Enoch's encounter

Enoch has been dealing with this for the last hour this morning. He thought there was someone dumping stuff into a wheelbarrow, but turns out it was just a murderous/suicidal bird. If you turn the sound way up you can hear the bird hitting the window

Parent's job description

PARENT - Job Description

POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION : Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment.

Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES : The rest of your life.

Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.

Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.

Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.

Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.

Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.

Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.

Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.

Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.

Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.

Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION : None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE : None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION : You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS : While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right..

******************** THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!! ************************

30 weeks

Ok this is a bad picture taken at work but my belly popped outta no where! She is one active little bugger, wow!....she's growing up and down instead of out...wrecks havoc with my ribs and belly. Is it supposed to be painful when she moves? Cause dang.... Enoch is amused at how my belly just goes crazy...he says it looks like there is an alien in there. This should be an interesting 10 weeks. She's got 4 lbs to gain. All the stresses are sinking in. There isn't much time left! Car seat, stroller, mattress, bedding, changing table, diapers, diapers, diapers, bottles, formula, what else?....hopefully the other stuff I get at my shower!

Enoch and I are going to be parents in less than 10 weeks. Looking back, it's amazing how fast it's gone. It seems like just last week I had all the morning sickness woes, now it's just the foot-in-the-rib woes. You get some strange looks when all the sudden you jolt in line and the grocery store and let out a yelp.

Little Ashlyn we're waiting for you! But don't come yet...we have too much to do and you have to get bigger than 2 1/2 lbs!

She's just teeny tiny

We had another doc appt yesterday afternoon and have discovered her growth is staying in the 6% range. So it looks like I'm genetically predispositioned to have small babies. I will not complain at all. I can handle a 6 lber....9 or 10...not at all....She looks healthy and weighs in at 2lbs 5 oz. Bloodflow is textbook as is her heart rate. Still no 4D look since she is being stubborn and wasn't looking in the right spot. She's been staying in the right position lately with her head down and feet up. She seems to keep in same spot usually, feet up on the left and head down to the right at a diagonal. She's just kicking and punching away. 11 more weeks and she'll be here....Enoch is ready for her but I'm not at all...there still seems like there is so much to do. Mattress, stroller, changing table, dresser, crib bumper, diapers diapers diapers, bottles, a bouncer...baby shower....11 weeks is really going to fly by so fast...

27 weeks!

Well, here's another progress report! I totally look pregnant now. I can't believe that in 3 months, I'll be a mom! Ashlyn gets the hiccups quite often now and I just can't help but laugh. In church, I just started laughing because I'm sitting there watching my tummy move with her hiccups. She's getting so active. It's not just little nudges anymore. It's full blown karate kicks and judo punches. But she is just way too much fun! Now if only she were this active while they did the ultrasound so we could get a 3D one. It's like she knows...

Enoch has a game with her already. He'll tickle the left side of my tummy and she must think it's the greatest thing because she always squirms after that. Well, she either thinks it's the greatest thing or it annoys the crud out of her. Either way, it's super cute!

A whole new 'do

I decided it was time for another change to my body as if a belly wasn't enough....I went to Brodi's and got my hair hacked off! There was about 7 inches on the floor when she got done but I love it! Next step, highlights! I absolutely love my haircut! All I had to do was show this girl a photo of what I was thinking about and just leave her to it. She knew exactly where to place the layers to give me the most volume and movement. Plus there's an extra belly picture in there. Ashlyn is positioned right against my belly and she pushes off my spine I swear. It's the most uncomfortable position she can be in. Enoch is wondering why my belly will look like it will grow by 3 weeks in the space of an hour and it's just Ashlyn being active. Time to go have some fun with this new 'do! I haven't had it this short since my junior year in high school, 6 years ago!

24 weeks

She's getting a little bit bigger and so are my hips and thighs. Oh the joys of pregnancy....weight gain you just can't stop. All that water weight makes you look so pudgy and there's not a darn thing us ladies can do about it. But it's all ok if it means healthy baby girl! We're so excited for Ashlyn to get here! My wonderful sis in law sent some adorable clothes! She's spoiling Ashlyn already! Thanks Raquel!!! I can't wait to dress her up! These are only about 1/10 of the clothes she's sent me. The cowgirl onesies are my faves onesies! And the little Princess boxed set with the headband, diaper ruffle butt cover onesie and cute ruffle socks and shoes. I can't wait to dress her up in that.

Got May, June, July and part of August left to go! It's gone so fast I can't believe it. She's finally got a schedule down in my tummy. She's my little alarm clock at 5 am. She chills out at 7 but kicks right back into full tumble mode from 8 to 11 then seems to take a little nap from noon to 4. She must know when dinner time is cause at 5 she's going "mommy feed us!" She stays fairly active until about 9 and then seems to just conk out and it all begins again at 5 am the next day. Hopefully this scheduly stays when she's born because Enoch and I could totally handle that.

Well this Thusday is the fun glucose test and another ultrasound. Hopefully we can do the 3D one this time around. She seems to be spending most of her time standing on my bladder. And my belly button is about to pop out it seems like. If I stretch, it starts to do the whole inside out thing. Enoch keeps saying, ding! she's almost done! He's going to make such a wonderful father! He's so good with kids and loves playing with them. I'm not worried about a thing :)

21 weeks

Well, another update on little Miss Ashlyn ( we decided on 1 N). She's getting big fast, as is Mommy's appetite...I'm hungry all the time. Not just feeling hungry...tummy growling, tummy in knots hungry. I've been trying to keep from eating too much. Dr. Lovell said eating proteins helps keep the appetite down. I really really don't want to have gestational diabetes. I've heard that it happens when the mom gains too much weight. I get to do the glucose test in 4 weeks at our next appt....yaaay........... So how bad does it really taste? I've heard mixed reviews on it. We went for the lemon-lime wannabe. The orange just looked too scary.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

We are so excited to announce we're having a little girl!!!!!!! Enoch's little princess is growing big and strong. The measurments show she's a week behind. I have another ultrasound in 4 weeks just to check on the growth and confirm it's a girl. She was breeched today with her head by my bellybutton and her little legs were always going a mile a minute. She's gonna be a swimming or dancer haha. Hopefully she moves during that time so they can do the 3d ultrasound next visit!

It's official! Little Ashlynn Michelle Bowler is growing in my tummy!!! Can you find her face in the ultrasound? She's got her head tilted to the left and her body is on the right side. We got some amazing video's too. It's almost like an out of body experience to watch the little girl move around inside.

Is it a Boy or Girl???

We find out if it's a boy or girl in 2 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!