Well, here is a picture Abe took for me today.  The gray is one of my favorite shirts, which gives you an idea of the changes (although I still think the picture doesn't do justice to the reality).  Yesterday we had our childbirth class from 9am-3pm.  Abe did a great job coming off a very long and challenging work week.  This thursday I will officially be "full term" at 37 weeks, and three weeks away from my due date (April 1st).  My last appointment was wednesday and our doctor, Dr. Lamb, said the baby was "way down" which is very good.  No other signs of impending birth yet though.  I don't think the baby has dropped although I am carrying pretty low.  Hmm...I washed the baby clothes and bedding with special detergent and packed the diaper bag I still have to pack my bag, but I think I am going to wait until I am laboring at home and need something to do. 

Other than that there's not too much to report.  My mom booked her ticket and will be here April 2nd.  Also one of my old roommates has an interview at the end of March at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  So I am excited about both of those.  The weather is getting much warmer (40 degrees :D ) Just waiting now.  I have been listening to some MacArthur audio bible studies and learning a lot about God's call for younger women.  Really interesting.  Hope all is well where you are.  

Had a heat wave :D I believe it even got into the 30's the last few days.  Tomorrow, Abe and I will be playing at Straight Up which is the guys weekly youth group.  Abe has Saturday and Sunday off this weekend so I think we may go see that movie Australia at the cheap seats.  super cheap, I think the tickets are like $2.50.  

On mondays and thursdays a bunch of the guy staff get together and play basketball in the school gym during their lunch break. (You can tell by the intensity of the game that their work is a little stressful)  I would play but that involves using your joints, which at this point are undergoing enzymatic digestion and get sore easily.  Oh yes and also...I would have to be crazy.  I worked in the school office again today, entering books into the library catalog and preventing cabin fever. I even got invited to go snow-shoeing next week during lunch.  We also signed up for the childbirth class but that's not until March.  On Tuesday the whole ranch is leaving for SilverBirch which is their yearly, winter retreat to get the guys out skiing and having a little fun and also present some heavy spiritual encouragement.  Abe and I will be doing the worship for three days!  Little nervous, but we get to room together instead of him having to room with the guys.  Should be fun.  Abe's boss bought me snow chains for my shoes?  Weird Wisconsin :D

  

I do have to say that I expected -29 degrees to feel much colder.  I guess I am getting used to this or maybe its that eventually most degrees below zero just feel the same (really cold).  

Today I got to start helping in the library at the school.  Just doing simple things like moving books and entering new donations into the computer.  Apparently the Dewey Decimal System is still alive electronically (I thought it went extinct with those note card drawers).  I felt really good about it.  Apparently feeling useful is really important to a healthy state of mind.  

The baby has been really moving around lately and is doing something totally bizarre right now I don't even know what it is.  It feels like a small dough roller is rolling across my stomach!

"You know if you keep going down the road you're on, making the same choices, eventually, you're going to walk yourself right into prison, or being a dad who doesn't know how to be a dad, or not being able to experience any joy in life because your body has learned to only feel good when you're using drugs, and just a human that has so much less good in life than it could have."  That's what I would like to say to the guys here.  Not sure it would register.  Where do we find the motivation to rid ourselves of our familiar sins?  The ones we are comfortable living with?

This is the mattress to our forthcoming crib my mom-in-law has decided is what she would like to contribute.  We put it in the doorway to the office and it has served as a sobering reminder of the reality of some future events.  Nothing says "A baby's comin!" like a tiny mattress =)

New Years Eve behind the house.  I took this picture for Savannah to send her in a letter.  This is the most snow they have had in Wisconsin in the last 100 years...figures.  But very rarely do I actually have to go outside and actually this day was no too bad temperature-wise.  

Some random gifts from friends and family above and below.  If you don't think that this is the cutest things you've ever seen somethings wrong.  There's little cows on the feet for crying out loud!

Over the course of my absorbing any and all information I can about things babies need I have learned that there are certain types of plastics used to make bottles and pacifiers that contain toxic chemicals that may leach into the milk or spit.  I have also learned that America doesn't remember a time when you simply just had a baby and whatever you happened to knit yourself or a nice neighbor made for you, and that adequate human beings did actually develop without the list of baby necessities, contraptions, accessories, and essential educational watchamagadgets that Baby's 'R' Us feels a need to send you out with a list of. 

First sign of snow on our balcony.

Well, you can't really tell but these horses were fighting each other to the death, or just enjoying each other's company.  I really don't know anything about horses so I couldn't tell.

The Lodge Boys Home.  This sweet set-up is going to be our home probably until the baby comes.   I think we're moving in this wednesday.

Deer-In-A-Box.  "Good thing I bought that Crockpot..."

Half-frozen river behind the Lodge.  Everything is very pretty.

Amazing Grace

Question

I would like to know at what moment you believe you became a "living human being" and why.  If you read this please leave a comment below or email me with you answer, it would be very helpful to me.