New(s) Things

I thought I should write to update a little bit about things going on at the Ridenour Ranch. Before I get to that I will share my grossest bug story yet. Remember the Asian beetles we've had bombarding our home for the past few months?! (I'm hoping this cold weather will finally beat them down). Anyway at night lately I've been bringing my nice big water bottle (the one they gave me in the hospital when I had Jude) upstairs for the nighttime thirsties. This morning I brought it downstairs and decided I had the morning thirsties so I took a nice big swig. Now mind you this water bottle has a lid and a straw, so as I'm sucking up from the straw I notice something of a lump come up with the water. My water is not usually lumpy. And as soon as it entered my mouth there was like this instantaneous realization (because of the lump and the horrible taste, which I had never experienced, but because of the smell knew in an instant) that an Asian beetle had crawled down my straw and into my water and was now in my mouth!!! I turned to the sink and spit it all out. There was the culprit...still crawling!!! GROSS. Now to me that's more disgusting than butchering chickens any day!

Ok, on to news! First things first, the reason I now need my giant water bottle wherever I go (and the reason I make a few trips down the stairs in the middle of every night to visit the bathroom) is because Gil and I are expecting our second child on May 23!!! I am almost 13 weeks now. I have been feeling well for the most part. Better than with Jude anyway. A little sicky, but nothing to complain about really. (warning: TMI, I have only puked once!). So we are excited about that and like our doctor and already got to have an ultrasound at 9 weeks:) Here's the little one:

In other news Gil is preparing for his second trip to Honduras with Briar Cliff students. They leave next Wednesday and will be gone until the day after Thanksgiving. It is going to be a lonely week for Jude and I, but he will have a great time digging trenches, sleeping on the floor, not showering, and eating "traditional" Honduran food!!! This time the area they are going to is even more remote than last year so I don't think we'll even get to talk on the phone:( But we are having a very exciting week before he leaves. He is doing a little deer hunting and writing a 30 page paper for the class he is taking. Ok, so maybe not that exciting. But we do get to travel to Council Bluffs on Sunday for the Ridenour Thanksgiving, even if we do have to miss Brittany's game tomorrow night that we were supposed to be able to go to (sorry Brittany!!!!!).

When Gil comes back from Honduras he with start the second of the three semesters at Briar Cliff so his schedule will change a little. My schedule will change a little soon as well. This semester I have been teaching two sections of a class at Wayne State called "Succeeding in College." I have really enjoyed it even though my first section is a challenge and I feel that some of my students are not quite succeeding! Next semester there are no classes available for me to teach so I will hopefully pick up on my subbing in the area. But I do plan to return to Wayne next fall to teach 3 sections. Should be a whole lot easier now that I have a little experience under my belt!

Another activity that has kept me busy this fall is the new MOPS (Mother of Preschoolers) group in Wayne that I have been a part of starting up. I am the discussion group team leader. We have had two official meetings now and meet again next week. I really love getting together with other moms and the best part is the new friendships I've made. In fact, our friends Melissa and Tony (who we met at church in Wayne one Sunday after Jude chucked his shoe at them!) have a little boy just four months older than Jude and are also expecting in May, just 11 days before us!

A few other new things have popped up inside our house recently. The first is this handy dandy wood stove gate. We decided that we really needed something for peace of mind since it is impossible to watch Jude constantly. He is getting the concept of hot and staying away, but this gate (although a pretty penny) is PERFECT! It can detach and attach to the wall easily and actually goes the entire length. It also has a section that opens so we can get inside.

The final new thing is our Christmas Cactus that John and Carolyn brought down to us last weekend. It is a replant off of one that they have at their house. I think these are so pretty and it seems to be doing well!