Speaking of Ph.D. we need to do some more work on our applications; I'd like to submit them before Christmas, although I don't think any of them are due before February 1. Right now the plan is to at least try out a Ph.D. program (assuming we are accepted and receive decent funding). I think I'll always regret it if I don't at least try, although I know that starting a family can make such an endeavor quite complicated. We are ready for a change, though. Josh is tired of his job - in the sense of all the extra work he has to do, which keeps him from his studies, not in the sense of not liking teaching. We both enjoy teaching, although I cannot see myself teaching at the high school level or lower ever again (aside from teaching my own children). I really love teaching college classes, NFP classes, and even adult religious education (like RCIA). Anyway, we both relish the thought of taking classes, reading, and studying being our only responsibilities outside of the home.
In baby news, at my last appointment (28 weeks) our midwife felt for the baby and said s/he was head-down already, which is great. From what I can feel, I think s/he is still head-down because it seems like there are feet kicking my ribs fairly often. Mom came with me, so she and I both got to hear the heartbeat through the fetoscope (fetal stethoscope). Everything seems to be going really well. I'm generally hungrier, which I suppose is what makes it easier to meet the 80-100 grams of protein quota per day. The baby is pretty well-developed and is in the bulk-up stage at this point, which means I'll be putting on more weight now. I'm not sure how much I've gained, but my next appointment is Monday (32 weeks), so maybe I'll find out then.
Our moms held a baby shower this past Saturday, so we actually possess some baby things now. I cleaned out the closet in the office and was able to organize and fit most of the stuff in there for now. The cradle will be in our bedroom since the baby will either sleep with us or in the same room as us. We're not going to get a crib until we know what our plans are for next summer. If we end up moving, we'll have the crib shipped to our new address instead of moving it with all our other things - at which point the baby will probably be too big for the cradle anyway. (I'll post more about our planned sleeping arrangements some time in the future. For now, though, I'll just say that the U.S. is an oddity in that it's one of few places in the world where babies are expected to sleep in their own beds in their own rooms at such a young age - which isn't necessarily healthy.)
I guess that makes up for most of the things I failed to post lately. Perhaps another post next week? We shall see...
My sister and I at the baby shower (about 31 weeks)
