If you're a bird, I'm a bird

When I was in college at Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God, I had to take a speech class. It was a freshman course that everyone had to take, but I purposely put it off because of the obvious- fear of public speaking. There was a lab (where you did your speeches) and a class where you studied public speaking. The class had about 30-50 people, but the lab had about 15-20 people. Well, we had to give about four speeches during that semester. The first was an introduction speech about ourselves. My demonstrative speech was on how to cut hair. I brought my mannequin head in to demonstrate. My persuasive speech was about being an organ donor. My informative speech was about water births. I did Internet searches and used a magazine article for research. This was in 1999. Ever since then, water births have appealed to me. So when Joe and I thought about birthing options, water birth was at the top of our list. Thankfully, we found a hospital that allows water births and requires a

I am in Beaufort staying with my family for a couple weeks before I have to return to school. This will also be my last visit before Lincoln's arrival. Teachers return to school for preplanning August 1-5 and the first day of school is August 8. I plan to leave Beaufort on Sunday and then I will have one last week in Athens for summer vacation. I'm excited about starting the school year because it keeps me busy, but also I know that Lincoln will arrive in September and entering August is one step closer. I had three nights of insufficient sleep. One night there was a thunderstorm and I couldn't get back to sleep. The other two nights my mind was racing about the baby shower and things that were bothering me. Finally, on Sunday night/Monday morning, I slept until 9:50am, which was needed. I miss my husband, Joseph. He is an awesome husband! He almost always puts me first and he loves me so much. He not only tells me, but I know by his actions and his interest in being a

Baby is very aware of the surroundings. We tend to think of the uterus as a dark place, but it can be light and dark depending on the mother's environment. You may be able to distinguish sleep and wake cycles in your baby. Although it usually seems as if the baby wants to sleep while you are awake and vice versa at night. Big news for baby's brain this week: It's starting to wrinkle and fold and looks like something that grew in the back of your fridge. This is due to the rapid growth of your little genius's brain cells. Other highlights this week: Fingernails and toenails are finally finished—causing his or her parents great fear and anguish the first time they try to cut those little daggers (it gets easier, we promise)! Plus, the bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production now. Trust us, this is a good thing. Baby is starting to shed his lanugo—the downy hair that was covering his skin. Now that he's chubbier and better able to regula

We went to Babies R Us to pick out a baby stroller. At first, Joe and I weren't sure if we could agree on one. We both had something different in mind. I wanted something that would be easy to open and carry. Joe wanted a jogging stroller with a sturdy tire. A co-worker told him about what they have for their son. Sure enough, Babies R Us carried the stroller and we both liked it. 2011 City Mini Baby Jogger  

I'll be 30 weeks in 2 days

We will not introduce artifical nipples until after breastfeeding is established. That includes pacifers and bottles. Since you never know what kind of bottle your baby will like, I've read not to purchase a lot of bottles. So we have one Breastflow bottle on our registry and we purchased one Tommee Tippee bottle at Babies R Us the other night. Both mimic breastfeeding in one way or another.

My appointment in Toccoa went really well! I drove myself to the appt. since it was a routine and Joe had to work. The drive was peaceful as I drove in silence without the radio on. I felt calm so I had a feeling my blood pressure would be good. I arrived 10 minutes early. I'm always weighed first and i was shocked that I had lost weight in two weeks. I have been trying to stay active so I'm glad that my weight isn't still going up. I've gained 16 pounds already which is really close to my limit (15-20). Lincoln still has to triple his weight before September. Next, I had to give my urine specimen. No blood in my urine. Blood pressure check was normal. My appointment was with our midwife, April. We haven't met with her since our first appt./consultation at 6 weeks. I asked her some questions that I jotted down: Q: Where do I go when we check into the hospital? A: During hours, the out patient desk. After hours, the emergency room. Q:How long is Lincoln right no

Well, we are in Week 29. I'll feeling pretty good. Mostly just urinating a lot now and occasionally get acid in my esophagus that burns the back of my throat. I sleep pretty good and get about 8-10 hours of sleep a night, sometimes more. We keep the house cool all day (72 degrees) and a fan on us at night. My hair and nails grow quickly from my prenatal vitamins. I drink a lot of water during the day because it tastes so good, which means I am hydrated and regular. I make sure I get fruit and veggies in my diet everyday. Carbs, grains, sugars, and proteins are not difficult to do. I either go on a walk in the evenings with Joe and the dogs or go to the gym. Either way, 30 minutes of exercise is my goal. Thursday is prenatal yoga at Full Bloom. Since I have paid for 6 sessions, I need to get 5 more in before Lincoln's arrival to get my money's worth. I go to the doctor every two weeks now, which means I have an appt. today at 11:30 in Toccoa. I have to leave at 10:15. I

Joe tubing down the creek Deep Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Joe and I getting ready to head back  to Athens (7 months pregnant) Tube rentals and snack shops Tube rentals ($3-$5 a day) Traditional black tubes-some with seats, some without Shops right before you enter the National Park Snacks and souvenirs Train in Bryson City, NC