Three Weeks To Go...

With only three weeks until our due date (April 17), we are eagerly anticipating baby's imminent arrival! The hospital bags are packed, we completed our childbirth classes, and we have accumulated loads of size 1 diapers. All that's left is to wait patiently, trying to enjoy our last few weeks of freedom while being so excited about meeting this new little person that is half me and half Matt. Amazing!

Many thanks are in order today: First of all to Sara and Tippy who were willing to wake up at the crack of dawn two days ago to take these "official" pregnancy photos of us on Lanikai Beach, followed by an amazing waffle breakfast. YUM! Thanks to Tippy's dad for letting us use his sweet Nikon DSLR. Thanks again to Desiree for loaning me such cute maternity clothes that I wear every day. And finally, thanks to Matt for cooperating with my little photo shoot idea without complaint, and looking hot while doing it!

Spring Break...So Far

Spring Break is officially here! Matt and I have been enjoying this time to relax and get loads of things done that had been piling up for ages. For example, Matt spent yesterday working on finishing the wall around our bathroom mirror. When we moved in a year and a half ago, we removed a crusty 1970's metal cabinet from the wall, and the wall had been brown drywall since. It's been so nice to find the time to complete the project. Matt did a great job and it looks SO much better!

We've been spending time reading, writing thank-you notes, hanging out at Borders, chilling with friends, attending infant care and childbirth classes, watching March Madness basketball, cleaning our little condo, and preparing for baby's arrival. Here are a few pictures so far...

Matt and I at the Honolulu Festival with a weird little creature. Brett, Sara and I had a girls' picnic at Kakaako.Victoria, Renee, Sonia and I got together for breakfast at Cinnamon's.

Emma trying on a onesie.

Enough of this already, Dad!

Brian, Adam, Alan, Jeremy, Jimmy and Matt at Jer's surprise 28th birthday party.

Goodbye Luncheon

Yesterday was my last day at work at HBA for the foreseeable future! And with less than four weeks until baby is due, I'm really grateful that I'll be able to get more rest. At our doctor's appointment on Thursday, the doctor recommended that it was time for me to stop working, since I was spending too much time on my feet. Friday was scheduled to be my last day anyways, so the timing worked out perfectly. Matt and I were really blessed on Friday by the middle school teachers preparing a special goodbye aloha luncheon for us.


The most meaningful part of the lunch was that Mr. Hom wrote and sang a wonderful song for Matt and I to the tune of "Oh Mandy." Mr. and Mrs. Hom have known Matt since he was in high school, as Mr. Hom was the athletic director at the time and their daughter graduated in the same class. Mrs. Hom teaches English on the high school campus, and I have had the priviledge of working on with Mr. Hom, who teaches 7th grade science, on the middle school team this year. They are a really neat family, and a fixture at HBA. Check out the video and lyrics below:

Lyrics:

Lesley came to HBA, teaching high school math each day,
Had enough of that, the middle school's where it's at,
Her tummy's getting fat, and here's the reason...

You are Matthew Stevens' wife, loving you completes his life,
He would run around, mile after mile,
Couldn't settle down, 'till he saw your smile

Oh Lesley, God bless you, you're gonna be mommy,
And Matt will be daddy,
Oh Lesley, you're leaving to raise up a family,
And baby makes three, Oh Lesley

Lesley and Obama we know, both attended Punahou,
But her heart is with the crew, of our middle school
Jesus is the glue, that keeps us together

Surprise Baby Shower

About a month ago, the HBA 8th Grade National Junior Honor Society members threw a surprise baby shower for Matt and I during lunch. (It took a little while to get the pictures.) The shower was amazing - complete with food, decorations, baby games, lovely gifts and even a diaper cake! I was so amazed that these students had put so much time and energy into making this little party so special. Here's a picture of me on my "throne" with the entire NJHS gang.Mr. Witsell and Mrs. Edwards dig into the ono grinds.
This game was hilarious. Matt came over from teaching at the high school to participate. We were each given a baby bottle filled with guava juice. The first one of us to drink the entire bottle won. Infants must have incredible sucking power, because neither of us could get anything out. In frustration, Matt ripped the entire nipple out of the bottle and drank the juice down out of the remaining cup. He then claimed victory despite blatant cheating! Unbelievable!
This is what happens when 8th graders are in charge of taking down decorations!

Johnny Faerber Men's 10K Run

Matt made Baby-to-Be and I proud in a 10K road race he completed this morning. It started and ended at Kapiolani Park, and went around Diamond Head to Kahala Mall and back. He won third place overall with a time of 34:18. Did I mention that the course was wet and they ran the entire thing in the dark? Amazing. He was beaten only by his two good friends, Todd and Brandon, seen below. Everyone else in the race was way behind these three speedsters. Todd and Brandon came over to our apartment afterwards for a hot breakfast and I was tempted to put a little something extra in their eggs, but I refrained so that Matt would still have some serious running competition on this island. :o)

Maunawili Falls

Matt and I went for a refreshing (a.k.a. early) hike up to Maunawili Falls yesterday before church. We brought along little Emma who was a real trooper, although of course she had to be carried over all of the stream crossings. Matt was very patient with me going slower than usual with the extra 20 pounds I'm carrying around these days (baby is 4 pounds). Especially up the sections with stairs cut into the trail - I felt like the tortoise trying to hike with the hare. I'm blessed to have a sensitive and understanding husband with seemingly endless patience!