37 weeks, 5 days...

Certifiable.

Yep, I'm certifiably crazy.  I know this is no surprise to most of you; but it is a sad realization to me.  I thought since this is my third pregnancy that I'd be a little more knowledgeable to what my body is telling me.  However, I am constantly second-guessing myself.  Constantly.  I will have strong contractions for hours and will sit and worry about what I should do.  I feel nauseous and I wonder if I should eat to see if it goes away, or if I'm in labor.  If I'm in labor I can't eat because I have to have surgery.  My doctor has been super understanding...thank God.  I mean, I'm driving myself nuts, she must hate me!  But she's also really confusing.  She'll tell me that I only need to call Labor and Delivery if my contractions are strong, 5-7 minutes apart, for a few hours (which they have been multiple times...), and then in the next breath tell me that she doesn't want me to actually go through the tough contractions because I've had two c-sections and it's dangerous.  There is a lot more explanation in there, but at the end of the day I still have no idea when to call.  She's also said to take Tylenol PM at night and if I can't sleep through the contractions, it's time to call.  Well, I can't sleep through the contractions because Tylenol PM doesn't work with me.  ARG!  So frustrating!  With Myah it was cut and dry.  My water broke, it was super easy to tell, and we went to the hospital.  With Elijah it was really easy because I had a doctor's appointment and she told me to go to the hospital.  This pregnancy is just soooooo different.  I can only chalk it up to stress.  And my craziness.  I'm ready for this process to be over.  I have a c-section scheduled for March 8th at 1:30pm, so at the very least, she will be here next Thursday.  That is awesome...although 9 days still seem like an eternity.  Luckily, Brian has been super patient and understanding.  I'm ready to meet this little stinker that has caused me all this turmoil :).

Hey, remember when the Jayhawks came back from a 19 point deficit to beat Missouri?!  I DO!!!  First, let me say that I cannot BELIEVE that I didn't go into labor.  The intensity of this game was beyond what should put someone into labor!  Even the kids didn't know what to do with Mommy and Daddy yelling at the TV and pacing back and forth!  This is, by far, a top 3 game that I have ever seen by KU.  The other two (for me)?  Championship game in 2008 and KU vs. Georgia Tech in 2005.  The only reason the other two rank high is because we were surrounded by other KU fanatics (at a bar in '08 and at Allen Fieldhouse in '05) and it's hard to beat an atomosphere where everyone is high-five-ing and hugging each other!  This game was....AMAZING!!!!  So incredibly exciting, heart-wrenching, and made me be proud to be a Jayhawk all over again :)!  Jayhawk for life!!

Going to the beach on Sunday was WONDERFUL!  We are so blessed to live only 45 minutes from virtually EVERYTHING!  San Francisco, the mountains, the ocean, Oakland, 2 hours from Napa Valley...the list goes on and it's awesome!  The weather has been SOOOOO nice so we had made plans to go to the beach!  We wanted to go to a beach we hadn't been to yet so we went to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.  It's super touristy with an amusement park, restaurants, arcades, and volleyball courts, but we loved it!  The beach was really clean, the sand was super soft, and we got there early enough to where it wasn't overcrowded.  I had packed a lunch and we settled in for a day at the beach!  We only stayed for 2 hours because I apparently forgot I was 9 months pregnant and that I would be uncomfortable sitting on the sand for a couple of hours...duh.

Myah started digging as soon as we found a spot, but Elijah was a bit more reluctant.  He's not a big fan of sand between his toes.  This isn't a new development.  When we lived in Kansas we had a sand pit and he refused to put his feet in the sand...weirdo :).  So while Myah was playing, Elijah literally stood in one place refusing to move.  We enticed him with a shovel, the football, even food...it only took 10 minutes of him whining to finally move...for cheese :).  Hopefully more trips to the beach will get him over his phobia because he had a great time once he decided to play.  He and Myah (and Brian) made sand castles and then Elijah decided he wanted to cover his feet in the sand.  He was very proud of himself :).  

Myah chasing the birds away!

"Fun" fact: I have a deep-seeded fear of seagulls.  I hate them.  Yes, I used the 'h' word.  I think the world would be better off without them.  They are gross and ruthless.  When I was 5, I was at Acadia National Park at the beach and it was time for lunch.  As I was bringing my sandwich to my mouth, a seagull swooped out of the air and snatched it from my fingers and made me bleed.  I remember having to find a lifeguard to get a band-aid.  I remember EVERYTHING about this incident.  It was THAT traumatizing.  Then, years later, I was serving tables at a restaurant in Maine and some of my tables were right off the harbor.  It was a constant battle between the servers and the seagulls.  They would constantly dive bomb the trays of food we brought out...not quite the fun experience.  So, yes...I could do without seagulls.  Unfortunately, when you are near the ocean, there will ALWAYS be seagulls.  Even more unfortunate is that when there is FOOD on the beach, there will be EVEN MORE seagulls than you could ever imagine.  Knowing this, I was nervous bringing out the food we had brought, so we only brought out a little at a time.  No plates of food, nothing just sitting there.  However, we did leave the blanket to walk to the water...and left open a container of cheese and apples, which were promptly swarmed with birds.  I saw the whole thing going down but I couldn't move fast enough to stop it from happening.  One good thing came of it, though.  We learned that the kids like to chase the birds away, screaming like monsters!  FANTASTIC!  So, every time a bird got too close, I sent Myah to chase them away...love it!

One HUGE beach pet peeve?  When people PURPOSEFULLY give the seagulls food.  Why do you think they are scavengers and ruthless and never go away?  Because people feed them!!  Keep them away from me and my food...don't feed them!  GRRRRRRRR!

The rest of the week will be spent getting ready for my parents to come!  So excited!  Next week the Bedores will be here and baby V will be born!

The blanket isn't even laid out and she's busy digging!

Gorgeous day!

Elijah finally decided to join the party

Forgive the finger...but seagulls scare me
so I couldn't concentrate on the picture...

View of the pier.
We decided to relocate to the other side

Feet are covered!

37 weeks, 1 day.

Yes...I am getting that specific on how far along I am because I'm getting desperate!  This pregnancy seems to have lasted eons.  Now, I know a lot has happened in the course of this pregnancy which is probably why it seems to have taken so long.  But the thing that has made it seem the longest is the fact that I started having steady contractions at 34 weeks!  That was THREE WEEKS AGO!!  I'm still waiting...but not patiently.

When I started getting contractions 3 weeks ago I became mentally ready for Vera to get here.  I had made peace with the fact that she might be a preemie; Brian even went looking for preemie clothes.  Everyday was full of logging my contractions, just waiting for the 'ball to drop'.  It still hasn't come.  But SHE'S dropped!  I always thought it was weird when people talked about their belly sitting in their lap because in my previous two pregnancies, that had never happened.  Well, now I know what they are talking about.  If I want to reach something across a counter I have to lift up the baby to set on the counter to reach...yep, it's that ridiculous.

I'm very glad that she wasn't born a preemie...but now that I've reached "full-term" status...I'm ready for her to be out!!  Beyond ready, really.  I'm in pain, severely uncomfortable, can't sleep...need I go on?  I also still have acid reflux...I could go on with my ailments but I think you can see how cranky I am.  Yeah, I know: Poor Brian.

All I can think about is not being pregnant anymore.  If I had my friends out here, I know without a shadow of a doubt they would distract me enough where this wouldn't be an issue...but that's not how life is right now.  So, to try and distract myself, I've been crocheting hats.  I've made 8 hats in 4 days.  It's not really helping; but if you want a hat, just let me know!

I'm sorry this post is such a downer...I've been in better places mentally.  Yes, I know that I have less than two weeks to go.  However, two weeks seems like eternity right now.  I'm ready.  I'm ready.  I'm ready.

One of my biggest problems is not being able to be satisfied in the moment.  This will surprise no one who truly knows me.  I constantly have to have something major going on to feel satisfied.  New job, client, career, school, kid, house, craft, etc.  You name it,  I need it.  I don't do well in 'limbo' or in a waiting period, or just living the day-to-day.  So, knowing that she will be here in two weeks or less is pure torture.  I'd rather her be here so we can start moving forward as a family of 5 as opposed to a family of 3 + 1 very needy pregnant woman.  This is something that I have been praying about: being happy in the moment.  I find times where I feel truly blessed in the moment...but they don't happen as often as I would like.  Someday soon I hope to stop looking toward the future and focus on the present...but that might be a bigger feat than I am expecting :).

Another thing that I've tried to do to keep myself busy is walk around.  I took the kids to the park the other day...they seemed to have fun for a little bit, but it did break my heart.  Sometimes I just get so frustrated out here. It is devastating to watch your three year old - who is so excited to make friends -  strike out on the playground while her two year old brother chases her around like a puppy. We all do badly need friends out here.  No matter what playground we go to, if she sees someone new, she is ecstatic...and then really in their face (yep, I know, just like her mom).  She's fine, it doesn't seem to hurt her self esteem and she always has her dutiful brother there as back up.

Isn't he ADORABLE?!  I haven't put the final touches on Myah's hats yet, but she will be modeling them soon!

Thjs weekend we plan on watching the Jayhawks embarrass Mizzou tomorrow and then have a great picnic on the beach Sunday.  I am still praying to give birth this weekend, but with this pregnancy, I have no idea.  I would like to mention that I have now been pregnant longer with Vera than I was with Elijah...sigh.

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK, GO KU!!

I think I overdid it...

Hello friends!

How was your weekend?!  We got really lucky and Brian had a three-day weekend...wahoo!!  We have both decided we are ready for the baby to come so he can be home and help with the kiddos...man, two toddlers are exhausting!!!

First of all, the cake balls I made were amazing...and I'm not ashamed to pat myself on the back about it.  I made Devil's Food cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting...both covered in chocolate! Feast your eyes...and clean up the drool :)  I didn't get to try them until late Friday night...I had Brian hide some and bring them home for me :).

Technically Baby V can be here at any moment, so we decided to spend the whole weekend relaxing...we didn't stick to the plan very well...

Saturday we did stay home and cleaned and relaxed with the kiddos.  We went to a local fabric store to look at upholstery fabric for the chair and couch in the living room.  We found some prints that could work (for only $10 a yard) but I'm not in love with them...we'll have to wait and see!

On Sunday we went out to eat breakfast at IHOP with the plan to go to a local petting zoo.  We decided to really get crazy and head to the San Francisco Zoo instead!  It was a beautiful day outside and I'm so glad we went!  I will say, however, that I left so incredibly tired and sore...maybe not the smartest move.  The zoo was really nice and not really crowded so it was a great family time!  The kids loved seeing the animals, especially when they got to feed the sheep at the petting zoo!  By the time we left I could barely lift my feet to walk to the car, but we finally made it back home and had nap time!  Well, I had nap time...the kids slept in the car :).

Monday was our recovery day.  The plan was to stay home, relax, and have some down time.  Instead, I had to go to the Apple Store to get my phone fixed (again) and the nearest Apple store is in a mall about 20 minutes away.  Normally it wouldn't be a big deal.  However, after walking around for over 3 hours the day before, the last thing I should've been doing was walking around a mall.  But since Brian and I are fantastic planners...we did it anyway.  We got my phone fixed and decided to get the kids' hair cut.  Myah has been unable to see out of her right eye for a long time because her hair constantly falls in her face.  Yes...we have tried braids, hair clips, etc.  She doesn't like to keep them in so they were really ineffective.  So we went with bangs...and she looks super cute!  Elijah cried the whole time during his haircut...but nothing new there.  We were at the mall for 3 hours walking around...and I couldn't walk to the car...Brian had to pick me up.  Woops.

Today I had to do some grocery shopping.  I haven't been going weekly like I usually do due to not feeling so hot, but we were out of milk, TP, and other essentials, so I had to bite the bullet and go.  I made it about 5 minutes in before I started to feel really lightheaded/dizzy and I started having a hard time breathing.  Not fun...not fun at all.  I powered through and made it home but was unable to put away the groceries (minus the cold stuff).  I got the kids some food and laid down to write to you fine people!

I am feeling a little better...still a little dizzy and out of breath, but it's nap time, so I'm hoping that will cure all :).  I think the water and rest is what I needed.  But I think it's almost needless to say that I overdid it this weekend.  I walked WAY too much this weekend.  I am almost 37 weeks pregnant with a bad ankle...WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!  Luckily I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning...hopefully we can get some good news ;)!  I have continued to have contractions and last night they were so intense they woke me up...but they aren't closer than 10 minutes between each, so I'm still just waiting it out!

I'll let you know what the doctor says tomorrow!

Haircuts!

San Francisco Zoo

36 Weeks and counting!!!

36 weeks!  We are so close I can taste it! Literally...the acid reflux is back.  That's probably a TMI, but you are here to read the good, bad, and ugly...and right now it's downright ugly!

Last Friday we had a doctor's appointment and Brian decided to stay home afterwards to help around the house.  It was awesome.  However...he didn't inform his boss he wasn't coming back.  Normally this isn't an issue when you make your own hours and you always finish your work on time.  This time, though, they had planned a special baby shower for him...cupcakes and all!!  Everyone rubbed it in his face that the cupcakes were absolutely amazing...which they TOTALLY should have!  We aren't surrounded by familiar faces out here, but his team pulled together and gave us some really great gifts!  Diapers, bowls, a onesie, and wipes.  So incredibly nice and unexpected!  The people he is surrounded by at work could not be better...we are very lucky!  To thank them, I'm going to make some cake balls today and bring them to his work tomorrow!  It's my first time making them...wish me luck!!!

I got a great surprise in the mail the other day...gift package from Lyda and Brian Pung!!!!  One of the toughest parts of leaving is losing your support system.  Having friends and family come visit in the hospital and hold our little one for the first time is a memory I was really looking forward to.  Alas, it is not meant to be...but my friends are still showing me that you can have a support system 1500 miles away :).  First of all, the card was AWESOME!  It had little booties all over it and said "Bootie Call"...how funny is that?!  She also sent a super cute pair of leggings with a skirt, a dress, napkins that said "Living the MiniVan Dream", and an adorable pair of pink shoes!

Looking at all of these things just makes it so much more exciting!  I am trying to channel in on the excitement instead of concentrating on the contractions...one day at a time!

36 Weeks!

I had a check up at the doctor's on Tuesday.  There still is no cervical change...UNBELIEVABLE!!!  She told me she thinks it will be another two weeks before Lady V will grace us with her presence.  TWO WEEKS!  At the very least this means I can stop stressing out and timing all of my contractions.  I've been under the impression that it could happen at any minute and while I know it still can, I've been told it's unlikely, so I can unclench :).  It has really helped me relax!  I'm still having contractions, but they are fewer and farther between...can't complain about that!  I have another doctor's appointment next Wednesday...I will be 36 weeks, 6 days at that point...almost full term!

The doctor did suggest resting...a lot.  She asked me how things were going at home and if I had any help with the kids.  Doesn't she know how emotional pregnant women are?!  Of COURSE I started crying...poor doctor.  I pulled it together and thanked her for being so kind and concerning, but no, there is no help currently outside of Brian and I...that's just the hand we've been dealt.  Luckily, I married the most amazing man and he has been so incredibly helpful I can't complain.  I'm resting as much as possible and that's the best I can do right now.  I am SO looking forward to my parents coming out!  Less than 3 weeks!!!

Myah has gymnastics tomorrow and we will do more preparing for Lady V to get here!

BabyWatch 2012: Lady Vera Grace Edition

As of today, it has been 11 straight days of contractions.

11 days.

Everyday.

Yep.  I think it's pretty clear why I haven't been posting...

Week 34

Week 35

After a week of contractions, a trip to Labor and Delivery, and a doctor's appointment...it's been a busy 11 days.  And by the looks of it, Vera took a trip South, as well!  She has dropped...there is no doubt about that.  My lower back constantly hurts, I don't have acid reflux as bad, and I no longer have a single piece of clothing that will cover my entire belly.

On Tuesday, February 7th I had been having contractions every 10 minutes for about 12 hours so I called the L&D number to see what I should do.  They told me to come in to the hospital to be monitored and check to see if I was dilated at all.  Long story short, 9 hours, 2 IV bags, and 4 checks of my cervix, they sent me home.  While I have been having consistent contractions, I was not dilating...grrrrrrrrr!  Yes.  It was a really good thing they sent me home because the last thing any mom, including me, wants is to have their baby be born too early and spent time in the NICU instead of your arms.  They did give me a great painkiller, though, and after a quick trip to OTB (I hadn't eaten all day!!), I had a great night sleep.

Since then, I have been having contractions sporadically.  I will have 2 hours of contractions every 10 minutes, take a nap, and they will become more delayed.  Other times (like last night) I will have contractions every 4-6 minutes for over an hour.  It's just so confusing on what to do.  So I took Tylenol and went to sleep (at least attempted to...I was too stressed out to really sleep).

Let me say this...this is my third labor in 4 years.  I'm not a rookie.  I know what contractions feel like, I know the burning sensations of cramps in front and in my back.  I know what I'm going through is early labor.  BUT HOW FREAKING LONG DOES IT HAVE TO LAST?!  I've been told to go into the hospital when contractions are more than 6 an hour.  Well, that happens a lot.  And I'm still not dilating.  It's very frustrating, painful, uncomfortable, and really exhausting.  At the end of the day, when Vera is born, it won't have mattered if I dilate or not because I am having a c-section.

I went to a follow-up appointment on Friday and still no cervical change.  I have an appointment tomorrow with my regular OB and plan on talking to her about what to do.  I have been in bed for almost 11 whole days.  My kids are bored and need to get out of the house but it is so hard when I can barely walk...grrrrrrr.  It's times like these that I really miss being back in Kansas.  At the very least I could be distracted by my friends...but my kids wouldn't be so bored, either.

The good news is that Vera is still active, so I am not worrying about if she's ok or not.

I have been giving myself little goals to reach: get through the night, get to nap time, get to the next doctor's appointment, etc.

Wish me luck.

I know...I know...

Yes.  It has been 11 days since my last post.  And it's been full...this post is about the fun stuff...I will do a separate post for BabyWatch 2012: Lady Vera Grace:).

Friday, the 3rd, Myah had her second gymnastics class and she did great!  There are only two other people in her class including a VERY obnoxious girl who refuses to follow directions.  Miraculously, it isn't Myah, though I do worry she will be a bad influence on Myah because this is her first class and she doesn't know how it's SUPPOSED to go.  She is having tons of fun, though, and the teachers are awesome!  They have lots of patience, creativity, and they seem to actually have fun with the kids!  Kuddos to them, because I just want to put some of them in time-out :).

Elijah still isn't on the 'gymnastics train' yet, but the last time we went (2/10) he did ask to play...maybe next session he will be ready!

We went to the DeAnza flea market on Saturday.  I wanted to get out of the house and I love flea markets, so it seemed like the perfect idea!  However, ideas rarely are as ideal as one hopes :).  We parked two blocks away to save $5 on parking (which isn't a big deal...unless you are 9 months preggo), and only made it halfway through the flea market.  Brian was bored, the kids were hungry, and I had started having contractions while walking around.  We stopped by Five Guys on the way home and Myah decided to follow my and Elijah's example and eat ketchup!  Proud momma :).

Sunday was the SuperBowl.  I won't bore you with sports talk...mainly because my team lost :(...but Brian invited a few people over from work and it was a nice time!  I spent the morning getting food ready which was completely exhausting.  Since my contractions had started earlier in the weekend, they have been irregular, but incredibly uncomfortable and exhausting, so I had to take a nap before everyone came over!  The kids got to play with two little boys that belong to Brian's coworker and they had a really great time!  I also learned something interesting about Chinese culture.  The mom of the boys and I were talking about what I was going to do after the baby is born.  She asked me if I was going to be hiring a nanny, and I told her that Brian will be home for a few weeks, my parents are coming out, and I stay at home with the kids, so I should be fine.  Her jaw dropped...which I was really surprised about.  Apparently, in Hong Kong and other major cities in China, new moms hire a nanny in 24 hour increments to help with the baby.  She said since there is such a large Chinese culture out here, it is common to follow the tradition.  She said for $100 I can hire a nanny for 24 hours to cook, clean, watch the kids, and do pretty much anything I want her to.  While, in theory, that sounds awesome...what the heck would I do?!

She is really sweet, though, and complimented me on my parenting.  She said my kids were very well behaved and wants some tips on how to get her kids to behave :).  Very sweet, and very wrong LOL!  I love my kids and, yes, they do have moments of being really good...but it's not all the time and not worthy of my advice...for sure!  But it does feel nice to be recognized as a good mommy :).

The next week was a pretty low-key one, with a small trip to the hospital (more on that in a later post).  The kids have been having a hard time this week.  I've heard "no" so many times my head has been spinning.  They have been extremely defiant refusing to do anything they are asked.  It's been very frustrating since I haven't been feeling well...I'm hoping things turn around soon.

This past weekend, my kids learned some awesome new tricks!  Brian taught the kids how to dribble the basketball and bounce pass.  It was not only adorable to watch the kids learn, but it was awesome seeing how proud Brian was when the kids succeeded!  We also played foursquare...even me!

Brian worked a lot over the weekend preparing for his paternity leave...whenever that starts!  I really can't complain about it, though.  He loves it and it's nice to see him so fulfilled and challenged by his job.

We also finally set up the spare bed in the craft room downstairs.  Now we're ready for my parents to come!  Less than a month away and the Bedores will be rocking it in California!! Woot!!

Other fun facts: Myah had a few days where her 'shadow' was her best friend.  She would watch everywhere she walked to watch her shadow and even let her shadow go potty before her: they were taking turns, apparently.  When she was ready to walk away, she would bend down and 'pick up' her shadow and put it in her pocket.  The things kids do are really funny!

I also made Vera a blanket and a few Boppy covers!  Myah is going to have a matching blanket and I'll make Eli one too so they don't feel left out.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day...pretty positive it will be a relaxing day at home!

Myah let me curl her hair for the first time...
she is for sure a 'girly-girl'!

I'm going to make Vera a blanket...$2.50 a yard!!

Boppy Cover!  I  made it!

Three months went fast...

Today is a momentous day.

Ok, maybe nothing that dramatic, but it's a pretty cool day!  My mom is celebrating her birth today and the kids and I have been practicing singing "Happy Birthday KeeKee" so we can sing it to her later tonight!  Love you Momma!

Today also marks the anniversary of Brian and I's first date.  I know not everyone celebrates, or even remembers, their first date with their SO...but Brian and I love to celebrate things!  It has been EIGHT years since our first date!  EIGHT YEARS!! I am so old!

For our first date, Brian came over to watch the Superbowl with me...instead of with his fraternity brothers (knew he was a keeper right then!).  Since it was the first time we had hung out, Lyda watched the game with us as well...to keep things light and not as awkward.  And then Janet Jackson showed her nipple.  Yep...that was on our first date! :)  After the Patriots pulled out a win with a winning kick by Vinatieri (which was the same time Brian and I held hands for the first time), we decided to go see a movie.  I have no clue what the movie was that we decided to see...because the movie theater was CLOSED!  There had been a huge snow storm that day and after driving through all the snow and the slush in his 98 Honda Civic, we saw that it was closed!  We decided to go sledding on campus, instead! It was a really fun idea...ideas don't always turn out the way you planned :).  I was wearing heels which helped me climb back up the hill...but it was really exhausting and not as fun as with a group of people...so we only rode the hill a few times. Then we went to his fraternity house and he showed me around and we watched a movie.  While the date didn't turn out as we had planned in our heads, we still had a GREAT time and still laugh about it to this day!

Finally, today is 'momentous' because it marks our 3rd month since we have moved.  I cannot believe that it's been three months!  I still feel like I don't know this place, at all!  We haven't really made any friends and are just now getting into activities...and it's been three months!  BLEH!  So, in honor of the 3 month mark, I've decided to make a top 10 list of things I miss and don't miss about Kansas!

Things I Miss about Kansas:
1. My friends (this really could just be all 10 things...but that would be lame)
2. My neighborhood (we could not have asked for a better place to live with better people!)
3. Familiarity of the city (moving to a completely new place is very disorienting!)
4. Watching KU Sports with other KU fans (not as fun when it's just Brian and I)
5. Hosting parties (I love cooking for other people...)
6. Heartland Community Church (when you find 'your church' it's hard to move on...)
7. Being in the same time zone as everyone else you talk to (it's hard to set up phone dates when there is a 2-3 hour time difference!)
8. Mi Ranchito (this HAD to make the list...I miss good food!!)
9. Schools in JOCO (can't really go wrong in this whole county with the schools)
10. My bathroom/shower (the pink throne in CA is seriously lacking...)

Things I DON'T Miss about Kansas:
1. Food Sales Tax (It's amazing how much more I can buy without that stupid tax!)
2. Lack of racial diversity (seriously...I'm a minority out here...and it's kinda great!)
3. The landscape (I'm not a huge fan of 'rolling fields'...and there are natural lakes here ;)  plus an ocean!)
4. The traffic (I know traffic out here is notorious...but it's not that bad...and drivers in KS are MUCH worse than out here....)
5. Lack of flea markets (I'm a sucker for them and finally moved to a place that has TONS!)
6. Yard work (nothing beats having a gardener take care of it for you...frees up a whole weekend!
7. They don't have an IKEA (major points for CA)
8. The weather (be honest, no one LOVES the weather in KS)
9. Brian's old job at Cerner (Google makes him SO much happier)
10. Being super close to Missouri (I know my fellow KU-ers agree!)

I'm going to be honest...it was a lot harder to come up with things that I DON'T miss about KS and I could have made the first list much longer.  It's still hard to think of this change as a permanent one.  One year ago we were just settling into a new life...and here we are doing it again.  Life is crazy and you never know what is going to happen.  Luckily, Brian and I have the faith in God that He will always provide and will lead us in the right directions :).

Baby V will be here before we know it!  I'm 34 weeks tomorrow (I'll post a pic) and since Eli came at 37 weeks, we could possibly be looking at a newborn in 3 weeks!  She is definitely running out of room and I'm ready to be done being pregnant for a while!