Getting ready for Baby!

Whew! I started back to school last week, and it's been a whirlwind! It was so good to see all of you at school, and I never get tired of talking about our baby, so it's been great to be able to talk about it all day long. The last slide in my TAKS Data presentation on Monday was of our sweet baby's sono picture, and I even had a little pink bow in her hair. I think it's the first time I've ever presented TAKS data and gotten applause. :) I've loved all of your sweet hugs, comments, squeals, and tears, but, Lori, you win the prize for the most creative response to our news. She said words didn't do her feelings justice and started right into "I'm so excited! I just can't hide it..." Too fun! Here's what my room looked like when I got back from break: YIKES! I don't have an after picture yet, because it's still a work in progress. It looks much better, but it's still not even a fraction of the cuteness of the other teachers at my school.

I've been working on my classroom and plans, but this year is different than other school years, because we've also been working like crazy at home to get everything ready to go!

Bethany and I spent an ENTIRE day together registering at Babies R Us and Target and having a girls day. I loved every minute of it. They make the cutest things for babies! I can't believe our little ones will be born less than 2 weeks apart! On Wednesday Dave and Bethany and Mark and I went to the Baby Care class at Baylor Grapevine. Can anything really prepare you for bringing home a new baby?? At least we had fun in class!

Mark worked hard to assemble our crib. She will love sleeping in the same bed that her big cousin Bennett slept in. :)

Mark put these amazing shelves in our baby's closet. Didn't he do a great job? They are already filling up with all things baby!

Today we assembled our glider after fighting the back to school crowds out there. WOW!

Then we both had to try it out... I can't wait to be holding a baby in that chair!

Finally... we had our home study last night!!! Leslie, the agency director, came to our house and checked everything out. Of course, we decided to redo our dining room in the midst of all this craziness.

We started with painting over the red when Megan was in town, and have been working on it whenever we have a spare minute.


We recovered the chairs on my great-grandma's table, which we are so excited to have now! I finished making curtains in the nick of time. I was still working on them yesterday before she came! She interviewed each of us individually and together and toured our home. The whole thing took a little more than 2 hours. We are now officially ready to go if she has her baby tomorrow. I'd better go get packed for the hospital!

Happy first week of school to all of you moms and teachers!