created especially for us: Elephant baby?

I sing for joy at the works of your hands. - Psalm 92:4

As silly as it sounds, it was nice waking up to cloudy skies this morning. The grass needs the rain and our checkbook appreciates the break. It also makes it a little easier getting up at 5:20am to let Callie outside when there is a nice little patch of mammatus hanging out over the house (not pictured here), my favorite of all cloud types. It's like God was saying, "Good morning, Kayla. I know it stinks that you went to bed late and had to get up early but here's a little something for you to smile about." He knows me so well.

It's been a really good week. Last Saturday we did a few minor things around the house then met a few friends up in Ames at my all-time favorite coffee place, Stomping Grounds, where I was able to enjoy my all-time favorite treat, an ice cream cappuccino (decaf of course). It's five million times tastier than you're imagining if you've never had one and still about a million times better than you remember if you have had one. So. Good. It was really nice to catch up, particularly with a friend who was in town from Kansas City, and just enjoy the company of some close friends. It's annoying how much time can go by before you realize you're doing a terrible job of staying in touch. Something I'm definitely going to have to try extra hard at with all of the changes going on.


Nicole, a giant version of me, and Afton. I've been friends with these girls since freshman year of college and have lived with each of them at one point.

I feel huge just looking at that picture. It seems so ridiculous to me that even though I'm pregnant I can still have days where I feel relatively small or days where I wonder if I'm actually carrying a small elephant.

We finished off the day by seeing The Avengers. Brian and I thought it was decent, but not good enough to pay to see it in the theater again (like several people I know). I think if baby S had the option he would pay to experience it again. He was kicking/moving pretty frequently throughout the entire movie. Maybe we should have done a superhero theme in the nursery...

Sunday we went to church, had some lunch/hangout time and then helped a friend move some stuff into his new house. He sternly told me a few times that because I'm pregnant I shouldn't be lifting anything. Of course I didn't listen and told him that I would send him a picture of me doing weighted back squats next time I was at the gym. =)

Speaking of the gym, I've been able to go a little more often lately which has been really nice (probably a combination of feeling a little better and slowly getting back into a routine). Although, the further along I get in my pregnancy, the more looks I get while I'm there. Particularly while I'm in the weight room or doing a longer cardio session than the guy on the stair stepper next to me. Tangent: What is with the middle-aged men and the stair stepper? It's like they're not serious enough to get on the treadmill, but think that the elliptical is too girly. Well, sir, I have news for you: that girl in front of you on the elliptical, not the one in the tiny shorts with her hair down who clearly has no intention of getting sweaty, but the one dressed appropriately that's actually working up a sweat, is getting a better workout than you are leaning on the side bars of the stair stepper and tapping the "steps" with just your toes. Your arms are probably getting more of a workout holding up your body weight. Okay, ~~rant~~ tangent over. But with all of these looks I'm getting, I'm fully expecting someone to walk up to me one of these days and say something along the lines of, "I don't think you should be doing that." or "Are you sure it's okay to be lifting that much?" To which I can shoot right back, "Oh really? Have you done research on this like I have?" I'm guessing the conversation will end there. =)

I FINALLY had an interview this last Tuesday for the DMACC job. It went really well and they said that my pregnancy wasn't an issue and are happy to work around it. I think the only way it could hurt my chances of getting the position is I would be out on maternity leave during the beginning half of fall semester - a very busy time for them. I'll find out sometime after the first if I got the job. I'm at a point right now where I was just happy to get an interview and the job would just be a really big bonus!

This weekend we are celebrating our two year anniversary (which is actually on the 30th). We have some fun activities planned for the three day weekend, details of which will undoubtedly be included in my next post. In the meantime, here's something for you to look at: