...Like Bein' 16 Again...

You know how when you turned 16 you jumped at any excuse to drive anywhere? On my 16th birthday, I drove 20 minutes to Meijer just to buy Lipsmackers lip gloss. I was SO excited to just get behind the wheel and experience that sense of freedom and independence! Well..that little 16-year-old Lindsay is ME in KC right now! My dad and Suzanne graciously brought down our second car from Michigan last weekend (thank-you, thank-you, THANK-YOU to them and Patti and Dick for the gift) and now I am driving wherever I can. I honestly kind-of enjoyed driving around downtown and spending time at the DMV yesterday...now THAT should communicate my desperation to get out of the apartment! ;)

As August begins, I can't help but think about teaching. It's a very weird feeling, after always being busy and working...to know that I won't be working as a full-time teacher this fall. It's almost like a bit of an identity crisis...not a crisis, maybe an ... ummm... identity struggle? I am excited to have the opportunity to tutor and maybe even volunteer at a school or for an after-school program, though. Not just to work with kids (which I miss already, just knowing I won't be in my usual capacity), but to simply have a purpose - something that demands my time and challenges me intellectually.

Yesterday was my first OBGYN appointment in KC! Dr. Bishop was recommended to me by my Aunt Sissy, who lived here 18 years ago.. "The Bish," as she fondly refers to him, was her OBGYN during her pregnancy for my cousin Jack... crazy! He was absolutely LOVELY. I learned about his family and a little about his travels as he learned about me. He made a point of mentioning how the doctors at his practice focus on personal relationships with patients and I seriously felt like I was living in a dream - I thought nice doctors like him only existed in the movies!! As he left, he told me, "Make yourself at home, this is your second home now!" with a smile. OMG I couldn't stop smiling and thinking about how lucky I was to have such a rockstar doctor!

Little updates with me and Mara:

• Baby girl keeps streeeetching her little self out and putting pressure on my bladder. Not painful, but definitely lets me know she's there. :)
• Had another weird little episode where I felt nauseous, light-headed, and went into a cold sweat again...while laying down...and waiting for The Bish to come in to the appointment... luckily, he just smiled and nodded as I told him of the ER visit and this second episode, so apparently I'm fine.
• Still working on the most comfortable way to sleep on my side without my hips or shoulders hurting, but it seems that a body pillow between the knees, one pillow under my head, and another pillow layered between the two gives the best positioning without forcing me to clench my teeth or wake up whining about my joints aching. It also helps if Shermie props up against my back. :)
• Mara Lou's heartbeat is strong, so she's growing well and staying healthy! Maybe that's part of the reason why I feel tired unless I get 11 hours of sleep every night!