WHOOO HOOO!!!!!

I finished my thesis!!! It's done, done, done!!! There was a little drama at Kinkos today when they couldn't open one of my files, but it all got worked out. They printed it all, I collated and assembled the binders, and they shipped them to my committee members. I nearly danced out of Kinkos. Thanks so much to my friend Megan who designed the brochures for FREE and then had to deal with all the drama of figuring out how to email the files over the last 3 days. Now all that's left is defending it. (Cue dramatic music.) In two weeks, Blake and Nate are heading up to Athens, Ohio with me to attend the defense, and I just hope that Nate's cuteness, my big belly, and the bagels I plan to bring will put them in such a great mood that they won't be too harsh. I honestly am so proud of this project, so there may be things that they pick at, but overall I think it's really great.

Have I explained the project on this blog? Here it is in a nutshell. When obstetricians give parents the news that their unborn baby has Spina Bifida, they usually scare them to death. OBs don't know much about SB, so they tell parents things like, "Your child will be a vegetable," "He will be mentally retarded," " She will have no quality of life," "It would be cruel to continue this pregnancy," "You baby will probably die before he makes it to birth." Um, they haven't met Nate. Or the hundreds of other kids I "know" (sometimes only online through their parents) who have SB. So I have worked with the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky to develop an information campaign to give doctors accurate information about SB as well as tips for giving the diagnosis compassionately. This includes a "fact sheet" as well as a series of presentations. We've also developed a brochure for parents. For my thesis, I also did a literature review, survey of about 50 parents, reported the results, wrote Nate's story, and wrote a commentary of how the project went. So not only am I finishing my master's degree, I'm also doing a project that I really believe will make a difference in people's lives. This will be an actual program for the SBAK, and they plan to present it to the national Spina Bifida Association to see if they'll take it nationwide. How cool is that? My hope is that parents will be able to make more informed decisions, and many, many babies will be spared from being needlessly terminated.

Okay, enough about that for now. Today I had an OB appointment, and it went well. Georgia is measuring right on schedule, and I have gained NO weight! Whoo! (You really wouldn't believe it to look at me!) I'm far enough along now--28 weeks--that I will be starting appointments every other week instead of monthly. At 32 weeks, I'll have another ultrasound to see how this girl is growing in there. And best of all, we have scheduled a c-section date! Grandmas, get out your calendars--Miss Georgia has a birthday! Friday, July 31.

Nate had playgroup today, and he was having so much fun playing with magnetic letters that he ignored me when I came to pick him up. As we were leaving, I asked him what he did at school today. This is his new way of telling stories: "Ummmm, I pwayed with wetters. Aaannnd had a snack. Aaannnd went to da gym. Aaannnnddd...." It's hilarious. Miss Elizabeth was here when we got back, and she stayed here with Nate while I went to Kinkos and got my hair cut. She got him to take a few steps by himself, and she also took him for a walk to the end of our street and back, just holding his hand. He is getting so strong. When I got home, she was telling me about all the walking he did, and Nate looked at me and said, "I so proud of you!" He said it all evening, how proud he was. I guess Elizabeth told him that, and he knew it was good but was figuring out exactly what it meant. (Let me interject that I also say this to him, but it just hit him today. Really, I do, haha.)

Then I put Nate to bed, and we did our usual routine--read a book, sing a song, say our prayers, talk about what he's going to dream about, lights out. Well, an hour and a half later, he was still up there talking and singing, perfectly happy but not sleeping. I heard him recite the prayer I always say, which is funny cause he never says it with me, just folds his hands and closes his eyes. But I heard him say, "Dear Jesus, tank you for mama and daddy and Nate and baby Georgie. We wuv you. Amen." Awww! The last couple of days, I've heard him randomly chanting "Mama, Daddy, Nate, Baby Georgie." And I say, "Yes, that's our family!" I'm hoping he's used to at least the idea of Georgia by the time she gets here.

Anyway, it's 11 pm, and Nate is still awake, now in our bed watching TV with Blake. This should be an interesting night!