Easy Mode. Panic Mode.

Sophie sporting her life jacket. The first time we put it on her 

she seemed embarrassed to have to wear such a contraption.

Saturday morning we took our canoe out at Mud Creek {about a mile from our house}. I think that we are going to enjoy having water access so close. Our goal was actually to paddle out of the inlet and into the main channel of the Tennessee River. Our secondary goal was that Daniel wanted to jump out of the canoe and get Sophie in the deep water with him so that she could learn to trust her life jacket.

After about 30 minutes of paddling, we still had not reached the actual river channel and the sun was getting warm so we decided to proceed with our second goal. Daniel jumped in the water {while I prayed that he didn't tip the boat... the mental image of a pregnant me trying to haul myself back into a canoe is not a pretty one}. Then we coaxed dumped Sophie overboard with the help of the handle on the back of her life jacket.

Sophie immediately panicked and started paddling like she was drowning. She somehow managed to hold her head about 8 inches out of the water while furiously flailing her extremities about {almost to the point of being vertical in the water}. She was kicking Daniel in the face and shoulders before I grabbed her handle and held her close the boat and told her to calm down. For some reason this worked and she immediately relaxed and floated next to the canoe. I then helped her to climb back in the boat.

Once she was safe in the canoe again, she seemed interested in the water again. She kept climbing up on the seats and looked like she would jump, but she never quite found the courage. We decided to try again and I coaxed tossed her overboard into Daniel's arms. After the initial panicked paddling she only calmed down when Daniel had her in his arms and she could cling to him for dear life. I tossed in our life jackets for extra support and she seemed happier floating with the extra buoyancy.

I'm not sure that she will ever become a fan of the water, but considering that two years ago she was terrified to even step in a puddle, I say that we have made tremendous progress.

Once she was safely in the boat again, Daniel hauled himself over the side while I managed to counter balance the boat to keep us all from flipping over. We never did reach the main channel of the Tennessee River, but enjoyed an hour out on the water.

 

Our route from Mud Creek – we paddled about 2 miles with Daniel 

jumping out at the 1 mile mark to float/swim with Sophie in the river.

Constipated Elephant

Monday evening I noticed that the water pressure at our house seemed a bit off. It was so low that I thought it might have been turned off. Funny thing is, we never actually lost water.

After dinner I was cleaning up and noticed that the water pressure had returned to normal but now the pipes were making a weird groaning sound – like when there is air in them. I mentioned the problem to Daniel and we both agreed that it was most likely air that just need to be flushed out.

Tuesday, the sounds were getting worse so Daniel called the water company and learned that there had been some type of water problem in Scottsboro that led to us having the low water pressure and now the air the pipes. They assured us that the noises would dissipate in a couple of days.

It is now Thursday and the sounds are worse than ever. Every time we turn on the water, the pipes sound like a constipated elephant {Daniel's words}. We are getting a bit concerned as it is getting louder. I also think I heard the noise at least twice in the middle of the night when no water should have been running {though it is possible that the ice maker in the fridge was working and caused the sounds}. I just hope that one of our pipes doesn't break. That would be an absolute disaster.

*Update: Daniel went under the house and played with the pressure valves while I stood in the hall bathroom and turned the water on and off. And on and off. And on and off. You get the picture. We think the problem is fixed. No more constipated elephants in the household...

Pre 4th of July Shin Dig

The last few months have been crazy. We have been busy with one thing or another and haven't been able to have a get together with our local friends.

Compounding the problem is that TVA is currently implementing a program called "embedding" that has placed the younger engineers with various contracting groups at different locations. Lucky for us, Daniel was embedded at Bellefonte {where he actually works}. Several of the other engineers have been temporarily relocated to Chattanooga {on the upside for them, they get to stay in a city basically expense free}. This has made it difficult to hang out during the week {or on weekends because everyone has been busy}.

For the past two weeks, the engineers have all had training in Hollywood. I thought we should take advantage of the fact that people were in town so we invited a small group over to grill burgers and hot dogs and hang out. The guys played Corn Hole and we enjoyed visiting. We would have shot off some fireworks, but Daniel is a firm believer that it has to be absolutely dark before you do fireworks. Since it was a "school" night, everyone cleared out about the time it was dark enough. Oh well, we will shoot them off this weekend.

I love that even though the days are hot, the evenings are cool enough to be outside {as long as you can stand the mosquitoes}.

I have enjoyed having my workout partner back in town these past couple of weeks. I will be sad to have her gone again. Hopefully this embedding thing won't last too long.

Popcorn Popping

Week20.Day5.

I have been curious to find out what it is like to feel those first little movements of our baby. I am almost 21 weeks and had yet to feel so much as a flutter.

According to What to Expect While You're Expecting and BabyCenter.com, the first movements should feel something akin to popcorn popping.

I have often wondered what that means exactly... I know what it is like to hear popcorn pop and I have watched it pop, but how am I supposed to know what that feels like?

I think I finally have an answer. 

Late last night as I tried to get comfortable in bed {the pillows have Daniel and I significantly outnumbered}, I may have felt those first tiny flutterings. A popping on my right side, kind of high and near my ribs. The feeling eased after awhile and then started up again, this time on the left and low. It was an odd sensation.

I haven't felt it again, so I can't say for sure, but I think I at least know what it is like to feel popcorn popping.

One Year...

Exactly one year ago today, we received an offer on our house in Charlotte. So much has changed in the past year. We are so blessed to be back together again permanently. We are blessed to have sold a house in this horrible economy. We are blessed that Daniel has a stable job. We are blessed to be living closer to our families. 

Hollywood, Alabama isn't exactly somewhere we would have chosen to move to, but we choose to be happy in our situation. We are making friends. We have a nice home. We are expecting our first child. 

One year ago, none of this would have seemed possible. We are blessed beyond measure.

*Today is also special in that it is my Grandma's 90th Birthday... Happy Birthday Grandma! 

**It is also my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's third anniversary... Happy Anniversary Emily and Josh!

Sunday Date

After church we decided to run some errands in Huntsville. First stop was Target for me to pick up some maternity stuff. I have to say that I was pretty disappointed in Target's maternity section for clothes. Talk about frumpy stuff. I have decided that I am sticking with shirts that can double as things I would wear in real life and while I am pregnant... it's amazing what you can find in today's styles in the junior section that will fit over a pregnant belly. I think my saving grace {besides tums} will be the bra extenders I picked up {$6.99 for a six pack}. 

Anyways, after Tar-jay, we stopped at Phil Sandoval's for lunch. They offered outdoor seating and it was cool enough {in the shade} to enjoy eating outside. Daniel tried the Lunch Chicken Quessadilla and I had the Lunch Taco Salad. Both were great. We really enjoyed the fresh chips and salsa before the meal as well. We will definitely be back.

After lunch we went over to the Dollar Theater to see a matinee.

When we finally made it home {around 4PM}, Sophie greeted us outside {in case you don't know she is an INDOOR dog}. We were kind of scratching our heads as to how she got out. Daniel checked the house to make sure there was no foul play and discovered that we had left our back door wide open after eating breakfast on the porch. Oops. Thankfully we live in a very safe area. We are also thankful that Sophie didn't decide to run away {we don't have a fence}. Our electric bill may not make us as thankful. The funny thing is that on our way to Huntsville, Daniel asked me if we had locked the back door and I told him that he was being paranoid...

We have light again!

We now have a functioning light/fan in our living room again. Yay for not having to always walk through a dark living room! Yay for no longer having a 9-ft ladder or 18 feet of scaffolding in the middle of the living room! Yay that we had no injuries during this process! Yay that we can have people over to our house again!

Interestingly, four years TO THE DAY, Daniel finished installing all of our lights/fans in our house in Charlotte.