matter is that your instruments need to be accurate and as precise as possible.  That means they have to be calibrated and that measurements such as weight have to be taken in the same clothing and around the same time of day everytime.  Unfortunately, doctor's offices do not have the luxury of any of these, though they could calibrate their scales.  None of them do, to my knowlege, which means more often than not, you're going to run into a scale or two at your office that is not at all correct.  The best any of us can do is buy our own scale, weigh ourselves in the morning, in no clothes or in the same clothes everytime.  That is a more accurate and precise weight, even if your scale isn't new or calibrated.  SO, the short of it is I honestly do not take the doctor's weight seriously.  How could it  be grossly heavier on theirs than on mine, with only a difference of a pair of light pants, shoes, t-shirt and about 20 minutes?  It's not possible.

I guess this is why I'm writing this to all of you.  I could easily have let this tear me appart for days or weeks or the remainder of my pregnancy.  I am already terrified that I will have trouble getting back to my pre-pregnancy, let alone my goal, weight.  But with a lot of my education and a good nudge from my husband, I rechecked what the doctor said and found it to be unlikely that it was even close to correct.  Robin did a great job in this situation too.  He didn't make me feel like I'm huge, he made me feel that I was doing a great job being pregnant, and reminded me in a gentle way that I could check the doctor's measurement.  All of this doesn't mean I won't exercies more or that I won't eat better.  It just means that I'm still on track with my weight and this scare can maybe help some of you who may go through this in the future.  Pregnancy is hard enough.  Why stress about a number that sometimes isn't even right?  Do your homework.  Track your own progress on your own scale, at the same time of day, preferrably in the nude.  (No ladies, you don't have to have a mirror nearby!)

I hope that all of you had a great New Year's and that maybe this post will help you take your pregnancy weight with a grain of salt.  Doctor's are smart and very helpful, but they're not always right!

****

Unfortunately, Robin and I forgot to take my 27 week picture for you but in the next post, I'll have 28 weeks instead!