Back to work!

Hello again from sunny San Diego (yes, I finally made it out of that blasted San Francisco airport and home to B!),

Just a quick post to tell you that as of next week you won't be hearing from me as often. I'll have a job!

After a number of weeks of waiting, something has finally come through with the IPJ! My main job will be to design and plan a 3-day Festival of the Arts to celebrate the 2009 Women PeaceMakers when they come next fall, to replace the annual Women PeaceMakers conference that we no longer have funding for this year (due to this lovely economy). It's a 6 week position (after the Arts Festival they have a few other WPM-related jobs for me), taking me half way through April when I'll probably be very ready for a couple weeks off before the little one arrives.

Speaking of the little one, she's doing very well. She enjoyed Victoria, if her very enthusiastic and nearly constant movement was anything to judge by. Though another explanation would be that she was restless without her dad's soothing touch around (Brent's warm hands seem to have an instant quieting effect on her - I just hope it lasts out of utero too!).

Week: 29, as of today only 74 days to go till EDD!

Size: my belly is still 40cm at its widest, but its roundness is extending upwards now. My weight on the other hand, seems to be jumping by leaps and bounds! Our daughter is now 15 inches long and weighs 2lb 12 oz. (I just wish that accounted for the extra 4lbs I gained in 10 days!).

This week's pregnancy complaint: It's taken a while, but I think I have to say I'm finally starting to feel my size! Getting up and down from the couch or worse, our bed (which is on the floor) has started to require extra effort, and bending over has become a bit uncomfortable. We're not yet at the can't-see-my-toes phase, but I hear it's only a matter of time!

Pregnancy news this week: Brent and I went to a newborn care class on Tuesday night. Little of the information provided was new, but it was good for Brent to try diapering and swaddling and I learned a new sideways football hold that is supposed to do wonders for calming a fussy baby. Though the real highlight came after the class... Brent and I had wolfed down a light dinner before going to the night class and at 9:30pm were feeling peckish. I'd like to blame the impetus on him, but we ended up on a dedicated mission to find an all-night diner. Denny's did not disappoint. We swerved (safely) off the highway at the familiar glowing yellow and red sign, and proceeded to order 2 make-your-own grand slam breakfasts, which allowed us each to polish off pancakes, hashbrowns, 2 eggs and oatmeal for me and a biscuit for B! At 10pm!!! Naturally we had to deal with the regret of looking at the piles of grease- and sugar-(aka fake syrup) covered plates when we were done, but it sure tasted good going down! I am trying to be healthy, but if you can't do that when you're pregnant, when can you? ;-)

For those of you who were asking, I'm happy to report that my glucose tolerance test came back fine, and I learned that I'm not anemic either.

But for now I should run. Brent and I are going to a couple's prenatal yoga class tonight in honor of Valentine's day, and I still have to write and send my own job description to IPJ's Executive Director tonight so that she can get the final approval for my position and I can start work on Tuesday!

I'll just finish with a couple more baby shower photos to tide you over (because as my friend Cat says, it seems weird to post an entry without photos); these are from my friend and photographer extraordinaire, Tegan.

Love,

Jen, Brent and we seem to still be on butternut squashes (which I think they used a few weeks ago as well!)