I Guess I Never Understood "Nesting"

What is that? Honestly? I don't really think it's a pregnancy thing. I think it's a procrastinators vs. on-the-ballers thing. I was talking to my trusty special friend the other day telling her I really should "attempt" this nesting thing and either finish my schoolwork (you know, to graduate) or clean up the crap that's surrounding me in my house. She laughed saying it was funny how I was trying to "cram" a last minute nesting session in for delivery. Lately school has bled into personal life. I simply had to acknowledge that my laziness skills are quite capable of surpassing any so-called biological "nesting" phase. Anyway, the crap remains, the schoolwork undone, and the crib has a bratty cat and lovely crafted tissue poms in it that my sister-in-law, Krista, created for the baby shower. I plan on hanging them in the kitchen and baby room. Key word, "plan"(pictures to come of the poms and baby room--keyword, "to come"). I promise I wasn't always this unmotivated; THAT has been a pregnancy thing. I do try to remind myself that I am taking 18 credit hours, have been working 20-30 hours a week and am trying to prep for a baby. I also remind myself that work and school will go away and I can resolve to focus on family and home in due time (see two posts ago). 

After this post, the reigns will be returned to Elliott--sorry, I couldn't resist.

However, I am truly, TRULY happy that as of late, I've really been focusing on the truly important things:

(For a good laugh)

(For my only-increasing sweet tooth--as if that wasn't already possible)

(For my QT's)

(For obvious reasons)

Lots of love to everyone.

Here He Comes!!!!

This is Elliott. I will be taking over the blog postings for a time or two here as the new Mama will be indisposed. I'll try to keep you all up to date with photos and news. We had a Dr's appointment this morning where Alisa was told she is dialated 2 to 3 cm and 80% thinned out. The orignal due date was today and the due date from the ultrasound was this past Tuesday. As a result Dr. Meineke as Alisa likes to call him, scheduled us for induction Saturday morning at 7:30. His real name is Dr. Mechelke and Alisa mistakedly associates him with the car place.

She does take it one step further as usual and calls him Dr. Chevron because he looks like the

Chevron Cars. I don't see it.

Dispite all the joking, we do really like him and he is a really competent Dr. We're really hoping Alisa makes it till Saturday because May is her favorite month and she'd love him to have a May birthday. We are really excited either way and will keep you all informed.

Graduating

Yep, ASU class of 2010 here we come! Though having a child will be one of the most important things I will ever do, this is certainly up there with it for me. 

Truthfully. 

I'll miss school, it has always been a talent of mine. Not because I ever considered myself terribly "smart," though I am certainly left-brained, just maybe a little over-ambitious and motivated. Things never came too easily for me, but I worked hard and maybe bs-ed a bit here and there and made it through just fine. I graduated high school in three years, at the time wanting to get away from the drone and confinement of being there. Call me impatient, but I wouldn't have it any other way, and would support any child of mine who wanted to do the same (just like my parents did for me). I remember at the time of graduation, I was still questioning why I went through all the effort to graduate early when I could still go down the same exact route, scholarship and all, next year. Of course, then I met Elliott my freshman year of college--or what would have been my senior year of high school. I realized, oh, so THAT'S why.  I will be graduating college early for a more "intentional" reason, and will be sad when the semester's over. I don't think I rushed through anything, and even if I completed high school and undergrad in 8 years versus 6, I would be feeling the same way--only two years from now.

I get so excited for my sister-in-law, Brianne, who is looking into returning to school for her Master's soon. I know that will be me someday. She was/is very much so like me in that she had her first baby at 20 and graduated high school and college in three years for, in so many words, "the future's sake." She has spent years being there for her children, and I plan on doing the same for mine. For me, the possibility and probability of returning to school in the future makes this indefinite break even more exciting. I've been looking forward to being done with school to focus on my family. Because I have propelled myself through two diplomas in 6 years, I spent a lot of time neglecting to learn various life skills and hobbies that are also so important and critical to make time for. I can't multi-task very well and had to just "do" school for the time being.

I am excited because I want spend more time with my mom learning how to sew. I want to take more time meal-planning/cooking PERIOD and perfect some of my mom's and Pam's recipes (and maybe find a few yummy ones of my own to try). I want to practice my Samoan!!! That's right, we have books, I've been learning. I want to develop the talent of exercising! If I'm going to be popping out several kids in the next FEW years here, I gotta stay in somewhat good shape. By the way, thank you, thank you, thank you, to Pam and Jay for lending us your treadmill and donating your amazing weight set to us (all of us). It's currently set up at our house now and I WILL LEARN how to use it. So maybe I've never stepped foot on a treadmill before Sunday and have used a weight set twice in my life. I want to RE-LEARN the basic piano and guitar skills I used to have but forgot once I spent more time in the college and dating-Elliott scene. I want to LEARN how to budget. Yeah, funny, but I've been pretty spoiled by my sugar daddy and hope to give back a little bit to him by paying more attention to ad's, coupons and our finances in general. Most importantly, I want to gain experience being a mother and develop my own "mothering groove." 

One of my favorite things on Earth is variety. I don't like staying in the same hotel too often, eating at the same restaurants all the time, ordering the same food, doing the same daily routine, buying the same cereals, the usual. I love the indefinite time I will be able to spend with my children (and the freedom to "change-up" the way we'll do things). I love the prospect of returning to school once my kids are much older. I love my Elliott for making this all possible. 

Faifai lemu. (That's Samoan for "Take it Easy").

Coming Home Outfit

We’re Waiting 

And yes, he’ll be a prepster with his Ralph Lauren Polo circa-1996.  

Already a baller.  

38 Weeks

This is probably the only true picture I have actually taken on a "week mark" this pregnancy. 

Oh well. 

At least it's with my new camera!

Blame the blurriness on the crop job, not the camera. Sorry, have to defend my little gem until I learn how to use it and those little editing programs a bit better!

We have a few pictures from Easter but I don't think I'll take the liberty of posting them. I look a little too swollen/bloated/chubby for my preference--even my pregnant preference. 

I know, "I'm pregnant so I shouldn't care," right? Maybe. But if I didn't "care," even the slightest bit, I would have derailed even more and gained twice the pregnancy weight.

So there. 

Flash

For my baby shower, Elliott surprised me with this little beauty. The reason? Well, according to the note accompanying the camera (that he sneakily planted in my car before I left for the shower), he simply made the point that if the baby is even half as cute as we know he's going to be, we HAVE to have something amazing to capture his life. 

Thank you baby. And I mean the full-grown one. 

Speaking of baby shower, a few special people in my life put together an amazing morning that I was able to enjoy with other special people in my life. Lot's of yummy food, fantastic people and to die for gifts.

By the way, I'm 38 weeks today.  And YES, I did take some pictures of the bump! But NO they won't be on here until tomorrow. Or Saturday. Depends on how productive I am with school. 

Paul McCartney

I've had a bit of a delayed reaction to the Paul McCartney concert figuratively and literally (as I'm just getting to blogging about it now). I was, in so many words, stunned being there. Sadly, the pregnancy removed some of the immediate enthusiasm as my energy was certainly NOT there and I was getting tired very fast. It was worth every penny and effort to make it there a thousand times over and I felt as though if anything, it was more than just going because I wanted to listen to my favorite music, but rather pay homage to someone that had affected my life so deeply through that music. 

At the same time, I kept remembering how desperate I was during high school and early college to go to another show and find anyway to experience that same excitement of going again. This time, the excitement wasn't as explosive and I kept wondering why I wasn't screaming every second of the day in sheer joy (besides the desire to not drive my husband crazy).

Walking back to the car, I realized that I had just as much fun with Elliott during dinner (at the scrumptious Gordon Biersch) as I did at the show--regardless of who else was in the same room as me. It's as if 5 years ago, desperation to attend a Paul McCartney show was really a subconscious desperation to experience what he sings about most: home, love, communication, understanding, life. I know that within the past three years, I've truly attained those things (though most are a continuous process). 

That's the reason I love his music.