Grandma Karen arrived this weekend to help out when the baby comes. Here's what we've done since she arrived:

Walked...

we walked through Costco

we walked through Lowe's

we walked through Barnes and Noble

we walked through Pier I

Albertsons

walked from the back of each parking lot where she chose to park each time...

...at each stop she had me roaming up and down the aisles -- every single aisle

Then we got home and she asked me to teach her the Electric Slide while we made dinner. By then I'd caught on -- she's trying to get this baby out. At this point my contractions were so painful I had to turn her down. Plus, I've never been a huge fan of line dancing. Plus I can't bend over if I want to come back up again.

Yes, I'm having contractions but they're irregular and there has been no pattern. So it could be today or it could be this Friday. Either way I'm walking a lot in case you were wondering.

Belly

Before seeing these pictures, I had no idea how huge my belly had become. It looks like it could detach from my body completely!

Kari took these pictures tonight since we don't know how much more time is left before the baby is here. Enjoy the pictures and enjoy your normal looking/feeling bodies while you can.

The horizontal stripes don't help. Six more days, six more days, six more days....

Spider Monkeys

Tod and some buddies have formed a softball team for the summer. They call themselves the Spider Monkeys. Anyone who knows Tod well could've guessed he came up with the name. Why spider monkeys? I asked the same question. Tod explained that 1. they're little and 2. they're scary. He spent a few hours looking for pictures of spider monkeys to put on their team shirts. This was one he found. However, he would prefer a picture of a spider monkey hanging from one arm, attacking with the other. If anyone comes across such a picture, please send it our way.

Their first game is this week.

Pregnancy is a funny thing...some days I don't want to move, other days I can't stop moving. This week one of my projects to keep my mind occupied was to plant flowers. I've never done this before. I didn't even know flowers could survive in Las Vegas. However, I did my research, used a drill (this amused Tod) to create drainage holes in my pots and then planted them this afternoon.

People I'd like to thank:

1. Ann Dee for first inspiring the idea back in March

2. Amber and Wyatt for the drill

3. Jeff and Pam from Star Nursery

4. Jordan and Tod for carrying the potting soil from the car to the yard

5. Grandma Jewel - I thought of her and remembered to buy gloves

This is a huge accomplishment for me. Cross your fingers that they survive the summer.

Just an update...I am dilated and 75% effaced which means something is happening, but probably no baby for a week or so. The doctor set the date July 10th as the last day we can wait to induce. I'm hoping it will come closer to its due date on July 2nd. That would be great.

What I'm doing to prepare for the baby:

laying in the pool

drinking lots of water

reading

cleaning everything (fridge, microwave, our bathroom, the baby's room)(Tod thinks it's funny that I disinfected the crib...)

What Tod's doing to prepare for the baby:

working hard at his job

getting ice water for me

letting me crank up the air conditioning at night

watering our plants outside

taking care of almost everything

Biggest news of the week:

1. Our ice maker broke in our freezer and I panicked...I eat more ice than food lately...

2. A total stranger started rubbing my belly in line at Costco. After doing so for about 10 seconds she then asked if that was okay. This baby needs to come.

3. Tod doesn't like Jimmy, the lady who planted some palms in the backyard for us last week. Mostly because she bosses us around and her name is Jimmy.

Tod's oldest sister Ali took it upon herself to digitally combine our faces...just to see what our kid may look like. If we're blessed with a girl:

...and if we're lucky enough to have a boy:

People ask, what will we do if he needs glasses? We'll figure something out and love him still. Contacts maybe.

Thanks, Ali.

Names?

Should we name her Lux Olivia Wever?

Zoe Olive Wever?

Lux Louise Wever?

Or will his name be Samuel Max Wever?

Larry Orson Wever?

Coleman Knight Wever?

Or Triple?

three more weeks...

We've decided to blog about our upcoming addition. Is it a boy or a girl? Will it be chubby or skinny? Look like a monkey (its mom at birth) or a pig (its dad at birth)? Will it come early or late? Will it be born on the 4th of July with the fireworks or on lucky 07/07/07?

We're not sure - that's what makes it exciting. This blog will probably be viewed by grandmas, aunts and uncles and anyone else who likes our baby.