Perfection

We hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day! I was at work by 3 am and as you can tell from my previous post...did not have a great start to the day.

However, it got better once I got home. All I knew about our date was that we had reservations somewhere in Iowa City.

So after I took a quick shower and got ready we took the kids over to Larry & Toni's. I had suggested that maybe we should bring their pajamas so that if we got home late and they fell asleep in the car on the way home, it would be easier to transport them. Little did I know...they would end up sleeping there!!!

We headed off to Iowa City for dinner. Honestly, I don't think anyone can truly understand the beautiful sound of silence unless you have children. Dustin drove and I read the paper...in silence. I don't think we even spoke until around the Swisher exit. Some may say that sounds weird...to me it sounds like heaven!

We ended up eating at this great Vietnamese restaurant. Dustin knew the owner/chef from work and wanted me to see the place. The food was delicious!!! And again...to be able to dine at our own pace was nothing short of beautiful.

As we chatted during dinner I asked if we were going to stop at the mall as long as we were down in Iowa City. He said we didn't have time. I looked at him confused.

He said, "Well, I got us a room at the Holiday Inn in Cedar Rapids. All I wanted to give you for Valentine's Day was a good night's sleep. So, I packed your bag as well as the kids' swimming suits. And mom's going to bring them out so they can go swimming."

I bawled. Right there...in the middle of the restaurant. I'm sure the other patrons thought he was giving me awful news but honestly...it was the most thoughtful, perfect gift he's ever given me.

He knew that the last time we went to a hotel by ourselves I was miserable by about 7:00 because I missed the kids. So he thought it would be perfect for me to get a visit from them for awhile and then get to send them off for the night. Well, he was dead on. Because as much as I appreciate the silence in the car and the ability to eat a meal without being interrupted...after awhile it just feels like something's missing.

So we got to the hotel and checked in. I walked into the room and found roses and the sweetest card ever. And guess what happened...I bawled.

Then the kids showed up ready to swim...and swim did they!!






Josh really got to show off all of his new swimming skills and I was so proud to see him comfortable in the water. What a difference a year makes! This was the same pool he almost drowned in a year ago!!!!




By the time they left I was exhausted. So they went back to Grandma's and mom and dad slept...until 8:30!!!! It was glorious!

And then it was back to reality.

Things are crazy at work (big surprise) and in less than four weeks we'll have a new baby in our house...so things are kind of crazy at home, too.

But...we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new niece/nephew/cousin!!! Any day now!!!

Baby Update: 36 weeks

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.