Updated Pregnancy Pics

Due to multiple requests, I am posting the latest pictures of Tara's belly progression.  We are up to 37 weeks today, which is considered full term.  Now our boy is just putting on weight.  Needless to say, Tara could do without this last part which just makes her uncomfortable, I mean, more uncomfortable.

Enjoy, this could be the last of the pictures until the baby pictures start!

Week 24

Week 28

Week 32

Week 35

Week 37

It isn't until I line all the pictures up sequence that I actually see how much our baby has grown!

Not a very wintery winter break

Tara and I have been enjoying our time off.  Besides doing some school work and work around the house, we took a 3 day trip to Bahrain.  It was nice to get out of Saudi one last time before the baby comes.  We were able to see two movies, the new Harry Potter and Due Date.  Due Date might not have been the best movie to see so close to our own due date, but it was funny.  I was also on a mission to see the educational sites in Bahrain before the baby comes because I'm not sure how willing we will be to take a baby through museums.  We went to the Bahrain Museum and the Qal'at Bahrain, or Fort of Bahrain.  It was interesting to see the chronological history of the small country.  It was really an important trade territory during early civilization in the Middle East.  And of course, we went out to eat a lot and had our bacon fix for breakfast one morning.  It was a good last trip for a while.  Our next exit will be to go back to Wisconsin in April.

We also had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday.  It was just a stress test for the baby, but turned into a stress test for the parents.  Tara had some monitors strapped to her belly measuring contractions and the baby's heart beat.  A nurse and doctor were checking the results a little to closely for our comfort and the baby wasn't moving much, but in the end they said everything was just fine.  We were thankful for the final outcome.

For Christmas today and tomorrow we are having small celebrations with friends.  We miss everyone and wish our family and friends a merry Christmas!  We have every intention of celebrating next Christmas in Wisconsin!

Tara was such a trooper with all the walking through the fort.

Striking a pose.

Tara liked the contrast between the old and the new in Bahrain.

It's been a while....

Sorry it's been a while since we last blogged.  These past two weeks have been really busy with school, parties, and life in general.  Here's a quick update on what we've been up to:

If you followed our blog last year, you may remember that I've been teaching a food and nutrition class.  This year Jamie decided to co-teach it with me.  We just finished our big project of planning and cooking a meal for their parents and other teachers.  We ended up with about 45 people there.  With only 6 students in the class, they did a great job.  It was a lot of work and we were all exhausted by the end of the evening.

This past weekend, we also decided to throw a holiday party.  It was the last weekend before everyone headed home for vacation.  It was a lot of work, but so much fun.  Having our home filled with some of the people we love was wonderful.  For the party, Jamie worked on the garden and had it in top shape, we even have all the vegetables and flowers planted (look for pictures below).  Unfortunately, we were having so much fun that we didn't actually take pictures of the party.

School is officially over for the next three weeks.  I (Tara) won't be going back until the middle of March which Jamie is a bit jealous of.  To be honest, it hasn't quite hit me.  I'm just excited to be able to sleep in, take naps, and read.  We will be spending some time at school as I prepare my classroom for my absence and Jamie is doing some more tutoring for a student who is staying here over break.

Lastly, we did have another dr's appointment.  We have started going every week since he is due in exactly a month.  Everything the doctor said was good, just that I have to continue watching my sugar intake so he doesn't get too fat.  I'm working on packing my hospital bag and the car seat will be permanently stored in the car from now on, just in case.  With the hospital being an hour away, we really can't play it too save. 

Being at home much more than normal, we plan on being on Skype and IChat more often.  Please feel free to give us a call.  We'd love to see your face and/or hear your voice.

Tara

He's a little squish face here

It looks like he is yawning, but how could he possible be tired?  He is fed and carried all the time.

2nd annual garden.  This years crop consists of three tomato plants, a handful of bell and chili pepper plants, potatoes, and onions.

This is the patio extension Jamie laid last weekend.  He is pretty talented.

A few of our chefs tending the buffet table.

Baby and Other News

We just had our 33 week doctors appointment this past week.  Our boy is 5 lbs 2 oz already.  That seems big to me and I'm not even the one carrying him.  We are starting to go for a checkup every 2 weeks now.  Pretty soon we'll load up the car seat and start bringing everything we need with us because the hospital is an hour away and you just never know what is going to happen.  We are just thankful to God that everything has been smooth sailing so far.  I'm posting a bunch of pictures, but he has been camera shy, holding his hands up.  But then again, he doesn't have much room to put his hands anywhere else.

In other news, we are approaching the half-way marker in our second masters class.  Thankfully, we can skip the next one in February when the baby is here.  I'm not sure how we are going to juggle teaching, masters work, and caring for our baby in the spring.

We will have our first guests in just under two months!  Don and Kim, Tara's parents are scheduled to come out at the end of January.  We are very excited to share this life with our family.  We keep noticing things and think, "Oh, that might freak them out a little."  Don't worry Don and Kim, your in good hands with us, they just might be full of baby stuff.

Take care everyone.

I think he might have my nose.  What do you think?

Tara wishes he would nap like this when she is trying to sleep.