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What a beautiful word.

The trip home was safe and uneventful other than having several delays. The first flight scheduled to leave at 10 didn’t leave till 3:30 and the second flight we missed so we caught another after enjoying a bit of non-plane food in LA. Salad never tasted that good after dowing strange combinations of food you can’t recognize.  I thought the second flight (apr. 4 hours) felt longer than the first flight which was considerably longer. I noticed big changes from 6 weeks ago flying out to Australia. The baby (which I have nicknamed Feisty while on the plane) kicked nearly the entire flight from Sydney to LA. I kept trying to change positions and settle the baby down. It didn’t work, although it was reassuring knowing that the baby is energetic. This flight at nearly 27 weeks I got a sore back and a very very sore ribcage. I called the midwife in a panic today because the ribcage pain was driving me crazy. I was worried the rib cage pain was liver pain-a sign of preeclampsia.  Apparently this baby is pushing my ribs out of place and pulling ligaments. I pulled a lot of pelvic ligaments running around with several suit cases in tow through the Sydney and LA airports trying to catch flights and in general get in lines longer than I have ever seen before. That was not a good idea I have decided. I am not super woman. I feel like super wimp after cooking all morning and then passing out on our couch at noon simply wiped. I am suffering from a lot of ligament pain and anything from walking the darling dog to putting on jeans in the morning is quite the experience. It feels like I just did 17 total body conditioning classes back to back. YOUCH. Except in this case–well I don’t get the results of such hard work. Hmm. Oh in the class of strange but true. Apparently you can get a belly and not gain weight- or at least that is what my body’s been up to as I have gained onlt 1lb. in the past 10 weeks since my last prenatal appointment (17 weeks) and none since I have been in Australia.   From my reading 1/2 lb a week is normal for this stage. I kept wondering in Australia how much I had gained eating out every evening. Well, apparently Thai food isn’t fattening. I didn’t eat ice cream the entire time maybe that was what did it. I did eat a few dark chocolate bars though. That was maybe my worst craving while over there. The baby’s place continues to stretch and my belly button is gearing up for an outie although it hasn’t popped yet. My night gowns don’t fit anymore. Well it is too hot in KS for most of them though. I won a few maternity bids on Ebay for larger maternity shirts. I am in that weird in between stage of small maternity clothes and LARGE ones. I have decided Ebay is the best equivalent for “garage sale-ing” out where they are sparse. You can gets some good deals if you look for shirts and skirts for 49 cents or a dollar and buy a lot from one seller so the shipping is reduced. I finally found a long denim skirt. I was starting to wonder if they made them for pregnant people any more. I will post pictures of the cute wool diaper covers I bought for Feisty soon-as well as a belly picture. I cannot believe we have 10-14 weeks till we meet this child! I still can’t believe it is happening despite being kicked quite regularly.

Coming home was EUPHORIC. I cleaned, unpacked, made sushi, organized and redecorated all day Friday completely out of wack as far as what time of day or night it was. I was just so happy to be home and the mess of coming home was bugging me also. I like things put away. Andrew came home to a house filled with unfinished projects. My multitasking isn’t always a very successful endeavor-it is the fruit of a choleric-sanguine mind. I start 4 projects and forget what I was doing several times especially when I am excited. I was frying fish, unpacking boxes, organizing our closet and setting the table—therefore the fish burned and the other projects never quite got finished although they are finished now. Yay for Saturdays.

Andrew planted more wheat grass for juicing today–Sweet guy he is—he even drinks it with me! I made General Tso’s Chicken to bring to church lunch tomorrow. Cooking has never been this exciting in years. That is what a 6 week cooking vacation will do to you. I have a vegetable mandolin now so my newest joy is slicing zucchini. I am easily entertained. Andrew is expecting to be fed piles of fancy sliced vegetables for the rest of the week.

Also must add this:: Thank you again for all our friends who prayed for our safety while in Australia and traveling back! We appreciate it so much and can’t wait to visit with many of you in person soon!

And now to try to go to sleep….