Last month we learned that we are expecting a baby! Due June 14, 2015. We couldn't be more thrilled. Although Madison doesn't quite get it yet, she keeps saying how she is "going to be a BIG sister!" She will be such a great big sister, she is already my little helper. We are very excited.
The news this month, is that I finally got a job! My first real job out of nursing school. I will be working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - UPMC Presbyterian, to be exact. The hospital is actually right down the street from Sean's law school building. I will be a full-time nurse on the Cardiothoracic Surgery/Cardiology unit. I am definitely excited to have my first job as a nurse, especially on this floor - I think it will be super interesting. The nice thing is, is that by the time I start orientation (Dec. 1st) I will be out of my first trimester - and by the time I start working on the floor, I will be 14 weeks so hopefully by then most of the nausea will be done and I won't have to worry about that.
As much as it is a huge blessing to have a source of income (as our savings is dipping dangerously low) and that we will now have health insurance, I will definitely miss being able to be at home full time with Madison. I just have to keep telling myself that I won't be working full time forever, and this is the best thing for our family right now. I am very grateful for this job. Now the next trick will be figuring out child care - one day at a time, right??
Sean is about to dive head-first into his first law school finals season. He basically told me today that he would see me in about a month. His last class is December 3rd and then he will be up to his eyes in finals until December 18th. I start my orientation December 1st and then starting working alongside a nurse full-time (night shifts) starting December 15th, so things are about to get real interesting around here! Fortunately, after Sean is done with finals he will be free for two weeks to watch Madison while I come home and sleep after my night shifts. That will be nice.
Some other things that have happened this month - we visited the Carnegie Science Center for the first time, went to the Pittsburgh zoo, we went to Light Up Night in downtown Pittsburgh, and we got to go to the Washington D.C. temple yesterday. We also had the primary program this month (my first time doing a primary program as the music leader) which turned out great, and I gave my first talk in our ward in Sacrament meeting today. Since Thanksgiving is this week, it was on gratitude. I was so nervous, and between "morning sickness" and being super nervous, I was seriously worried about throwing up at the pulpit. Fortunately, that did not happen and all was well.
Speaking of primary (I was, wasn't I?) it is the best. Primary kids are the best. Today in sharing time we were talking about repentance, and how the Anti-Nephi-Lehis buried their swords in the ground to covenant to not fight anymore. As the kids were writing something on their paper swords that they shouldn't do anymore (so they could "bury" them), my favorite quote was: "You can't fight with your brothers because... you never know... someone could die!!" Out of the mouths of babes.
Madison is doing well, she is a lover of all things books and puzzles these days. New songs she has learned include "I Love to See the Temple" and "My Heavenly Father Loves Me." She has also become quite the sassypants these days. Some of her new favorite phrases include "don't talk to me!" and "don't touch me!" Or when you try to take off her coat or change her clothes she will sometimes say "NO, they keep me warm!!" She also likes to say "Grrr!" when she's upset, like Daniel Tiger does. She is definitely learning to express herself. We try and help her to be nice, but sometimes it is just downright funny. Love that girl.
Some recent pictures:
The Science Center
We went with Addie and Janelle, and Janelle's mother-in-law Kay. We were having a great time until unfortunately, little Addie decided to walk off the changing table in the bathroom and fell right on her little elbow. Poor thing ended up having to go home with a nasty bruise. The dangers of toddlerhood!
Madison is all about puzzles these days. She could sit and do puzzles for hours. And she has become really good at them!
They had a big area with a bunch of building blocks. Madison had a great time running around building things. This is her standing in a big fort that was already built.
Then we had fun building a couple "towers" of our own together.
Painting pumpkins - although we didn't get around to it until after Halloween, we had fun painting pumpkins anyway. Unfortunately Madison's washable paints didn't show up very well, but she had fun doing it at least and was proud of her pumpkin.
We used our pumpkins as a baby announcement to post on Facebook for our friends. :)
From left to right: my pumpkin, Madison's, Sean's, and baby's in front
The Zoo
Madison and baby Lincoln - we have been helping some friends in the ward out watching their 7-month old baby, Lincoln. It's been good practice for Madison. She is very soft with him, and when he gets fussy she goes up to him and says very concernedly, "what's the matter, baby Lincoln?" She has also heard me call him "bubs" so she will come up to him and touch his cheek and say "Hi, bubs!" or "What's up, bubs?" Warms my little heart. She will be a great big sister.
She also thinks it's fun to play with the "baby toys" :)
I just love Madison's hair in a ponytail... she looks so grown up. She is growing up so fast.
"Light Up Night" - every year for one night they shut down a bunch of roads in downtown Pittsburgh so you can walk around and see the lights, and there are mini concerts going on, and vendors, places to get your face painted, horse-drawn carriage rides, and Santas abounding. There is also outdoor ice skating around a big Christmas tree in Market Square, and all kinds of fun. They do most of it all up until Christmas, but the "light up night" is when they close the roads, and we watched a little mini Christmas concert where they sang some songs, Santa lit up a big "tree" made of out of lights, and they blasted Christmas music during a fantastic fireworks show. It was super cold, but so fun.
Our friend Matt - him and Madison are pretty much best friends
Washington, D.C. Temple - we had our ward temple trip to the Washington, D.C. temple yesterday. It was a long day - we left at 7:30am, ended up taking a very scenic detour no thanks to our GPS going crazy (where we encountered many windy turns which ended up in a carsick Madison and having to throw away the blanket that got puked on), and when we finally arrived at noon we had missed the session. However, we were able to go do sealing work, which was especially cool because there was a couple there who were doing work for both their parents. It was really neat. Then on the way home we at at Cafe Rio in Germantown, MD which was amazingly good. The ride home, although long, was much less eventful and we got home at 8pm that night. So worth it - the temple is such a wonderful place to be.
So much going on! Thanks for posting. Love and miss you all!!!
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