The Honeydew - and a nerdy Tolkien reference

Tommy's last post accurately depicted how our lives have changed since the move to Topeka. I'm always amazed, though, at how resilient we are, how we adapt and take things day by day. I was talking to a Texas friend about how it was finally warming up here; in fact, it had reached 45 that day. She agreed that it had been a rough winter and that San Antonio was finally experiencing a nice day too, about 65. It's true that 45 in San Antonio feels so different from 45 in Topeka, but I'd already forgotten.

Tommy explained how our lives had changed, but the biggest change for mine is how it has become smaller. It sounds like a complaint, but it's not. "Butter over too much bread" is how Bilbo describes how he felt in The Fellowship of the Ring, and since Sprout came into our lives, I understand that feeling. Teaching, keeping house, being pregnant, preparing to move - it was all too hectic. I felt like I wasn't doing well at any of it. But as things have settled down for us, and as we are figuring out our place here, I don't mind my world shrinking a little to prepare and focus on the good things.

As of this week my world has shrunk/grown to approximately the size of a honeydew. Sprout becomes more and more of a real person to me every day, strong and with a mind of her own. This is most apparent when I am trying to get to sleep and she is just waking up, rolling around, kicking, and enjoying life. But I don't mind staying awake awhile longer and feeling her; that feeling is much better than sleep. And during the day there are times when I just sit and feel. It's a thrill. Tommy is ready to meet her; he says he wants to be able to spend quality time with her like I can now. A little selfishly, I disagree. I could stay pregnant the way I am feeling now for a bit longer. Thinking of having her in the outside world and not safely held within makes me sad. I'm sure hormones have something to do with it too, but these times with her have been the best part of being pregnant.

Tommy has definitely gotten to experience her strong kicks and rolls. We love watching my belly twist and wobble as she moves, and he felt her most recent bout of hiccups last night. But he is ready to hold her, to have her on his chest as he reads in bed, and I know that will be the next thrill for me, to share her with her dad.

Our New Year

2010 is turning out to be a year of new things.

It seems like almost everything that we had in San Antonio we have a different version of here in Topeka, KS. It's as if switched to version 2.0 and we're wondering how long it's going to take to figure out all the new features and wondering if we're ever going to get used to it.

We've traded...

a cool winter for a cold one

a newer house for an older one

established friends for new and unknown friends

a built up youth group for a youth group in the building stages

far away family to not as far away family

"y'all" for "crick" (creek) and "warsh" (wash)

a great church family for a different great church family

Monday night basketball at 7:00 for Monday night basketball at 7:30

With all the changes there has been a lot of joy. We've already had a few visits from our parents. The congregation at Christ Lutheran helped move and clean our house the 3rd day we were here. I've seen a few birds I haven't seen in Texas. Laura really likes her new doctor and the hospital seems like it will be a good place to have Sprout.

The winter has been a bit wearisome though it does look like it's slowly breaking. At least we've been able to see snow along with the cold. There are some large trees around our neighborhood that I look forward to seeing in the spring and fall.

It's been easier to mourn the absence of so many great people in San Antonio with the congregation here in Topeka accepting us with open arms. It's still been hard to go through those beginning stages of starting relationships with new people and putting names with faces and trying not to compare everything and everyone to what and who we knew in Texas.

We're looking forward to things becoming more normal and for the unknown to become new opportunities. We love and miss all of you we no longer see on a regular basis. Come and visit anytime. You'll have a new, cute, interesting Moll to see soon.

Baby Girl at 20 Weeks

Here's our cute little girl at 20 weeks.

Sugar and Spice

Sprout is a girl, and she is now the length of a banana. She's definitely growing, and we are loving being able to know more about the baby by just knowing her gender. The sonogram pictures are very clear. I will get Tommy to post them. He said our daughter was already an exhibitionist. He's nervous about how she will be as a teenager, but we will take it one step at a time.

On the homefront, life has been overwhelming to the point of weariness at times dealing with all of the small tasks that go into getting a house ready for the market. It's almost there; in fact there is a sign in our front yard, and it should be listed tomorrow. Tommy has reverted back to some old college habits and pulled a few all-nighters (or at least until the wee hours). And because of him, the house is looking better than it has in a long time. It's a shame we are leaving it soon!

More to come.

Onward and Upward

Time marches; it's December already, our Christmas tree is up and twinkling, and Sprout is nearly halfway ready to join the outside world. It actually snowed on Friday too! Some teacher friends and I skipped out of school and grabbed Subway for lunch, and on our way some flurries blew in from the sky, not a common sight for San Antonio. Of course it didn't stick, but it was quite exciting for us Texans for the fifteen minutes it snowed.

Hopefully Topeka has some heavy, snow-angel-worthy snowfalls in store for Tommy and me. We will be uprooting from this rocky soil and settling in up there sometime in January. The emotions that this decision has created are mixed and strong. We are sad to leave our San Antonio family at church, our/my friends at Tejeda, our first house together, the adventures we have had here together, good Mexican food, all of it. But we are excited for the adventure in store for us and our family. And thus the three of us are moving onward and upward.

Speaking of the third member of our family, we will know what color to paint Sprout's room in just three days. On Wednesday we have our next sonogram, and we will get to know more about the person we'll be meeting in April.

Our lives have suddenly become crazy and emotional, and we are thankful that we have a God who is in control. His blessings to you, and we will update in a couple of days!

Laura

Boy or Girl?

Our next sonogram is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9th, and we should be able to tell if Sprout is a girl or a boy. We can't wait to experience the next big surprise, and we hope we have the same technician who let Tommy record the last sonogram.

There are many happy things happening around us. My cousin Christian and his wife Pennie had their baby boy, Kainoa (it's a Hawaiian name - they'll call him Kai) last week. Our good friends, Blake and Lydia, tied the knot last night. And on Wednesday Tommy and I leave for Ft. Wayne for an Eggold Thanksgiving. God's blessings are overwhelming, and we have so many people around us to celebrate them with. I can't wait to be surrounded by Eggolds, some of my favorite people, with a big helping of mashed potatoes on my plate. Is that what heaven will be like?

16 Weeks

Tommy and I read that Sprout should be able to hear noises, voices, music, etc. by now. It makes me ponder noise a bit more closely. What tone am I using with my students when they frustrate me? How loud is the music in my car to Sprout? Which Jackson Five-era Michael Jackson impression is better, mine or Tommy's? I'm excited that he/she can get to know our voices now, and maybe Sprout's listening closely when I'm reading aloud to my students. Time to break out the Mozart and begin the Ivy League prep.

Next week is our monthly appointment, and I will be asking when the big Gender Reveal can take place. It may be a Christmas gift next month.

Tommy received a call to a church in Topeka, Kansas. We are praying and considering, praying and considering, and we ask for your prayers as well. We've built quite a life and home here in San Antonio where the Lord has richly blessed us, but we know His blessings will follow us wherever we go.

Today, our friends, Doug and Jessica Taylor, bring their second daughter, Adelyn Mae, to the font to be baptized. Tommy and I are honored to be standing up there as her Godparents. God's blessings to little Adelyn today and always!

Laura