D minus 2 weeks
Two weeks to go!
I’m still waiting for my weeks to be uneventful. This week was good but tiring. Tuesday we had Fr. Oliver, one of our associate pastors at our parish, over for dinner. It was an invitation that was long over due on our part, and we had a pleasant evening.
Then Wednesday I hosted our second TEACH Austin (TExas Association of Catholic Homeschoolers) meeting here at the house. This is a new homeschooling group that I joined recently to get support as a homeschooling mom from solid Catholic families. I really needed something to get me out of my introvertedness and this seems like a good thing.
Last weekend my dear friend Lauren threw me a baby shower to restock on a few items that need replenishing in the Gretencord Baby department. It was such a blessing to get together with friends! Not everyone in all my circles knows everyone else. So when we did introductions it was just so amazing to me that I’ve known some of these ladies over 12 years! Time flies! These are new and old friends who I have shared the intimacy of my spiritual life and who have had a profound impact on my life. Some of these ladies knew me with red hair and have seen our family blossom through seeing us in daily mass starting before Adam and I met! Others have only know my dark brown hair, type-A, bake everything from scratch personality.

I invited Therese to go and she had a great time besides enjoying the blue jelly beans and nut mix. She even won one of the games–the guess how many toilet paper sheets wraps around my belly. Must have been all those hugs she gives me. It was fun to have three God children there and the grandmother of a fourth God child. And of course my sister-in-law, Misty (who is married to Adam’s brother) got to come as they came down to spend the long weekend with us.
Also last weekend, Marc, Misty and Grace came to spend the weekend with us. We had a nice relaxing weekend. I mostly went to bed early. It was very interesting seeing how Muffin interacted with Grace. Therese would bring toys to Grace and Muffin would take them away! It was almost amusing. Thankfully Grace is not at the age to care too much about it. We also moved back into our room after some heavy duty cleaning and putting up painters plastic us to seal the exposed walls in our bathroom until it gets fixed.
Finally I had another prenatal appointment on Tuesday. My blood pressure continues to rise. UGGGH! I’m borderline bad. I’m supposed to try to get more rest and eat more protein. It would help if I can sleep at night. But I only get a good night’s sleep once every 3 days or so. I’ve slowed down my morning exercise routine. Partly because of the rain and darker mornings, and partly because I’m just not feeling up for it and partly because Adam has had to leave the house by 7:30 a.m. most of this week. I’ve lighted up our homeschooling load this week so I can catch an afternoon nap.
Maybe next week will be a little lighter.

We really enjoyed spending time with all of you! We miss you and love you so much! I hope that you get some rest and that you feel better!