Catch-Up Post/ Big News

So instead of burying my lead story, which would annoy my journalism-type friends, I'll come straight out with the big news. I'm pregnant! I'm about 13-ish weeks along, so I'm juuuust about to start the magical second trimester. How cool is that? It's a little hard to wrap my brain around the idea that we're (hopefully) going to be parents, but I feel surprisingly ready.

I'm looking forward to the second trimester, because it is supposed to be that magic time when pregnant women feel kind of normal. Now I don't have too much too complain about regarding the first trimester, because I didn't ever throw up, though I was often nauseated. But I have had pretty low energy the whole time. Top that off with a couple of sinus infections and not being able to take any medication for them, and it does suck a bit.

Still, this whole pregnancy thing is pretty cool. I'm not feeling super poetic about the life growing within just yet, but it does feel cool to feel hooked into the whole mass of womanhood that has been bearing and/or mothering children since time began.

Now on to the mini catch-up post.

December has been a blast, and it has pretty much flown by. This is probably largely due to the fact that I have not had to work during most of it. Yay! That has been great. It more than makes up for how my school's "holiday party" (read: a few snacks on a paper plate) pales in comparison to corporate parties of years gone by.

Then I got to enjoy lots of prep for Christmas and the fun visits by our respective brothers. It's been so much fun getting to spend time with family and generally enjoying our time here.

I guess that's it. It feels good to finally be out with it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, but I'm not sure what sorts of details anyone might want.

Cheers -- and a Happy New Year to all!

Texas Friendly

For those of you who don't live in or haven't visited the Lone Star State, you may not be familiar with the term "Texas Friendly." The most common usage is "Drive Texas Friendly," which is on giant billboards on the freeway when you enter from other states. The directive means that drivers should generally be polite, but especially that they should pull over into the slow lane to let faster cars pass. Now, I won't claim this always happens in Texas, but I have often been on two-lane highways and had someone pull onto the broad shoulder so I could pass. That's friendly, and I've only seen it in Texas.

But my post today is actually about a different kind of friendly. Twice this week I've gone to the grocery store and when I went to the check-out line, I only had a few things. Both times, someone offered to let me go in front of them, and when I said "oh no, that's fine," they insisted! It really warmed my heart and gave me the Christmas spirit.

I know it's not world peace or solving world hunger, but little acts of kindness are sometimes more memorable than you might think.

Things Change

Do you ever look back on your life and think how different you've become and/or how similar you are to who you were back when?

I think I'm fundamentally similar to who I was even back when I was a kid. I'm a kind of low-key person who's secretly deeply sensitive, and an occasionally very extroverted person who's also pretty much an intellectual nerd.

So that's the same.

But what's different? I'm a lot more blase about some stuff. I hesitate to say I'm jaded, exactly, but it's something a little like that. I think I'm less idealistic, which is good and bad. Good in that I'm not crushed when things don't work out perfectly. Bad in that I don't always try as hard as I could to make things become as great as they could be. I'm less concerned about what other people think about me. But I'm trying to become a person who still deeply cares about others as my brothers and sisters and wants to help and serve them.

I'm sure I could go on, but that's all I can come up with right this second. Cheers.

I'm as Tired of the Last Post as You Are

But that doesn't mean I'm going to write a new good one. Sorry. I just haven't felt that blogging urge lately. Still love reading 'em though.

Thanksgiving was absolutely great, with plenty of family time, rest, and playing Rockband with my brother John and Ev. Of course there was also plenty of eating. Ev took charge of the turkey this year, and I did most of the the sweet potatoes and the made-from-scratch pumpkin pie, a specialty of mine that I've been doing for a few years now.

Anywho, just 9 more work days until my winter break starts. I think I can manage that.

Cheers!