A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer...

Our little girl is 18 today! Lauren had her 18th birthday party yesterday. We had upwards of 16 people milling about, playing games (thanks to Bryan!), eating food and celebrating with Lauren. Lauren and Soo Min made kimpap for the party... Lauren has this strange problem blowing out candles. Last year, it took seriously 10 tries. This year I tried to make it easier (notice only two candles!) but she still took 3 tries. I think she hyperventilates from laughing and then has no air....it's quite the phenomenon. Andy doesn't like to smile at the camera...but our girls (Lauren and Sun) sure are photogenic, huh? As is Bryan....wow. Soo Min and Lauren... Lauren's haul from the bday party. My parents and Shane came over on her real birthday (TODAY!) to have pie and ice cream...and of course play some train game! Shane decided to try on Lauren's glasses....I'm not sure what happened to his eyes... Happy birthday Lauren! We love you!

All the prayers of the Santiam Christian students came to fruition last night...God dumped 3-4 inches of snow on Adair Village! Making this year's first yellow snow... This snow man came to visit our front yard too! Bryan had to wake Lauren up (by throwing snowballs at her window) so she could come out and play in the snow with him. She made her first snowman! We thought the baby should get in on the action... Macie was in 7th heaven. My blueberries were a little weighted down.

So I think I have the most boring pregnancy ever. I guess that's a good thing...no surprises since the whole calcification drama in October/November and not much discomfort besides sleeping. Moms around the Willamette Valley reading this probably want to smack me because I'm complaining that I have nothing to complain about....maybe they are right. Went to the weekly drs appointment today, all is well...my tummy is measuring at 37 cm...normal is 39, but no one is concerned. I'm dialated a whole 1.5 cm and 50% effaced. Dr. Lee said the "baby is low" which is a good thing I'm guessing. I gained a little over a pound this week...I'm now at 148.9 lbs. My dad informed me yesterday that he only weighs 18 pounds more than me. What a guy. A way-too-skinny-to-be-a-grandpa guy. Big snow storm is coming, so I hope I don't get stuck somewhere when this baby comes! Doctor predicts the baby's arrival at our due date, what a shocker....but she says I shouldn'...

11 days. In roughly that amount of time, my life will change forever. It is hard to fathom, really, hard to prepare. There are only so many books you can read, so much advice you can absorb, but I don't think anything is really preparing me to all of a sudden be responsible for a little person. Yet, I'm getting impatient. I should be savoring these last days of independence, but the hours are being consumed with thoughts about WHEN WILL SHE COME? Last night, Bryan swore she was coming...while we were sleeping in bunk beds up in the mountains near Fall City. Tonight, he said the same thing. It feels like it could happen any second, even though I have no idea what it feels like before you go into labor... Bryan and I spent this past weekend up at Camp Tapawingo, where Bryan was speaking for the MidHigh Cause winter retreat. I had a good time, watching Shane, Jason and Lauren working with the kids, and of course listening to Bryan speak 4 times. I basically sat around and ate good...

After eight Valentine's Days together, we have discovered the secret to an inexpensive Valentine's Day...celebrate a day early, before the restaurants can jack up the prices! Bryan and I did just that last night, when we hit up McMennemins in Lincoln City. We stayed at the WorldMark in Gleneden last night, and then enjoyed a rainy day at the coast, including breakfast at the Sea Hag (Depoe Bay) ...a first for us both. Bryan hates it when I take his picture. Especially in restaurants. Too bad, baby. This is my mountain of french toast complete with strawberries and way too much whipped cream. Also this weekend (on Saturday), we got the chance to get maternity photos taken....just hours before this monster storm rolled in (as evident in the photos, where my hair is going crazy from the wind). Photos can be seen here....on Betsey Jaskilka's blog... http://framedliving.blogspot.com/p/maternity.html Also, Lauren went to Sadie Hawkins at her school. Before everyone got there, ...

My sisters-in-law (with help from Alicia) threw me a baby shower this past weekend, which was awesome! They did amazing decorating.... And all I had to do was show up, hang out with some cool people, eat some food and open tons of presents! So here's some of the cool people: me, mom and grandma Ullman... Pam Williams holding Mal's baby Eden... The Moore girls... Cambria Steiner... Elle and Jennifer Bertz.... There were tons of people there who I love very much, and we are so grateful for their generosity! Here are a few things we got from the shower... Lots of little shoes and socks.... And our baby will be finely dressed... And diapered.... Oh ad here's one of the finished walls in the baby room... Thank you to everyone who has blessed us so richly!