Good listener . . .

At least when it counts.

When I told Emma (or the baby who was either Emma or Wil) to stay put and under absolutely no circumstances come early, she listened.

When Steve told Emma to be nice to her mama while he's away, she listened (at least so far).

When I've told Emma not to tip over the dog dish, open the toilet, play with the kong, pull my hair, pinch my neck, grab my glasses, she doesn't.

I guess that means she's human. And she's pretty darn great.

Over due?

39 weeks 1 day

39 weeks 2 days

39 weeks 4 days

Good thing this baby's not a library book or we'd be starting to rack up the fees! The due date came and went on Saturday with no real excitement (outside of a Mac football game and some Izzy's ice cream). I may be the loan patient hold out, still feeling good and perfectly content to wait for this baby to decide it's time. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to meeting our kiddo, just content to follow his/her lead.

A book to be read in utero

One of the books we've read to you at night has been Oh the Places You'll Go, A Book to be Read in Utero. Our friends Sarah & Nichole gave it to you (for us to read) and we really enjoy it. A stanza that is sticking out to me these days is:

While you are growing,
We're all busy counting
The days 'til we meet you,
Excitement is mounting.

You have lots of grandparents, aunties, uncles, friends, heck, even clients of mine and students of daddy's, who are anxiously awaiting your arrival! You seem pretty content and I agree with our doctor, it's insulting to start talking of you being overdue - 1. you're not even due until Saturday and 2. you're due when you're ready. Daddy is also getting pretty anxious (partly because timing would work out really well for you to come on Friday for his work schedule). Your mommy here is still feeling patient. I trust that you know what you're doing and we'll see you when you're ready. Don't get me wrong though, I really can't wait to meet you!

1 day or 1 month

38 weeks and 2 days - check out that foot (?) pushing it's way up!

38 weeks 4 days - getting ready to head out to take the PRE, which I found out this weekend I passed!

19 weeks later. . .

A beautiful day in the pregnant-hood

I have had a few really sweet moments with strangers in this pregnacy. One a few weeks ago when a little boy, maybe about 3, looked at me and got SOOO excited, loudly exclaiming "Mommy! That lady has a baby in her tummy!"

Today I had two such run-ins and I thought they were great. First, after work I stopped at Chipolte to pick up some chips & guac before heading to the grocery store (it's dangerous to shop on an empty stomach you know). The kid who helped me seemed all of 16 and asked if the baby was getting close. I said yes and he was all smiley and nice, wishing me luck as I left. I left with an excited smile. :o)

Then at Target, the guy who checked me out was very cautious of not making my bags too heavy (which I really appreciate since so many of them just load me up, especially when I bring my canvas bags). He too seemed really excited and commented that he has one "just like me" at home (his accent sounded African to me). His wife is due a week after me and he was impressed that I was still out and about. Then he asked me not to work too hard and again left me with a big smile.

I have had no random stranger belly incidents, just really pleasant well wishes, which I have thoroughly enjoyed!

(**Oh, and by the way, I also got excited at Target when I bought peaches and thought of how I'll get to read James and the Giant Peach to this baby some day - those things are going to be the best!**)

Full Term

That's right folks. Today marks 37 weeks and if baby Murray would arrive today (which we know (s)he wouldn't dare since Gma Wilson's tickets were booked for the 29th), (s)he would have made it to the finish line!

Here are some pics from the last week and the ever growing bump. . . First two 36 weeks 2 days, last one 36 weeks 4 days

Nobody puts Baby in the garage

This had been a fear - that the baby could come, the room wouldn't be ready, and (s)he'd have to sleep in his/her crib that was out in the garage.

OK, so of course I wasn't really worried that we'd put our baby in the garage, but seriously, now that the furniture is in the room and cleaned off I feel GREAT!! I'm about to hit Babies R Us to get a mattress and crib skirt (to cover up the metal things allowing the mattress to be raised) and am one happy momma to be!!

**Serengeti Grandma will be up Friday to add the mural and Sweatshop Grandma got the curtains in the mail today!! Now there's just the glider cushion to finish to replace the hideous one that's on it now... Steve left it on so I could sit in there (on a sheet) to read to the baby as it gets closer. Nice gesture!**

Living Large

A co-worker whose partner is 2 1/2 weeks further along than I am commented that she hit a wall at week 35 and could not believe she had 5 more weeks of pregnancy to endure. I would say 90% of the time I don't feel that way. I still love feeling the movement, think the belly is great, and am overall enjoying the process. That being said, Monday (35 w, 2 d), I hit a mini wall when my feet were HUUUUGE and I was really struggling to bend over. I had picked up Steve's birthday cake and tried setting it on the passenger floor of my car. Ha! Putting groceries away was equally challenging this week. Two more pounds of kid and who knows how many more pounds of me left. . . We'll see how this goes!!!

34 weeks, 4 days 35 weeks, 3 days

35 weeks, 3 days

This baby's a growin'!

And these feet get a swollen!

Troll feet - week 35. YUCK! This was a particularly puffy day.

Full-time personal attendant

My friend Lisa has earned herself a full-time position in my life. She was the awesome personal attendant for our wedding and did more than we ever knew that day. Over the years, she has continued to be an amazing and generous friend, always willing to help out in whatever way.


This past weekend, Lis gave up her Sunday to get incredibly hot and icky in our baby's room helping me paint it. She offered a while back when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed by the whole renovation process and I was just as grateful Sunday as I had felt with the initial offer. She and I were able to get 2 coats done and then I finished it up after she headed back to Hibbing.


I have felt an increased sense of peace and readiness knowing that step in baby prep is done. Steve spent the morning painting the ceiling and tonight is getting the new ceiling fan ready to be installed. It's coming together!


Now "Serengeti Grandma" - as my mom refers to Bonnie (since she'll be painting a mural in the baby's room of a Serengeti sillouette) - and "Sweatshop Grandma" and I secretly refer to my mom (since she is sewing the baby's curtains and new glider cushion) - hold the key to the finishing touches! My girlfriend Ellie will be up this coming weekend and will help me get a few other things up on the wall and lend her design eye to final furniture placement, etc.

Hump day

Wednesdays are my day for catch - and if you saw our house, you'd be convinced I definitely need this day! Last Wednesday was my grandpa's funeral, so some of the weekly tasks didn't get done. Couple that with a busy weekend filled with birthing class and friends and I think I could use a whole week!!

Steve is still busy in the basement, spending almost all of his time out of work down there. Windows are installed, initial plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and framing inspections are passed, insullation is done (I think), and drywalling is well underway. Phew. Does that wear you out? It does me! Our friends Doug, Janel, and Peyton stopped by Saturday evening. Doug helped Steve get the insullation in and Janel, Peyton, and I hung out. We so appreciate the help!!

Here are a few pictures of the progress. The goal is for the drywall/mudding to be finished this weekend, at which point he'll turn his focus to completely finishing our bedroom down there. That'll allow us to move down to the basement so he can come out of the dungeon in to the attic so to speak to put down the new floors up there. (Then back to the basement for the bathroom, family room, and laundry room. It will be SOOO nice when it's finished!)

Home Depot Delivery - it was quite impressive!
Basement window insullation. Hopefully these will keep creepy crawlers out!
Surveying the bedroom.
Bedroom with insullation & partial ceiling
Future family room - Emmit is acting as tour guide


In addition to basement remodel, we've still got baby growth! Here are a few recent pictures. The bump is growing!



32 weeks, 5 days


33 weeks - with Gma Wilson. My dad gets back this coming Monday for some basement help prior to his trip up Nort', 'eh, so we'll have to get a picture of him with the bump!

Troll Feet

I've heard them referred to as "sausage toes" and "Pillsbury Dough Boy feet," but in our house, they're troll feet. The lovely, swollen effect of pregnancy at the end of the day. For me, my left foot falls victim more severely than my right - I've heard that it's because the baby hangs out on my right, thus limiting the amount of fluid that can get down in to my right leg. Who knows. I thought I'd share a picture though - this isn't even at their worst as they'd been elevated, but it shows the difference between right and left. Lovely, huh??



In other news, Grandma Wilson was visiting recently. We took tons of pictures of our exciting visit, or just one the morning she left. Whatever. :o) We had a great, relaxing time. Had the visit down to see my grandpa, spent a lot of time knitting, and just enjoyed time together. I didn't even put her to work on the office as intended since I'd done such a good job myself. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to have an early morning picture of the 3 of us, but we've gotta get at least one recent one of the bump with his/her gma!



Finally, this week has been very exciting for the Murrays. We got a huge delivery of basement stuff from Home Depot, Steve passed the electrical inspection, and I passed the EPPP!!!!! Oh happy day! It is a huge relieft to know that I won't need to focus on that after the baby is born, or ever again for that matter. Hooray! That was a wonderful letter to come home on Thursday night, especially lafter we used my possible failing as an example of still accepting ourselves in situations like that. Now I get to come in and say I'm not a failure, so there! ;o)

(I had planned on using it as a wonderful example in the journal I'm keeping for the baby about how things like this don't determine our self worth, we'll love him/her in spite of any hiccups/"failures" along the way, what's important is that you did your best, blah blah blah. I did give that speech the day before I took the test - but upon finding out was able to just say "your mommy passed!" Much more fun.)

Just a few hurdles left and I'll get to add mommy and L.P. to my title!


31 weeks, 4 days, a front view

31 weeks, 4 days

Falling Behind

29 weeks 4 days

Week 29 was another one that zipped by. Work was busy, hormones were fluctuating -there were tears over moving furniture around in the house because I got confused. Sigh.

30 weeks with the soon-to-be 96-year-old Great Grandpa Keenan

Saturday my mom and I went down to Stewartville to spend some time with my grandpa. The drive wore me out and I ended up napping for part of the time, but it was good to see him and talk with him about the baby. I may not get back down before the baby comes due to work and weekend commitments followed by travel limits in August, so it's crazy to think that the next time I see him may be with a baby. Wow. He turned 96 on Tuesday, just 4 years 'til Willard Scott will wish him happy birthday.


30 weeks 4 days

And here we get to today. Again, not a ton has been going on. My mom is in town, which is great, but it's been too fast, as usual. Work gets in the way on visits, it's hard to juggle everything. I ended up getting myself motivated enough to do a lot of office purging before she got here, so she wasn't subjected to that. She did order the fabric for our diaper bag though and I am super excited, it will be very cute!! We spent time knitting (I finished a special project I've been working on for my nephew since October - now to get to the post office), watched a few movies, ran some errands, and enjoyed time with each other as well as other friends & family. She heads back Friday, but like I said, work gets in the way and our time is coming to an end. She'll be back up the last week in August, right before the arrival of Baby Murray. Hard to believe how quickly that'll be here!

Read to me. Please.

With Baby Murray's Minneapolis Public Library onsie ("Read to me. Please.")
(I think the baby weight is really showing in this one!)



In spite of the fact that my morning started last Friday with the licensing exam, it really was a great day. I came home from the test, ate lunch, and caught a short nap while finishing what I hadn't watched of the Sex in the City movie the night before (it's an absolute favorite and a great way to relax and go through a full gamet of emotions!). I needed to rest up a bit before book club and my first baby shower!

In my book club we have a book shower for our pregnant ladies. This month it was my turn (in spite of the fact that I didn't even get the book for this month, such a slacker!). The baby got lots of wonderful books for us to read to him/her and we can't wait to get started! (His/her mom got a few she's really excited about as well!) It was a great time that went by way too quickly!

Afterwards I had to dash to St. Paul for a prenatal massage set up by my lovely husband. That felt like Heaven!! Steve and I then spent the evening watching New in Town to complete this apparent "Katie Day".

Almost makes me willing to take the exam again, but hopefully that won't have to happen!!

Where'd week 28 go??

28 weeks, 4 days

These past few weeks really zipped by. I was in the final crunch before the big test and spending most of my time not at work sitting at the computer taking practice exams or reviewing study materials. Not fun. I felt as though I did the best I could though and now it's just time to wait and see. How ever it turns out, I did what I could do. Baby Murray was especially wild that day keeping me company during the almost 4 hours of testing. Needless to say I was pretty wiped out!

Other than that work has continued to progress on the basement. Steve spends most of his time when he's not at work or training for a 1/2 iron man down there making lots of noise. :o) It's such a big project that I think it's hard for him to feel like he's accomplished much, but I think it's coming along. The extra space is going to be sooo nice!

They said it would happen. . .

but I didn't want to believe them!! The 2nd trimester was wonderfully energetic. The 3rd is coming with some familiar fatigue. Sigh. I didn't admit it until the other day, but I have been feeling a lot more tired recently. The end of the week, weekend, and even today have required naps (and this morning's was before I even did anything really). I'm still holding out to hope that at least some of the fatigue is due to the stress of a little thing called the EPPP that I am preparing to take next week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that by next weekend, I'll have pep in my step again! We shall see.
27 weeks 4 days

In other news, there has been serious remodeling going on in the Murray baseement. My dad has been up since last Wednesday and in that time he and Steve have installed an egress window and framed out almost all of what will be our bedroom. He leaves tomorrow morning, so Steve is trying to get as much help as he can before then. I think they are planning on having the bedroom, back of the laundry room, and start of the family room framed out before he leaves tomorrow morning. It's pretty exciting! The amount of dust from the window project was incredible, but the result is even more so. It's taking a lot of Steve's time and effort - and it looks at this point like it may actually be done before this baby shows up! How cool would that be?? We're talking about a housewarming something this winter since we never had one when we moved in or finished the garage. At that point most of the major projects will be done (we eventually will be remodeling the upstairs bathroom and refinishing the floors, but that can wait) and it'll be time to show it off!


Murrson Family Construction Crew