Happy Birthday Dad! and Baby Update!

Just wanted to take a quick time-out of baby updates to address an issue that should have been addressed on Tuesday, but because of my sense of timing (which does leave something to be desired sometimes!), I’m not posting it until right now (and I tried to post earlier, but Blogger was having some issues):

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

I can’t tell you how lucky I feel to be your daughter, how happy I am to hear your voice in my head when I’m in a quandary about a decision, how much I enjoy our talks on the phone—even if all we talk about is regular stuff, like what you bought at Home Depot, or what I had for dinner the other night. You have given me so much throughout the years, and continue to give me strength, and wisdom, and how I love you “Just Being a Dad.”

I know I didn’t always listen to you and your advice—I guess I just had to find out for myself why you shouldn’t wear shorts and ride a motorcycle, or why it’s important to always make sure you have gas in the tank. I’m sure some of the lessons I learned on my own were painful for you to watch—and I’m sure that I’ll be experiencing some of that pain and heartache on my own very shortly! I joke that you got smarter as I got older, but I really think it’s me who got smarter, and realized that you have so much experience, and maybe you do know what you’re talking about!

I feel so lucky to be your daughter—and I can’t tell you how excited I am for the Bean to meet his grandpa. Just thinking about seeing you hold the Bean for the first time brings tears to my eyes. I know that the Bean is going to think that you’re the coolest, smartest, greatest, most awesome grandpa in the world—just like I think you’re the coolest, smartest, greatest, most awesome Dad in the world.

I love you, and Happy Birthday!

And, for those who want baby updates—I’ve posted the pics at the bottom…not the best, but I was in a hurry—the batteries in the camera were dying & I had to scavenge some from our remotes (the batteries are back in the remotes, thus saving us from having to actually get up off the couch to change the channels…), but it gives a good idea of how the size of my belly is progressing.

The Bean is getting more & more active (or maybe it’s because the Bean is growing, and I can just feel the movement more). Mom keeps asking if I’ve noticed a schedule…I do notice after I eat there’s more movement, and at night when I’m propped up reading before bedtime I notice a lot of flopping around. Tonight Patrick really got to feel a good solid “thunk”—he’s felt “shuddering” before, but it was kind of hard for him to discern the “shuddering” from what may be normal tummy sounds, but tonight it was definite. And, true to form, I started giggling.

I did pamper myself on Tuesday (I figure I better do it now, as I’m not sure when I’ll be able to do it after the Bean arrives)—I redeemed Patrick’s Christmas gift to me and got a facial at the Spa at West End. It was fabulous—there’s just something about having someone pamper you for an hour with creams, and lotions, and exfoliants, and masks, and wrapping your face with hot towels….and then massage your neck, shoulders, forearms, hands…*Sigh* It was truly wonderful. I think the Bean liked it too; I know that he/she was pretty active there for awhile, and then I felt rhythmic “thunks” and I do know that sometimes babies get hiccups, so maybe that’s what I was feeling. I’m not sure I could justify an hour-long facial once a month (as the Spa suggests), but I think I may be able to talk myself into a mini-facial for 30 minutes every couple of months. Or, maybe getting a mother-daughter manicure/pedicure may be fun, too!