7QT on the Ides of July

TGIFing the heck out of today and linking up with Kelly as one does on a Friday.

1)

Baby Boy Martin is finally cooperating!!  I feel like every test, every ultrasound, every appointment I just get bad news (not life threatening news, just never what I'm expecting) but finally yesterday, the little stinker stopped being a stinker and started towing the line.  

That's his profile (white nose) with a hand up to his forehead.  It's like he was saying "I just can't even."

He's no longer breech!  He's head down and weighs about 5 lbs. 11 oz. (70% on growth chart) and is measuring 10 days ahead based on the size of his belly.  Less than six weeks to go!  But hopefully more like 4?!?!?!

2)

JP came with me to the ultrasound yesterday, and was so intrigued.  It must be weird to be 13, understand where babies come from, and then have a pregnant mom.  But he takes it all in stride and is excited to meet his littlest brother.  He does keep reminding me that he'll be going to college when this little one is going to Kindergarten, to which I tell him to stop talking.  Mama can't take that kind of reality check.  When the ultrasound tech paused over the male baby bits and confirmed he is still indeed a boy, JP blushed.  So sweet.

3) 

Speaking of boy parts...if sex organs no longer determine if humans are a male or female, and instead people can decide for themselves what gender they want to be, isn't it "wrong" or "judgemental" for medical staff to tell parents what gender a baby is?  Shouldn't we let the baby decide when he/she is born?  Wouldn't it be rude to proclaim at the moment of birth that the baby is a boy if he identifies as a girl?  How are we going to handle this one, liberal America??

4)

Phil is finishing his first week of summer camp, and the kids are having a blast.  Our friend, Liz, is assisting him this year, and she's a 5th grade teacher with tons of great ideas.  Phil says he couldn't do it without her.  Some people are born with that creative, arts and craft gene and some of us are not.  Thank God for all types.  Anyway, yesterday they had superhero day:

They've also had a puppet show come in to teach the kids about how to treat people with handicaps (they are handicapable! we are all human!  treat everyone normally!  right Kelly?)  Last year it was about wheelchairs and this year it was about blind people.  The kids got to learn a little braille, and were so impressed by anyone that can read it - that is very tricky!  They play water games, go to daily Mass, play sports and at the park, dance, sing, have time to complete their summer work for school, and generally just have fun and busy days.  I'm so proud of Phil for putting so much time and energy into making this camp happen.  He makes it look easy!

5)

Did you know McDonald's has a large selection of flavored iced coffees that are unsweetened?  I'm drinking my Blueberry coffee with cream as I type.  Take that gestational diabetes!  Mmmmmmm, summah time!

6)

Twice a week, Maggie and Xander go to swimming lessons at the outdoor pool at the YMCA near us.  After their lesson is finished, there's open swim time and I jump in (well, slowly descend in) to the pool and float around for half an hour.  It's the perfect way to end a summer day, and I am thinking about extending their lessons just so I can keep swimming until the baby is born.  

7)

So I'm not officially nesting yet...there's no bassinet or baby clothes in sight at Casa Martin, but I am trying to check things off my to do list.  Baby's due date is also the kid's first day of school, so I am buying and organizing school supplies, shipping a damaged backpack back to LLBean (love their lifetime guarantee), ordering uniforms, and bought everybody a pair of sneakers and school shoes.  Ever want to feel broke?  Go buy all that stuff for six kids.  Geesh!  I actually got really great prices on the footwear at shoebuy.com and Old Navy sells uniform pants for only $12 right now and my boy's favorite underwear is on sale there too.  Bargain hunting is my Confirmation name, so it's actually fun for me.  It'd be funner if someone else was footing the bill, but hey, we made all these kids :)

Have a wonderful relaxing, staying cool, swimming, kind of weekend everybody!  See ya on the flip side (with a winner to my giveaway!)