Two More Weeks!

Well, I thought I would do a quick post to update everyone that I have not had the baby yet! I officially have two weeks left, so I'm hoping our little girl will make her arrival some time soon. Even though I know sleep deprivation and hormonal imbalance are inevitable after having a newborn, I can't wait to hold our little girl and welcome her to our family. Avery has been asking me every day when she is coming - and what her name is! Yes, we even keep the name a secret from our own kids!! I know some people (hint: she gave birth to me!) do not like the fact that we keep our baby names a secret, but it is actually kind of fun to surprise everybody and tell them when she is born. We already know it's another girl, so at least we have something to surprise people with.

So, until I can post some pics of our new little one, here is a summary of what our family has been up to:

- School: Avery still loves 1st grade and is doing great

- Soccer: Avery started playing soccer a few weeks ago and loves it! It is really fun to watch her play, and she was thrilled that her team's jerseys were pink

- Piano Lessons: I am teaching piano lessons at a piano studio close to our house. I have 9 students right now and I really enjoy it. We are so grateful to have a mom and mother-in-law close by to babysit while I'm teaching.

- ASU: Brandon has been very busy with his Masters Program @ ASU. He has already had several projects and never-ending readings and assignments, but he is enjoying it and doing a great job. It is really nice to have him home and be able to see him every night! Even when he is working in the office all day, at least I can see him and know he is close by.

- Preschool: I have been doing preschool with Hayden at home for the last month or so. I try and do it at least 3 days a week, but I will admit that it doesn't always happen. We do a letter of the alphabet each day and go on "adventures" to look for things around the house that start with that letter. Hayden seems to enjoy it and it's nice to have some one-on-one time with her.

- Getting ready for baby: I am definitely in the "nesting" stage right now! I have washed, folded and put away all of the baby's clothes, blankets and dresses. I have also washed the baby carrier and all of the different parts to the carseat. Today I am packing our hospital bag and charging the cameras. I'm sure once I get everything ready, I will be just sitting around waiting for a few weeks, but at least we'll be prepared! In addition to getting all the baby stuff ready, I have also been preparing for the actual delivery, which I will be doing all naturally again. I know - you probably think I'm crazy! But, I really feel like this time around will be a much better experience and I feel ready for it.

I hope that my next update will include pictures of our little girl and a hopefully positive birth story! I am getting really anxious and hope we don't have to wait too much longer!!