(This is the belly shot from last week at 27 weeks). Our next appointment for the baby is May 4 (Tuesday), so we'll let you know how it goes. Abby is doing well as far as I can tell. She responds when we play music and sometimes when Joel talks. She kicks. A lot. And Hard. And she's started doing this freaky rolling around thing. Being pregnant is SOOO weird. I can feel this little alien moving around inside of me and can see it if I watch my belly. It's kind of gross, but cool at the same time. I'm doing fine too. I can tell that I've officially moved into the third trimester. My energy levels have really dropped and I'm back to sleeping all the time again. I could have really used one more month of that 2nd trimester high!As you can imagine, Joel and I are keeping very busy with all of the last minute details of getting ready for our move. I've been going through our apartment room by room, closet by closet (and we have quite a few closets!) throwing stuff out, giving stuff away, figuring out what we might need to get etc. Most of that is done. . . I think. Next week we drive to Zagreb and drop the cats off at a kennel, and leave the car there so Joel will have it when he arrives. Then we take a "sleeper" train back to Rome - just like in the old movies! (Gosh I hope the beds are comfortable!) We switch trains over in Venice, so maybe we'll have enough time to run around sightseeing for a little bit. That's not likely as I don't see me actually "running" anywhere, but we'll see.
This past Thursday we also did our last run to the Naples military base. We ran several errands and took the cats to the vet there to get their shots updated. That didn't go over very well with Obe and Puzza. Puzza hissed so bad, it sounded like he was cussing like a sailor, and afterwards he pouted all day long. Obe actually climbed into Puzza's carrier with him and sat with him, which was really cute. Oh, and little tiny Puzza? Ain't so tiny anymore. When we got him two years ago, he was 3 1/2 pounds. Now he's 17 lbs, 9 oz. Yeah, you read that right. Don't worry, we're already trying to put him on a diet. He runs around a lot already, so exercise isn't a problem. No wonder it was hurting me to pick him up. Obe has actually slimmed down to a lean 14 lbs.
Then of course, we have all the fun "leaving a job" junk that still has to be done. I'm still trying to finish up a couple of little projects and get everything cleaned out and organized in my office. My last day of work is May 26th, and they are definitely not letting me slow down in my last four weeks! I have two workshops, an appreciation lunch, a farewell BBQ for departing employees, and a trip to Pompeii on my calendar - all before May 26th!
My other big project is my scrapbooking. I am desperately trying to catch up as much as possible and actually get these albums DONE before we pack up and leave. Slowly but surely I'm making progress - however, it might not be in the cards to actually complete any of these projects. Well, we'll see. I really don't want to have to bring it home with me this summer to complete because then I have to lug it back! And I am planning to go crazy on Abby's album so I do need to be caught up on everything else before I get to Zagreb!
I got a new job beginning this fall! In Zagreb, I will be writing the Zagreb Embassy's weekly community newsletter, which I am very excited about. I get to make a little dough plus work from home, so that will be fun. Plus, it will force me to get out of the house every once in a while and talk to adults which I think will be good for me and keep me from going stir-crazy. Ya'll know me, I can't sit still for long. That'll start when I arrive in September, I guess.
We've had several long weekends lately here - between Easter Monday off, and Italian holidays right and left. We have another one tomorrow - It's Labor Day for Italy. No trips planned though. Pretty much we have turned into homebodies, it's too much trouble to go very far when you have to stop for potty breaks every half hour for the crazy pregnant woman in the car. Mostly we are busy doing dinners with all of our friends here in Rome before we leave.
Oh, cool thing: the law enforcement agencies here at the embassy had an internal open house for our employees, and then raffled prizes off at the end - and I got a Secret Service hat, commemorative coin from the Presidental Protective unit, and a box of chocolates from Air Force One! How cool is that?? Nope, not eating the chocolate - I'd mess up the Air Force One Logo on the packaging. Don't think I didn't think about it though!
Joel wants me to say that he can't wait to get out of here and see everyone back in the US. I agree with him. I think we both could use a bit of home cooking and Americana. Being out of the US has made us extremely proud of being American and more patriotic I think.
And just to update you all on our summer plans: We fly into the DC area for a week or so, then I'm off to Alabama. Joel will jet-set around to Miami and to see me in Auburn before he heads out to Croatia to start work. Then after a few weeks, he'll be back for Abby to be born (hopefully she cooperates) and then goes back to Croatia. Abby and I will follow him when she's about 6 weeks old and the docs give the all clear. Joel will have to deal with the movers and the unpacking by himself this time, hahaha.
Talk to you all soon, hopefully from DC or Alabama or Miami!
Love,
Julie and Joel
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