13 pounds

I had another prenatal appointment today. Everything looked good and I was surprised to find out that I have gained 13 pounds. I knew I was showing quite a bit more, even since last week, but I've certainly never weighed this much. I'm feeling pretty good right now, and not experiencing too many "symptoms." The strange thing right now is that my belly has grown enough to get in my way. Bending down is becoming a bit hard, sitting and getting up is taking some maneuvering, and belts are now unwearable and been replaced with an elastic belly tube that keeps my pants up.... Hopefully I'll post another picture soon....

This past weekend Mira flew out to help us celebrate our Mom's 60th birthday! We had a big party with a tent and a band on Saturday night, with lots of food and libations. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. The weather was great, the music was fun and lots of dancing continued into the night. My mom was adorable when about 70 people packed into the studio to sing her happy birthday, and I could tell that she was soaking in the moment, and love of her friends and family. She has made Placitas her home and community for over 30 years, and it was great to see so many people from the community, as well as all over NM, come to celebrate such a milestone with her. Thanks to everyone who came and made it a fun night!

Not too much else to report on. I am slowly clearing out the nursery of all the random crap that's collected in there since we moved in, and it feels good to purge. I am actually very close to being able to paint in there, which will be fun (for Erik...).

My work is still non-existent, and I'm attempting to keep my stress at bay about the lack of me contributing money to the household. Erik is still working his butt off, and as I write this (7:20), he still hasn't made it home. We are planning a little vacay up to the cabin this weekend, to get some R&R without the computer, TV or phones, so that will be nice. This is a beautiful time to go up there, and I'm hoping we catch a view of the cottonwoods and aspens turning golden. I think we're both hoping that a little distance from here, and all the looming projects, will give us the breather we need to regenerate, gain some confidence and maybe to have some more ideas or strategies for how to make this all work. I know we are being very challenged right now, and we have the capacity to succeed, but we are trying to figure out the right combination of angles and strategies to reach our goals. Many questions and many answers, but what are the right answers for us? Decisions, decisions....